You don’t need to read this, but I hope someone from Rogers will, and will think about how easily they managed to lose a customer.

❌ Frustrated Rogers customer
✅ Happy Freedom Mobile customer.

Summary: I’ve had a Rogers cell phone for a dozen years or so, although I’ve only personally paid the bill for a few weeks. Today I switched from Rogers to Freedom Mobile. It was easy. I have a better plan now for less money. By wasting my time on hold for 2.5 hours and then hanging up, Rogers successfully annoyed me into switching.

So …

here’s what happened

I switched my cell phone plan from Rogers to Freedom Mobile today and it couldn’t have been easier; I visited a local Freedom Mobile store, discussed one of their Canada/USA/Mexico plans, and was in and out in maybe 10 minutes.

It was half the price of Rogers. For a better plan.

Freedom Mobile gave me a new cell phone number, but only temporarily.

After a brief flurry of text messages (and before I even had a chance to try to remember my new number), my old Rogers number was transferred to Freedom Mobile.

I could probably have done the whole thing online without actually visiting the store, but call me old fashioned. I don’t mind chatting with friendly people in person. (Thank you Annie!)

I am impressed at how easy it was. Remember when we had locked phones and no concept of phone number portability?

The big question:

Why?

Why, after almost three weeks of being a Rogers customer, did I switch?

I’ll tell you. And I hope someone from Rogers reads this.

So, I have carried an iPhone since 2007. I might have had one of the very first iPhones in Canada. My boss got me a US AT&T phone before they were even for sale up here in Canada. I fondly remember that you could only activate it if you were actually on the AT&T network. So, not wanting to make an unnecessary trip to the USA, I drove to Niagara Falls, Ontario, and admired the stunning waterfall while holding my phone in the air and phew, it picked up an AT&T signal and I was good to go.

Later, my employer arranged for a Canadian cell phone for me. On Rogers. And my employer paid the bill, and I was generally a happy customer for a dozen years or so.

But as you might have heard, I retired recently.

One of the things that happens when you retire is - get this - they stop paying you. And they stop paying for your company-provided phone plan too.

taking over the number

Fortunately, Rogers has a process by which you can take over your company-paid phone number and start paying the bill yourself.

It’s supposed to be easy. The employer contacts Rogers, and sets things in motion, and gives you a special confirmation number, authorizing the transfer, and you simply call up Rogers and give them this number and then ….

wait

wait

wait more

The woman from Rogers I spoke to was pleasant and helpful but it took over TWO HOURS for this seemingly simple transaction to be finalized.

Then we have the matter of What cell phone plan do you want?

what cell phone plan did I want?

Two hours on the call gave me more than enough time to examine the Rogers web site and see that they had a $65/month plan that seemed good enough.

We’re sorry, that plan is only for new customers. The plan you are getting is $110/month.

Well, I’d like the $65 plan, how about that?

It’s only for new customers.

But I am a new customer! Did you notice how you had to ask me for my address and credit card information? Doesn’t that make me a new customer?

Let me check with my manager.

more more waiting

Sorry, $110/month is the best we can do.

At this point I reluctantly agreed, but I told the kind Rogers lady that this was ridiculous, that either me being a new customer or some sort of loyalty discount for my employer paying for this line for more than 15 years should count for something. And I would be switching away from Rogers as soon as possible.

rogers sets me up

Well, at least the phone continued to work, and I paid my first $110/month fee. Rogers sent me some documentation.

Time to Switch

Freedom Mobile has some good plans. Looks like all I need to know is my Rogers account number and they can take care of the switch.

But wait! Rogers has not actually sent me my account number! I know the phone number, of course, but not the vital account number. And there is seemingly no way to find that without … oh no, do I have to

call Rogers again

This should be simple. What’s my account number? That’s all I want.

I’m on hold.

I’m still on hold.

An automated voice says For faster service, visit one of our stores where they can help you today.

Today? What? That’s a better alternative? How long is THIS call going to take?

I was on hold listening to awful music for ALMOST TWO AND A HALF HOURS, at which point an automated voice came on and said, literally,

two and a half hours later

We are sorry, due to higher than normal call volumes, we are unable to take your call today

and CLICK it hung up.

I may have said a bad word or two.

the next day

Glutton for punishment that I am, I called again. And this time, someone actually answered within 15 minutes and very helpfully told me my account number.

Thank you! I was genuinely polite and thankful, but I couldn’t wait to hang up and head down to the local Freedom Mobile store with this vital piece of info.

I went to the store and said “I’m a frustrated Rogers customer, and I’d like to become a happy Freedom Mobile customer”, and that is what I am now. (Thank you again, Annie in the store.)

On a cheaper plan.
With more data.
And unlimited US and Mexico service too.

moral of the story

Thanks for nothing, Rogers.

You apparently didn’t want my business very badly; you treated me like I was prepared to pay an outrageous rate for the right to continue being a customer. Well, you won, I did do that for one month.

I might have been inclined to at least discuss cheaper alternatives, until you kept me on hold for two and a half hours and then hung up.

Freedom Mobile - a relatively young Canadian upstart company, owned by Quebecor, and apparently out to upend the Canadian wireless monopolies of Bell/Rogers/Telus - actually seems to want my business and made the process of switching easy and painless.

(Also I didn’t even mention that Rogers seems to hate the Canadian Football League generally. I was so frustrated that THAT didn’t even enter into it. Not this time.)

And eSIMs are awesome.

Freedom, indeed.