As a rule of thumb, I dislike retail contracts that lock me into services with few options.
I have been loyal to most of my service companies for years, without a contract. I like it that way. When a company forces you into a contract the message is simple — “we are scared you will go to a competitor, because we really don’t know how to take care of you, or create value for you.”
Good companies build loyalty, by creating value. Customers stay because they want to, not because they have to. Building loyalty through contractual obligations is myopic, at best. It’s a little bit like forcing someone to love you, just because you have it in writing.
People connect at an emotional level, not a legal one.
About Hemant Rustogi