Customer $ervice: A Day Late, and a Dollar Short

I had a Clark Howard moment this week.
I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I'm happy I can take advantage of my new money-saving findings in the future; on the other hand, I'm rather upset that I hadn't known I could've been saving money for the past ten years.

Disclaimer: I have carefully and purposely omitted the name and service of the business in this story because its identity is not the point. If you respond with a similar experience, I strongly urge you to do the same.

In Janesville, there is an organization my family has done business with for ten solid years. Whenever we received a bill, I paid it. In full. We didn't carry a balance. Everything was going along swimmingly.

This past December, I missed a bill. Simply misplaced some paperwork. Following bills came, I paid those. But this December bill just hung out there. As the months passed, the wording on the monthly statements grew stronger and stronger.
Frankly, with the family health issues I've been dealing with this year, this outstanding bill was low on my priority list, but I finally made some phone calls early this week and straightened everything out. It was during my conversation with the customer service department that I had a moment that made me pause.

"Since you'll be paying this bill in full," the administrator said, "we can give you a 'full payment' discount."
After she gave me the updated balance due, I asked, "So, if I had paid this bill in December when I first got it, I'd have paid the whole amount. But now, seven months later, you're giving me a discount?"
She hemmed and hawed for a moment and eventually managed to explain that any time I would pay a bill in full, they would give me a discount. I just have to call ahead and let them know.

This is good news. Don't get me wrong.
But, isn't it odd that during the entire ten years I paid my bills in a timely fashion, no one mentioned this rather lovely option to me? No one mentioned it while I was a good client. But, the one time I miss a bill, I am rewarded.
Does it sound to you that bad clients receive better treatment than good clients in this case?

Take note, customer service departments. After ten years of being a loyal customer, I am suddenly considering my other options.

::shakes head to clear it::

In any case, I suggest you call every business you owe money to, and ask if there might be a price break to you if you are able to pay the bill in full. It'll cost you nothing to ask.
And Clark Howard would be proud of you.