Cellphone Blues with a Surprise Happy Ending

Rob's smashed phone

Recently I was walking the dogs and put my cell phone in my pocket. When I bent down to pick up after one of them I didn't notice my phone fell out of my pocket...and smashed on the street (it fell through leaves which didn't cushion the fall). When I returned home I realized I lost my phone, so Tom and I walked the entire neighborhood route to find it- fortunately, we did...
  GETTING A NEW PHONE - Everyone knows that new phones can be expensive and Tom and I never seem to get the "special credit" for a new phone when the contract reaches 2 years. All that has changed, thanks to T-Mobile!
A NON-CUSTOMER FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE - We went to the T-Mobile store in our town and the clerk couldn't have been more disinterested in making a sale. He stood at the cash register not once looking up at me (I think he was playing on his phone) until I asked if I could see what phones are good options. Then he looked over at the wall. Tom realized that the guy couldn't care, so he walked out, and I followed.
 A SUPER-WONDERFUL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE - We headed to the T-Mobile store in the Annapolis Mall where we were greeted by the manager immediately. He directed us and brought us over to one of his best sales reps named Kyle. Kyle was patient, personable, kind and explained everything several times (until I got it).

Rob and Tom: After I told Tom to see the good in the phone damage!

TURNING BAD INTO GOOD -  He said the contracts are a thing of the past, and told us about $10/month phone insurance (to prevent this mess again) and a $10/month payment plan for the phone without interest. The insurance plan also enables you to upgrade the phone after 6 months to a newer phone and T-mobile will pay off the balance on the old phone.
    Now, I'd rather pay things off immediately, and don't like additions to a monthly bill, but once Kyle changed us to the new family plan (yes, T-Mobile recognizes gay married couples, thank you), our bill dropped by $40 a month. With the insurance and the payment plan, the total drop monthly was $20.00. I never would've known about this had I not accidentally dropped my phone.  SO, something GOOD comes from something BAD.