Digital betrayal
By Han Un-ju
We may live in times when betrayal might be the rule rather than the exception. As a case in point, let's examine my decade-long subscription to an Internet service provider (ISP). Despite my loyalty, this ISP had never offered me any discount. Perhaps my ignorance was to blame.
Some years ago, my sister told me that I had been paying too much. So, I called the provider to ask for a discount. The person on the other line told me she could give me a three-month discount. She did so, but after three months, my charges returned to their former level. This must be their official policy, I told myself. Since then, I have never received any discount offers from them.
Just the other day, my Internet was disconnected for reasons unknown. Five calls were made in vain to get the problem rectified, but their line was always busy. Annoyed, I thought I should cancel the service, or disservice and the inconvenience that they provided.
At a mall, I found a sales representative from another ISP arduously enticing new customers under a banner saying, ``Subscribe to our better service with cheaper rates than our competitors!” Thinking life was fortuitous because that was exactly what I wanted, I approached him and asked about their terms of service. Compared with my previous ISP, this new one suggested better service at a lower rate. On the spot, I decided to change my service provider.
So, I called my ISP to ask them to cancel my subscription. The person on the other end of the phone asked me why. I told her they had not fixed my disconnection immediately, and that their monthly charge was almost one-third more expensive than the competitor’s. At once, she suggested the same rate the competing ISP had offered me. I was so infuriated that I asked why they hadn't offered such a discount to me, a loyal customer who had subscribed for years. She mumbled, so I retorted, ``Is it because I am the proverbial caught fish?" She unwillingly apologized to me. Once placated, I apologized for my blunt and straightforward remarks because I knew she wasn't one of the corporate decision-makers. One of her job duties may have been that of scapegoat to endure subscribers' wrath.
In reality, we have been told and taught that we should be loyal to people with whom we have established long relationships. If my loyalty had been recognized and appreciated by my ISP, this incident might not have happened. However, my smoldering resentment led me to terminate my ten-year subscription to that ISP. Long relationships are always painful to end, and year-end reflections sometimes prompt depression.
Should such virtues as loyalty and fairness always get cast aside in favor of profit? I hope not. In every relationship, being valued is the most important thing. Sadness often follows betrayal. My incessant hope is to find worthy and trustworthy parties.
Surfing the Internet through my new ISP, I stumbled across the following article from the December 29th issue of the New York Times. Entitled ``10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Technology," it let me know the universal entrepreneurial practices in the ISP world. Though I still have a bitter taste in my mouth, I learned that the same shifty ruses of ISPs are practiced worldwide. If you have had a similar experience, please read the following snippet and learn how to beat those service providers at their own game.
Get a better deal from your cable, phone and internet provider. Why: Because it does not take much to get them to give you free (or cheaper) services. These companies are generally indifferent to customer needs, but they are quick to cough up discounts ― if you ask.
How: Just call and ask; they will probably give you something. Other tactics: Measure your Internet speed, using dslreports.com/speedtest; if it is less than what you are paying for, ask for a free upgrade. Or ask to speak to the cancellation department. That usually scares them.
The writer teaches English at a high school near Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and can be reached at unjuny@hanmail.net.