Until death us do part

Something every consumer facing company strives to achieve is a brand loyalty until death us do part.

I tend to have very little brand loyalty, but I am still stuck with Vodafone. Why? Because the sheer effort of moving is too much. So I keep my shitty little handset, pay my £20 a month and leave the phone at the bottom of my handbag until it runs out of battery, ashamed to show it to the world for fear of ridicule.

I have another phone, primarily for work, although it's much better, hence I use it more. It's better in every way, from including things which may well be down to the operator, like signal strength and call quality. But I don't want to get stuck into a contract, and won't buy another handset - handsets are free right? So I hide my shitty little phone with shame. If anyone sees it I quip about how retro cool it is. But because it's rubbish, I don't use it. I really should do something about it. But the effort is too great, so I put it off for another week. OMG. Do you see a pattern emerging?

I do find the whole mobile handset/mobile operator loyalty thing an interesting one though. Are people loyal to the network or the handset manufacturer?

It's got to be the device right? I'd upgrade to a cooler phone, that's what my peers will see after all. But operators need the subscribers right? So they must want to create brand loyalty? It would seem not in the case of Charli Rogers who last time she renewed her mobile contract with Orange was awarded a £15 a month loyalty discount, but this year that discount will only be £5. She's been with them over 10 years, so surely she's a keeper?

A mobile operator seems to create brand loyalty by making the sheer effort of moving seem too great. Reminds me of a couple so used to being married that the sheer effort of divorce or separation seems too much, even though they're unhappy together, but they stay that way because it's easier. But that couple are wasting their lives and I'm wasting my money.

According to Charli's Twitter feed, she ended up staying with Orange, but only because Carphone Warehouse were able to offer her a better deal.

So buying through a 3rd party is cheaper*. Again...another oddity.

Buying stuff shouldn't be this hard, but always look around for the best deal, even if the effort seems to great, especially when you're signing up to a long term contract. I'm a fine one to talk though with my shitty little phone.


*I am NOT suggesting you buy a new spouse through a third party to get a better deal, although you may fix it through a third party, like a counsellor, so the analogy still stands - W00T!