OT: Cell Phone Service

[ABQShredHead]

I'm an engineer with a cell phone company. I was wondering what your experiences have been with your cellphone service provider and would appreciate honest feedback from anybody stateside in the forum.

Which provider do you use?
Where do you use your phone?
How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
What attracted you to your current provider?
What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Quite honestly:

Which provider do you use?
>Whichever one is the cheapest & most effective

Where do you use your phone?
>When I need to get in contact with people. AKA anywhere away from home.

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
>I think in hours more than minutes, so I would say maybe 10.

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
>I live in rural New Hampshire, so coverage is iffy at best, and customer service is nearly always unsatisfactory with every service I have dealt with.

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
>Currently no I am not. I will indeed change if I can find a better offer.

What attracted you to your current provider?
>The hope that they were not as poorly managed as the previous I dealt with.

What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
>That it works. It doesnt run out of charge or signal when I need it.

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
>That they may become uncontrollable as the internet develops further, and thus become free.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
>I know who they are and no, they do not influence me at all. My opinion is my own.


Engineering is good times, I remember the Communications Systems course I took.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Cool, thanks.

 

[Beelzebub]

Which provider do you use?
Verizon

Where do you use your phone?
Wherever I can get service , includes in my room, if I'm on the bus ("hey I'm on my way" type of conversation) or at home. I try to avoid public use, I think it's rude.

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
I would say under 100, I'm not too much of a cell phone user; just use it for basic conversation

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
Can't complain; my phone serves its purpose.

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
I don't know, my parents pay the bill

What attracted you to your current provider?
See above

What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
If the other person I'm talking to can hear me.

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
Hmm, I can't say I find it exciting.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
Sort of/No.

 

[SilentRealm]

is it true in the states you have to pay to recieve calls and messages as well as send?

 

[ABQShredHead]

I don't pay for anything, but that's only because I engineer the network. My house has, like, the best coverage of anybody's, anywhere.

But I still have a landline.

Here, people pay for plans based on minutes of use per month, including incoming and outgoing calls (whenever you're on the phone, in other words). Some carriers have "free time" distinctions, like talk all you want between 7 pm and 5 am or something. Messaging is usually an addition to the minutes, like unlimited text messaging for an extra $10 a month.

How do you pay in Australia?

 

[Kenneth R.]

is it true in the states you have to pay to recieve calls and messages as well as send?

depending on the context, yes.

 

[Thraxz]

Which provider do you use?
Cingular

Where do you use your phone?
Work, home, on the road. Pretty much everywhere. Las Vegas Area.

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
I use mine from 300-800 minutes per month.

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
Cingular has been no hassle but I've not yet had a problem with them except when they tacked on internet charges that I do not use.... ever.

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
Yes, 2 year. Maybe if there is a deal on a good phone elsewhere with comparable service.

What attracted you to your current provider?
The ROKR MP3 phone. i wanted an MP3 player but didn't want to carry it around. It was ideal.

What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
I want good signal and NO %^&(ing dropped calls.

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
I'm really interested in wireless internet for my laptop.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
Yes. Not a damn bit. It does make me feel better if they happen to agree with what I want... but not enough to change a decision.

 

[Jax]

Which provider do you use?
T-Mobile
Where do you use your phone?
Western Michigan..pretty much everywhere.
How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
I get 1500 a month but only use maybe 7-800 of them.
What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
The coverage has been quite good. Customer care has been hit and miss; I've had extremely satisfying dealings with them, and extremely unpleasant dealings with them.
Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
Yep, 2 year contract..I'll compare carriers when the time comes and see which will work best for me; if a different carrier will be better for my needs at that time, then I'll likely switch.
What attracted you to your current provider?
The number of minutes per month at a low cost.
What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
Stable and clear connection.
What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
The potential for unlimited cell service, like ISPs finally went to after years of per-hour charges.
Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
Yes, and no not really.

 

[RequiemX]

Which provider do you use?
T-Mobile

Where do you use your phone?
Here at school, on the road, when I'm out, when I'm at home. Anywhere. It's my only phone.

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
My fiancé lives in California and I live in Minnesota, so a lot. It's usually between 5,000 and 7,000 minutes a month. THANK GOD for TM-TM minutes or else I'd be in debtors prison. My regular minutes usage is about 10-50 minutes a month.

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
It's the best GSM coverage in Minnesota and they're national, so I don't have to worry. Verizon's the only competitor, but their customer service is the worst of any corporation I've delt with. T-Mobile's is great, though the wait is usually too long.

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
As of last fall, I joined my parent's family plan (which included TM-TM minutes) and there's about 6 months of it left. With both my fiancé and family using TM, I don't plan on switching unless I move somewhere w/o coverage or they screw up.

What attracted you to your current provider?
They had coverage where I lived (and good at that), were national, and were not Verizon.

What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
1) Good battery life
2) A screen that's readable in daylight (don't get me started)
3) Good reception
4) Dropability

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
I'm not excited. It's a utility. BTW, when are you guys going to stop raping Americans with text messaging charges? It's nuts.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
Yes. Not really.

