Customer service feedback?

I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
believed.

So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.

---

› See More: Customer service feedback?

On 17 Oct 2005 22:33:11 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
>Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
>complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
>and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
>believed.
>
>So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
>customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
>seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
In a previous post, a couple of days ago, I mentioned a sterling
experience with cingular.
There may be hope for them.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on 17 Oct 2005
22:33:11 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
>Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
>complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
>and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
>believed.

They aren't.

>So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
>customer service? ...

Quite a few of us actually. We're just not as vocal.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
<snip>
: So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
: customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
: seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
:
Been with them since their inception, and have always had good service and
the few times I called, always have friendly helpful service.
I'm a totally satisfied Cingular customer.

-David

>On 17 Oct 2005 22:33:11 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
>Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
>complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
>and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
>believed.
>
>So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
>customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
>seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.

Once again, I've never had a problem with reception ecept when I lived
in the High Desert or with customer service..

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
> Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
> complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
> and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
> believed.
>
> So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
> customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
> seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
>
I have had very few complaints, and pretty good service
in the five years since I became a Cingular customer.

Bernard

[email protected] wrote:
> I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
> Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
> complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
> and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
> believed.
>
> So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
> customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
> seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
>


Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data
service that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the
heap.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <n%f6f.10051$Io4.3767@trnddc06> on Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:48:19 GMT, J
Robertson <[email protected]> wrote:

>Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
>awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data
>service that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the
>heap.

Then why are you here? Seriously.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

John Navas wrote:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <n%f6f.10051$Io4.3767@trnddc06> on Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:48:19 GMT, J
> Robertson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
>> awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data
>> service that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the
>> heap.
>
> Then why are you here? Seriously.
>
That is an interesting question. I hope you are not suggesting that only
those who spin Cingular in your way should participate. Your comments
to me on this forum contribute to the negative impression of Cingular
and unfortunately seam to reflect the Cingular culture, something you
should think about. FYI, I had been with AT&T for 10 years or so with
on-balance very good service. I had three accounts, phone, PC card and
Blackberry when Cingular took over. I check in from time to time to see
if there is any movement on the HSDPA service which has the potential to
be very desirable.

I still have the phone but have eliminated the other two. Cingular did,
to their credit, respond to my FCC complaint about lack of service for
the PC card with a refund and release from my contract and an apology
(all handled by former AT&T employees). Unfortunately, I had to file a
FCC complaint to get that response. Further, I had a loaner Sprint
EV-DO card for evaluation and had the Verizon EV-DO card for evaluation
as well. Both were excellent and the Verizon handling was very
professional. The Verizon card remained connected and delivering about
300kbit speed even through the Amtrak rail tunnel under the Hudson to
Manhattan.

Cingular's technology is theoretically the best when they get to HSDPA
and so I still hang onto the AT&T phone which I am on contract for in
hope that they can get it together before the contract ends.

My experience with Cingular has many rough spots including these: Three
consecutive bills with erroneous charges which took about 2 hours on the
phone to clear up. Two months where the Edge PC card simply would not
perform and support told me "you are not supposed to be able to connect
to the internet with it..." and various other nonsense comments clearly
demonstrating lack of competence and honesty in dealing with the real
problem. Twice having my support calls transfered to India and being
told that by those in India that they do not accept the diagnosis from
the US people and would repeat everything. Two charges for replacement
phones where in fact no replacement was made. Repeated statements that
if I would "convert to Cingular the all performance problems would go
away." It goes on and on.

Yep. I've been using Cingular now going on five years. I have never had a
billing error. I have used my phone from New York State to Texas, where I
live to Los Angeles. Used it on Amtrak too. Considereing the phone is
basically a two channel radio I am always amazed at how well it works. My
phone is a Sony Ericsson T62u. I have no complaints.]


EHC
"J Robertson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:n%f6f.10051$Io4.3767@trnddc06...
> [email protected] wrote:
>> I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
>> Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
>> complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
>> and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
>> believed.
>>
>> So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
>> customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
>> seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
>>
>
>
> Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
> awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data service
> that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the heap.

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <oUr6f.442$585.44@trnddc01> on Sat, 22 Oct 2005 14:20:04 GMT, J Robertson
<[email protected]> wrote:

>John Navas wrote:
>>
>> In <n%f6f.10051$Io4.3767@trnddc06> on Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:48:19 GMT, J
>> Robertson <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
>>> awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data
>>> service that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the
>>> heap.
>>
>> Then why are you here? Seriously.
>>
>That is an interesting question. I hope you are not suggesting that only
>those who spin Cingular in your way should participate.

