Is anybody happy with cell service?

I'm happy with Verizon Wireless. There are not as many choices where I live as compared to major metro areas. I have service in most parts of the country that I travel. Having a cell amplifier and external antenna in my truck definitely broadens my range of service. There are some dead spots that I visit frequently, but it is dead for all carriers. I rarely deal with Customer Service, but when I have, they have been helpful. I used to have strange charges on my bill.....but they stopped when I kicked my teenage daughter off of my plan and moved her to her mother's plan.

 

You don't hear as much out of the Alltel and Verizon camps, although personally I think the Verizon CSR's are as bad as the Cingular ones. It really depends on your area for starters, all of them have their ups and downs, Sprint's Customer Service department is arguably the worst at the moment.

 

I don't know if anyone can give you the right answer as for who would be a clear winner for your area.

It does depend on where you live & what other people can give you on their experiences, and that can factor in quite a bit in some areas of the country.

Also what I have learned is no 1 carrier is right for everyone, what someone say's works well for them will not work well for another, the only true way to find out who works best for you is to use the trial periods to your best ability, also if you have friends with different carriers and see if they will let you try their phone for the day or weekend.

 

This is probably not useful information for you anymore but it is not that heard to get to a CS on Cingular:

If you are calling from a landline (1 800 331 0500):

Hit 1 for English
Enter cell phone no.
Wait for the prompt to start
Hit 0
Hit 0 again

If you are calling from your cellphone (611)
Hit 1 for English
Hit 1 to verify that it is the number you calling about
Wait for prompt to start
Hit 0
Hit 0 again.

Works for me everytime.

 

Well, I just went from Cingular who gave me 75% dropped calls, garbled voice quality, and was with them for some time (3 years), and never once gave me any freebies - but they kept messing with our lines; spliting them off into own plans then rejoining them to family plan. And they would reset or totally turn off our voicemail too.

I switched to Sprint, and at least in my area - no dropped calls, very clear voice service. I pay $30 a month for unlimited evdo/messaging, and 500 minutes a month. Plus, there was no activation, the phone was free (Sanyo 8400), and since I am staying for the full 2 years I got free Sprint To Home, and 50 bonus minutes; since I staying past my 30 day trial period.

I love how I can force roam, they allow in network roaming, they do NOT neg PRLs, they truley allow unlimited data, they do not cripple bluetooth, they do not have a UI on their phones, and their customer service is pretty good - normal customer service is okay (better than Cingular) - but the Sprint Care department is what I always use when I have trouble and they are great!

I also got $50 off my free phone, and $50 invoice credit. So that was a nice thing. And no shipping - overnight too!

Overall I am very happy with Sprint. I love their text-to-landline, voice SMS, and Sprint To Home features - which other carriers don't have. And their EvDo network is really good too!

I could go on, and on - but don't have the time. Any questions just PM me.

 

I've been very pleased with my Cingular service, and the times I've called CS I've always found the CSR's helpful and friendly. Once the CSR suggested that they make a rate plan change retroactive so I would avoid some hefty roaming fees. Please don't get offended by the following, but I feel it must be asked. I find it hard to believe that you consistently get flat out rude CSR's. When you call CS, do you immediately get hostile with the CSR, or do you calmly explain the situation to them? I know from working in a service industry that it is very difficult to be nice and friendly when customers immediately open the conversation with an attitude and/or yelling. I have told customers before that if they cannot express themselves in a civilized manner then they can leave until such a time comes that they can behave.

-Jay

 

I also would like to know this question, I have always had good CS when calling & how the conversation starts & continues is a big part of how it can go, when I worked on a help desk & someone called & started off on the wrong foot with me, it started the mood off wrong & me becoming defensive.

Now I am not saying there aren't some rude & bitter CSR's for any carrier (or company) & usually they are on their way out the door.
But the majority are professional in their handling of the problem & this goes for all carriers, when the call starts off & continues in a polite & calm manner.

 

I'm happy with my cell service (Alltel 10+years). but like everyone else has said, It's all about where you live and go as to who may be the best.

 

I started with Verizon and was happy with them until the reception on my phone went to hell. Verizon said that there was nothing wrong with the phone. I paid $50 for a replacement and that didn't help; so I guess they were right. When the contract was up I switched to Sprint. I liked the early nights and weekends, but after they moved towers around, the reception at work and at home, the two places where I most used the phone, was impossible. I switched to Cingular and I've had Cingular/ATT for three months. At first, the reception was as clear as a bell, but I'm now getting more garbled calls, a lot of "call can not be completed" messages, and a lot of dropped calls.

Although we sign contracts for the service, the obligations go just one way. The contract doesn't require the carriers to maintain the towers in a particular area or to avoid overloading the capacity on the towers. So this all changes constantly, at least for me.

A friend recently visited me from Denmark. She said that you can't be held to a cell contract in Europe for more than three months. Once we get that here, if ever, companies will pay more attention to service after they get people to sign contracts.

So the answer is that different carriers will work for different people at different times. You have to ask around in your area and then hope that nothing changes.

Good luck.

