Corporate loyalty to customers bites the dust

I really thought I had overcome my enmity toward telecommunications companies. At least that’s what I expected after switching our home phone and Internet from our decadeslong provider because of successive increases in our bill.

I was wrong. On the whole, this is a political column. Today it’s an exasperation column. I’m not so much looking for sympathy as suggestions for more corporate honesty in billing.

The problem is my shortsightedness in leaving the cell service with the original provider. That would be the one we started with in 1981 for our basic phone service when we bought our house. And one we stayed with through the monopoly breakup. And one we stayed with through the corporate regrouping.

Two circumstances converge to create this situation.

First, there was the extended period of consistent gradual increases in our monthly bill to generate a relatively expensive monthly piece of paper. Then came the occasional “you’re eligible for lower rates” mailer advertisements, which I called to inquire about but always discovered the reduction to be in the $2 to $4 a month range.

So I finally gave up and changed our home phone and Internet service to our cable provider.

The subsequent bill for these services with our cable provider has been substantially lower.

And while nothing lasts forever, this has been a welcome change from the periodic increases we were previously experiencing.

Second, I did not change my cell provider because, surprisingly, I had a very affordable plan allowing unlimited talk and text – and a realistic, for me, data plan.

And according to ads, I could add another phone for a mere $25 a month.

That was the selling point to bring my husband into 21st century communications. He’s a little older and has precious little confidence in a few of today’s technology advancements – particularly cell phones which he finds intrusive. Mental health counselor that he is, he believes this technology often precludes basic face-to-face conversations at the dinner table, and most other interpersonal situations to the detriment of ever important direct communication.

But an additional communications issue for him was that even though enjoying the fabulous improvement in his hearing that cochlear implants have allowed him, regular telephone conversations were a challenge.

Ergo my solution: a cell phone for him that would allow for texting and emailing in place of the voice communication.

He was a hard sell and remained so for several months.

But there was that deal, that selling point – just $25 more a month and we could easily “communicate” through texting or emailing and not just with me but the whole family.

And there was also my “Star Trek” Borg admonition: “Resistance is futile. You’re going to be absorbed one way or another into today’s communication technology, so you might as well fold.”

While he’s not so much a fan of cell phones, he’s an Amazon master, and I knew he’d finally caved when the new cell phone arrived. Within an hour of that arrival (just in case he had second thoughts), we were off to the cell service store, where his new phone was configured. And I twice asked – and was twice reassured – that this new addition to our cell service would be $25 a month and maybe a few additional taxes/fees.

The love of my life for the last 41 years took some delight in leaving that first bill, including his addition to our cell service, on my desk. What had been a $58-plus-change bill for my cell service suddenly better-thandoubled to $115.76.

Apparently, unknown to us, we signed up for some additional plan.

For years, I have been loyal to few business entities, primarily our phone provider. But I’m finding more and more often that, like this company, customer loyalty is a dated and nonstarter concept today. And I’ve heard that sentiment from many others who’ve had the same problem with other providers.

That disappoints me; corporate trust and commitment no longer has a place in consumer confidence.

Any suggestions out there regarding the best bet to restore my confidence that there is a cell service provider that has not eliminated loyalty and trust to its customers will be most welcome.

Marty Carlson, a freelance writer, has been covering local news for the past 17 years. She can be reached via email at martycarlson1218@ gmail.com.