The good news is, Charter Spectrum cable television service is getting better. The bad news is, they still have some serious problems with pay TV. New problems. Problems that need an immediate fix since the marketplace is becoming competitive. In this piece, I will write about the challenges and threats they face and about what impact Spectrum Mobile wireless service will have on their growth potential.
The world of cable TV is changing. Comcast is getting better with their Xfinity service and Xfinity Mobile wireless service. Can we expect the same good results from Charter? Let’s take a look.
The good news is the potential for improvement is there. The real question is will they. The problem is while their pay TV is better than in the past, it still has serious problems and in fact, new problems. Do they realize this and how quickly will they fix this problem? Users have been wrestling with this for months.
Customers ask, does Charter care? I would say, yes. I hope so. They care for at least two reasons. One, because they are users themselves as well. Two, because if they don’t offer an excellent quality service, they will lose market share as competition increases.
So, if they do care, why are they still having such serious problems and in fact, new problems and why are they still turning their customers off?
The most serious question I have is around whether they can fix these new pay TV problems quickly. They must because competition is increasing.
How quickly can Charter Spectrum fix their pay TV problems?
Spectrum Mobile is a great new product, but it does not solve their pay TV problems. Let me explain.
As a wireless analyst and telecom analyst, I follow Charter Spectrum and Spectrum Mobile. I always write about and talk about things companies are doing right and wrong.
I would love nothing more than to say Charter has turned itself around. And while they have improved in some areas, other areas are worse than ever. So yes, their digital TV product is good, when it works. The problem is, too often it simply does not work.
Let me give you an example. I live in the Atlanta area and have a place at the beach. We use Comcast in Atlanta and Charter at the beach. This gives me the unique ability to discuss this issue from a unique perspective as a user of both.
Why does it often take an hour to turn on Charter Spectrum TV
One key problem Charter needs to fix is this. Every time we go to the home with Spectrum, and I turn on the television, it takes at least an hour to get a picture. That’s right. Every single time when we arrive. Plus, several other times over several days of our visit I must do the same thing.
This is a new problem. Never had this problem before when it was an analog network under Time Warner Cable for the last decade and recently under Charter Spectrum. The problem came on suddenly after Charter’s switch to digital.
This is a self-created problem by Charter. They should never force their customer base to switch if they were not ready.
Self-created problem with Charter Spectrum digital pay TV
I don’t know about you, but when I turn on the television, I expect to see a picture, not sit and wait for an hour, having to turn the TV and converter box on and off many times. Even unplug and plug the unit back in several times.
As a user, this is a complete nightmare. And I deal with this continually. Today, if I had a choice, I would have left Charter already. Unfortunately, I don’t yet have a choice yet here. Not yet.
When there is a choice I fear for Charter unless they can fix this problem and fast.
Their warm and fuzzy television advertising makes you feel good, but you realize there is no connection between who they think they are, and the service the customer actually gets.
Charter Spectrum risks hit in market share
Compare this to Comcast. Their Xfinity television service works pretty darn well. I used to complain about them as well, but in recent years they have really improved.
I have talked with countless people all over this area and they have the same problem. I don’t know if Charter understands, but there is an anger bubbling beneath the surface with users.
Based on that reality, I would project as soon as there is a competitive offering, customers will switch away and Charter will take a serious hit in market share.
That’s why it is so important for them to fix whatever problems they have now. Before it’s too late. Their pay TV service has switched to digital and when it works, things are fine. The problem is it does not work too often.
Charter Spectrum remote control too big and too confusing
Another item. The remote Charter Spectrum remote control needs to be updated. Currently, it’s a huge device and uncomfortable in the hand. It has countless buttons that are all tiny. The device is difficult to understand and to use.
Compare this to Comcast Xfinity which has much simpler and easy to use and to hold remote controls. That means there are devices that are much better. If so, why doesn’t Charter use something like this?
Could it be they don’t care? I can’t believe that. After all their own executives and workers all use the same devices. And they must understand this will have an impact on them as the pay TV industry continues to see more competition.
So, what is Charter doing to stop market share slide and show growth? Once again, they are following Xfinity Mobile and offering their own wireless service called Spectrum Mobile.
While Xfinity Mobile seems to be helping Comcast, much of that comes from the fact that Xfinity pay TV is a stable service.
Will Spectrum Mobile keep Charter from losing market share?
Will Spectrum Mobile, help Charter the same way? That’s the big question. I would say if the customer is happy with their pay TV service, they could be happy with mobile as well.
But, and this is a big but… if the customer is unhappy with the pay TV service experiences as I describe above, Spectrum Mobile won’t help the company.
It’s really as simple as that.
As a wireless analyst and telecom analyst, I really want the companies I follow to do well. I want them to take great care of their users, offer great services, be profitable and reward their workers and investors.
This is what I want to see happen with Charter. It can happen if they make a commitment to improve and in fact do it. However, making that come true is up to Charter and Charter alone. So now we sit and wait and see what happens next.
Spectrum Mobile has been launched. While this is good, it is not enough to solve their pay TV problem. I hope they will both fix this and get a simpler remote control. Let’s hope they can do so before it’s too late. The best time is today.
So, the good news is Charter is better than ever. They have made improvements, but that’s not enough. They need to fix this new problem before the customer loses trust. The secret sauce is simple. They must understand the problem they are experiencing. Do they, is the real question?
