I was helping a friend pack her truck for a cross-country move the other day, when I was approached in her driveway by a very official looking gentleman in a blue jumpsuit and a baseball cap, holding a clipboard.
“Pardon me, sir!” he said. “How are you this fine day?”
“I’m doing well, thank you…” I said, dubiously.
“Sir, today I am in your neighborhood to find out if you’re happy with your cable company. I am from AT&T. Have you heard about UVerse?”
I went on to explain to him that I was not the resident, I was just visiting, etc. However, the conversation stuck with me and this morning I was thinking about it again.
I’ve been with WideOpenWest for over four years. I’ve always been happy with their service, and more importantly, I truly appreciate that they make sure that Comcast is not the only game in town. I have always had their top-tier internet package, which was 6mb down/1mb up with 3 static IPs. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been paying almost $90 a month for this service. In 2004, 6/1 was a very big deal. In 2008, it’s about what you should expect.
This morning after chugging a few cups of coffee, I was feeling particularly inspired and spry. I decided to check out AT&T’s UVerse offerings just to see what was available. You never know, you might be missing a fantastic deal. I was presented with a page that required me to CREATE AN ACCOUNT just so I could check availability! WHAT?!?! Forget that. Hey AT&T – Here’s a hint: make it SUPER easy to check availability. This is a potential customer’s first impression. Seriously, make it good.
Oh well, with that out of my system, I went to WideOpenWest’s website to see if anything had changed. I found out that they have a new offering – They call it “Xtreme Turbo” (Seriously? It’s almost the 2010s. Can we get out of this “XTREME” phase already? That’s so 2000…) which is a whopping 15mb down/2mb up, with 3 static IPs, for $72.99 a month.
Screech went the tires. This was more than double what I currently had, and I was paying $17 a month more…
I made that call. I politely explained that I just visited their website and I told the gentleman my situation. He was awesome. “Yes!” he said emphatically. “We just added these packages this week! You would have gotten an email soon about them. This is an exciting new offering…”
“Yeah, yeah..” I cut him off, barely able to contain my potential joy. “My problem is that I’ve been with you guys for over four years and I am paying more than this and getting less…”
“Oh, no problem. Just pardon me for one second…….There. All set. You have been upgraded. I’m sending the signal to your modem now.”
Wait WHAT? That was stupendously easy.
I made sure to double check “Okay, so I don’t have to reboot my modem or anything? My internet is faster now?”
“Yes sir, you’re all set. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
“What about my bill?”
“Ah, I see that you’re under our old pricing plan. Give me one moment, please.” tap tap tap tap. “Alright, your new bill is $75.39 a month. You are leasing the modem from us, which explains the additional charge on top of the $72.99” he explained politely. “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
Stunned, I hesitantly replied, “No.. I don’t think so.. I think we’re all set.”
“Thank you for calling WideOpenWest. I hope you have a great day.”
I am. Thank you, WideOpenWest.
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