Cellphone Buying Increasingly AnnoyingJD Powers discovers customers don't like jerks... ( old news - 09:35AM Tuesday Oct 30 2007) tags: competition · business · wireless · consumers · Verizon Wireless Broadband · Alltel Axess · Cingular WirelessWireless revenue is a cash cow for the major phone providers, but overall customer satisfaction with the retail experience has continually declined since 2006, according to the latest report by J.D. Power and Associates. The major reason? Salespeople. Not too shockingly, customers prefer a salesman that clearly explains rates and plans, and doesn't pressure them into a purchase. Quite the discovery. "At the industry level, big-box retailers also have a fairly large hand in the overall decline, as customers visiting these outlets report particularly low satisfaction levels with the sales process," says J.D. Powers's Kirk Parsons. According to the company, Verizon Wireless ranks highest in customer satisfaction among major wireless carrier-owned retail stores, with T-Mobile close behind. J.D. Powers also offers wireless company rankings for customer satisfaction ratings for wireless service and carrier performance, call quality, customer care, retail sales and mobile phone handsets.
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 itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| Verizon is not that good Interesting. Too bad I disagree with all of it in the Mid atlantic (PA, NJ).
I've got both, AT&T for personal, Verizon for work.
Verizon is horrible - you can't hold a call on the PA Turnpike between Harrisburg and Philly. You WILL drop 1-2x. The call quality is pretty bad at times as well, depending on the load of the system. N. NJ is bad as well.
AT&T works great - I can start a call in Harrisburg and have it last all the way to Philly. N.NJ works reliably although they can have call quality issues.
T-Mobile around here is Swiss Cheese.
Verizon is great at brainwashing with their advertising having you think the network is superior. It is not. | |
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south1178
Buckeye Stangs
Premium
join:2001-12-17
Cleveland, OH
clubs: | Re: Verizon is not that good Might just be your phone. I haven't dropped any calls with verzion once I got a Motorola phone. My LG would drop all the time. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Verizon is not that good Location can/does play a difference.
Here is SoCal, I've got AT&T and Nextel.
Both work very well.
I did have issues on both, and for the most part its been fixed.
1. Nextel - dropped calls. Sprint added a bunch of new Nextel sites
2. AT&T - garbled calls. AT&T's 3G fixed it, however out here, the 3G isn't very stable yet. There's also a codec hack for the audio garble.
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL
·Comcast
| Re: Verizon is not that good Verizons service was great for me, it was their network or lack of, that forced me off of it. My house is in an area loaded with tin-foil hats, nobody wants cell towers (you know;think of the children attitude!), and then they bark when they have no service!
The Verizon CSRs were very helpful, recognized they had limited service in my zip, and canceled without any hassle.
Nothing but dropped calls with the Death Star...
Now US Cellular is my poison...so far so good!
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Where have the adults gone? | |
| | ds0
join:2006-04-24
Alpharetta, GA
| I travel the country and used to live in the northeast, I have had Verizon service for six years. It has worked almost 100% in the areas you are referencing, maybe try another phone. I worked in Philly, Central Jersey, and NYC, never experienced dropped calls or poor call quality in any of those areas. Also, travel the country for work and Verizon is solid in all areas I have had to visit.
A friend of mine who also travels for work has AT&T and says their network has improved over the last two years, but still experiences dropped calls and poor call quality in some of the cities he visits. | |
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jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:
| Re: Verizon is not that good I used to put verizon as tops for coverage but tmobile is very very good from cleveland to akron to Youngstown. THe only probably i had with verizon cell service was coverage at my new location. Most every location doesn't have this problem but I am in the woods.
Customer service tops with tmobile and verizon second. BUT when i had coverage problems verizon techs were supposed to call me 5 times and they didn't so i switched services and went to tmobile. voted with my feet.
