When you consolidate two households into one, there are inevitably a few things you end up with duplicates of. Microwaves are a big one – and impossible to get rid of (seriously, does anyone want a free microwave?) since most people seem to have one. Another is services – I cancelled my internet service and renter’s insurance with little issue. And yesterday the boy called to cancel his vonage phone, since I already have one, along with a two month referral credit.
And here is where we find out that there is a communication service out there that GETS IT and actually rewards LOYALTY instead of just new customer signups!
When Neil phoned to cancel his Vonage phone, and gave the reason that we already have one (and mine has some free time coming to me), the good people at Vonage really rolled out the red carpet!
Instead of cancelling Neil’s service, they upgraded him from the 500 minutes/month plan to the unlimited plan, and gave him four free months of service. Then, as if that weren’t enough, they asked him for MY Vonage number, and did the same thing to my account! That means I’ve currently got 6 months of service credit on my account right now. And more North America-wide long distance service than I can shake a stick (or even many sticks) at.
Compare that to the current policies of companies such as Telus, Telus Mobility or Shaw. In the 8 or so years I was a customer with all of them, new customers have been offered:
Never have I been able to access any of these “new” signup bonuses. My loyalty was rewarded exactly ONCE by Telus Mobility – they sent me a wired jabra hands-free headset. A $20 piece of uselessness for being a customer for FIVE years. I’d have really preferred the $20.
With Vonage, they not only “saved” a nearly cancelled account by crediting Neil for four months, they also rewarded our initial and planned loyalty on my account as well.
And now they get a highly favourable blog post, and more recommendations to any friends that I haven’t harrassed yet to sign up for their service.
If you wanna try it out, come on over to my place and bask in the glory of the unlimited long-distance.
And can I interest you in a microwave while you’re here?
Now since I referred you to Vonage, shouldn’t I get something out of this too?
No, I don’t want the microwave :p
and since we referred chris and mel (i think we did at least)… hehe vonage is pretty awesome. screw you telus!
TELUS is the devil!
I think the M-man and I will be signing up with Vonage when we move. Do I just need to give them your name for the referral?
I send you an email, and in it is the link you use to sign up (which links our accounts together as referrers) – then you get one month free and I get two 🙂
Hey I need a free microwave!
And if I talked on the phone at home enough, I’d get you to refer me to Vonage. However, I hate using the phone. I’d much rather have a microwave.
Of course, Vonage continues to bleed money, so they may just vanish one of these years…