Phone companies - from Ma Bell to God Awfull...

Back in the day, you did not have any "choice". Ma Bell was the only option. You either dealt with her or had no phone service. As a result, the phone company had absolutely no motivation to make customers happy. You constantly got the run around for service. You felt frustrated, like you never got your money's worth. The "phone company" was the butt of many a late-night joke. You had no choice...you were "locked-in".

Well, we've come a heck of a long way in 30 years. Granted, now we have many different "phone companies" to choose from. But are they any different? Service is still a joke. I still feel very frustrated whenever I have to deal with them. Subsidies aside, I STILL do not feel like I get my money's worth. Instead of paying $20/mo for phone service like we did 20 years ago, we now have three bills from three different companies, and pay $100/mo for phone service. Factor in the fact that technology dramatically lowers the cost of electronics over time, and that is an amazing number. Somebody, somewhere, is making a TON of money on all of us.

Now, instead of feeling locked-in because there is only one phone company, I'm locked-in because, some fast-talking bottom-feeder salesman (who clearly works on commission and is spiffed by pushing certain phones over others) gets me to sign a 2-year "committment" with an outrageous "early termination fee".

I think it's incredibly convenient that all of their "satisfaction guarantees" expire way before you ever get a bill. That way, once you pick your jaw up off the floor, it's too late to do anything about it.

Thanks, deregulation. Some improvement. From "no-choice" to indentured servitude.