Finally, I've joined the 21st century and gotten a smart phone--an i-Phone. I love it, but it reminds me of the old days when I had a 2 year old. The phone rings a jazz piano riff for calls, salsa music for texts and pings for emails. The constant pinging of the phone when emails arrive is like the sweet, insistent voice of a toddler- Ma, Ma, Ping, Ping. I was never much good at showing the toddler who was boss, so I'm a little worried that I may become the slave to my demanding phone. So don't be surprised if you call me and get the voice mail, I'm just practicing a little parental discipline.
Buying the phone was a story in itself. For one thing, my family share plan never seemed to show my line as eligible for a new phone. I later learned that eligibility can be switched to a different line and, come to think of it, someone in the family has already had an iPhone, Blackberry and Droid, while I've been waiting to trade up on my Samsung fliptop.
I initially visited a Verizon store in Brick one rainy afternoon. My assigned salesman, Megan, greeted me:
Megan: What do you want today?
me: an i-Phone
Megan: No, you don't and here's why.....blah, blah, blah
me: But I still want an iPhone. My husband has an iMac and he wants me to learn to use the phone and teach him. (he's even slower to change than I am)
Megan: (puzzled look on her apple cheeked face) that's not what people usually say...they usually just say they want it because everyone else has it.
Undeterred, she persisted with her sales script.
Megan: Games are much cheaper on a Droid. With Apple you'll pay a lot more. Angry Birds is $4.95---a month!
Me: Megan, look at me. I'm 60 years old. Do I look like I want a phone so I can play Angry Birds?
She looked long and hard but it was clear Megan was not going to sell me an iPhone, so I left.
Coincidentally, the same son with the multiple phones was home one Friday without his phone charger. I offered to drop the phone at the Verizon in town for a free recharge, while I got groceries. When I returned to pick up the phone, it wasn't quite done, so i had time to talk to Ian, my efficient young tech salesman.
Me: I'd like to get an iPhone
Ian: 16g or 32?
me: 16
Ian: black or white
me: huh? white. Don't you want to talk me out of it?
Ian: why would I?
I explained my adventure with Megan and Ian shrugged. Clearly Megan had raised valid issues, which I guessed Ian agreed with, but he knew his customers.
me: I want something easy
Ian:(shrugging) the iPhone is for you.
Another customer asked about how soon iPhone 5 would be replacing the iPhone4 and the manager promptly replied that Apple had released no details or availability date yet.
Customer: But it will be different and better-- right?
Ian: it probably has a big 5 on it and that would be enough to get people to line up around the block.
A bit cynical, but Ian got the job done. Halfway through our transaction, the employee door opened and out stepped Ian2--his twin brother. Wow. They must have fun fooling customers. What if I hadn't seen him?
Me:(imagining how it would go if I returned tomorrow) "Ian, remember I was in here yesterday and you said ....
Ian 2: I've never seen you before, M'am.
me: But I bought this iPhone4 and there's a problem....
Ian2: (shrugs--just like his brother) So..
It does take a bit of practice to use the keyboard and it took me so long to enter my correct email and password that an exasperated Ian1 told me to write it down and he'd enter it for me!
And I didn't think I was really that old.....
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