The Last Straw
I just made my last payment to Podium after not using their service for 10 months! Year 1 went great (customer service was a let down). But right after we renewed, my CRM contract was expiring and I wanted a new one. I chose a CRM that had many of the Podium features already integrated, at a lower cost. I tried to get the two systems talking through a third-party app, but Podium wasn't thrilled about it — they actually told me at first that they couldn't do it. It was too much effort fighting, so I asked my "customer success manager" to cancel, only 2 months into my new contract. They offered me a buyout for the remaining 10 months I owed... so I just paid monthly for about 7 months. Then they asked if I'd be interested in their new CRM service. I said I canceled with you 7 months ago. Then a CSM reached out about the cancellation (I've had about 10 of them in the last year) offering a reduced buyout of 1 free month. I said slap in the face, but I'll take it. They then said they needed confirmation of my cancellation request in writing. Are you kidding me?! I sent them another request. Then crickets for the next 3 months. THE DAY!!!! I pay the last invoice, I get a sales call from Podium asking if I'd be interested in their new CRM. I tell him my story and he says: "Well, I do apologize for that, man. If, uh, you can give me a time, uh, for twenty minutes right now or, like, later on today, whichever work best for you, we can schedule a quick Zoom meeting and, uh, we can go over it. And, uh, you don't need to use like four different platforms at the same time. We can provide you—" click. So here I am writing the review I wanted to write 10 months ago... and that was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.