So long, old friend
sfreeman5
Newbie

I have been a loyal Verizon customer since before the word "Verizon" even graced the tongue of a single GTE or Bell Atlantic executive.  I have seen my rates go up and the perks dwindle over the years, yet I have remained with Verizon because of the broad service area, the reliability of that service, and the excellent customer relations department. I have recently, however, reached the end of that long road of complicity and will soon be moving on.  Think of it like this: I am the parent and Verizon is the drug-addict kid that I have been enabling.   

I know – that’s a bit of an extreme comparison, but I like it. So here’s the deal.  I have paid $137 per month every month for the past several years to maintain the plan that works best for me, which has always included unlimited data.  In the years prior I paid in the vicinity of $100. Verizon has been in existence for approximately thirteen years now, so if you consider the fact that I have paid an average of at least $115 per month for the past thirteen years (not including my GTE years), I have paid this company approximately $18,000.  That’s a lot of dough, yo.  The only thing I have asked for in return is for Verizon to keep doing what they have been doing, and fortunately (for us both) it has worked quite well. It is true that I could have saved thousands by switching to another carrier years ago, carriers who, for some time now, have offered the same types of services that at one point were unique to Verizon.  But the peace of mind, the consistency of service, and my outright loyalty to a worthwhile partner as kept me “put”. 

Now, as I weigh the pros and cons of “staying put”, there is clearly one logical road to take, considering the “pro” column is completely blank. It’s empty.  Nothing there. Nada.  Zippo. Zilch.  

What really kills me, and what illustrates that Verizon is really and truly missing the boat, is the fact that the customers who spend the most on their wireless plans, the customers who are the most loyal – the business users like myself – we are the ones being targeted, whether intentional or otherwise (if otherwise, then geesh, someone is clearly asleep at the wheel).   Folks like myself rely on unlimited data in order to effectively do our jobs.  Our need for the flexibility that this feature allows us (in this day and age) is just that – a need.  Not a want or a luxury, but a need. 

So tell us, Verizon, what’s up with that? Why the giant leap into the past? I mean why is it that Verizon, who has historically been ahead of the game with regards to technology and customer needs, is now pulling back the reins at precisely a time when every single user in the nation is becoming more technologically dependent with each nanosecond that passes?  Are you trying to tell us that we need to put down our mobile devices and spend more time with our families?  Interesting! But ridiculous.  I keep seeing blog responses from Verizon spin doctors/housecleaners/damage control (whatever you want to call them) suggesting that customers use Wi-Fi to save data.  Seriously? Are you kidding me?  You must be kidding me.  Who is running your marketing & sales division?  Come on, tell us the truth – is someone stealing someone else’s lunch money over there?  It is blatantly obvious that there is a bully in the house because there is absolutely no way that a Marketing team for a company as successful as Verizon. is on board with this nonsense.  Marketing obviously has to find a way to sell it anyway…but hey that’s what they get for being a bunch of lay-downs.  If all of your customers were completely devoid of intelligence (you must believe they are), then this could possibly work - temporarily.  But seriously – don’t you think that eventually these folks are going to notice that they are paying significantly more per month than they used to?  Or do you think they simply won’t mind (bwahahahaha).  Or maybe you think that they will accept it because their loyalty to Verizon weighs more heavily than paying for their kid’s music lesson?  Or sending that $50/month to the college fund?  Which do you really think going to get the boot first, the crappy phone company or the needs of the kid?   I’ll give you a clue – it rhymes with horizon, which your future with me, by the way, ain’t on.

Or maybe Verizon didn’t think about it that much at all.  Hm. 

Today I received my five millionth call from a Verizon customer service rep who wanted to encourage me to upgrade my phone, a conversation I’ve previously refused to have because a) they always call in the middle of a crazy busy work day, b) because I already know why they are calling, c) because the happy-go-lucky sales pitch about all of the great new offerings is a flat-out scandalous, dirty, no-good cheap, ugly, lie and the poor young man or woman on the other end of the line is forced to spew what they absolutely know for a fact to be garbage.  Hey, jobs are scarce.  I would do it if I had to, so like I said to the girl on the phone today, it’s not her fault.  She was just as sweet as pie.  She was sweet enough to explain that through some kind of wacky convoluted extra-test-line-loyalty  weirdo program that costs an extra $10 per month, I could keep my unlimited data plan. It made absolutely zero sense whatsoever and she knew it just as well as I did.  At some point the conversation shifted from an annoyance to a good Friday hoorah. I believe there was some giggling involved.  Seriously though, I have to guess that 95% of those who receive this call are so confused and exhausted by the end of it that they agree to an extra $10 per month just so they can hang up and move on.  Like I mentioned to my lovely new friend, though, $10 per month is $120 per year and $240 every two years (I was supposed to be excited about my ability to upgrade in two years if I sign up on the wack-a-doo nonsense plan).  I don’t know if y’all have seen the commercials, but apparently $10 will feed a child for an entire month in some parts of the world.

So here’s thing.  We all know why Verizon is doing what they are doing and it has nothing to do with any of the above.

Verizon has simply lost sight of how they got to the top.  They are not the first to make this mistake and they won’t be the last, but I, for one, am sad.  So, Verizon, in closing – and in the words of Cheap Trick,  I waaaaant you to want me.  I neeeeed you to need me.  I’d looooove you to love me.  

But I ain’t beggin.  

Labels (1)
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Re: So long, old friend
pherson
Champion - Level 1

As was mentioned on ALL THE OTHER POSTS on this subject......you can maintain unlimited data through other means. Buy it outright....third party....swappa.com. What exactly was the point of this rant? I dont understand.

Re: So long, old friend
sfreeman5
Newbie

Wow, all caps and everything! 

Well here's the thing.  I don't really feel like digging around all over God's green earth to figure out how to finagle my way into an unlimited data plan.  That's just a bit absurd, isn't it?   Buy it outright...third party...swappa.com... huh?  Is the every day person supposed to know what that means?  No matter. 

And the point of my rant was just that -- to rant.  Glad someone took the time to read it.  So thank you, pherson -- awesome!  And it's totally ok with me if you don't share my feelings about what's going on with Verizon.  I'm ok with that -- seriously.  So don't sweat it, k? 

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Re: So long, old friend
SydneyK
Master - Level 3

As pherson said, if unlimited is that valuable to you buy your phone off contract. Some options are eBay, Amazon, Craiglist, Swappa, or full retail at Verizon, Best Buy or Wal-Mart. But, as you said, you don't want to take the time to figure out how.

Re: considering yourself loyal to a corporation ... you're loyal to family and friends; you use Verizon's services because, as you said, you found value in the coverage, reliability and service.

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Re: So long, old friend
budone
Legend

Walmart does not sell full priced phones. Think the same withnAmazon and BB. eBay, swappable, Craigslist, a friend are about the only ways to buy a phone and keep the unlimited data

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Re: So long, old friend
SydneyK
Master - Level 3

What? Yes, they do. I just bought someone an off-contract basic Verizon post-paid phone at Wal-Mart.

Re: So long, old friend
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

They have them at Amazon and Best Buy, too.

Re: So long, old friend
B33
Legend

Radio Shack May be an Option to go with).  As they have Verizon phones Now..

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Re: So long, old friend
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

Yep, Radio Shack's web site also shows full retail price Verizon phones.

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Re: So long, old friend
21stNow
Master - Level 1

You named the few third parties that do sell full-priced phones.  Staples and Costco don't.  They show the full price of the device but refuse to sell it at that price, at least in my experience with them.