I got my first cellphone from US Cellular in 1991. Ive been with them for almost 24 years. I experimented with Verizon a few years ago by switching my wife and daughters phones over, but I kept mine with US Cellular. Eventually I moved their service back to US Cellular also. I guess you might say I dont like change when it comes to technology. That could partially explain my antiquated, beat up old flip phone. It makes and receives phone calls. It sends and receives text messages. It has a clock and an alarm. That is more than I ever expected from a telephone. Its certainly all I need, and I dont have to take time to learn how to use a different phone. Since moving north, we are now outside the US Cellular coverage area. I feel like the time is coming to possibly consider a different cell company. Actually, since my wife and daughter have already switched to Verizon, I guess the time was a week ago. I made the disastrous error of going to Best Buy the day after Thanksgiving to look at phones. Melissa and Annie came out with new phones...I came out with a really stinky, foul mood. The three plus hours excursion in that store was not a rewarding, nor pleasant experience for me. I cringe at the thought of changing companies, or making any changes with any phone company. We tried going to Verizon a couple nights later. Upon our arrival they put our name on a waiting list. I impatiently waited a few minutes while looking at the flip phones. If you dont want a multi-hundred dollar smart phone, the selection is more slim than your chances of getting a date in a convent. I was not going to pay nine bucks a month for two years to get a simple flip phone. The alternative was a 99 cents phone that should last a guy like me, at least a month or so before it breaks. My decision? Lets go! ...and we left. Last night my mood began to change and sour as soon as Melissa suggested we should check out the flip phones at Best Buy while we were in Duluth. Ick. Inside Best Buy, the lines were much shorter compared the the debacle on Black Friday. I found one flip phone, but it was for AT&T. I asked a Consultant if they had flip phones for Verizon. He told me, I dont really know anything about flip phones. Im a Smart Phone Specialist. Seriously? A polite way of saying, Get in line, sir. Ive no time to waste on a man who cant even use a Smart Phone. I got in line, short of saying Up yours buddy! After a five or ten minute wait it was our turn. We asked the Next Available Customer Care Specialist, if they had flip phones for Verizon service. Dumbfounded, he immediately looked to a different Next Available Customer Care Specialist, repeating our question. Scratching his head in thought, rep number two said, I think we might. He took hold of his key ring that had more keys than a custodian in a public school, and headed toward a locked cabinet. The vault seemed secure enough to store Crown Jewels. Certainly it could keep a band of thieves away from the much sought after 99 cents flip phone. Yes, we have one left. He announced as he came back offering me a red and white box, bearing an image of an LG flip phone. The box was unopened. I asked, Do you have one on display, I could look at? He replied, No, just this one. We dont get many request for flip phones anymore. May I open it, to look at it. I inquired. No, you cant open the box unless you buy it. Was his reply. Good Lord! This is a stupid flip phone! You would have thought I was asking him to pop open a 100 year old bottle of Scotch Whiskey, so I could decide if I wanted to buy it. I held my temper in check as I quizzed him, So, I can not look at the phone unless I first agree to buy it? His curt reply, You cant open the box just to look. How am I supposed to know if I want to buy it, if I cant look at it first? I queried. Its my last one, I cant open the box unless youre going to buy it. The box didnt even have a taped seal to break. He just wasnt going to waste his valuable time with some guy who wanted to look at a 99 cent phone. I smiled, to hide my frustration, and pleasantly said, Okay then. Thank you for your time. Have a nice evening. We left, and then drove to the Verizon store. A lady greeted us at the door asking how she could help us. Im looking for a flip phone to use with Verizon service. I explained to her. Oh. She said dismayed as she referred us to another representative telling him Hes looking for a flip phone. Hello?! Im not a Leper! I dont have cooties and I dont have the plague. I just want a plain, old Flip phone. Is that so much to ask? The gentleman who waited in us was very knowledgable, friendly and patient. He showed me the options on four different flip phones, explaining the differences. He told me why one phone was 99 cents and the other was about $216 - nine dollars a month for two years. My mind drifted away as the technical details were painfully boring me. He was a tall, handsome young man with dark, well groomed hair and a five-o-clock shadow. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt with the Verizon logo embroidered on the left side of his chest. I noticed he had on black shoes with fluorescent green and orange designs. They didnt fit with his professional attire, but they were really cool. Which phone is better for me? Thats all I wanted to know. He looked to the left and then to the right. Almost as if he was making sure the coast was clear of supervisors. He lowered his voice, leaning toward me he said, If you just use the phone to make calls and send text messages, I wouldnt spend the difference. One phone isnt going to hold up any better than the other, it just offers you more options that it sounds like you arent going to use anyway. Finally! A techie who speaks my language! I gave heed to his advice, opting for the 99 cents flip phone. He did some brief paper work on a note pad, then asked me, Are you Thomas? Yes. But you can call me Tom. He said, Tom, your total due today is one dollar and seven cents. We paid with cash; the correct change, as a matter of fact. He took my old phone in order to transfer my contacts. After a few minutes, I asked if it always takes this long to transfer a contact list. You have a lot of contacts he said, smiling. At ten past nine pm, I asked what time they close. Nine. He said, But its no problem. Its copying the contact list over now. It will only be a few more minutes. His service was great. He treated me with respect. He made me feel good about buying a new flip phone - I no longer felt like a second class citizen for not buying a grossly over priced smart phone that I did not want. I thank you for your good service and patience. I appreciate you staying after close to help me with my one dollar and seven cents purchase. He smiled, walking us to the door he said, Im glad to help you, Tom. Just let us know if you need anything else. I wanted to tell his name in this story, but I forgot to look. My receipt indicates I was helped by rep: yadonje-ENM20. We left the store and climbed into the truck. In the parking lot, I wanted to call John and let him know we were on our way home. I didnt know how to get to my contacts. Once I figured that out, John was no longer in my contacts. Oh, Im sure he is still there, but the list has been rearranged. I now have a new phone with a new company. I dont know how to text, or set an alarm, find a contact, or move it to silence, change the ring tone....or anything else for that matter. Oh bother! I salute you yadonje-ENM20, for a job well done. You did everything you could to please this cranky, resistant customer. Still, I must admit, I would rather have a root canal, than learn how to use a new phone. This morning I drove to the Tettegouche Visitors Center to use their internet service. We dont have service at our house yet. While there, I made a call to Menards in Duluth. I couldnt get the phone off the speaker setting, therefore everyone in the lobby was listening to my conversation. When I ended my call, people were looking at me. I explained, Its a new phone. I dont know yet how to turn off the speaker A young lady compassionately walked my way. Smiling she said, Here, let me show you how. Her smile diminished as she looked at my new phone saying, Oh. Its a flip phone. I dont know anything about those. Sorry. Some days its just not easy being me. Im going home to wallow in self pity for a bit, then I will put on my big boy pants to work on the house. There will no wake service for my old Motorola. Maybe someday I will get it reconnected. Im going to miss her.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:31:12 +0000