When was the last time you heard someone say, “I love my Internet/phone provider?” My guess would be never. Dropped calls, hidden fees, finicky Internet connections. It’s hard to be lovable when you’re in control of services and technologies that are prone to constant malfunction and are a cause of daily aggravation for most Americans. But it’s a necessary evil. You may not love the dentist, but I bet you enjoy having teeth.

That’s why I was so surprised by the emotions I was feeling when long-time Connecticut Internet provider and headache inducer, AT&T, was replaced by Frontier Communications almost overnight. Like many Connecticut residents, I had spent more of my adult life on the phone arguing with AT&T (or on hold waiting to argue) than I care to remember. I hated AT&T, but it was still my brand – the one I knew and, more importantly, the one I chose. Now my phone, Internet, and cable are being provided to me by a company represented by a talking Bison (see video below). I dare say that I almost miss AT&T. But is it possible to feel loyalty to hated brands?

It doesn’t help that Frontier’s recent launch into Connecticut was fraught with missteps and service issues. Customer complaints have been front-page news for the past two weeks. But it goes deeper than that. I feel a weird sense of brand loyalty to a company that did nothing but squeeze money out of me for the past 15 years. Is it because I don’t know Frontier? Is it because it feels as if this new brand was forced upon me? Is it because Frontier’s marketing isn’t as slick as AT&T’s (i.e. talking Bison)? The answer is all of the above.

Brand relationships are like human relationships, and all too often large corporations forget that consumers are complicated, emotional beings. With something as stressful and visible as telecommunications, I’m amazed that Frontier didn’t do more in advance to woo its soon-to-be consumers (who have plenty of other options to choose from). Even more so, I’m a little hurt that AT&T didn’t do more to keep our relationship going. I guess it’s just business, after all.