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3 free for you/3 free for me: Investing Trades : PM Me | |
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LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast
1 edit | said by itguy05  :AT&T works great - I can start a call in Harrisburg and have it last all the way to Philly. N.NJ works reliably although they can have call quality issues. Harrisburg to Philly is a non-stop 2 hour drive. Please post your car model and plate number so that people can avoid you while on the PA Turnpike. Anyone on 1 phone call for 2 hours is a danger to others. | |
| | | satellite68
join:2007-04-11
Louisville, KY | Re: Verizon is not that good 1 hour and 39 minutes, to be exact. | |
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LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast
| Re: Verizon is not that good said by satellite68 :1 hour and 39 minutes, to be exact. Except during morning and evening rush hours. | |
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danclan
join:2005-11-01
Midlothian, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Verizon is not that good or weekends after 7pm or before and after a full moon with exception for a blue moon every other year. Also not valid with purchase of new car with higher gas millage or import car unless said car has bluetooth built in, in which case a waiver will be granted and a 2$ monthly charge will be added... | |
| | | | | | | | | | | satellite68
join:2007-04-11
Louisville, KY
| said by LiamJunket :said by satellite68 :1 hour and 39 minutes, to be exact. Except during morning and evening rush hours. Sorry, you didn't specify time of day. | |
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N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs | Re: Verizon is not that good Hey, we don't call him "fast Eddie" for nuthin'  | |
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cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Newtown, PA
| Re: Verizon is not that good I wonder if he goes that fast through EZ-Pass!!!
BTW, to OP, I've Verizon and except the tunnel on NE Extension, I can go from Allentown to Rt13 exit (last before Bridge to Jersey) in less than 2 hrs (when there is no construction nor accident-rubberneckin) and no drop in call.
@HCT: You married or have a GF that needs to talk? You'd understand...
However, yeah, somehow I never remember the drive...
"How did I get here?" asked the hands-free caller. | |
| | | | | | | whocares
Premium
join:2003-07-26
..
·AT&T Southwest
| Re: ITS not just with phone companies, most know,its a problem with MOST business's & companies today also & the "customers are as much the blame as much as the sales staff,
there is no customer service,courtesy any more most sales people want customers in & out,spend the $$ & rush,
WHEN is the last time a customer service, (person to person) acted like they were actually hearing or onterested in what you wanted to buy?
customers EXPECT the sales people to know EXcatly what they themselves want,
also customers NOW A DAYS don't like having to wait in lines or talk/ask questions/read a list of instructions about how something works,,
they (customers)expect something to work how they want it to work,not the way the item was suppose to work
--
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
= = = = = = = = =
I ask questions to learn,the only way to learn is to ask questions.
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Neyland85
join:2003-02-04
North Augusta, SC
·AT&T Southeast
| Re: ITS not just with phone companies, Ummmm no.
Customers would like to be cheerily greeted. Asked if they need assistance and for the salesman to back off if told no. But, remain attentive should the customer have questions.
If the customer has questions, the customer expects the salesman to be knowledgeable about their product and service lines and be able to answer anything from easy to med/med-high difficulty questions. If they do not know the answer, to be able to find the answer quickly. This is all within an amount of reason. No, I don't expect the salesman to be able to tell me the output wattage of the phone when ringing, but I would expect them to be able to tell me the replacement battery I'd need for my phone or how to set the phone up so my computer could use it as a modem (should my phone support it).
I do not want them to 'sell me' unless I ask him to do so.
I expect a pleasant demeanor and clean cloths. I'm not interested in seeing your underwear. Under no circumstances should you have gum or candy in your mouth while talking to me. And for Pete's sake, if the phone rings, answer it, but take the person's name and number and call them back AFTER you've finished helping me the customer standing in your store.
There is a big difference between a salesman and a clerk. Most older good salesmen know customer service sells... repeatedly. Problem is.. you don't get good salesmen for minimum wage... you get clerks. | |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | Re: ITS not just with phone companies, That is what I want/like when I go into ANY store and that is why I would not make a good salesman at a location where only numbers mean something because that is how I would go about selling. | |
| | | | | | | | | whocares
Premium
join:2003-07-26
..
