I am going to be a laughingstock, i am sure to those of you who read this; but, here goes anyway. I bought my first (and only) cell phone back years ago…a sweet, little flip phone that cost me $180.00. That was a lot of money back then. Now, i didn’t want complicated and i did not want to do the contract thing. Nothing too technical…i paid for what i wanted.
It was a well known company that utilizes prepaid cards to add your minutes. We had a great relationship over the years. When they started extending the time to 3 months of minutes with each card purchase i grew to love it more. Ahh….the simplicity of it all.
I never had to worry about programming the thing beyond my most basic needs. I didn’t have to try to figure out complicated new features. It was a love match.
That is until a week and a half ago when, i received an urgent message that i needed to click on their important email. It notified me that in just a few short days i would no longer be able to use my phone as it was an analog phone. (i think i jinxed myself as i expressed concern just the week before to my mother about the notices that the televisions would no longer receive analog signals starting in 2008. I said, “i wonder if this will affect my cell phone too”) Man…that stinks!
I was informed that i needed to fill in the information needed on the form they provided me through my email for an “upgrade”. A new phone…good deal…nice of them i thought. Now i will be able to continue to use my nice easy system. I only use my phone for emergencies or on the road quick calls…so it doesn’t make sense to get a contract phone service.
Well, true to their word…a few short days later and a phone arrives. It was as i was afraid of. El Cheapo phone. one you can walk into any walmart in the country and pay a measly $20.00 for and have a prize. What a disappointment.
Now, on top of that…i get to program the darn thing. I don’t want texting, i don’t want to have to have a phd to dial the darn thing. This makes me upset. Why do i need to go through all of this. I was a good supportive customer. I should not have to accept a lessor quality phone; nor, should i have to deal with features i do not want.
In any case, now i have to figure it out or loose my minutes and my phone number. Needless to say, this nationally known company will be hearing about my unhappiness. Not that they will care i am sure. But i care enough to consider an equally simple “new” phone recently out on the market (marketed for older folks…but still, i will live with the stigma of old if i get what i want :)) The new phone is called a Jitterbug. It looks a little large and unwieldy…but simple is what i want…and i think a whole lot of other people do as well. Beware, my old company. I am loyal almost to a fault….however, you were the first to break our relationship by not giving me what i want with the respect i deserved. If you knew i had an analog phone..you also knew that i had a quality product and not a $20.00 piece of plastic! I should have received something equal in quality to what i had originally paid the price for! To Customer service and treating your customers with respect!!!
Write where you are 