We had a merger, are we ready yet?

In article <[email protected]>,
Al Klein <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 10:38:05 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]>
> said in alt.cellular.cingular:
>
> >Well, some folks think Cingular is perfect. And still wont admit they
> >were wrong saying how simple it would be to integrate Cingular and ATTWS
> >"The Back Office software is the same" they claimed. But they wont
> >explain why it didnt happen on November 15 as promised.
>
> Could you please tell me how the back office software (which is what
> they were making a claim about) is related to the signs on the stores
> (which is what you're complaining about)?
>
> Not that I think Cingular is perfect - I have a 40% problem-free
> activation rate with them. 60% of the activations get screwed up. I
> knew what to do today (after I talked to my rep), but I have no idea
> how I'll be doing exactly the same things tomorrow.
>
> But I can't see what back office software has to do with store signs.

Where are store signs mentioned in the snippet you clipped?

Store signs are related in Cingular being unprepared for the merger.
ATTWS stores here in Texas either have no Cingular sign, or a small
Canvas banner for Cingular, either way, driving by, one would never know
its now owned by Cingular, but it's still selling ATTWS plans despite
Cingular press releases 4 weeks ago saying that would stop Nov. 15.

Cingular is unprepared for Network Merger and has no policy for
providing Sim upgrades that are required in many areas to take full
advantage of the merging Networks. You call 611 and they may not even
know what a Sim is, let alone the difference between at 32K and 64K.
Then ==> if <==
the call is escalated the supervisors/managers dont know either, but
they just state their guess with more confidence.

1. We don't have a policy on that yet.

2. You'll need a new sim. That will be $20.

2a. Go to a store and its $20 with your old sim in trade.

2b. You can keep your old sim it's yours.

3. You don't need a new sim.

Cingular is entitled to handle sims anyway they want. But it would be
nice if:

1. They had an announced policy.

2. The policy didn't conflict with the advertisements on TV:

3. CSRs were trained on the subject

---

› See More: We had a merger, are we ready yet?

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

In <[email protected]> on Sat, 04 Dec
2004 09:46:44 GMT, FUDMEISTER Jack Zwick <[email protected]> wrote:

>Store signs are related in Cingular being unprepared for the merger.
>ATTWS stores here in Texas either have no Cingular sign, or a small
>Canvas banner for Cingular, either way, driving by, one would never know
>its now owned by Cingular,

[yawn]

>but it's still selling ATTWS plans despite
>Cingular press releases 4 weeks ago saying that would stop Nov. 15.

You're fantasizing -- there was no such press release.

>Cingular is unprepared for Network Merger

Nonsense. Cingular is actually moving very quickly, and is already merging
customer support systems.

>and has no policy for
>providing Sim upgrades that are required in many areas to take full
>advantage of the merging Networks.

No such upgrade is required -- all Cingular subscribers can now roam freely on
ATTWS, and vice versa.

>You call 611 and they may not even
>know what a Sim is,

Nonsense.

>let alone the difference between at 32K and 64K.

It's irrelevant -- the new SIM only matters if you get a new phone with ENS.

>[SNIP remaining FUD]

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

On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 09:46:44 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]>
said in alt.cellular.cingular:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> Al Klein <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 10:38:05 GMT, Jack Zwick <[email protected]>
>> said in alt.cellular.cingular:

>> >Well, some folks think Cingular is perfect. And still wont admit they
>> >were wrong saying how simple it would be to integrate Cingular and ATTWS
>> >"The Back Office software is the same" they claimed. But they wont
>> >explain why it didnt happen on November 15 as promised.

>> Could you please tell me how the back office software (which is what
>> they were making a claim about) is related to the signs on the stores
>> (which is what you're complaining about)?

>> Not that I think Cingular is perfect - I have a 40% problem-free
>> activation rate with them. 60% of the activations get screwed up. I
>> knew what to do today (after I talked to my rep), but I have no idea
>> how I'll be doing exactly the same things tomorrow.

>> But I can't see what back office software has to do with store signs.

>Where are store signs mentioned in the snippet you clipped?

If they're not in that snippet they don't count? You harped on the
signage for days.

>Store signs are related in Cingular being unprepared for the merger.

Says who? You? Who died and left you in charge of prioritizing the
switchover?

>ATTWS stores here in Texas either have no Cingular sign, or a small
>Canvas banner for Cingular, either way, driving by, one would never know
>its now owned by Cingular, but it's still selling ATTWS plans despite
>Cingular press releases 4 weeks ago saying that would stop Nov. 15.

And "despite" the publicly stated plan to keep selling AT&T till the
end of the year. Since the year hasn't ended, there's no reason for
them to not sell AT&T.

>Cingular is unprepared for Network Merger

Network merger doesn't take place in a week - or in a couple of years.
How long has it taken Verizon? Cingular never stated that the entire
network would be merged by November 15.

> and has no policy for
>providing Sim upgrades that are required in many areas to take full
>advantage of the merging Networks.

Sure they do. If you buy a phone that can handle a 64k SIM you get a
64k SIM in it. How many older phones can use a 64k SIM?

> You call 611 and they may not even know what a Sim is, let alone the difference between at 32K and 64K.

Call 911 and they don't either. Try calling someone who's supposed to
know.

>Then ==> if <==
>the call is escalated the supervisors/managers dont know either, but
>they just state their guess with more confidence.

>1. We don't have a policy on that yet.

>2. You'll need a new sim. That will be $20.

>2a. Go to a store and its $20 with your old sim in trade.

>2b. You can keep your old sim it's yours.

>3. You don't need a new sim.

>Cingular is entitled to handle sims anyway they want. But it would be
>nice if:

>1. They had an announced policy.

>2. The policy didn't conflict with the advertisements on TV:

>3. CSRs were trained on the subject

Since it's not a customer service issue, I'd put the blame on someone
other than CS. (Since the average customer wouldn't know to ask, and
the customer who WOULD know to ask should know not to call CS about
it, I'll leave it to you to name the guilty party.)

On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 16:24:33 GMT, John Navas
<[email protected]> said in alt.cellular.cingular:

>Nonsense. Cingular is actually moving very quickly, and is already merging
>customer support systems.

Has already merged. I did an AT&T SIM swap this morning with a
Cingular SIM swap rep.

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

In <[email protected]> on Sun, 05 Dec 2004 04:18:25
GMT, Al Klein <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 16:24:33 GMT, John Navas
><[email protected]> said in alt.cellular.cingular:
>
>>Nonsense. Cingular is actually moving very quickly, and is already merging
>>customer support systems.
>
>Has already merged. ...

I know -- my comment was meant to reflect the fact that some significant
glitches remain to be fixed; e.g., day before yesterday I was routed to the
ATTWS side of the house even though I'm a Cingular subscriber, because the
porting database hadn't been properly integrated, and many subscribers had
their voicemail waiting indicators stuck on.

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