 

[ThornsOfSorrow]

Which provider do you use?
Cingular

Where do you use your phone?
In Connecticut, anywhere I am when someone calls me. I even break the law and talk while I'm driving. :Smug:

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
It depends. I usually talk anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes on my cell phone each month.

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
I was having the same problem as Thraxz, where I was getting charged for internet when I haven't even used it once. I actually had to disable the internet on my phone in order for the charges to stop. Also, now that I'm almost ready to renew my contract, I'm learning that the good deals for new customers don't apply to old customers as well, so Cingular doesn't do a great job making old customers continue to use them as a provider. Besides all of this, I've been very happy with Cingular, since I get coverage almost everywhere.

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
I have a 2 year contract. I'll probably switch to Verizon after it expires for the reasons stated in my response to the question above.

What attracted you to your current provider?
The rest of my family uses Cingular, so we could talk for free. Also, I heard that the coverage is good.

What is most important to you when using your cell phone?
Good coverage is most important.

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?
Nothing excites me. I wouldn't even have a phone if my parents didn't force me to get one.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?
I don't know what they are.

 

[SilentRealm]

How do you pay in Australia?

bah alright.. will do survey first:

-Which provider do you use?

Vodaphone. yippee..

-Where do you use your phone?

in the shower, on the toilet, - j/king.. everywhere, usual response.

-How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?

constantly, mostly for text messaging.

-What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?

Customer Service ok, but I'm on prepaid - I hear theyre shit if youre on a plan.

-Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?

Read above, no.. prepaid rules! \m/

-What attracted you to your current provider?

needed a phone, they were there.. match made in heaven really.

-What is most important to you when using your cell phone?

mp3 ring tones are awesome - having my phone start saying "I'll kill myself.. see you in hell" (Sentenced) over and over again in a crowded place and have everyone stare at you like youre a freak is quite cool - but thats not what you meant - coverage, basic stuff.

-What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications?

I'm a book nerd, not a wireless communications nerd.

-Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Do they influence your buying decisions?

Jack Daniels makes power awards?


Ok, In Australia we have either flat rate monthly plans (unless you go over your limit, then its per minute), or prepaid which is the most common thing these days I think.. especially seeing as we have awesome deals such as the one I'm on where you pay $49 a month and get the equivalent of $230 a month usage. Theres also $79 a month and get $500 a month usage. I never use up my whole $230 though so its cool. Also we only pay to make calls or send messages, we dont pay to recieve.

 

[nckissfan]

Cingular. The only one I have been with, and have been 100% completly satisfied with their rates, and service

 

[Anonymous]

I don't have a cell.

 

[AMBR]

Which provider do you use?
Verizon

Where do you use your phone?
Everywhere, even at home

How often do you use your phone (minutes per month)?
I have no idea. There are three phones on one account.

What have been your experiences with your carrier, from a coverage standpoint and a customer care view?
They SUCK! I got them ages ago because of supposedly better coverage in obscure areas. I have relatives living in northern upstate New York and I ski a lot in Vernont. Coverage is fair in NY, but practically non-existant in VT. Yet, other people I'm with (Cingular customers) will have a signal.

Also, the "free" phones they trick you into buying every 18 months or so suck. I hate my LG. Lots of nice features, but something is always going wrong with it. Also with my sons' phones. Right now, every time I jiggle my phone slightly, it powers off. My older son's phone claims to be fully charged when nearly empty and won't charge.

Customer service in the outlet stores is the worst. Rude youngsters always trying to convince you everything that happens is your fault. One numb-nut tried to tell me my battery was dead because I left it plugged in too long. It was one week old and had never worked. :Smug:

Are you locked into a contract? If so, will you change carriers when your contract expires? Again, if so, why?
I am locked in and pissed. Will check out other carriers. Read above for why.

What attracted you to your current provider? Supposed coverage, family plan.

What is most important to you when using your cell phone? Getting a f*cking signal and keeping it!

What excites you most (if anything) about the future of wireless communications? Being able to do nearly anything on it I can on my cpu. Surf web, play music, download stuff, etc.

Do you know what JD Powers awards are? Yes. Do they influence your buying decisions? Sometimes, not always.

 

[Horus]

I don't have a cell.

That means you're not a member of society.

 

[Anonymous]

Society shmociety.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

It depends. I usually talk anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes on my cell phone each month.

How the FUCK do you manage that!! I usually spend between 30 and 60 minutes a day on my phone... largely with Matt Moliti

 

[Beelzebub]

Quite easily. Not to speak for her, but I use my phone mostly during free time (I get it after 9 PM) twice a week at most.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Has anybody shut down their landline service at their home to strictly use their mobiles?

Though I don't think you will see the "talk all you want for one low price" plan in the near future, wireless auctions were set in place in the mid-90's to foster competition not only to the existing two cellular providers in each market but also to bring competition to the landline monopolies in existence throughout any market in the US. Wireless carriers are now offering 1000-1500-minute plans that are very competitive to landline usage numbers, and myriad people are cutting the wires to their houses.

My wife uses our home phone as her primary business line. I'm working to get that changed to her mobile so we can drop the $40/month charge for a dated service we don't really use any more.