·AT&T Southwest
| said by Neyland85 :Ummmm no. Customers would like to be cheerily greeted. Asked if they There is a big difference between a salesman and a clerk. Most older good salesmen know customer service sells... repeatedly. Problem is.. you don't get good salesmen for minimum wage... you get clerks. NewlandGood point & your correct about
you don't get good salesmen for minimum wage... you get clerks.
and i have notice (for me) particularly when i shop for electronics,(any thing for my computer,or tv,dvd players/burners ect) @BestBuy, The customer HAS to KNOW WHAT THEY WANT before they go to the store,because the "young clerks" at the store don't have any knowledge of the products that Best Buy sells,
--
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
= = = = = = = = =
I ask questions to learn,the only way to learn is to ask questions.
| |
| | | | | | | | xrobertcmx
Premium
join:2001-06-18
Sterling, VA
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
·EarthLink
| I have to say that every time I've been in the T-mobile store here I've received excellent service. The people there really do seem like they want to help.
This is opposed to the service I got at the AT&T store where the last time I had gone in was to find a headset a few months before we switched, the gentleman not only had a serious body odor issue, but basically told me to get lost. Yes, I had a low end phone, but I also had 4 person family plan in the 1200 minute range.
Now I have an almost identical plan, picked up a fifth line, and spend $5 a month less with a company that has employees who have tried to help every time I've called in, be it to change the annoying Crayola theme on my phone, or to try and figure out why HotSpot@Home didn't work very well with my Linksys.
Damn, I feel like a walking commercial, but then this is the first time I've been happy with a wireless carrier since the late 90's. I've been through Sprint, Verizon, AT&T who was bought out a six months into our contract, and then Cingular who we had not wanted to begin with.
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Retaking our country one election at a time. | |
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tc1uscg
join:2005-03-09
Saint Clair Shores, MI
| Re: Verizon is not that good Phones and location mean everything in the wireless world. You can have the best phone every reviewed but be in the worst place and nothing will work. Or the worst phone in the best area and it will drop calls and sound like crap. It's the way things were designed.. 
Whats funny is someone in PA say's (I drop calls on xxx) and someone from Cleveland OH says (mine works great). That's like saying out on lake erie, on a flat day, my 14ft flat bottom boat rides like charm. But off Cape Hatteras NC, someone else says their 14footer rides like crap.. 2 different ends of the candle people. Where VZW is good in one market, they suck somewhere else. Sprint, AT&T, TMobile.. all the same applies. I use sprint. Most bang for my buck. Uncapped data on the air card. Good phone (Sanyo 7500) and from all the areas I've been, a stable and improving network (never had any issues in the past but like the ability data roam in the UP. People will buy/signup with who works best for them. Word of mouth sometimes will workout for you but I've learned, personal experience is the best gauge. | |
| | | | | wbertram
join:2005-08-19
Allentown, PA
| NJ Gov. Corizon could too, until he almost got himself and a bunch of others killed! | |
| | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| said by LiamJunket :said by itguy05 :AT&T works great - I can start a call in Harrisburg and have it last all the way to Philly. N.NJ works reliably although they can have call quality issues. Harrisburg to Philly is a non-stop 2 hour drive. Please post your car model and plate number so that people can avoid you while on the PA Turnpike. Anyone on 1 phone call for 2 hours is a danger to others. It's called a conference call. For the most part just listening and occasionally saying something. And always with a bluetooth headset.
Don't be a sheep - yakking on the phone is no different than yakking with a passenger. | |
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LiamJunket
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Ocean City, NJ
·Comcast
| Re: Verizon is not that good said by itguy05 :yakking on the phone is no different than yakking with a passenger. Studies say that is wrong. Even hands free talking on cell phone as dangerous as drunk driving:
»www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,201586,00.html | |
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Johnny
Premium
join:2001-06-27
Atlanta, GA
·Comcast
| Don't be a sheep - yakking on the phone is no different than yakking with a passenger.
It's completely different. A passenger can see when a situation arises that requires your attention, and does not keep yakking nor expect a response from you. If traffic gets complicated, you can ignore the passenger without having to worry about the passenger getting ticked off, because the passenger sees the same traffic problem that you do.
Someone on the other end of the phone cannot see your situation, so they expect an answer. Since you know this, you try and keep up with their yakking so you will be able to answer. In the process of trying to follow the conversation, you make misjudgments about the traffic.
