In case you were on the edge of your seats about our cell phone provider, I must confess that we did end up staying with AT&T after I spoke with a customer service rep that "gets it." She understood that I should not have had to endure 2-3 hours of my time dealing with AT&T and understands the value of keeping a customer happy. We ended up getting $100 for our troubles if we signed a new contract. So we are waiting for the iPhone to arrive at the AT&T store (7-10 days), and my husband will once again feel connected to the world in a week or so.
As a marketer, I thought about the cost of my interactions from AT&T's perspective. If AT&T had a different policy, where we weren't charged for the service once we shut it off, they would have only lost $39.99 ($30 for data, $9.99 for 2nd line). I have no idea what the cost of talking with reps for 2-3 hours is for AT&T, and we wound up getting $100 for our inconvience, $9.99 refund for his line, no charge for his data plan until we activate the service again (within 30 days). We've all heard it's more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an old one. AT&T could have avoided a lot of cost if they empowered their reps more, and understood their customer. We would happily provide a police report number to show we were not trying to work the system. Oh well, maybe someone at AT&T will read this and revise their policies if someone gets mugged; especially considering they have a Customer Satisfaction award they boast on their web site.
I continue to stop random people on the street that are so engrossed in their smart phones that they are just screaming "come and mug me" - and everyone seems to be appreciative of the advice. Just today, I stopped a woman walking down Southport Corridor, she was checking messages on her smart phone and had her purse over one shoulder, her wallet tucked under her other arm, and phone in hand. She pointed out to me how careless she was after I warned her, and hopefully she'll spread the word to be safe and be aware - we do live in a city after all.
As I'm writing today's post, my AC is getting fixed; a few nights ago it felt unusually warm (I'm normally frozen in our home). It turns out the pilot light went out, and the circuit board needed to be replaced. The pilot light affected the hot water heater, so poor little C had to take a cold bath one night, and he screamed his head off. My husband couldn't understand why...oy! Eventually, the screaming stopped, and we convinced our sweet little boy that it was okay to sleep naked since the AC was broken.
I should mention that our 2.5 year old likes to compare and check for similarities. So after we told him he would be sleeping naked, he promptly asked, "Mommy, you sleep naked too?" in his sweet little innocent voice. We instantly realized the precarious situation we were imposing on ourselves, and corrected our statement by saying, "well, you will sleep in your diaper, and mommy will sleep in her underwear. It's too hot for pajamas." We can only hope that he chose to talk about other things at daycare.
Ah, to be a parent of a toddler, it always keeps you on your toes. I will say there is much to be learned at this stage, and the biggest lesson I've taken away is how critical it is to communicate clearly about expectations, setting the context, and how to properly interact with each other. I'm no saint, by any means, and I do occassionally lose my patience (like when I have to go to the bathroom and he's stalling in the parking lot watching a bug in wonder) - but I continue to try and give my best effort and remind myself that he's the 2.5 year old, and I'm the adult. It's comical, really.
Speaking of the little bugger, it's time for me to pick him up from daycare, head over to Trader Joe's so he can push the grocery cart around (he's really good at it), and we can try a new recipe, a peanut inspired broccoli and beef dish - yum!
I thought I'd end with my daily gratitudes:
1. My husband - We had a fabulous date last night at Jazzin' at the Shedd (without the kid). We got to feel a live star fish, see a baby beluga (did you know they start out grey and as they age they turn white - truly beautiful animals), listen to Jazz, ran into a friend who now works there, and just enjoyed walking around and holding hands.
2. My parents - for always wanting little C to sleep over, and allowing us to enjoy some adult time (see #1).
3. Job search - all I'll say is that there is positive activity for both of us.
4. Health - my family is lucky that we are not dealing with anything serious - I've heard a few too many stories about people we know, or friends of friends - and we are sending prayers and well wishes for everyone to get healthy soon.
