Are you a new or existing customer?

In this time of relatively high unemployment and edgy predictions about a double-dip recession, folks like me have to watch our monthly bills.

For instance, as a loyal customer of AT&T, I have stuck with ADSL high-speed Internet service, despite competitive pricing (and higher throughput) offers from cable television companies.

However, loyalty doesn't pay the bills.  Thus, while I currently pay about $38/month for 3Mbps max. download speed (384kbps upload) from AT&T, I could switch to Comcast cable, pay $19.99/month for 6 months and then switch back to AT&T for $19.95/month for 12 months at 6Mbps, if available, or $14.95/month for the same 3Mbps I had before.

Otherwise, because I am a loyal customer I get stuck with a higher monthly bill (just verified through a phone call to an AT&T web sales representative (friendly but not very helpful, in this case)).

How's that for rewarding your customers?!

It just doesn't pay to be an existing customer, it seems.

I miss the "wild west" free Internet days of the 20th century.  Don't you?  Of course, the Internet/dotcom bust meant lots of great telco CO equipment at fire sale prices - ahh, the opportunity costs abound!

Life in the safe 'burbs is hardly worth calling rough.  Let's see... how many suburban people die from road smashups, lightning strikes, home electrocution/accidents, food poisoning, and medical mistakes versus those who die from starvation, war, persecution, untreated diseases and urban crime?

Guess a high ADSL bill is not the worst that can happen.  Even so, AT&T, your loyalty program deserves a closer look.

A nod to Andy Rooney, if he's still alive.

This blog entry was written to the sounds of "Acoustic Arabia" by Putumayo Presents.  Maybe some binaural beats for an afternoon nap later on.

Thanks goes to Naomi and Joanna at Publix and the kind people at the HH EKG lab.  Time to move the water sprinkler and forget about perennial complaints.