--
Learn To Play DSLR Mafia at the DSLR Games Forum. | |
| | | | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA | Re: Verizon is not that good Guess I've trained myself well then - 1st priority is the driving and people on the other end tell me my conversations are a little slower when in the car vs in person. | |
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GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI
| Well in Grand Rapids I have found that Nextel is now way more reliable the Verizon, and that's saying a lot. My first cell was though Verizon and they were a great providers since they inherited Air Touches network. Now they want to sell you a phone that does everything except give you a reach around, but sucks and making calls. All I want my cell to do is to make calls, is that to much to ask. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: Verizon is not that good I tend to agree... I need a phone to make good clear / non dropped calls. I could care less for most of the features.
Since Nextel built out 2 new sites (one brand new, Nextel only, and one ontop of a Sprint site), its become very reliable.
Only problem with Nextel is battery life, and coverage in many areas (i.e. no coverage in Northern Michigan or Northern Ontario Canada).
I had Verizon once, but had such a bad experience (store, billing, dropped calls, customer service), I could never go back.
I use AT&T a lot, and it works well, although there's a lot of 'garble' here in SoCal. I've been hard pressed to not have coverage wherever I've been (Northern Ontario being the exception).
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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AtlGuy
join:2000-10-17
Marietta, GA
| Re: Verizon is not that good said by en102 :...there's a lot of 'garble' here in SoCal. Man I know that 'garble' you speak of well. I hear it all the time in North Atlanta. | |
| | dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL
| said by itguy05 :Verizon is great at brainwashing with their advertising having you think the network is superior. It is not. Well I hate to tell you this, but year after year, Consumer Reports thinks otherwise. They have constantly rated Verizon as tops in coverage AND customer service - actually way above ALL other carriers.
Of course, their coverage ratings are as an average across the US - again, in YOUR local area, YMMV, just like any other cellular carrier. | |
| | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| Re: Verizon is not that good said by dishrich
Well I hate to tell you this, but year after year, Consumer Reports thinks otherwise. They have constantly rated Verizon as tops in coverage AND customer service - actually way above ALL other carriers. [/BQUOTE :The same CR that used to blindly give high marks to Toyota reliability and now has to eat it because the new Toy's are POS's? Yes, Toyota, the car co. with the most recalls. I used to read CR. Then I realized how poor their reviews are and that their nit-picks are not nits at all. I'll still stick by AT&T - my experiences have been top notch on all accounts. | |
| | | | dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL
1 edit | Re: Verizon is not that good said by itguy05 :The same CR that used to blindly give high marks to Toyota reliability and now has to eat it because the new Toy's are POS's? Yes, Toyota, the car co. with the most recalls. Well, considering I'm on my 2nd Toyota (the first one lasted over 7.5 years with NO recalls OR any repairs other than routine maintenance) & it's going on 3+ years with NO recalls or other issues, I still believe their original reviews. (as do several of my friends that are Toyota believers) 
I believe CR has taken their latest Toyota reviews down a notch, but they have NOT put them down in the "NOT RELIABLE" catagory. Sorry dude, a couple recalls does NOT make a car a POS - let's get REAL here! 
OTOH, my new Ford Taurus that I had for 3 years before my Toyota's WAS A POS - was constantly in the shop EVERY 6 months & had to have the ENTIRE engine replaced under warranty after 30K, due to oil/coolant mixing. Yeah, give me THAT car back after being problem free for 10+ years - NOT!!!
But back to the point of my post - AT&T is probably better for YOU, while for other Verizon is. You have to look at it for EVERY given local area, &/or where you travel the most. For me, AT&T is best - & actually, several of my friends whom were LONG Verizon customers are now AT&T's. | |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs: | Re: Verizon is not that good is this what we have come to? bragging about having a vehicle for 7.5 years? really?
hell, i had a domestic hauler that lasted longer than that. | |
| | | | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| quote:
believe CR has taken their latest Toyota reviews down a notch, but they have NOT put them down in the "NOT RELIABLE" catagory. Sorry dude, a couple recalls does NOT make a car a POS - let's get REAL here!
