Can You Hear Me Now?

I'm in the market for a new cell phone. I've been with Sprint for over two years now and I'm being forced to leave.

I guess forced is a subjective word. They would be happy to keep taking my money on time as they do every month. They just don't want to earn it anymore. You see Sprint would rather give a great deal to new customer than give a FAIR deal to an existing one.

That's right...A new customer can walk in off the street and get a better price and nicer phone than I can get after two years!

And it's not just Sprint. It's actually every cell phone company out there. In general, there is a disturbing trend in American business these day to reward the new and screw the old. What do they care if you go? There will be someone new to take your place in a minute or two.

Well, I think this sucks! I have spent over an hour on the phone with Sprint just asking them to give me one good reason to stay with them and they can't. Not one reason. So I will be leaving.

But here's the rub.... None of these cell phone companies can offer me a substantial reason to sign with them. They all have the same phones, basically the same calling areas and the same shitty customer service. The reasons to switch are a few dollars here and there.

So why switch? Principle, I suppose. The principle I was raised on that customer loyalty should be rewarded and the new guy should earn their rewards.

And it's not just the cell phone companies. It's your local gym or your local cable service. It's even your Credit Card companies!

In with the new and out with the old.

The real issue here is the lack of actual competition these companies face. All of the cell phone companies have merged with a competitor. Sprint is with Nextel, AT&T is with Cingular....

So instead of 6-8 different cell phone companies we really only have 3-4. It's bad for the consumer and robs us at every turn.

Your local cable company has no competition in the neighborhood. You have to get satellite as an alternative.

Hell, this is why we have to pay so much at the gas pump America. Over the summer, when the gas companies LIED about a shortage of gas we had no real choice in paying the obscene increases. Why is that? Because instead of 10 gas companies there are only 5 now. There is no chance for a smaller company to undercut the competition because they are in bed with that same competition. So, we pay record amounts and the oil companies return record profits.

It's all bullshit.

Again, sometimes you just have to shop around based on principle. Just to let them know that you refuse to be taken advantage of when or if you have a choice. Sprint is losing a customer just like the Shell station up the road lost one over the summer when they were overly raising prices and ripping me off.

I know it's only a few dollars and in the grand scheme it's not going to show up in their year end reports. However, I refuse to just settle on being a mindless consumer. Someone that refuses to pay attention. If they won't do better by you than someone new make the switch even if it's not convenient. They are praying for and depending on your laziness. Start making them EARN your business.

Imagine that in 2006? You making companies actually work for you! Making them accountable for YOUR investment in them. It's sad how truly Un-American that has become.