Kudos to Cingular

I've had issues with my Motorola SLVR L7 since I got in last July. The reception at my home was terrible, so terrible that I could not use it at home. To compound the issue, the phone stopped holding a charge about a week ago. I bought a new battery and charged it yesterday, but it turns out that the battery was fine; the phone was malfunctioning. It'll show a full battery for about 3 hours and then go dead.

The biggest problem I faced was that I had signed a 2-year contract with Cingular in order to get the SLVR. I'd already had them for about 3 years with no problems, so I didn't mind signing an extended servie agreement. However, after 8 months of not being able to use the phone in my home, and with the recent charging issue, I'd had enough with the phone.

I called customer support and was transferred to the warranty division. They said they'd send a new L7 to me, and then I would have to send mine back. They said that, upon them receiving my phone, they'd check it out to ensure no damage had caused the charging issue. If they determined that I had broken the phone, then I would be charged $210. I agreed, reluctantly.

However, a couple minutes after hanging up, I realized two things: 1. Even with a new L7, I'd still be unable to use the phone in my house, and 2. They could very well determine that I'd broken the phone, and I'd really have no recourse against that as there would be no independant third source to review the issue.

I immediately called back and spoke with a customer service rep about cancelling the service altogether. I knew this would result in a big charge (early termination), but I really really need a functioning phone, and what I had wasn't cutting it even in the slightest sense. The customer service rep asked why, and I related my story to her.

She was great! She apologized profusely and put me on hold. After a minute or so, she told me that although I was not yet eligible for an upgrade, she'd given me on anyways. She asked if I wanted a free phone or to spend money on a fancy one, and of course I opted for the free one. She said that once I get my free phone (LG CG225), I'd have 30 days to test it out to see if the reception worked in my house. In the case that it didn't, I could pay for another phone (at a greatly reduced price) or cancel my contract for half the termination fee ($87 with a year and a half left on a two-year contract).

Now, I didn't walk away from the experience scott free, but she really went out of her way to make me happy. I get a free phone, and if that doesn't work, I can try as many as I like for no charge (she waived all the shipping and upgrade fees), or simply terminate the contract for a mere $87.

Granted, she did all this because I called to cancel, but it makes me feel good as a consumer to know that this company wants my business bad enough to bend over backward and do the right thing; the thing that will make me a satified customer. I'm really not that hard to please, and it's nice to find a company willing to do the small amount of work required to make me happy.

Just thought I'd pass along a good business experience.