Verizon: I hate you

Wow it's been awhile since I've posted. Not a lot going on personally that's worth posting. Waiting on some job stuff, working part-time in the city. Stressing has become part of my daily life.

The stress includes my nominee for worst customer service ever. Whatever happened to the time where, if you were a customer, companies made the point to make sure that you were 100% satisfied with their product? I thought that was the key to a good business model. Keep your current customers happy so that they stay your customers.

My nominee: Verizon Wireless. This applies to all cell-phone companies, but since I have Verizon and am pissed at them, we're going with that. It's actually quite remarkable how they've been able to set up a self-sustaining system through which they profit off of confused or unlucky customers. The phone they gave me when I signed their two-year agreement a year ago has barely lasted a year. I've decided I want an upgrade. This is exactly what they wanted from me. My options? I can pay $200-$300 plus for a new phone at the regular price, or I can get a phone at a discounted price if I get a new two-year agreement (although they will probably hit me for $150 for "early termination" of the old one).

Much like purchasing a used car, I decide to sacrifice a little product quality in exchange for price. I to go onto Craigslist and purchase a used phone for much cheaper than a new one would be. Turns out this phone was a pre-paid phone and even though the pre-paid account is empty (and should be closed) Verizon doesn't want to activate the phone. Makes sense. They don't make a dime if they activate this phone, they want me to buy a new one (or better yet, sign my life to them for another two years). So even though I am a paying Verizon customer with a perfectly good phone that no one is using, their "policies" dictate that nothing can be done. Besides, they can't really help me anyways since I bought the phone in New York and now I'm in California, which is on a different billing system. I was confused why such a large, national company in today's technological world can't consolidate billing systems, but then the sales rep made it abundantly clear. She'd be happy to move everything over with EZ Move - which of course will extend my contract for two years.

I could wait a year to qualify for "New Every Two," which is essentially a $100 discount on a new phone if I sign a new two-year agreement. Loyal paying customer, new contract, only $100 off, while their new customers get free, top of the line phones. All because the phone they gave me when I signed my contract barely works.

I know what my capitalist friends are thinking. "If you don't want the product don't buy it." Fair enough. But let's face it, a cell phone has become an essential part of today's world. And as I mentioned, ALL phone companies operate this way. Sprint, Cingular, et al won't be any different. They all have the same business model.

Keep the customer happy so he won't leave? They don't need to when you sign the contract. They've got you already. Why should they do what you want?