Two months ago, I switched my company’s wireless carrier from AT&T, a relationship we’d had for nineteen problem-free years, to a low-cost competitor. We made the switch for one reason: To cut costs.
Seventy-two hours into the new vendor’s relationship, I knew we had a problem. Clients were always saying, “You’re breaking up,” or “I didn’t catch that.” The LTE service was laughable.
The new carrier was cheaper, yes. And the salespeople we worked with were delightful. However, the service was unacceptable. I had to breach the contract, paying out the big bucks to switch back to AT&T.
My brief stint with a low-cost competitor reminded me of two profound lessons small businesses must never forget.