Amidst all the complaining that tends to go on, I thought I'd relay a good experience with a wireless vendor. Because Qwest is getting out of the wireless business we're being forced to pick another wireless provider, and they are encouraging Verizon.
As best I can tell, the only advantage of whatever relationship Qwest has with Verizon over any other wireless provider is you can have the wireless bill put on your landline bill. (In short, we lose both free calls to the home number and "one-number-service.") So, we bit the bullet and stopped in a Verizon store.
I was pleased by two things. I stated what we were looking for -- bare bones flip phones with Bluetooth -- nothing fancy. The salesman didn't try to push anything other than that, even though only about two models currently available fit that. (I went with an LG VX5400.) Just as we were about to wrap things up he said, "let me look to see what kinds of discounts I can get you."
He asked who I worked for, and because of that -
(a) the phones came completely free (no need for a mail-in rebate), and (b) I get a 20% discount on my monthly bill. He didn't need to have done that and I'd have been none the wiser.