Bob guessed correctly. The cladding of the Novotel on Rondo Dmowskiego in orange was indeed an advert - for Orange. In retrospect, entirely predictable. When Telekompromitacja Polska was "privatised", it was sold to state-owned France Telecom, now masquerading under the groovy name "Orange".The French like to do business with themselves. As soon as they got their mitts on TPSA, much of its fleet of cars and vans was swapped for Renaults, Citroens and Peugeots. TPSA no doubt banks with Societe Generale and uses French lawyers.
Novotel, of course, is a French-owned hotel chain, part of the Accor group. So no problems, then, reaching an agreement as to creating the largest billboard in town.
Below: the hotel's been turned into a huge ad, and in the foreground, on the patelnia in front of Metro Centrum, a huge orange cube advertising, well, telecoms services. The colour saturation of the hotel in the background toned down somewhat so as not to be overwhelmed by the cube in the foreground!
The brand 'TPSA' will soon be changed to Orange. No doubt we will still receive eye-watering monthly bills for poor-quality internet access and vanilla-flavoured telephony. Out here on the perimeter, there is no choice - TPSA or nothing. Whereas urban sophisticates can get telephone, internet (three times faster and more stable) and cable TV for less than we pay, we're stuck with a choice of one provider.I don't mind poor service if I'm paying old-school money for it. I don't mind paying a lot for service if it's truly excellent. I object to paying a lot for service that's third rate.
UPDATE APRIL 2015:
Since then, the service has improved, the bills have fallen. Things are getting better. More bandwidth, fewer fails (nearly none, actually), and lower bills. Can't really complain any more.
This time last year:
Prophesies
This time two years ago:
Volcano shuts down aviation over NW Europe
This time three years ago:
Large, charismatic fowl
This time four years ago:
Antonov An-26 in the twilight of its career
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8 comments:
It's not the first timeFrench are employing French.
Guess who's building new TPSa errr. Orange HQ building...
regarding Forum/Novotel hotel, this is, excuse my French, disgusting cr.ap
Best regards,
One more word - you don't have to stick to francuska dojarka - on Buszycka Netia is not a problem.
I also read somewhere that TPSA (i.e. its customers) will be paying Orange a princely sum for the 'privilege' of changing to their logo.
I am surprised that given their pan-European presence they did not make their ad multilingual - a fail! (IMHO)
Whoops - that was me - Bob
Not that the Germans are much better. The change of brand from Era to T Mobile included an attempt by telemarketers to get people to agree to a new improved tarrif which in my case ended up costing twice as much as before. And of course it took FOUR attempts to get the original tarrif restored and the overcharge credited back. And no you cannot do this by correspondence, you have to go personally to that oxymoron called "biuro obslugi klienta".
And as an aside how can TPSA be deemed to have been privatised when it was sold to a French state owned behemoth?
And lastly I have had a threatening letter from a debt collection agency hounding me for payment in respect of TPSA charging me for a service they were not providing (otherwise known as Neostrada which in the UK would have to be described as ADSL i.e. you can download at full speed but up loads would be quicker by carrier pidgeon. Their excuse was that I had signed the contract as a private individual despite their incoices being issued to a business.
It is high time that UKE started standing up for the consumer.
I can't believe people (including warszawa.gazeta.pl) couldn't see this one coming...
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/telekomunikacja-polska-formally-decides-to-rebrand-as-orange
FT and Orange Brand Services (who own the brand) will pay for the rebranding; 1.6% of your bill goes back to the brand (as a percentage has done if you have used Orange mobile, TV or T-Mobile etc).
Oh and there's a fair few Skodas in the Orange car fleet as well. You may have a point about French doing business with the French, but it would be nice to get the facts right and not just guess (re banks and lawyers).
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