5. Time - the summer is flying by, but I also feel like I've enjoyed it. Next week the weather is supposed to be gorgeous, so I'm planning on a few rollerblading and running sessions on the lake. Want to join me?
I hope you all have a safe and fun time these last few weeks of summer. I'll be writing again soon - especially after the exciting weekend plans we have!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
How Smart are Smart Phones and the Service Providers
Last week, my husband got mugged within 50 feet of our building. It was about 6:20 pm, still light out, and while we do live in Chicago, we live in a typical "safe" neighborhood. He was walking home from one of his part-time jobs and checking emails on his iPhone. He had a secure grip on the phone, and had no idea what happened when a stranger grabbed the phone from his hands. My husband was at first confused, was this someone he knew trying to grab his attention? As soon as he realized what was happening, he firmly told his mugger to give the phone back. The mugger gestured to his waist, as if he had a gun, and my husband yelled "Fire! Police!" Unfortunately, no one was around to help. I was home, but since the AC was on, I didn't have the windows open - so I had no idea what had happened.
Luckily, my husband was not hurt in any physical way - as there have been some brutal attacks in Chicago this year. The police arrived within minutes of his call, and we have a great detective assigned to the case. I have also learned that smart phone muggings are happening in broad daylight, on Michigan Ave (ever hear of the Magnificient Mile) - this is a crowded area, many people around, walking, shopping, waiting at the bus stop, and muggers are just swiping phones out of people's hands.
We've implemented a few key takeaways from his experience:
1. Be aware of your surroundings. No matter how safe you may feel, we do live in a city. There are many people struggling to make ends meet - and some of those people have no problem breaking the law to help them improve their financial situation.
2. Keep your public use of your smart phone limited. Treat it as jewelry - you don't want to flash it around.
3. Be sure to use a lock code on your phone. I was concerned the theif would have access to his information, but the police told us most likely, they just want the phone and the SIM card will be thrown out.
4. As soon as your phone is stolen, call the police, your cell phone provider (shut off service), the phone manufacturer (to report the serial number as stolen), and change any account passwords that were accessed on your phone (email). Also call your insurance to see if your deductible is met.
So it was a busy week for us trying to get past the anger and fear stages - and I will admit, when my husband has to work odd hours, I am more nervous than I used to be. I continue to count my blessings that the phone is the only thing he took - possessions can be replaced, a life cannot.
Now, I have to share my extreme dissatisfaction with AT&T, our cell phone provider. After my husband called the police, I called AT&T - all within 10 minutes of the mugging. They informed me they could shut off the service (phone calls and data) or we could keep it on and see if the mugger made any calls. We opted to shut off the service. The customer representative informed me that we would still be charged for the service, even though she was shutting it off. I knew that I didn't have the time to fight that statement right then, so I agreed. That was July 29.
Our 2-year contract happen to expire on July 31, which was Saturday. The following Monday, I started shopping around for phone plans. I talked to a woman at Costco about Verizon, and discussed options with my husband that night.
Tuesday, I was on the phone with AT&T for 1.5 hours discussing cancellation of his line, and why they are charging us for service we are not receiving. The cancellation representative made some interesting offers, $100 discount on new phones (but not applicable to iPhone), no charge on his line during the no service time, free relocation numbers (we still have Miami area codes), and a few other things. My husband looked into some of the phones and chose one that he thought would work.
Wednesday, I researched the phone choices and decided that these phones would not be a good match for him. Many reviews were saying it's hard to get used to, but once you get how the phone works, it's great! We decide I will tell AT&T no way, we want the $100 discount applied to our bill, we'll get him the iPhone 4, and then we'll both stay with AT&T.
Thursday, I call AT&T explain our decision, and the cancellation rep says that she can't give us $100 discount on our bill, but she can provide $20 credit to cover part of the month of service for his line ($39.99). At this point, I use a simple metaphor. It's like going to a restaurant, asking me to pay for a hamburger, taking my money, but not giving me the hamburger. Is it me, or is it illegal to charge me for service that I'm not receiving?! A supervisor is supposed to call me back. I spoke with them at 8:45 this morning, and still have not received a call back as of 2:30 pm.