 

Yes, but here in the US we have highly subsidized phones. In Denmark they are paying pretty much full retail for their phones. In the US the carriers will sometimes pay up to 100% of the cost of the phone in exchange for you agreeing to a 2 year contract. If there was a maximum of a 3 month contract you can pretty much kiss the free phones goodbye, and the nicer phones instead of being $50 - $150 would be in the $200 - $300 range. Spending $200 - $300 every 3 months to buy new phones for a different carriers doesn't sound like a deal to me.

-Jay

 

I really think the question boils down to what you expect out of a wireless carrier. There are definitely some demanding people, especially of the older generation, that expect good customer service and benefits for long-time custumers, that wouldn't be happy with any provider. While there are others that are pretty understanding and would be happy with any provider.

Also, a lot of it depends on a person's personal past experiences. In my experience, I use to have Verizon, and I wasn't unhappy. I had coverage in most places, it got the job done, and I accepted it without any problem. But I wasn't as happy with them as I am very pleased with how Alltel has performed. In just about every area I travel, Alltel has been stronger. I can now make calls from work throughout the building and have much better coverage in my home town and several other areas I'm in frequently. I shopped around before choosing a provider and Alltel had by far the best deals going with the My Circle promotion that cut my family line bill by around $30 before my 15% discount. I'm happy with the phones, they're not crippled and have been dependable. And customer service has always been helpful and basically done what it took to correct any problems. I have anytime contract plan changes without an extension and overall, really don't think another provider could be any better than Alltel for my situation.

But a lot of this depends on competition. If prices were cheaper with another carrier, or their coverage was as good, then I would be happier with that provider, but that's just not the case.

 

You could be right, but at the time I spoke to her, her phone cost her $40 US. It was a nice phone, although I can't really remember what kind it was.

Also, in Europe, you can use your phone with any carrier. So even if you paid full retail, after three months, you could just go to another carrier with the same phone. She told me though that the three months was the outside limit. That was for a subsidized phone.

 

Europe is a continent, not a single country. What is applicable in Denmark may not be applicable in the UK, Italy, Spain, etc. For example, in the UK most contracts are either 12 months or 18 months long. Handsets are highly subsidised to the point where most can be gotten free with a contract.

As for unlocking, it varies by country. I believe locking a handset is illegal in Italy, but it isn't in the UK. If you want to use your handset on another network in the UK it either has to be unlocked in the first place (only O2 sell unlocked handsets here) or you have to get it unlocked.

 

Perhaps that's the case in Denmark, but it's not an EU-wide rule. Contracts of a year are the norm in France and Spain, and phones are sold locked to the carrier, though in France there's a rule that they must be unlocked for free at the end of the initial contract term, even if you re-up your contract.

In Hong Kong, on the other hand, while there are contracts, the phones are sold at full retail (well, if you're a really terrible hand at bargaining, they are anyway) and the subsidy is on the minutes used. HK is really a mobile user's paradise, especially for foreigners -- each provider has a booth in the mall in the centre of the airport. You walk in, ask for a SIM, pay HK$100 (about US$13) and get a phone number, about 100-150 local minutes, and astoundingly low IDD rates. You can fill up at any ATM, any 7-Eleven or Circle-K, or even outside of many places you can fill up with your Octopus card (kind of a touchless transit card akin to an Oyster card in London).

As for here in the US, I have T-Mobile prepay, which I'm not very happy with (no reception at home, at Union Station or at work) and Verizon, which makes me very happy except that they cripple their phones and don't use SIMs.

 

Although it is human nature for people to become defensive when they are being screamed at, I feel that it is totally unprofessional for a person to display a defensive attitude toward someone that they are supposed to be helping...

I use the "whisper method" of defusing an angry or frustrated individual at my job...... When an angry patient of mine or one of their family members starts yelling at me, I find that by lowering my voice, almost to the point of a whisper, that they will have to stop yelling at me in order to hear what my replies are. When they tell me that they can't hear what I'm saying to them, I calmly explain to them that if they would stop all the yelling, they would hear what I had to say.
CSR are no different. It is their job in working with the public to remain calm, and professional at all times, and if they can't do that, then maybe they should find a job that doesn't require them to be in a customer service role.

 

Yes it may be un-professional, but again as people we do have triggers and things in our life that can cause us to be un-professional, even using the excellent whisper technique can still not work everytime.
I have used that method myself & still have had issues that would not calm down or resolve.

Also there is another factor that can be involved, if the OP was talking with another guy, he can be more defensive vs talking to a woman. I have had issues where people will argue with me when I am out doing inspections or investigations, and there is a point when people don't listen or want to accept the facts that you can finally say "enough" and raise your voice.

I am not trying to make excuses for the CSR, just looking at some reality & life that do have a way to get in the middle of things & without knowing the full conversation or either person's day/life it can be hard to judge people.
Who knows, it could have been the CSR's last day.

 

That's great info - thanks.

