True confessions...I'm analytical. Sometimes too much. But when it comes to major purchases, I typically research until I'm blue in the face, monkey with my budget (which isn't my favorite thing to do) and put everything on paper to see if it makes sense. This time last year I purchased a laptop and a new car out of necessity and it's only by the grace of God I didn't pass out from all that stress. I don't spend large amounts of money easily....small amounts, oh yeah!
Over the past few months, my cell phone of two and a half years had been acting up. I had friends tell me they texted me with no response (yeah, didn't get that text) and my phone would lock up and restart periodically. And one time during that event, all my contacts disappeared, then came back, in duplicate! I knew it was time to get a new phone, I just needed to do my research.
My phone was a simple Nokia. Flip open the top, push some buttons, and voila. I made calls, texts, and took an occasional picture. The fanciest thing about this phone was the ability to use a Bluetooth headset. Since I don't buy phones very often, I decided it was time to enter the geek world of which I'm entrenched and invest in a smartphone. My one holdback....I didn't want to pay for internet service and have to view it on a teeny tiny screen. Off I went to shop and test out phones.
My carrier is T-Mobile. Let the harassment begin. Say what you will about this company branded in pink, but they are top notch. I've been with them for 10 years and have received the best customer service around. I remember sitting in the hospital cafeteria almost 8 years ago with my Dad fresh out of bypass surgery and having billing issues. They not only credited my billing error, but bonused me a ton of minutes because of the stress it was causing in my already stressful situation. I could have kissed that customer service rep!
Aside from the various BlackBerry options, T-Mobile has a phone called the Sidekick, made by Sharp. The newest 3G Model has full keyboard and a nice big, swivel screen. Quite a drastic change from my little Nokia, but I thought it was worth pricing out. Bonus, it comes in one of my favorite colors, Purple! The sales rep priced out the phone, which I had already done the week before. (See my intense research above) Another bonus from T-Mobile customer service...when I called to price out phone options, the customer service rep noticed my long tenure with T-Mobile. She decided to change my plan to unlimited minutes for life at the current rate I was paying. Wow. Now that's what I call sevice. The final decision making move was for the sales rep to calculate my monthly bill. Paying for a phone is one thing, but the ongoing charge is another. As he calculated it, he said, "Who is your car insurance with?" and I replied "State Farm." Another bonus....as a State Farm customer, I get 15% off my bill each month. So, to have unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited internet, along with insurance would only cost me $20 more a month. Within my budget....sign me up!
Yes, I love my phone, but I did have some buyer's remorse for a day or two. To get over that, I polled my Facebook friends to enlist help in naming my phone. Giving it a name would help me bond with it quicker. The verdict? Violet. In honor of her color....Violet from Peanuts, who is Lucy Van Pelt's best friend and 'sidekick'....and because the phone rings and alerts are so unintrusive, it reminds me of a shrinking violet, like the daughter on The Incredibles, one of my favorite Pixar movies.
Ladies and gentlemen, I've entered the 21st century.
You crack me up!!
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