[breakingpoint0]

I was curious what people thought of carrier loyalty.

Are you loyal to your carrier? I don't mean: I have a contract so I stay. What I mean is that you have stayed with them for however many years no matter what.

If you are loyal then why are you loyal? Do they treat you well(such as credits on the account or free devices)? Or are you loyal for other reasons?

If I had asked myself this question a few months ago I would have said my loyalty lies with Sprint. I have been with them for about 6 or so years now and haven't had any issues. With the recent change to the plans(I end up paying the more, or about the same, for less than what I get now) and the lack of a BB10 option until very recently has had me looking at other carriers. When I called into Sprint about leaving they gave me a decent credit for the next 4 bills, so I will at least stay that long. I will re-evaluate after that point.

Unless my carrier is giving me a reason to stay loyal to them I will always be on the lookout for something else. A carrier is just a means to provide service to my mobile phone. I personally don't care who provides the service, just that it's at an affordable price and a good value for the price(the value is subjective per person).

What say the rest of you on carrier loyalty? Are you loyal to your carrier? How do you feel about carrier loyalty in general?

[howarmat]

Lots of prepaid options out there now. Carrier loyalty isnt what it used to be

[Elite1]

Ever since I found the Loyalty Department and then specifically the SMB Loyalty Dept. at Telus several years ago now, I've been satisfied enough with the results that I'm not looking elsewhere anymore.

FYI: SMB = Small-Medium Business

[CHIP72]

I have a lot more carrier loyalty (in my case, to Verizon) than I have mobile OS loyalty (I frequently switch devices).

To use an analogy, the mobile operating systems function as the different stores at which you buy products, or the products themselves within a particular niche, while the carriers function as the roads that allow you to get to the store/see and potentially buy the products. With the former, I want to find a good deal, good customer service, and/or a good quality product for the price paid. With the latter, I want it to work so that I'm not delayed or need to pay for more maintenance on my car. The former is an end in itself, while the latter is a means to an end. If something that is an end in itself doesn't work or suit my needs, I switch products. If something that is a means to an end doesn't work, I have no ability to switch products because I can't access them. The latter issue is a lot more problematic, so I place a premium on good service with the latter category.

Frankly, it's amazing to me that some people always want to change carriers because if you lose service or have poor service, your shiny smartphone, regardless if its a Blackberry, Android, iPhone, or Windows phone, is little more than a paperweight. If you buy service from a better carrier (i.e. one focused on making sure its infrastructure works), it is less likely you'll lose service or suffer from poor service.

[kg4icg]

Been with Sprint going on 17 years. Problems have been few and far between and when 1 arose, it was dealt with. Saw no reason chasing after other phones on different carriers like some do.

[DINGSTER1]

Been with Verizon since Bell Atlantic, but getting ready to move to AT&T. Basically a lateral move price and coverage wise in Md, just want to try the GSM side

[Rello]

Personally I hate most carriers.

In my opinion, they charge us way too much. I believe in paying for what u use but I see carriers like Verizon and AT&T and think their plans are ridiculous. Forced to pay $40 just to use a smartphone on the network, forced to get unlimited text messaging (in most plans), not much option in lower minute options, no unlimited plans. Rip offs if you ask me.

I think prepaid plans are going to become more popular. I go wherever I get the best bang for my buck

[kbz1960]

I only stay with my carrier because they work where I live work and go. Not all of them do. As a matter of fact I think only 2 of them do.

[qbnkelt]

Beat reception where I live and I find the prices reasonable.

Is that loyalty??? Hhhhhhmmm. I use it because it works best for me.


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[Dougie011]

I won't say I have carrier loyalty, but I use what works best for me. I have Verizon and it just works everywhere I go. At work, anyone that has Sprint or T-Mobil won't get service. AT&T has service at work, but poor service at home. Verizon, yes I pay more, but I get service everywhere I need it.

[bradu1]

I liken carrier loyalty to serving out a prison sentence.

I've been with ATT for as long as I've had a cell phone.... well, kind of, I left ATT and went to Cingular. about 2 months later Cingular became ATT. The only reason I stay is because of my grandfathered plan. The minute they take away my plan, I'll leave.

Posted via CB10

[smoothrunnings]

Carrier loyalty shouldn't be a question with respect to BBRY these days, as they can't afford to be loyal to anyone carrier. Sure if they were number one or two in the work for devices they can do whatever they want.

[amazinglygraceless]

I have been with AT&T here in Connecticut since they were Southern New England Telephone (good Lord I'm old ). I have them for internet, cellular and land line and am extremely satisfied.
In my area and the places I travel most often they provide the best coverage / reception, customer service has always been more than responsive to any issues I have had (few as they may be) and their pricing is not for me unreasonable for what I get...so yeah, I am massively loyal to AT&T and will be as long as they continue doing right by me.