Not a COUPLE recalls. Toyota has the MOST RECALLS this year. And last.
And CR Will no longer blindly recommend ANY new Toyota. That's saying something big as they used to rubber stamp any new Toyota.
»www.autoblog.com/2007/10/16/toyo···lity-ra/
quote:
OTOH, my new Ford Taurus that I had for 3 years before my Toyota's WAS A POS - was constantly in the shop EVERY 6 months & had to have the ENTIRE engine replaced under warranty after 30K, due to oil/coolant mixing. Yeah, give me THAT car back after being problem free for 10+ years - NOT!!
You can find Toyotas that sludged up, Hondas with junk automatics, etc, etc. Doesn't mean that they all are bad. Same as not all Toyotas are bad.
Toyota wants to be #1. What they are learning is when you make a vast array of products, your quality goes down. | |
| | 
Switchedt Sprint
@spcsdns.net
| I have Verizon and Sprint for work and wife has ATT for work. We travel often and find that Sprint is the most improved, with the best data and roaming. Verizon's network is overhyped and ATT drops more calls than any of them.
Sprint's customer support has been an issue but has improved. But I think their network is now better than Verizon. They have many more cellsites than Verizon and have added CDMA to thousands of Nextel iDen sites. It just might be the best network now. Support is their last major issue.
But it doesn't surprise me that retail stores have uninformed sales people. The turnover at stores is higher than wait staff at restaurants. It's a lost cause to train them. | |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Speakeasy
| Re: Verizon is not that good said by jameswade :A lot of this just depends on your location. Just like cable/dsl arguments...  | |
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jjoshua
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ | No problems with Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile doesn't care how you get your phones. Just top up and go. I've never had a problem with their customer service.
Before that, I had Cingular. They just plain sucked - no other words can describe it. | |
| 
MysticGogeta
The Robot Devil
Premium
join:2005-03-14
League City, TX
clubs: | I like Cricket Unlimited minutes and text messages and pics (yes anytime) and I pay about 51.00 a month with taxes.
--
Team Discovery-Join the fight | |
| | hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH | Re: I like Cricket Cricket now offers nation-wide roaming too thats a big plus even if it is only 200 minutes a month. | |
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MysticGogeta
The Robot Devil
Premium
join:2005-03-14
League City, TX
clubs: | Re: I like Cricket Yeah and I don't go out side of Houston very often so I just switch phones with my mom or dad if I do.
--
Team Discovery-Join the fight | |
| jammmin
join:2000-12-14
Upper Marlboro, MD | T-mobile is bad Verizon wireless is the best. I would drop calls all the time with T-mobile. | |
| | hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH | Re: T-mobile is bad T-Mobile in Northwest Ohio is great! no coverage issues or anything. Even works in many rural areas that providers like Alltel do not cover. | |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| Buying a new phone I bought my last phone online. I was able to upgrade my phone and keep the same plan.
You can avoid salesmen entirely this way. Research the phone you want to buy and order online. Switching providers is easy with number portability. The terms and conditions of each plan will be clearly listed on the carrier's website. No dealing with a clueless or uncaring counter person.
Oh, and never buy from a kiosk or authorized agent. Always deal with the carrier directly (unless you are buying an unlocked phone for an already existing service plan).
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We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.
-- Ernestine | |
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jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:
| best in your area There is differance locations of the towers for every company so find the best in your "home" area and run with that.coverage, Customer service, price is the most important to me and seeing i didnt get coverage at my new home and price was cheaper and customer service was the same i decided to switch myself to tmobile. they bend over backwards. I dont even want to call sometimes if their is a problem because i don't want to bug them, cause i know they will fix it.
--
3 free for you/3 free for me: Investing Trades : PM Me | |
| | dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL
| Re: best in your area said by jgkolt :There is differance locations of the towers for every company so find the best in your "home" area and run with that.coverage, EXACTLY - in my general area, Cingular has the best overall coverage. This IS a fact, due to that Verizon cannot put up towers to provide coverage in a town of 2300+, that is the county seat. It's local common knowledge that if you want cellular service in this area, you do NOT go with Verizon, period!
