3. Relationships.

[jack]

I have experienced relationships. I've had personal relationships and business relationships. Longstanding and fleeting relationships. Family, friend, romantic and sexual relationships. I am an Adams! OK, not that.

Like most humans, and unlike the company designing this phone menu, I have some idea of what constitutes "a relationship getting better over time".

Ironically[1], when I actually started talking to someone, the offer I got WAS better than what they were advertising to new customers.

But what the message, played tediously BEFORE EVEN THE MAIN MENU, said, was "We, at blah, think a relationship gets better over time. That's why we offer our existing customers the same great deals as we do to new customers."

The fact that they tell you that AT ALL is a hint. They used NOT to. Now, doing it is better than not doing it. But it's like me going round the office saying "Hey, I didn't just punch you in the groin? Aren't I good guy?" And I don't do that. Apart maybe to a couple of guys who deserve it.

But it's NOT better over time. It STARTED OUT with "deals offered to new customers". It finished with "deals offered to new customers" and "other deals". OK, choice is good, but it's not THAT good. In actual fact, offering the "deals offered to new customers" is NOT going to make your offer better than to actual new customers.

In actual fact, the deal I was offered WAS better. They probably don't want people to know that or they might get it. But I was damn near to cancelling before I got that far.

Comments

[robhu.livejournal.com]

Sounds like this is a mobile phone company. Usually if you say you're cancelling they offer you a better deal. In fact I think this is true of most services where there are enormous profit margins.

[robhu.livejournal.com]

*checks next post*

I win!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry. I probably should have *said* that. I thought I had. I always get overenthusiastic.

[theinquisitor.livejournal.com]

I used to be with Orange. In the process of turning down an 'upgrade' deal, I observed that they were offering more to new customers than they were to me.

Sounded like a more widely applicable principle, so I switched to TMobile (who offered better than anything Orange had come up with, even to not-new customers...).

[chess]

You have lost a footnote.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

:) Thanks, but actually, its in the next post