Not the outcome I expected.

Until today, our mobile, internet, and home phone have all been with the same company. Our mobile has been going to hell in a hand basket for the few months. In a ten minute conversation, our call is dropped about three times. Sometimes more, sometimes less. We have a fairly decent new smartphone, and we are version numero two on it, so I don't think it is the phone, it is the network. We signed up for a three year contract back in the day and are just over our first year in. I have been with said company since 2002.

Well, they finally got the phone we want, on a new network, and they wouldn't deal. They would give us a $200 credit off of a new phone, but that was it. I tried some negotiating, but there was no room. I mentioned we have everything with you guys, and that didn't help. I was dealing with the "loyalty" tier of their customer service, and frankly, I got more customer service on their "lowest" end. I was disappointed, I figured they would try to keep our business, or in their eyes, I guess call my bluff. Well, we spend a lot of money a year on those three services. So before today's call, I had started to do some research, and I was finding some better deals. So this phone call ended up having a lot riding on it.

The CSR's kept coming back to the fact we were only 14 months in to our current contract and that they weren't really getting much from us to give us the new phone at the current rate for a new three year contract (which I would have happily signed up for again, and paid perhaps a little more than asking price with the three year contract to recognize we were getting out early) and that the $200 discount off the phone was quite generous.

Looking at the plans from other companies, and from what we pay now, we could actually end up saving the cancellation fee for breaking our contract over the next year. Plus, when looked at what perhaps switching our home phone and 'net over would also save, I felt like I actually had some bargaining room for the mobile.

Nope. The phone call was anticlimatic, and I found myself ready to make the switch for all three, not the outcome I expected. I told the CSR, well, I guess we are done then. After hanging up, I switched out phone and 'net, and well, we are now going to save between $50-60 A MONTH. The only thing is, we can't call 1-900 numbers. Damn. Can't call the psychics.

Now the ironic part. Said company called tonight to see if I wanted to get their digital TV. I laughed, I asked the guy on the phone if he was serious.. he was like, why, and I told him my story. Needless to say, I told him he wasn't making a sale tonight.

So, on we move. New email addresses to come, new cell phone number to learn.

It is like in the 90's when you had to switch long distance plans to actually get the better deal. Now you have to be willing to move and switch companies to get the deals. It looks like the timing was good. Adios old company, and on with the new.