I eagerly awaited the announcement of the T-Mobile G1 (formerly known as the HTC Dream) at 10:30 am today; this will be the very first GooglePhone to hit the market.  The best news of the live video conference was the G1′s price at $179 for existing T-Mobile customers.  Imagine my surprise when I went to order one and saw this:
 I called T-Mobile customer service to confirm that, because I am not in the last month of my contract, I am ineligible for the full discount and a G1 will cost me a whopping $344, a far cry from the $179 (even if you assume tax and fees) announced today.I will not renew my contract with T-Mobile at the end of this term if this is not rectified.  They had a great chance and blew it today in a single move.  If they are willing to subsidize the difference between what was stated and what was offered, I may reconsider.  Other evidence:
t-mobile blew it – or – why i won’t buy the g1
Rant: I had the same exact thing happen to me with At&t and the iPhone. At one point I said to the customer service agent. Look I want to give you an additional $30 a month for two years. That is an additional $720.00 over two years the merely requires you to knock $150 of the price now. You’ll knock that off later anyway. They of coarse assume that when you can get the discount you will go get it. Well August 27 came and went and I am completely content with my phone and an iPod which is the same thing without the phone. I don’t need the product being that I have survived for 27 years without it thus far. When AT&T starts caring about their customers and retaining their customers; like Starbucks who is currently taking a massive financial hit due to the $2 afternoon drinks and new Starbucks Card Policy just make sure that customers feel valued. This effect even trickles as far down as the managers pockets; then I will consider giving them more money. Until then, I will give them as little possible being that they are sub-par company that care merely about their profits and nothing about the people who generously allow them to create that profit. It’s funny, AT&T more closely resembles Microsoft, not apple. Inferior product, policies, and customer service, but we use them because we have to. Their employees are ok with that though because they don’t think about these things, illustrating the emptiness and greedy nature of people. Ahh the postmodern culture. “Dolla Dolla Bill Ya’ll!”
It seems strange that reputable companies are willing to go to bed with cell phone companies, who are (right up there with oil companies) among the most reviled of industries in the western world.
What was a real disappointment was what appeared to be an intentional clarity with which they stated the the cost would be $179 for current T-Mobile customers. There was no inference that there was a tiered pricing or other such schemes for those already locked in with T-Mo.
I’ve read in the comments to some of the above-linked posts people rejecting the notion that customer loyalty should be rewarded. What kind of brain-washed culture have we become that we now believe that, as the consumer, we have no rights and no expectations of being treated by the Golden Rule?
While frustrating, their pricing structure is their prerogative and is consistent with their history. It is the implicit (perhaps even explicit) lying at the press conference that makes this such an infuriating matter.
“…some of the above-linked posts people rejecting the notion that customer loyalty should be rewarded.”
Companies that do reward the loyal customers have always been able to get ahead and will in the future. When companies get evil and greedy enough(Wall Street?) people look for a new shopping experience, not just a product. For instance, I knew a shoe salesman by reputation in Holland, MI, that would learn the name, and tastes of his customers. When a new shoe came in, he would call them and say, “Bob, I just got a new shoe in that really looks like you!” When the customer got there, and of coarse his recommendation was dead on, the customer felt personally valued. It also helped that you could see him every day having a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop next door. In this regard, companies are trying to create impersonal versions of this for instance Mac’s new Genius application for iTunes (Pandora, etc). It learns your tastes based on what you buy, as well as play counts within iTunes and recommends music based on this info. In my opinion, it is a blatant violation of privacy and frankly I don’t want to be told what to buy. Also, Pandora, which I do use, is effective in recommending something about 40% of the time, even now after I have been using it for 6 months. This doesn’t replace genuine, small business style personal appreciation of customers. I want to buy the most superior product that I need, not the biggest and best and most expensive, only what I need. Find out what I need by getting to know me, and I’ll come back to your business. MEET MY NEEDS! Man, I sound like chic. I wonder what Seth would say about this? (see link below)
http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/itunes-8/
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