rivka

Sprint representative: I'm sorry, ma'am, I do see that offer, but it is only available for new lines.
Me: So, what you're saying is that Sprint values the business of a new customer more than they value my business?
Sprint representative: ...

Things various Sprint representatives told me today which turned out not to be true: your current plan is the lowest rate we have, none of our plans have free text-messaging, we don't give out free phones, we don't have any leeway to offer you anything better.

I hate making phone calls, and I don't enjoy haggling with customer service reps. (I know some people actually enjoy calling around and playing different companies off each other. That is so very much not me.) But I lost my cell phone just before I went to San Diego, and I really wanted to find a way to replace it without paying for it. So I called a couple of different companies to find out what they could offer me, and then I called my current carrier.

I was on the phone with Sprint for much longer than I would have liked. I just kept calmly refusing to accept what they offered me, and pointing out that while signing up a new customer does in fact increase the customer base, losing an old customer decreases the customer base and should therefore be considered equally important. I kept stating my position that, as a seven-year customer, I ought to be eligible for their lowest discounts. (Memo to CSRs: don't send someone to your website to look at a cell phone if you plan to charge her more for the phone than the "special web offer" price.)

I finally signed on to a plan that has more minutes and an earlier start to the free evenings, no charge for Michael and I to share the plan, 100 texts each per month at no charge (yeah, I know, to a lot of you that would be insanely and punishingly low, but we don't really text), two free camera phones, free shipping for the phones, and no upgrade fee. For $10 less per month than we're paying now.

I'm pleased with the final deal, but pretty annoyed that it took so much work to get there. Why should I have to practically stand on my head to be offered prices that are clearly available to other customers?