Of course, there are a couple small pockets where Verizon is better, but again, where ever YOUR location, YMMV. | |
| | | | | | | robertfl
Premium
join:2005-10-10
Mary Esther, FL | Re: best in your area not to mention everyone now outsources to india. what shame. i called a rep and could not understand what he was saying.
(sprint)
-rob | |
| moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Contracts are partly to blame.... When I walk through a mall, I always get the kiosk salespeople asking me to sign up. I tell them I am under contract with someone else and they still want to get me to sign up for another line. Even if I am with their provider, they want to sell me another line I do not need.
Companies love aggressive salespeople when they make their numbers....and will toss you out when you don't make them. | |
| |
Anno
@nga.mil | Re: Contracts are partly to blame.... I usually tell them it will cost them the $200 or whatever to break your contract up front (no credit on account). They don't bother me after that. | |
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timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
clubs:
·AT&T Southeast
|  My recent service switch...
I ended up ordering my new phones, accessories, and service online via WalMart.com which, in turn, made the actual purchases through an outfit called LetsTalk.com. It wasn't particularly any more satisfying, but I did save quite a bit of money over dealing with any of the local stores or at&t online.
Two of the three phones I received were not fully activated and it took me about two hours on the phone with Lets Talk, at&t, and Sprint to get it straightened out. I'm not sure who's fault it was, but it was not Sprint's.
My overall feeling about the entire cell phones and service purchase situation is, "It sucks".
Tim
--
"Love consists in overestimating the difference between one woman and another" - George Bernard Shaw
~ Project Hope ~ | |
| b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
| ...and take that earpiece out of your head! All the people at the Verizon store have them stupid blue tooth earpieces stuck in the sides of their heads.
Man I hate that, and last time I was there I actually told the guy that was dealing with me to take it out, because he should not take (or make) any calls until he is done servicing me.
Worst part is they could not help me. The Verizon store is only there to sell phones. You have to call the 800 number for any customer service issues.  | |
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N3OGH
Bear patrol must be working like a charm
Premium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: ...and take that earpiece out of your head! I'm happy with my Verizon service, but those salesmen in the stores are worse than used car salesmen.
All I wanted to do was upgrade my phone, and when I turned down all the extras, the guy seemed visibly pissed at me.
It was worse than buying a new car. No shit, either. Those guys try and sell you EVERYTHING when you go in there.
If I upgrade my phone again in the future, I will definitely be doing it on line.
--
Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… | |
| | hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH
·buckeye cable
| some stores are customer service/retail some are just retail sales. When they first took over cellone here they were a retail only and customer service and repair was in another city. But once everything changed and they moved they became a customer service/repair center too but a helleva long wait with them to even do anything. | |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | Out local Verizon store has tech support/dept at the store - have used it a couple of times and you never need to bother a sales person. | |
| | 
stevennb
Ok, But, Thats The Last Straw.
Premium
join:2001-05-08
Wayne, NJ
| My experiences... Years ago I had Verizon.Horrible customer service in company owned stores. I forgot what phone I had at the time but I could barely hear anyone on the phone. I went to the local Verizon store and they essentially told me to piss off.After arguing with them...saying I was in contract and the phone wasn't even 2 weeks old, they gave me a beat up refurb and sent my phone back to get fixed. About a month later I get a call from the store stating that the phone was fixed.
Plus in the Passaic county area, I'd get alot of echo's and dropped calls with Verizon.
I then moved to T-Mobile. Company store in a local mall. You'd wait and wait and wait and then they'd finally "assist" you. I signed up for a plan that would work for me. Of course after the 1st bill came in , there was added things like T-Zones,Text Messaging,etc that I never ordered or used. Trying to get that expunged from the bill was like pulling teeth. Then When I moved down to Louisiana, I didn't get any reception. I contacted T-Mobile's CSC and asked to be let out of the contract as I wasn't able to utilize the service there. I was told that eventually towers would be built but they didn't know when..but I could still pay for my service until then. Ummm no. Eventually after numerous calls I was let out of the contract with no ETF.
