There’s an interesting article in today’s CNET News regarding AT&T and the possibility that their relationship and exclusive contract with Apple and the iPhone may be coming to an end.
To that end, I noticed an interesting ‘tude while I was picking up my wife’s new 3Gs at the AT&T store this past weekend. The sales people made a few unsolicited remarks about Apple, the expectations of iPhone users (they want SMS to work. Go figure…), and how badly data use on the iPhone was trashing the AT&T data network. This struck me as a bit like a husband complaining about his wife to his children: Unnecessary, ridiculously stupid, and counterproductive.
But what was initially just a curiosity becomes even more curious in light of this graf in Marguerite Reardon’s article:
But ending its exclusive deal with Apple could spell big trouble for AT&T. For one, the iPhone has helped AT&T attract new customers. About 40 percent of AT&T’s 10 million iPhone customers switched to AT&T from another carrier, the company has said.
Here’s the rub, and it’s something that AT&T should keep in mind. Personally the only reason I’m with AT&T is the iPhone. In fact, I made the switch to AT&T, much to my wife and children’s consternation, TO GET the iPhone. And while there’s nothing about their service that would cause me to leave if they lose their exclusive contract with Apple, there’s also nothing about AT&T that would cause me to stay either. (Although I should state here that one of AT&T’s best features–and one of its largest enticements outside of the iPhone–is rollover minutes. Why every other carrier doesn’t off these, I don’t know. But it’s a feature I really like.)
So, a word to the wise AT&T, don’t be stupid. Most of those 4 million customers you picked up probably aren’t your customers at all, and if you plan on keeping them, you best keep them happy.