My home internet had been spotty for weeks. It was worse on weekends, when every device, the doorbell and the security system all fight for the same connection. So I did what most of us do now. I asked my LLM to compare the best deals out there against my current bill.
The answer surprised me. Several providers had better offers. But the best deals of all came from my own provider. Just not for me. They were reserved for new customers.
I checked their website to be sure. It was true. New members were paying $40 to $60 less each month than I was. I’ve been a customer for more than five years.
So I started with live chat. I explained the gap. I said I was open to a two year term, even though I’d been paying month to month. I asked for one speed tier up. I mentioned I’m an Aeroplan member and would happily take value in points if not in dollars. The agent was polite and understood completely. She sent me to the loyalty line.
The loyalty agent was just as kind. She saw the same discounts I did. Then she transferred me to her supervisor.
Same ask, third conversation. He told me my plan was the best deal available to me. Since I wasn’t a new customer, I wasn’t entitled to the new customer pricing. Maybe I should wait for a sales event.
No counter offer. No points. Not even $10 off for six months.
To be fair, he was doing his best with the tools he had. That’s the real problem. His best wasn’t good enough because nobody had given him a way to see this from my side of the call. He was protecting a business rule. I was a customer deciding whether to stay.
I haven’t switched yet. But I’m 99% there.
The Take - What Kellogg taught me about this call
I completed Customer Loyalty: A Strategic Approach at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. One idea from it has stayed with me more than any other. Customer lifetime value. A customer is not this month’s bill. A customer is every month that follows, plus the upgrades, the add ons and the referrals.
Run that math on me. Five years of loyalty. A request for a faster tier. A willingness to sign a two year term. Likely to spend more over time, not less. That is a customer whose value is rising. I was treated like a $40 to $60 problem.
I also know how these decisions get made. But I know the person on that call wasn’t being difficult. He was working inside a system that never asked him to think about lifetime value.
The evidence isn’t new
Harvard Business Review has carried the rule of thumb that acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. Treat that range as directional, not gospel. The direction is hard to argue with. destinationcrm
Canadians are also not in a patient mood. The CCTS received a record 53,195 complaints in its 2025 to 2026 reporting year, a 79 per cent increase from the year before. At the same time, the regulator is making it easier to walk away. The CRTC has eliminated certain fees associated with switching cellphone and internet plans. iphoneincanadadlapiper
Switching is getting easier. Taking loyalty for granted is getting more expensive.
What I’d do if I ran the loyalty desk
Plan for the backlash before you publish the rate. A new customer offer is a public price. Your existing customers will see it, and they’ll compare it to their own bill within minutes. So ask the hard question before launch. What happens when a five year customer calls? What is the plan? It can’t be nothing. And it can’t be “sorry, that rate is only available for new customers.” That sentence tells a loyal customer exactly where they rank. Have a real answer ready, and give your frontline the authority to use it.
Know your lifetime value. A customer asking for a faster plan and a longer term is not a risk. They’re a bigger customer.
Equip your loyalty teams. Give them real tools. Make sure they understand what losing a customer actually costs, not just what a retention offer costs.
Think beyond price. If the monthly rate can’t move, something else can. Aeroplan points. A discount on the current package. A bundle built for existing members. A simple rebate of $10 a month for six months.
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted a reason to stay.
