Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Honor ... Does It Really Mean Anything Anymore?


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Society has lost it's heart when it comes to honor. Marriage vows are tossed aside like they never mattered, parents are not honored, even contracts are thrown to the side and honored not. Let me correct that....the consumer is EXPECTED to honor the contract but the company doesn't have to. My case in point.....

We signed up in late October with a new internet provider. The term of our contract was for 2 years, according to the internet company. We had no problem with this. Since we did not have a land line phone our DSL was hooked up through what is called a "dry loop" line. We had no problems what so ever. In January, we decided to add the addition of a home land line with this same company. The plan that we signed up for has steadily gone up each month with no answers on the part of the provider. I call each month and question the bill but each time I am given the same run around and lack of answers. So we have decided to cancel our land line all together yet keep our internet service and go back to a dry loop line, which is the basis of our initial 2 year contract. But get this.....if we were to cancel the 2 year contract before the time period was up, we would be penalized financially for it and have to go through all kinds of hoops to get out of it. Yet, the company has decided that they are not going to honor the contract that we signed up for and have written proof of from them. Instead they are telling me that I now have to pay more money for a lesser internet service. WOW! Isn't that just great customer service!?! They can back out of a written contract anytime they want with no problem, but let the consumer try that and all heck will break loose. Funny, we we not even trying to get out of our contract we just wanted to fulfill it and now we are to be penalized for it. I think not!


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So I have prayed and asked the LORD to lead me on this and to make a way where there seems to be no way. I am not going to fight this battle as the battle is the LORD'S. It just makes me sick to see how every facet of society tears down the respect and honor of contracts as well as people all for selfish gain. When will people wake up and realize how this is devastating society as a whole? Will we continue to allow the detriment to continue and turn a blind eye to it all? Or will we stand up and fight for what is right? If each one of us stood up and reverted back to the original moral values that America was founded on, maybe, just maybe others would realize that we are not going to take being pushed around anymore. If we don't teach our children to honor and respect things, where do you think they will learn it? I'll tell you where....NO WHERE! Schools don't teach it, businesses don't teach it and sadly even some of the Churches don't teach it. So let's stand up and let the world know that we are not going to accept this anymore. We don't have to take it from big business nor do we have to take it from each other. Let's get back on track and start honoring our words, our actions, our hand shakes, our contracts. It only takes a small step to make the biggest leap in the right direction.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're so true. Honor is a thing of the past for most of society. It's def. time parents bring that word back into their homes. That word meant a lot to my father. it means a lot to me and it will mean a lot to my girls. I'm so sorry that company is being awful. We've been there and it's annoying *hugs*

Mrs. B, a very peculiar person said...

You are in a very frustrating situation. I wish you would share the name of this vendor, so we all know to avoid using them.

I recently had a very negative experience with QUEST Diagnostics (a popular medical testing facility). I sent a respectful letter of complaint to the corporate offices and cc:'d every one of my physicians and insruance company. The president of the QUEST Diagnostics did respond with an apology for the situation and informed me that he would refer my letter to the district manager level. Unfortunately, this "middle management" level person responded with EXCUSES - no apology, for my poor experience. I don't care about their excuses, I want and expect improved service.

Do I expect any positive changes because of my complaint letter? NO. Why? Because, if I were a betting kind of gal, I'm sure the 9 other patients, who had the same negative experience as I on the same day and time, MAY have only made a phone call to the local service center to complain. I'd be suprized to find out if any of them took the time to write out a letter AND send out copies of it to their physicians AND insurance compannies. I sincerely hope that in future contract negotiations my inusrance provider and physicians reconsider using QUEST Diagnostics and choose to do business with alternative medical testing facilities.

Our society fails to realize that MASS complaints, done in a respectful manner AND a loss of profits directly related to those complaints, are the only forms of leverage we consumers have when dealing with today's huge service providers.

Have you tried writing a letter of complaint that also includes your desired outcome to the CEO of your internet/land line phone provider? I know this often take more time than a phone call, but from the view out my window, those phone calls are too often "burshed under the rug".

Also, as you stated, we Christians must STAND firm to HONOR our contracts, agreements, promises, etc. regardless of what the rest of our society chooses to do. If we Christians are consistant in honoring, in our personal lives and in business, maybe others will decide to follow our examples.

Boy!, did this topic get me on a soap box or what? hee, hee

Mrs.B

Keeper of the Home said...

Thanks ladies. This was certainly an irritating situation. Things have been hashed out and Verizon is supposed to switch my plan back today with no hassle (other than the hours I had to spend on the phone with them and the 7 reps. incl. supervisors that I had to speak with). They have given me a window of "up to" 8pm tonight to have things straightened out. We shall see.

Phyllis Blickensderfer said...

I am in such agreement with you!! I regret that the first contact we make with any company is a newly hired person who has no authority other than to read prepared statements that do not apply to our situation. They are supposed to spent less than 60 seconds on the line with us and are intimidated in training not to pass the call to a supervisor. There is no "customer loyalty;" they know if we leave another will fill that slot in a moment.

As usual, I'm reminded of a Bible story:

And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
[Luke 18:3-5 KJV]

Let us weary them!