My father had a great suggestion - since we pay for the bill with our credit card, we will dispute part of the charges and that will be the end of it. As soon as the rumor of Verizon carrying the iPhone is true - I'll be joining my husband there.
Are you frustrated with your cell phone provider or smart phones?
Luckily, my husband was not hurt in any physical way - as there have been some brutal attacks in Chicago this year. The police arrived within minutes of his call, and we have a great detective assigned to the case. I have also learned that smart phone muggings are happening in broad daylight, on Michigan Ave (ever hear of the Magnificient Mile) - this is a crowded area, many people around, walking, shopping, waiting at the bus stop, and muggers are just swiping phones out of people's hands.
We've implemented a few key takeaways from his experience:
1. Be aware of your surroundings. No matter how safe you may feel, we do live in a city. There are many people struggling to make ends meet - and some of those people have no problem breaking the law to help them improve their financial situation.
2. Keep your public use of your smart phone limited. Treat it as jewelry - you don't want to flash it around.
3. Be sure to use a lock code on your phone. I was concerned the theif would have access to his information, but the police told us most likely, they just want the phone and the SIM card will be thrown out.
4. As soon as your phone is stolen, call the police, your cell phone provider (shut off service), the phone manufacturer (to report the serial number as stolen), and change any account passwords that were accessed on your phone (email). Also call your insurance to see if your deductible is met.
So it was a busy week for us trying to get past the anger and fear stages - and I will admit, when my husband has to work odd hours, I am more nervous than I used to be. I continue to count my blessings that the phone is the only thing he took - possessions can be replaced, a life cannot.
Now, I have to share my extreme dissatisfaction with AT&T, our cell phone provider. After my husband called the police, I called AT&T - all within 10 minutes of the mugging. They informed me they could shut off the service (phone calls and data) or we could keep it on and see if the mugger made any calls. We opted to shut off the service. The customer representative informed me that we would still be charged for the service, even though she was shutting it off. I knew that I didn't have the time to fight that statement right then, so I agreed. That was July 29.
Our 2-year contract happen to expire on July 31, which was Saturday. The following Monday, I started shopping around for phone plans. I talked to a woman at Costco about Verizon, and discussed options with my husband that night.
Tuesday, I was on the phone with AT&T for 1.5 hours discussing cancellation of his line, and why they are charging us for service we are not receiving. The cancellation representative made some interesting offers, $100 discount on new phones (but not applicable to iPhone), no charge on his line during the no service time, free relocation numbers (we still have Miami area codes), and a few other things. My husband looked into some of the phones and chose one that he thought would work.
Wednesday, I researched the phone choices and decided that these phones would not be a good match for him. Many reviews were saying it's hard to get used to, but once you get how the phone works, it's great! We decide I will tell AT&T no way, we want the $100 discount applied to our bill, we'll get him the iPhone 4, and then we'll both stay with AT&T.
Thursday, I call AT&T explain our decision, and the cancellation rep says that she can't give us $100 discount on our bill, but she can provide $20 credit to cover part of the month of service for his line ($39.99). At this point, I use a simple metaphor. It's like going to a restaurant, asking me to pay for a hamburger, taking my money, but not giving me the hamburger. Is it me, or is it illegal to charge me for service that I'm not receiving?! A supervisor is supposed to call me back. I spoke with them at 8:45 this morning, and still have not received a call back as of 2:30 pm.
My father had a great suggestion - since we pay for the bill with our credit card, we will dispute part of the charges and that will be the end of it. As soon as the rumor of Verizon carrying the iPhone is true - I'll be joining my husband there.
Are you frustrated with your cell phone provider or smart phones?
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