Bloopers 'n' Blunders

How to Lose All Your Customers in One Move

Our phones were about one year old (yes, ONE year old!) but we were having difficulty receiving and opening text messages and, occasionally, making calls (which is the primary purpose of a phone, right?). We went to our major provider—where we had purchased the phones one year ago—for them to "fix" the problems. Much to our shock, we were told the maker of the phone (a long-time appliance and TV manufacturer) had quit making phones and therefore quit supporting them! No notice to customers who had purchased them.

Our choices: (1) Argue with the manufacturer (does that spell waste of time to you?), or (2) get new phones. Neither seemed ideal, but we ended up buying new phones and starting over.

Customer Service Opportunity
Be cautious about who makes any major product you buy. If they are new to producing it, consider whether they will continue to support it if it's not profitable. If you are a manufacturer and discontinue a product, let owners know their options. If you were improving the product, you'd be all over those owners to upgrade—so we know you know who we are!

H. M.—Oregon

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