“Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man.”
Iain Duncan Smith
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Upgrade is a very popular term, especially with business.
The New Oxford American Dictionary (my bedside Bible) defines “upgrade” as
“raising (something) to a higher standard, in particular to improve (equipment or machinery) by adding or replacing components.”
I am all for improvement, but sometimes (mainly because of cost) you only want to “downgrade” and when you utter this word, some businessmen perceive this to be as uncouth as breaking wind at a Bar-Mitzvah ceremony.
Downgrade? Sorry sir, we don’t do no stinking downgrade…
I would like to talk to your manager…
You can’t, he is busy upgrading our system.
Irritated by Comcast bloated bill and capricious fee increases, I decided to trim my costs by “downgrading” the services that I have been using for years.
Forsaking Triple Play (Cable TV, Internet, Telephone) I decided to get rid of Comcast phone service and downshift to Double Play (just Cable and Internet).
When you go to the Comcast website there is no obvious “downgrade” option. Like diarrhea, it is not a word that they like to hear (or smell).
In the meantime, I trimmed my sails by purchasing my own modem ($99.94 at Amazon) to replace the Comcast modem that I have been leasing ($10.00 a month) for years.
Surprisingly Comcast fully cooperated with the installation of my new modem and in less than 20 minutes my Mac was up and galloping all over the Internet.
Later on, I went to the local Comcast office to return their modem and inquire about my new (hopefully improved) Double Play bill.
Shockingly it proved to be more costly than what I was paying with Triple Play.
When you “downgrade” (ugly, ugly word) to Double Play, you lose a bunch of perks.
I have to admit that Comcast plays a very good game of chess.
I still wanted to keep my telephone landline but when I got rid of the Comcast modem I lost my landline.
So I went to Verizon who sold me on the idea of using a gizmo called Wireless Home Phone.
No need to plug into a telephone line anymore. All your calls are coming in wirelessly. For $20.00 a month, it is a bargain.
I transferred my telephone number to Verizon, but instead of an instant deal, I had to wait a few days before the transaction could be completed. Why?
If you ask me, I think that dear old Comcast was dragging its feet.
But now, after numerous calls to Comcast’ byzantine “Loyalty” department, I am finally able to use the Internet, TV and phone at much more reasonable rates.
Hey Comcast, if you really had my wellbeing at heart, why didn’t you propose this to me in the first place?
I would have loved you forever instead of just enduring you.
Alain