Just because I don't agree with your point of view doesn't mean that I have a
"way" -- facts speak for themselves, and I just call them as I see them.

>Your comments
>to me on this forum contribute to the negative impression of Cingular
>and unfortunately seam to reflect the Cingular culture, something you
>should think about.

I have no connection to Cingular (other than as a reasonably satisfied
customer).

>FYI, I had been with AT&T for 10 years or so with
>on-balance very good service.

ATTWS used to have relatively good customer service, but degraded badly in the
year before it had to merge with Cingular.

>... I check in from time to time to see
>if there is any movement on the HSDPA service which has the potential to
>be very desirable.

HSDPA is due to be rolled out in 15-20 markets by the end of the year, but
since there's not yet any public deployment, and not much in the way of
devices, I think that's optimistic. That's not something that greatly
concerns me because EGPRS(EDGE) works well for most of my needs and is much
less expensive (thanks to MEdia Works Unlimited) than higher speed UMTS (which
has been available in my area for some time) and presumably HSDPA.

>... Further, I had a loaner Sprint
>EV-DO card for evaluation and had the Verizon EV-DO card for evaluation
>as well. Both were excellent and the Verizon handling was very
>professional. The Verizon card remained connected and delivering about
>300kbit speed even through the Amtrak rail tunnel under the Hudson to
>Manhattan.

My own findings are that typical EV-DO speeds are much less than that. The
tunnel might well have been a best case due to low loading.

>Cingular's technology is theoretically the best when they get to HSDPA
>...

The older UMTS, if available (as it is in my area), is also a good
alternative.

>My experience with Cingular has many rough spots including these: Three
>consecutive bills with erroneous charges which took about 2 hours on the
>phone to clear up.

I've also had many billing problems (albeit all corrected).

>Two months where the Edge PC card simply would not
>perform and support told me "you are not supposed to be able to connect
>to the internet with it..." and various other nonsense comments clearly
>demonstrating lack of competence and honesty in dealing with the real
>problem.

Were you on Laptop Connect or some other plan? Only Laptop Connect entitles
you to support for a PC Card. And were you talking to Tech Support, which
I've generally found to be pretty good, or to first-tier phone reps, who are
understandably clueless about non-basic things like this?

>Twice having my support calls transfered to India and being
>told that by those in India that they do not accept the diagnosis from
>the US people and would repeat everything. ...

Why not simply call back until you get a helpful rep? That's what I do.

On the other hand, both the service (combined "blue" and "orange" networks)
and price (I have the promotional 1000 Anytime minutes for $40/mo) are quite
good, which makes me willing to overlook some billing hassles. As always,
YMMV.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

I think the former AT&T customers have more issues with Cingular than
those who were with them longer. Actual performance for voice is much
more competitive than the data service in my experience. What one
actually gets of course depends upon location and time. In this DC to NY
region for instance, Verizon simply has a more robust system in place
for both data and voice. The voice quality with GSM is perhaps better
than for the Verizon CDMA. Lots of little differences here. In the
building where I live and another one where I work, Cingular (either
orange or blue) does not work well unless near a window and does not
work in elevators whereas, Verizon and Sprint/Nextel works well
everywhere including the elevators. Verizon has digital and analog
coverage in the DC metro system and at least some of the tunnels in NY,
Baltimore and around the Chesapeake bay whereas Cingular does not. I am
told this results from some exclusive licensing issue that Cingular may
be working on.

f wrote:
> Yep. I've been using Cingular now going on five years. I have never had a
> billing error. I have used my phone from New York State to Texas, where I
> live to Los Angeles. Used it on Amtrak too. Considereing the phone is
> basically a two channel radio I am always amazed at how well it works. My
> phone is a Sony Ericsson T62u. I have no complaints.]
>
>
> EHC
> "J Robertson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:n%f6f.10051$Io4.3767@trnddc06...
>> [email protected] wrote:
>>> I just moved to Seattle and am trying to choose a cellular carrier.
>>> Cingular has the phone I want, but when I look online I see nothing but
>>> complaints about billing errors and terrible customer service. Verizon
>>> and T-Mobile customers seem much happier if online rants are to be
>>> believed.
>>>
>>> So does anyone out there have something GOOD to say about Cingular
>>> customer service? If they really are as terrible to deal with as it
>>> seems, I'll be signing up with a different carrier.
>>>
>>
>> Cingular seams to not believe that customer service matters, so it is
>> awful. They have good technology and should have higher speed data service
>> that others eventually. But for now they are the bottom of the heap.
>
>

John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 14:20:04 GMT, J Robertson> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> [non-relevant parts snipped]
>
>>My experience with Cingular has many rough spots including these: Three
>>consecutive bills with erroneous charges which took about 2 hours on the
>>phone to clear up.
>
> I've also had many billing problems (albeit all corrected).

