More for less, and less for more....just not what you want.

I just don't get it.

In the last two days I have had two different "tech" companies explain to me that they just don't offer the services I want...but they will give me more than I want for less money!

Let me explain.

Company 1 : ROGERS

We have two iPhone 3Gs with Rogers. We have fairly expensive cell plans. One of the phones has data and one does not. iPhone 1 has 6GB of data available. I would like to share that data with iPhone 2. Rogers says that isn't possible. They do offer a data sharing plan, but it is on their 1GB of data package...and it costs more money!

Now after some discussion and a brief lesson basic math (that even Jordan from Big Brother could understand), I had them convinced that 6GB is more than 1GB. I also had them convinced that with all the services I currently have + my 6GB of data, I am saving at least $20/month over what they are currently offering with the 1GB shared data plan.

Now, as crazy as it sounds, I tried to convince them to take away my wonderful 6GB of data and my grandfathered in Rogers to Rogers free calling, and put me onto their new 1GB Data sharing family plan for the same price I currently pay. They can't do it. So I then offer to pay the extra and go to the 1GB Data plan with all of our added services so that we can finally both have data (5GB less mind you!) on both of our phones...and that is when she tells me there is no way we can have all the services we currently have if we take that new plan....they no longer offer all of these services and some of them "conflict" with the text messaging plan that is included with the new plan!

This makes no sense to me. So despite my best efforts and a half hour of time on the phone with ROGERS, I am back to the unlocked iPhone and thinking about installing an app through Cydia which lets you share your 3G connection with anyone over wifi...I guess if I am not paying for it, I may as well make sure I use that 5GB of data somehow.

Now even better

Company 2: Eastlink

Now I would like to start by saying that Eastlink has some really great people. They also have some really, really terrible people who should never speak to customers. Ever. You know who you are. Tonight we had a good one. It's not his fault that his company can't do math.

They called to offer us a new package with home phone + internet + digital cable for a considerable savings over what we pay now. The kicker? We don't currently have a home phone and we don't want one. This deal offered a home phone with a ton of features, cheap long distance calling and a battery backup at our house so that in the event of a power outage we would still have home phone, and internet. Sounds good. Except we don't want the home phone.

Now I am sure that sending someone to my house (which is included) must cost them money. Putting that phone connection and battery backup in must cost them money. Talking to me on the phone about it must cost them money. So I offer to save them a ton of money! Leave everything exactly the way it is...no home phone, no battery backup, no tech to my house to install it all....just lower my bill to the new price.

They can't do that.

I must be missing something. It seems to me that companies in their race to figure out how to attract customers with tons of features and wonderful discounts have forgotten that perhaps customers just want a good service that meets their needs at a reasonable price. Hmm, perhaps there is a market for a company that offers just that.