 

I have experience using MWW, Verizon x3, Sprint, Alltel and T-Mobile. Overall the best has been Alltel, followed by T-Mobile, the value, customer service and coverage (especially alltel) is great. Sprint was mediocre at the time, but I have many happy friends with the new Sprint within the last year. MWW was good, but not a good value. Verizon is expensive, and I had horrible luck with billing errors, bad customer service, etc. Many friends have had similar poor luck with VZW. On many driving vacations, the Alltel coverage has been better than VZW, especially in remote and rural areas. Like others reported, speak with as many people in the areas you will be using service. There really isn't a hands down 'best' for all areas. Best of luck to you! Let us know how you do.

 

It depends on what you really want/need and what is important for you. My main line has been a Verizon Wireless line for almost 5 years now. Lately I have become a little upset about some of Verizon's crippling and limiting of their service, so I looked elsewhere.
T-Mobile: Had them about 3 years ago- network was overloaded, nice CS and nice plan. I know that their network problems are gone in my area now, but their voice quality is still not as good as that of Verizon and rural coverage I need is nonexistant with GSM.
Cingular: Had them about a year or so ago and had bad experiences with their network. Their network has improved now as well, still not as good as Verizon and no rural GSM coverage.

Both GSM carriers offer "more freedom" as Verizon. SIM Cards offer you to quickly switch devices and you can buy unlocked devices from pretty much anywhere.

I just got a Sprint line: I love my plan- it's simply unbeatable, but I have not been that excited about their native coverage and customer service. I"m on a $30 plan with 500 Anytime minutes, Unlimited Nights at 7, Unlimited Text/Picture messaging and Unlimited Data. That's unbeatable.

Now back to VZW: Yes, they do limit their devices and features and that is driving me up the wall sometimes, BUT my service works. Coverage, for me, has generally been great, Customer Service has always been reachable quickly and my phone does what I need/want it to do: Talk and Text- I don't even remember when I dropped the last call and last month alone I used over 6200 minutes.

I'm not trying to get you to get Verizon. What I am trying to say is that you have to figure out what's most important to you: For me, yeah I'd love to get new, flashy phones that may not have to be carrier branded and quickly switch from phone to phone with SIM Cards, but because of coverage/voice quality reasons I chose not to do that, because that's more important to me and that's how coverage is in MY area. Sprint would give me a killer deal, but I have been annoyed with coverage and Customer Service. Do I really need a Treo and data? It's nice but not a necessity, so I am thinking I may just pay a little more and get my phone that works great and is dependable wherever I usually go, even though I am not liking Verizon's policies and attitude sometimes.
Overall, I would suggest looking at the "smaller" carriers first, like ALLTEL, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular. Any of those carriers are still much more consumer friendly than the big carriers and will often give you "the farm." Just because they are "cheaper" or "give you more" doesn't always mean they won't work out for you. It all depends on your area and on your needs.

Am I still on topic??? Lol.

Andy

 

I've been with T-Mobile (and VoiceStream) for 7 years and I'd say that I'm 99% satisfied with the service I get.

 

In Switzerland, people normally buy a 2 year contract (monthly fee about $20 or so) and get a phone free or about -$200 off the phone of your choice. The phone isn't locked, so if you visit the US (for example) you can buy a pre-paid GSM card and use it while you are there with the phone. However you still have to keep paying the monthly fee to the Swiss operator who sold you the phone until your 2 year contract is finished (or you can buy out the remaining part of the contract if you want to end it early).

As for my cell service, I'm very happy with Swisscom :inlove:

 

Not with Verizon

Have just left Verizon for a Sprint SERO plan. What a relief. While Verizon CS is "nice", they have consistently provided confusing, inconsistent and in the end misinformation which proves costly to the user. Happy to be out of there.

 

Re: Not with Verizon

Good luck with Sprint. I signed up for their SERO plan about 2 weeks ago.
Your experiences with VZW CS service are most likely not isolated, but you will find misinformation and inconsistency with (almost) all cell carrier's customers service.

 

I'm 99% satisfied with my TMobile service also..... And I'm 99.9% satisfied with the service that I have received from Verizon so far.

 

Re: Not with Verizon

Amen, I've never been so happy to be done with a carrier. They can take their b.s. policies, crippling, and get it now and shove it right... ok no more venting.

 

Re: Not with Verizon

Just another example of how people's experience with carriers are so different. There are people that never have a problem with Verizon's CS and some that do, and it happens with every carrier, hopefully your experiences with Sprint is better.

It's amazing that it happens like that, but it's like that I guess with everything in life, and that's why we have to have so many different choices available to us.

 

Jackman- I recommend Sprint. I have heard people complain about the customer service but I have never had problems with that. My biggest concern is their lack of coverage in rural areas but they have great roaming agreements and you can force roam. Even if you are in a Sprint area you can roam off Verizon for example and then you might get on 800MHz and that will sometimes help your in building reception.
Before your contract is up you should talk with people you know in your area and find out who they use and how their experiences have been with various carriers. If Sprint is garbage at your house, I would change my recommendation. You should look into a different provider unless you don't mind roaming.
Reasons I like Sprint: no charge for roaming, EV-DO is excellent, some good phones, good call quality, fair pricing, forced roam. There are probably some others that I have not mentioned. Definitely do some research and find out who people are happy with. The last thing you want is to switch to another provider, be even more miserable than you were, and have to wait out a 2 year contract.