Hello, QC Community. This is my first post here with this account. I'm David, also known as @dreeyor. This is my second account on Hive. My previous account was dealt with for reasons I don't fully understand, and that was about a year ago. But I'm back now.
Let me share my thoughts on this week's topic: subscriptions.
What is a subscription to me?
A subscription is paying regularly — daily, weekly, monthly — for a service you use often. Sometimes you pay at regular intervals. Other times, if you use up what you paid for faster than expected, you have to buy another before the next interval. It's not always perfectly regular.
My main example is network data subscriptions — MTN, Airtel, and Glo. Here in Ekiti, many people say "data is life." That's not always true for me, but data is still very important.
A good subscription experience: Airtel
I use Airtel and MTN. Airtel has been good to me. Normally, I get 2GB on Airtel and it lasts me at least three days. I remember watching all of Soul Land on YouTube — a very long series — using less than ₦1,500. That's because of Airtel's Smart Cash special offers: ₦300 for 2GB. I also watched TikTok movies in between. The data lasted, and I got real value.
A bad subscription experience: MTN
MTN is different. What I see is not always what I get. I once bought a 30GB plan on MTN, and it didn't even last a full week for normal use. Forget about doing anything serious or fun with it. It finishes too fast. I joke that it's probably due to "imaginary air friction at maximum" — but really, it's frustrating.
That said, MTN is not totally useless. When Airtel's network is poor, MTN becomes my backup. If I need to download something super quickly, MTN is fast. And for serious things — school assignments, creating digital art, business — MTN takes over. So even the service I complain about has its benefits.
What about Glo?
I used to like Glo. I remember when ₦500 gave me 1GB for a week, and the value felt almost equal to what I paid. But then network issues started. In my location in Ekiti, Glo's service is equivalent to not being available. So I stopped using it entirely. Availability matters. A good subscription is useless if the service is not there when you need it.
Should all businesses use subscriptions?
No. I don't think so.
A business owner must first know their customers before designing any plan. Not every business is suitable for subscriptions. You have to consider feasibility. Can customers trust you? Can you offer stability and regularity?
Take daily meals. Could I get a subscription for my food every day? Maybe. But soon I might realize that cooking for myself locally is better, cheaper, and more flexible. Everyone has their own priorities. Subscriptions work best when they serve the majority's interest and when the business is reliable.
Do consumers benefit from subscriptions?
Yes — but only when subscriptions are well-planned.
A good subscription should:
· Satisfy the customer's real need
· Not cause financial disaster or backlash
· Be available in usable condition
The bonuses on Airtel keep me stuck to their service. The speed of MTN saves me when Airtel fails. Those are real benefits. No business is perfect. Every service has flaws. Some customers overlook the flaws. Others get pissed and leave for something better. That's normal.
But as long as a subscription model is honest, stable, and gives value, consumers will benefit. We just have to choose what works best for our own situation.
Final thought
Subscriptions are not evil, and they are not magic. They are tools. When a business uses them well, customers stay. When a business fails to deliver, customers leave. That's how it should be.
Thank you, QC Community, for having me back. And thank you @jlat1412 for suggesting this topic.