I'm currently with AT&T prepaid and all is good. Good reception (from driving to La to Nj...maybe 2 dropped calls).
--
"They moved my desk 4 times already this year and I used to be over by the window and I could see the squirrels and they were married, but then they moved my desk and they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler. | |
| djeremy
join:2004-07-12
San Francisco, CA
| I'm happy with T-Mobile I switched from Sprint to T-Mobile and I have to say that I'm happy. I haven't really noticed any difference in coverage but definitely have in customer service. T-Mobile is one of the most helpful and courteous call centers I've ever dealt with.
Calling Sprint customer service is quite possibly worse than calling AT&T. | |
| 
Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| Locked handsets What I don't like is when a provider locks a handset to prevent users from doing something that they should be able to do. When I had my LG VX8100, I was able to use my USB data cable and BitPim to upload my (legally owned) MP3 files to the phone to use as ringtones. I recently got a LG VX8350 and tried to do the same thing (new USB data cable, of course) only to be told by BitPim that the "provider has blocked access to the directory". Why doesn't Verizon Wireless want me to be able to use my own MP3 files as ringtones? Because they want to sell me ringtones via VCast and they won't sell as many if I'm able to use my own songs as ringtones. (Their official reason, is something along the lines of their ringtones are tested for stability on their network or something. Can't find the page right now.) | |
| | moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Locked handsets said by Jason Levine :Why doesn't Verizon Wireless want me to be able to use my own MP3 files as ringtones? Because they want to sell me ringtones via VCast and they won't sell as many if I'm able to use my own songs as ringtones. (Their official reason, is something along the lines of their ringtones are tested for stability on their network or something. Can't find the page right now.) Their official reason was to prevent copyright violations.
Many websites used to show how to upload ringtones to phones AND told you how to format them for size, type of WAV or MP3, and other little tidbits. | |
| | | 
partysource
join:2000-11-25
Phoenix, AZ
·Cox HSI
 ·DIRECTV
 ·BBTelSys VOIP
| My Experience With Most Cell Carriers... This is my experience with all the networks traveling from Phoenix to New Jersey and to New York every year.
(Verizon) Alright phones at least until the LG Voyager comes out 11/18. Excellent Customer Service, Customer service in USA, Excellent CDMA voice and very fast data EVDO Network
(Sprint) nice phones/dropped calls, excellent data EVDO network, Customer service is horrible, customer service located in INDIA
(ATT) Really Nice phones, dropped calls in the middle of Phoenix LOL, probably the worst network for voice and very slow EDGE data , customer service is okay
(T-Mobile) Sidekick Whoa nice, Dropped calls all the time, Excellent customer service, really good plans | |
| | | |
Indianapolis
@comcast.net
| Re: My Experience With Most Cell Carriers... I work for a third party company all I got to say is ATT is something else it is like a religion or something. Every rep that works for ATT and helps out our region with issues and so on seems to think something along the lines , it is ATT, like the name alone says I will buy 5 phones or whatever. It is totally how they come off. Now the sprint reps on the other hand is like this is what we have , yes there is drop calls , everyone does. It is like they simply admit that they have some bad areas and then show you what they do , do well. I got to appaulled reps such as this, quit talking to me about their believes in why I should get this or that. LOL , go figures I like sprint, but I go for best phones on the market. So I am with att as well due to low coverage in my home, god only white spot in my whole area, I have the Iphone. Removed att logo next to the bars couldnt stand to look at it. Yet if sprint were to fix my two issues, I drop att now and pay my cancel fee. 1. I want something better in pda then ppc6800 and treo. 2. I want damn coverage at home. I might even settle for just for having a better phone then iphone on sprint and just roam at home. Windows mobile seems to always give me issues. Palm looks dated like win 3.1 and blackberry is to dependent on the network of blackberry servers, if one goes out then I am SOL. So Give me a phone at least as good as iphone or better and I will cancel today.