Why should people have to suffer through "many billing problems" and/or
other problems that take hours to correct with Cingular? Why is it so
hard for them to fix billing problems? Is it because their billing
systems suck, or the programmers behind them suck or the customer service
folks suck, or ...?

Does it take that much time to fix billing problems from other cellular
providers and do the other cellular providers have as many billing
problems?

>>Twice having my support calls transfered to India and being
>>told that by those in India that they do not accept the diagnosis from
>>the US people and would repeat everything. ...
>
> Why not simply call back until you get a helpful rep? That's what I do.

Why should anybody have to keep calling back until you get a helpful rep?
Waste of my time (and phone calls) and their time. Why can't a person
just keep going up the ladder of customer service reps until you get
somebody that can fix your problem? Is this also unique to Cingular?

I'm just curious about this because my wife had a Pay2Go phone from AT&T
and has kept it (against my wishes because of the shortened expire time
and increased cost of minutes) with Cingular, but luckily we haven't had
much contact with customer service.

I just don't subscribe to the notion of putting up with substandard
billing and/or customer service because that's just the way it is and it's
the customer's responsibility to deal with it problems after the
fact instead of the provider's responsibility to make sure it works right.

brian
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have to change the reply address to [email protected]

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.cingular - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Mon, 24 Oct 2005 19:09:29 +0000 (UTC),
Brian Beuchaw <[email protected]> wrote:

>John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:

>> I've also had many billing problems (albeit all corrected).
>
>Why should people have to suffer through "many billing problems" and/or
>other problems that take hours to correct with Cingular? Why is it so
>hard for them to fix billing problems? Is it because their billing
>systems suck, or the programmers behind them suck or the customer service
>folks suck, or ...? ...

Probably because they have their hands full integrating dissimilar systems.

>> Why not simply call back until you get a helpful rep? That's what I do.
>
>Why should anybody have to keep calling back until you get a helpful rep?

What's the big deal? In fact the reps I've reached have almost always been
helpful -- I've only had to call back on a few occasions.

>... Is this also unique to Cingular?

Other carriers also have the occasional bad apple.

>I just don't subscribe to the notion of putting up with substandard
>billing and/or customer service because that's just the way it is and it's
>the customer's responsibility to deal with it problems after the
>fact instead of the provider's responsibility to make sure it works right.

My priorities are different. Do what's right for you.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

John Navas <[email protected]> wrote:
> In <[email protected]> on Mon, 24 Oct 2005 19:09:29 +0000 (UTC),
> Brian Beuchaw <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Why should people have to suffer through "many billing problems" and/or
>>other problems that take hours to correct with Cingular? Why is it so
>>hard for them to fix billing problems? Is it because their billing
>>systems suck, or the programmers behind them suck or the customer service
>>folks suck, or ...? ...
>
> Probably because they have their hands full integrating dissimilar systems.

Other companies do that without the high numbers of dissatisfied customers
(no, I don't have proof, but I've had companies I do business with go
through integrations/mergers/acquisitions/whatever and I haven't had
billing/customer service issues - they just integrated/merged/whatever and
I had no ill effects with anything that I used them for).

>>> Why not simply call back until you get a helpful rep? That's what I do.
>>
>>Why should anybody have to keep calling back until you get a helpful rep?
>
> What's the big deal? In fact the reps I've reached have almost always been
> helpful -- I've only had to call back on a few occasions.

Big deal is that my time is valuable and I don't need to waste it trying
to find someone that is actually doing the job they were trained to do/are
paid to do - I should be able to find a competent customer service person
the first try. Yes, I know that's a dream world and it's a larger problem
for a whole lotta companies, but there are some that do have decent
customer service, and the ones with crappy customer service should learn
from the good companies (but they won't).

brian
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