[heymaggie]

I'm on AT&T because I was able to get on a senior plan with only 200 minutes a month which is more than I actually use. I'm far from being a senior but they didn't do much checking. Also I'm grandfathered into a lower volume SMS plan that they don't offer anymore.

[m1a1mg]

I won't say I have carrier loyalty, but I use what works best for me. I have Verizon and it just works everywhere I go. At work, anyone that has Sprint or T-Mobil won't get service. AT&T has service at work, but poor service at home. Verizon, yes I pay more, but I get service everywhere I need it.

+1

I'm no fan of Verizon, but I am a fan of being able to use my phone. AT&T and T-Mo both stink where I live.

[Kendall Oei]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

QBNKELT, You're posting to a Blackberry forum from an iPhone. What kind of loyalty is that?

[Kendall Oei]

I was loyal to Sprint for over 15 years, until they decided not to carry the Z10. That moved me to AT&T. I now have no carrier loyalty to anybody.

[jay64]

I have been with at&t for many years and have found their customer support quite good when needed. Living in a rural area my coverage expectations have to be reasonable and they do pretty well in that arena as well. I was pay as you go for a long time and when my contract expires (senior plan at&t) I am sure I will go back to that for self and wife. Two hundred bucks a year for phones (2 k minutes total) is a good deal and we use wifi extensively. The only down side to contract is at&t quirk of ether unlimited txt for too much money per month or zero texts. Could do 4.99 a month on pay as you go for txts which was better, in months needed only, but I have learned to live without it fairly easily on contract. I looked at VZN but they would not do z10 on their version of senior plan at the time. Normally, I buy my own phone so in the future I am sure I will go back to that and drop contracts again. I am not usually caught up in the latest greatest phone craze hoopla as most smartphones are pretty much the same overall and anything beyond 4- 4.5 inches is too damn big anyway.

[qbnkelt]

QBNKELT, You're posting to a Blackberry forum from an iPhone. What kind of loyalty is that?

Same as with a carrier. It works for me.

I also post from a 9900, a Z10, an SGIII, and this iPad. As a member of Mobile Nations, I post to all sites with all my devices.


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[raino]

QBNKELT, You're posting to a Blackberry forum from an iPhone. What kind of loyalty is that?

Because CrackBerry doesn't determine loyalty from what device you use to post.

Back OT, as far as I'm concerned, carrier loyalty applies only if the carrier is loyal to my wallet and needs. Same goes for any business/product.

[crazylegshinch]

I have as much Carrier loyalty as Bell shows me: that is to say none. I'm here because the hassle and cost of ending my contract was too great. Why'd I re-up with Bell when I got my Z10? I really wanted a Z10 and qualified for a mostly-full upgrade credit. In retrospect I should have gone to Virgin Canada and ate the cancellation fee I had left. They've never gone above and beyond to give me better service or value for my dollar. Heck I can't even get them to email my electronic bill to the correct address!

Yeah, I know that Virgin is owned by Bell. But they do offer a better deal on a month-to-month "tab" plan (wherein you owe for the phone until it is paid off, but you can buy it out at any time and are not on a service contract). But Virgin is marketed to the younger crowd and I fell for the professional brand recognition of Bell and pay more for less.

When my spouse's contract is up next year, I'm telling him to go to Virgin (and get a BB ;D).

[21stNow]

I would not describe myself as loyal to a carrier, but I am somewhat long-term with one of them. I use whichever carrier suits my needs for a particular purpose. I've been on AT&T for nine years, T-Mobile for three years and back on Verizon Wireless for two years concurrently. I prefer AT&T for coverage and while the customer service could be better, it is the best out of the three carriers that I use.

I like the flexibility that GSM carriers offer as far as the ability to use devices, whether they are carrier devices or devices from other entities. I buy both types of devices but as carriers move to locking bootloaders and other consumer unfriendly actions, I buy from other entities more.

My thoughts are that I will go where the coverage and price suit my needs the best. Since I like to use many different devices, some simultaneously, that changes from month-to-month. I have used many different prepaid services, as well.

[cgk]

I live in a GSM country, I have ZERO carrier loyalty, I buy my own phones and only do month to month contracts which work out very cheap.

[CHIP72]

I have been with AT&T here in Connecticut since they were Southern New England Telephone (good Lord I'm old ). I have them for internet, cellular and land line and am extremely satisfied.
In my area and the places I travel most often they provide the best coverage / reception, customer service has always been more than responsive to any issues I have had (few as they may be) and their pricing is not for me unreasonable for what I get...so yeah, I am massively loyal to AT&T and will be as long as they continue doing right by me.

Just out of curiosity, was Southern New England Telephone one of the "Baby Bells" back in the day?

I admittedly may have particular loyalty to Verizon Wireless because one of its corporate parents, Verizon, is descended from the "Baby Bell" that served eastern Pennsylvania and a decent chunk of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic when I young, Bell Atlantic.

[sklotz2000]

Isn't "carrier loyalty" an oxymoron?

I haven't found one that I've liked yet.