NOTE - I will not name the company about which this rant is written. It could be any Digital Phone company with a name that rhymes with “Splint DPX.”
I love my Digital Phone. I get great reception, the voice-dial stuff is fantastic, it works wherever I travel and I don’t ever think about whether a call is long distance or not… I just dial.
BUT.
The earpiece on my phone stopped working consistently. I took it into the store and had them check it out. Verdict: it’s busted and it’s probably not worth fixing since it’s two years old (out of warranty).
“How long is the lifespan on this phone?” I ask the Customer Service Agent.
“About a year,” comes her glib reply.
A year?! The damn thing costs $100. Maybe I’m wrong, but I remember a time when that was a lot of money.
OK. So, I need to buy a new phone. So, I go over to the display to pick one out and see signs for their sale: $30 Rebate on any new phone purchase… if you’re a new customer. Which I’m not. Grrrrr.
“You mean, since I’m a loyal customer, you’re not allowing me to take advantage of your rebate?” I ask the CSA.
“That’s right,” she answers, smiling.
“What if I cancel my service and sign back up immediately?” I ask.
“Noooo…” she frowns, “They won’t let you do that. Anyway, there are Activation Fees.”
So, in the end, I gave in - what else could I do? I bent over and let them ram things right up my keister. I bought a new phone at full price - of course, the one I had was unavailable - and spent more than I had for my original phone.
Now, the new phone is cool and the service is just as good as ever. But I find myself still wondering why this company seems to try to treat loyal customers like dung. 