I was sifting through a seemingly endless barrage of junk mail today and I came across a flyer from Telus. In their defense, it did have a cute monkey on it so I was less annoyed by it than by that the paper spam companies like Scotiabank and Casinorama keep sending. Now, my iPhone is in terrible shape. It’s been dropped from moving vehicles, it’s scuffed, it’s scratched – there’s even a complete black spot the size of a quarter on the screen. But I’m sticking it out until the end of my contract out of principle. I always buy out when a shiny new phone is announced and I’m sick of it. So I have suffered with my iPhone 4S for almost three years and it’s been just fine.

But… my contract is almost over! So I thought I’d open the flyer, assuming the ‘gift’ it promised would be new promotions. I don’t normally enjoy saying these words, but… I was wrong! It was a genuine, no strings attached gift. For being a customer. What a nice surprise. Strategic timing? Sure. But does it make me warm and fuzzy and want to go to their website to look for my next device? It sure does. In fact, I think I’ll place my order tonight. The old 4S is looking pretty ratty.

It’s the little things. A small gesture like this can put a human face on even the biggest of corporations. Thanks Telus, I will take those two movie tickets you are offering and I’ll enjoy a nice evening with my better half. But don’t worry, I’ll turn my shiny new iPhone off when the previews start.