I am always one to "break a monopoly". Years ago when I still had a pager (beeper), I had no choice but to use the only service provider available. After that the monopoly was broken by the influx of a few other service providers. Now, there are two main rivalling companies, three actually, but the third one's scope of business is more on cable television.
So when I first got my mobile, I went under the main rival. At that point in time, I did not like the main service provider. It had been a monopoly for so long, so the attitude of the customer service people left much to be desired. The rival just came up not too long ago, so the pricing plans were very competitive. Besides, almost everyone I knew then were under the main provider, so I thought why not be different, since the company was brave enough to infiltrate the market and break the long monopoly?
Since then, I have always been under the rival. Through the years, I changed my number once and service plans a couple of times and my monthly bills increased a lot. Although I cancelled a lot of "value-added" services and downgraded the plans twice, I still end up paying quite a bit every month.
My dad has always been a major fan of the main service provider. Ever since he got a mobile phone, he had always been under them. Then the internet, and now the wireless. Our entire house is wired up by them. Since then, my mum also went under them. So did my youngest brother. Only my first brother went under the third service provider. Recently, my brother switched over, so now my entire family is under the main service provider.
When my mum told me how much she is paying per month, I got a big shock. She is paying just one third of what I am paying, and has more functions than me! I have to pay for things like auto-roaming, Caller ID, IDD, Video Call (if I use it), Voicemail and just five hundred text messages, which I almost always end up exceeding, plus I also have to pay whenever I send out a multimedia message. Not worth it for the amount I am paying!
I checked out the promotion plans for my mum's service provider, and it turns out I can get a 3G plan for twenty bucks lesser, with free auto-roaming, VoiceMail, Caller ID, Video Call and five hundred text and multimedia messages. My parents do not use the phone like I do, at least my mum does not. Her mobile is only for emergencies, not like me, who uses it for just about anything. So definitely she will be paying much lesser bills than me, but still, the 3G plan I saw is much more worth it than my current plan!
Hence, I finally caved in and decide to defect. It is not that I do not wish to remain faithful, but after being such a faithful customer for so long, somehow I do not seem to get any rewards. I do not even get any perks like discounts on bills or free mobiles. Whenever my contract is renewed and my phone is due for upgrade, I still have to pay to get a new phone if I want to!
The last time I renewed my contract (some time last year), I paid an extra two hundred bucks just to get a 3G phone - the Nokia 6600 Fold. And it was not even the phone I wanted, even though it is a nice enough phone. I could not even choose the colour! I got it only because I thought I was going to Japan and need to use a 3G phone there, and that was the only one that was small enough and fitted my budget at the same time.
However in the end, my mum let me use her old 3G phone in Japan instead, so the Nokia became a spare phone which I started using only recently when my old phone is finally retired. User-friendly as it is, somehow I dislike Nokia phones because they tend to be bulky. It is a practical phone, but not high in terms of presentation and light-weight. But still I used it as I need a phone.
But now that I am defecting, I signed up for the 3G plan with the rival company of my service provider. Guess what? I can retain my number at no charge, plus get a Sony Ericsson T707 for free! And I can choose the colour, so I got the pink one! I fell in love with Maria Sharapova's phone at first sight, and I am so lucky to be able to get it! So I now have a new cool and chic phone for free, at a much lesser rate!
This is what comes of being the main service provider. I guess there must be a reason why majority of the people are still using it. The rival gives good service too, but it does not have as many perks and good promotions, sad to say. If this is the good deal I can get, then I hope there are more good deals to come as a customer!
So when I first got my mobile, I went under the main rival. At that point in time, I did not like the main service provider. It had been a monopoly for so long, so the attitude of the customer service people left much to be desired. The rival just came up not too long ago, so the pricing plans were very competitive. Besides, almost everyone I knew then were under the main provider, so I thought why not be different, since the company was brave enough to infiltrate the market and break the long monopoly?
Since then, I have always been under the rival. Through the years, I changed my number once and service plans a couple of times and my monthly bills increased a lot. Although I cancelled a lot of "value-added" services and downgraded the plans twice, I still end up paying quite a bit every month.
My dad has always been a major fan of the main service provider. Ever since he got a mobile phone, he had always been under them. Then the internet, and now the wireless. Our entire house is wired up by them. Since then, my mum also went under them. So did my youngest brother. Only my first brother went under the third service provider. Recently, my brother switched over, so now my entire family is under the main service provider.
When my mum told me how much she is paying per month, I got a big shock. She is paying just one third of what I am paying, and has more functions than me! I have to pay for things like auto-roaming, Caller ID, IDD, Video Call (if I use it), Voicemail and just five hundred text messages, which I almost always end up exceeding, plus I also have to pay whenever I send out a multimedia message. Not worth it for the amount I am paying!
I checked out the promotion plans for my mum's service provider, and it turns out I can get a 3G plan for twenty bucks lesser, with free auto-roaming, VoiceMail, Caller ID, Video Call and five hundred text and multimedia messages. My parents do not use the phone like I do, at least my mum does not. Her mobile is only for emergencies, not like me, who uses it for just about anything. So definitely she will be paying much lesser bills than me, but still, the 3G plan I saw is much more worth it than my current plan!
Hence, I finally caved in and decide to defect. It is not that I do not wish to remain faithful, but after being such a faithful customer for so long, somehow I do not seem to get any rewards. I do not even get any perks like discounts on bills or free mobiles. Whenever my contract is renewed and my phone is due for upgrade, I still have to pay to get a new phone if I want to!
The last time I renewed my contract (some time last year), I paid an extra two hundred bucks just to get a 3G phone - the Nokia 6600 Fold. And it was not even the phone I wanted, even though it is a nice enough phone. I could not even choose the colour! I got it only because I thought I was going to Japan and need to use a 3G phone there, and that was the only one that was small enough and fitted my budget at the same time.
However in the end, my mum let me use her old 3G phone in Japan instead, so the Nokia became a spare phone which I started using only recently when my old phone is finally retired. User-friendly as it is, somehow I dislike Nokia phones because they tend to be bulky. It is a practical phone, but not high in terms of presentation and light-weight. But still I used it as I need a phone.
But now that I am defecting, I signed up for the 3G plan with the rival company of my service provider. Guess what? I can retain my number at no charge, plus get a Sony Ericsson T707 for free! And I can choose the colour, so I got the pink one! I fell in love with Maria Sharapova's phone at first sight, and I am so lucky to be able to get it! So I now have a new cool and chic phone for free, at a much lesser rate!
This is what comes of being the main service provider. I guess there must be a reason why majority of the people are still using it. The rival gives good service too, but it does not have as many perks and good promotions, sad to say. If this is the good deal I can get, then I hope there are more good deals to come as a customer!
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