I hate the stupid.
So, we've been with the same hosting company for at least 7 or 8 years. Signed up because they would do the whole thing. Backup the website files, managae email addresses and domain name registration, yada, yada, etc. My plan is about to renew so I go to their website to check on my credit card info and make sure that my site stays up. I notice that I'm going to be billed for $99 for the coming year but that they are offering NEW subscribers a deal at $66 for the first year and $88 every year thereafter. Ha! I thought. I could save $11 a year here. I've been a good customer, paid my bills on time, haven't bothered them too much, except when their server goes down.
So, I go on the "Live Chat" portion of the website and get connected with a "Billing Representative":
The following is a transcript of that chat. Bold or Italics are my emphasis.
Service Rep: The promotional package is specially given to the new customers in order to attract the customer to sign up for the hosting plan on our platform.
Me: I understand that - However the rate on the features page is stated as being $88/year after the first year.
Service Rep: Our records show that, your account was signed up under old package and this is the reason you have been billed $99.00 every year. However, if you wish to obtain this new hosting package then you need to cancel the current account and sign up for the new account under the new hosting plan.
Me: In my business if I reduce my rates, all my customers benefit, not just the new ones. That doesn't make any sense at all from a customer retention standpoint.
So, what you're saying is that I have to take down my website and then republish it under a new account. I lose a day or so of emails, etc just to re-up under a new account. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
Service Rep: We do have an individual database for the respective hosting package where the hosting prices for the account are generally set.
Me: And?
Service Rep: Since this account was signed up under old hosting plan, the old package pricing is set for the account. Currently, this new hosting package was introduced recently by our Product Management department. The customers signed up recently will only be eligible to obtain the new hosting price which is advertised on our Web site.
Me: Still not making a lot of sense to me - As I said, if I reduce my rates, I reduce them for all my customers. If I didn't reduce rates for the old customers but only for the new ones, I soon wouldn't have any old customers. If I raise rates, I'll occasionally give longtime customers the benefit of a better rate. Not a good move on your part, not to give long time customers the newer, lower rate and then advertise that new customers get a lower rate. Kind of slap in the face wouldn't you say? Basically, a "If you don't like it find a better place to go" philosophy.
Service Rep: Unfortunately, this decision is taken by our Product Department.
Me: And telling me that I can cancel, sign up again and do all the scut work of reestablishing my site and emails is really not a good option either. Anyone else I can chat with there? Or someone in the Product Department who made, what appears to be a "boneheaded" decision?
Service Rep: For your convenience, we will manually copy all the files and Web site related contents onto your newly signed up account.
Me: How do we do this then? Because I do want the lower rate of $88/year. I'm not worried about the $66 introductory offer.
Service Rep: Okay. You need to cancel the existing account and sign up for a new hosting account under new package.
So, three days letter all is well. My email accounts and website are under a new user name. I got the introductory rate of $66 for the first year and $88 a year there after. And all they had to do was knock $11 off my existing rate and no extra work on anyones part. By making me drop the account, sign up again the product team or whatever they're called cause the IT people to dick around for three days doing things they needn't have done. Hell, they could have been playing World of Warcraft instead of moving my site.
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