Cingular needs to get their act together if they expect to keep most of the AT&T customers they'll acquire soon. They have poor customer service and I know first hand with that always listening to my mom and sister complain about Cingular. I don't remember if theri initial signup was with a re-seller or a then Cellular One agent. I do know for a fact that the second contract was done by a Cingular representative because it was done over the phone. My mom and sister always had problems with their service being turned off, even after paying the bill at the Cingular Wireless company store. They paid the bill on time, but Cingular kept turning off their serviceand they were on the phone with Cingular every month to get the service turned back on. They had the receipt on hand with the agent who handled the payment to prove to Cingular's call center the bill was paid. Eventually my mom and sister decided to pay the $300 early termination fee ($150 per phone) ad went to Nextel for a year, and now with Verizon Wireless. Point here is Cingular needs to clean up their customer service if they expect to keep long time customers. My mom and sister had Cingular for 4 years when they were originally called Cellular One before they left. If customer service wouldn't treated them like s**t, they'd still be with Cingular today. Why do you think Verizon Wireless has the lowest turnover in customers? I only think the AT&T buyout will benefit Verizon Wireless more because of customer service problems, and Cingular will probably not have the money to maintain the network until the debt is paid off.
My experience is based upon dealing with COMPANY Stores. The 'Company' stores are limited of course, but you, as the user can call the Services directly and hold them responsible for the prevailing ignorance of their store personnnel - while they will give you a 'Cold Shoulder' if and when you went through 'a Re-Seller'.
CINGULAR (my 'National 'Gait*' service) - generally speaking - works fine, be it in New Hampshire or Tennessee.
Now then, here, (where I am today) in NATCHEZ, Mississippi) the service is so-so. Howver, if you frequent "the boone-docks' of the lovely 'US of A' you may want to explore a rather unique CINGULAR service, their 'GAIT' service. If the 'Service Personnel' don't know about it', walk out. They offer only 2 phones (and they are 'dog-ugly') which can handle the 'Gait' service - but that 'extended' service works.
My advive: Don't knock 'CINGULAR' - even their In-Store Personnel can be quite ignorant. As for myself, (based in Tennessee) I won't leave home without CINGULAR.

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