It's time for Verizon to stop with the meaningless freebies: they cause more harm than good

Back in the 90s or early 2000s, getting a small gift from a big company felt like being noticed. A pen with a logo, a coffee mug, a branded t-shirt – they had novelty value because we didn't have instant access to hundreds of alternatives at the click of a button. A calendar might have genuinely been useful when it doubled as a desk organizer or a conversation starter. 

Today, it's just another paperweight.

The scale of consumer choice has exploded. We have same-day deliveries, endless online marketplaces, and a growing obsession with gadgets that (in theory) improve our daily routines.

The $10 discount

A $10 calendar or mug, or hat from a telco feels like a token from a bygone era. It signals thought, yes, but not much else. And if the company wants me to feel appreciated, it needs to think bigger, or at least smarter.

That's where the bill discount idea comes in. If Verizon really wanted to show loyalty, they wouldn't hand me something I'd toss in a drawer. They'd knock $10 off my monthly bill. Hell, even $5 would count more.

The math is simple. Prices are climbing everywhere – groceries, rent, energy bills. A freebie that doesn't offset these rising costs doesn't help. On the other hand, a real financial gesture, even a modest one, signals understanding. It says: "We see you, we know what you're paying every month, and we value your commitment". A mug or calendar doesn't do that. It might get a chuckle for five seconds, but that's it.

Freebies aren't going anywhere

Of course, corporations are never going to just give stuff away without strings attached. Freebies exist because they're a marketing tool, a way to keep you engaged and talking about their brand. But there's a fine line between engagement and condescension.

Commitment should count for something. I can't help thinking about what real appreciation would look like. If someone has been a customer for a quarter of a century, they've weathered rate hikes, network changes, and a decade of tech evolution. They've stuck around through better deals at competitors, through service hiccups and whatnot.

In an ideal world, that kind of long-term commitment deserves something substantial. One free year of service would be extreme, sure, but it illustrates the principle: loyalty deserves recognition that actually affects the customer's life.

I'm not naive. I know telcos can't hand out free years like candy. They have margins and shareholder expectations. But there's a middle ground between a calendar and 12 months of free service.

So, here's my take: it's time for Verizon, and really any telco playing the nostalgia card with outdated freebies, to rethink the strategy.

The office "pizza party" phenomenon is ridiculed for a reason. If you want loyalty, you reward loyalty in a way that matters.