Losing a customer because inflexibility

I have been a mostly satisfied member for 25 years. Now I need to modify my plan because the premiums are not affordable for me. Answer: 'You missed the deadline. We can't help you till the end of the year.' They would rather have me cancel my membership and go elsewhere than make an exception to their rules. A competitor called me within 5 minutes of making an enquiry with a very attractive quote.