-illusion
Ps. My thoughts, also I still pay for sprint, it is on the lowest plan ever, but I dont use it. | |
| | | | DarnellP
join:2004-10-12
Las Vegas, NV
| said by partysource :k (Sprint) nice phones/dropped calls, excellent data EVDO network, Customer service is horrible, customer service located in INDIA When specifically asked asked about that issue Jerry Adriano VP of customer experience for Sprint explicitly stated that Sprint doesn't have representatives in India.
»www.buzzaboutwireless.com/cms/ho···nce.html | |
| wth
Premium
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City, IA
·Mediacom
| U. S. Cellular Used to be you could get a phone for a penny and now it's an arm and a leg, plus hardly no one sells just a plain phone anymore. Now you have to pay for a cheap phone, sign a 2 year contract, get hassled for 12 weeks waiting for a stupid a$$ rebate, get charged $30 for "account activation" when you already have had an account for over 12 years, and then they want $15 to take 5 min to transfer your info from old to new phone. The only good thing is a few of the retailers have figured out that they should keep a few phones in the back charged up and ready to go, because up until a couple of years ago, they would give you the new phone and then tell you to take it home, don't use it, and put it on a charger for 24 hours. | |
| 
wwdubbia
join:2002-06-03
Clinton, NY
1 edit | Sprint is where its at I switched from Verizon to Sprint and have been amazed at how better Sprint is. Verizon was good, Sprint is great. Sprint uses VZ towers also and my phone will automatically hop onto VZ's network in gap areas if there is one available.
Sprint's data plan is also a ton better than VZ's. Got their SERO plan and I get 500 mins and unlimited data for $30/mo. Not to shabby. | |
| 
capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA
| Cell Phones Suck... Get back to basics. A phone, I'd get one with a dial if I could. No camera, no text, just "Hello, stuck in traffic" "Hello, need anything at the supermarket?" NOT "Hi, I'm at the beach blah,blah, blah" "Hi, I'm at the dump, Blah, blah, blah..." Talking while driving? NOT COOL. Have to talk to your Girlfriend/ Wife for an hour on the road? You have bigger issues. My cell phone rests quietly on the bottom of Cape Cod Bay "Tell me if you hear a splash". I feel a bit guilty about littering, but in 10,000 years it will be an artifact. I don't feel guilty about dumping the phone posessed woman that gave it to me. Can you hear me now? | |
| 
RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
·Comcast
3 edits | Cell carriers in my area , and take Amtrak to Philly guys! Here in Mendocino County, we have three carriers with service-US Cellular, Edge Wireless (AT&T Affiliate) and Verizon, with coverage quality in that order. We are still a red headed stepchild to Verizon, while Edge and USCC take good care of us.
To the Harrisburg to Philly people, take the train into work, much nicer, you can avoid the east coast drivers and talk on your phone safely..or nap, or work on your laptop
Keystone Service-Multiple departures daily
»www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe···ssid=134
Pennsylvanian-Daily departures
»www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe···ssid=134
--
»www.gorail.org
See MAJOR freight&passenger action@ the Galesburg, IL RailCam! »205.245.189.161:1100/
My soon to be employer,as an Asst.Conductor-
»www.amtrak.com
»www.modocrailroadacademy.com -Grad,Class of 2-07,woohoo! | |
|
srvc gal
@comcast.net
| Re: Verizon is not that good Sprint coverage really depends on the phone you're using. My boyfriend has the Palm Treo and his phone will show that he's roaming or doesn't have coverage when my phone (LG Fusic) will show that I've got full signal and am not roaming when I'm sitting right next to him. This is usually the case when driving around more rural areas.
Also, I'd like to point out a reason why I think that Verizon's dropped calls numbers may have decreased. It's probably because of the way that you have to report dropped calls. It used to be that if you dropped a call and called the same number back right away, Verizon would log it as a dropped call immediately without any action on the customer's part. Now if you experience a dropped call, you redial and if the same number answers within 5 min., Verizon will credit the dropped call to you. However, ONLY after you call customer service to report the call as dropped within 90 days after your redialed call so that they can record it and give you the credit. I don't know about you guys, but it's a pain in the rear to call in after every dropped call just to get it logged. Hence their claim that they've got the fewest dropped calls of any of the networks. | |
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