@AE_Collector wrote:
Yes it is interesting how the three different gifts over the last 12 months have all been done a bit differently. First automatically put in accounts. Second we had to log in to Self Serve and claim them. Now we have to respond YES to a text message.
Well, we don't really have to do those things, lol, although declining them means no gifts.
I'm guessing that PM is experimenting with feedback mechanisms, measuring which method causes the least strain (and cost) on their systems.
I remember Self-Serve being "unavailable" for days, almost like a denial-of-service attack, because it was overwhelmed by waves of customers rushing to get their freebies. A seemingly large number of customers couldn't access Self-Serve, not just the stragglers but also the people who required account logins for normal not-gift-related account functions. Not good business if people can't come in to pay, new customers are locked out, and existing customers get angry because they're denied what they were promised (or can't even pay to get working phone service) by technical barriers. Sorting it all out probably cost PM extra money and apologies and labour, and even then there were still some vocal and disgruntled customers who lost.
I wonder if PM's SMSC systems have likewise been stressed by "unanticipated" peak demands - although I suspect that ticking "YES" flags onto a big list with a million names isn't as demanding on the machinery (or on the bandwidth) as serving a million secured web login sessions.
