Verizon's New Loyalty Offer Angers Already Tired Customers

Verizon has been sending long-time customers messages about a reward they can receive for their loyalty. The problem is, not every customer is happy with it. The reward offered is a free photo album from Shutterfly. One point that has been frustrating to customers is that they are responsible for the taxes and shipping of the photo album, not Verizon. So, it is not entirely free, which might dissuade people from taking advantage of it. On top of that, many customers have said they would rather have a price decrease to their phone bill rather than a photo album.

It seems smartphones are getting more and more expensive, and Verizon is no exception. Verizon has a history of quietly raising customer bills with hidden fees per voice line, to help the company recover from industry related costs. Of course, in the end, this just means more money the average person has to spend on their phone bill, which never results in a happy customer.

Despite Verizon customers preferring reduced costs over a cheaper photo album, this loyalty reward still offers a good value item from a well-known custom gift company. Shutterfly's online shop allows customers to print their own photos on calendars, mugs, blankets, and more. Some customers may appreciate the photo book perk, but it doesn't exactly meet Verizon customers at their pain points.

This reward is offered as an anniversary gift to customers who have been with Verizon for a long time, such as 10 or 15 years. If someone has been with the same phone company for that long, it is usually because they are happy with the service, or the hassle of changing over to a new carrier is just too much. It certainly can be an annoyance to switch, but luckily Verizon makes the transfer process fairly straightforward.

The reward is an 8x8, 20-page, customizable photo album from Shutterfly. These are typically priced at $37. Shutterfly offers templates you can use to help with the layout and design, or you can do it all yourself from scratch. Shutterfly then mails the final physical product to you as a nice photo book to keep at home. If hundreds or thousands of customers were to claim the reward, it would add up to quite the cost for Verizon. As a nod to long-term loyalty, it is a nice gesture.

The Verizon reward terms state that customers are responsible for their own taxes and shipping beginning at $8.99. Shipping can cost more depending on how quickly you want the item. Some customers may want a quick turnaround to get it for someone's birthday or the holidays, in which case they could be paying $20 or more.

Verizon customers fed up with rising costs simply aren't satisfied with the gesture, which comes on the heels of another Verizon promo that attempted to use AI to lure in new customers. One particular thread on Reddit had customers griping about the photo book offer, with posts such as "Give me $20/mo off my bill for a year. THAT would be a reward. What a joke," and "It felt like Let's make a deal and I got the zonk." However, that wasn't the sentiment all around. Others posted, "I mean you aren't entitled to it. Take it or leave it," and "that's cool." So perhaps the reward is simply as good or as bad as you make it out to be.

Those who want to take advantage of the offer get a nicely crafted book of memories at a greatly reduced cost. For those who don't, their situation stays the same. Ultimately it should remind companies about the importance of tailoring rewards and promotions to customers needs and expectations.