31 August 2001
MCI needs a VP of Loyalty
I'll admit -- when AT&T rolled out the letter from the VP of Loyalty, I was impressed and amused at the same time.
Not so MCI! I'm working from home today, and received a call from a really pushy woman representing MCI. I've recently switched long-distance carriers from them to my cell-phone company, because of some serious incentives to switch and I'm a whore when it comes to long distance (which I use infrequently).
Anyway, the MCI woman was telling me they have a GREAT deal for me to come back! Much better rates, a cheaper monthly fee, just a much better plan than they were offering me just a week ago!
My question -- "Why, madam, do I only get an offer for really GREAT rates AFTER I quit doing business with your organization?" (After all, I don't think any quality VP of Loyalty would say THAT promotes loyalty!)
This confused her, took her off her script, and made her say "huh?" And of course, when that happens to a telemarketer, it's all over. So I explained to her (despite multiple interruptions from her, to which I finally responded, "Madam, please quit interrupting me. YOU called ME and started talking, and now I would like to finish what I am saying") that the last time one of her fellow MCI telemarketers called me promising the best rates in existence, I actually believed the telemarketer and switched. Those who know me can imagine the voice -- I made it sound like I was a victim because MCI had actually, it turned out, NOT given me the best rates back then, and OH WHAT A TRAGEDY! So why switch back now, I asked?
She then asked ME if *I* had ASKED for the best rates the first time they called (ummm.... did you not hear what I just SAID?! I could actually have respected someone at the other end if they had called me on my BS and said something intelligent, and I'm imagining if, say, someone like Andrew were on the other end!) and launched into some story about grocery stores and weekly specials. She interrupted me again -- at which point I asked to speak to her supervisor -- but she hung up on me. I was hoping to escalate up the chain of supervisors all the way to the VP of Loyalty, but it just didn't happen. So, sadly, I will probably never get to hear ALL of the grocery store analogy.
Sometimes, I get a sick pleasure of screwing with people who interrupt what is otherwise the solace of working from home on a rainy, gray day.
[Posted @ 09:32 AM CST]
