After having vented my anger at a CSR employee of Cingular Wireless when I attempted to get a problem solved only to be told that I had a contract and there was nothing that she would do to solve that problem, I expressed my displeasure by utilizing this site to vent the anger. I am the man who complained about spending $7,000 a year and not being able to get a working phone without problems. One comment regarding the individual who stated that he found it hard to believe that a person who used up to 8,000 minutes in a calendar month would not be aware that he had a problem phone shortly after starting to use it:
My circumstances were that I bought the phones in an upgrade one day and the following day left for a series of medical conferences in another area of the state and neighboring state with all of those conferences being held inside medical centers (hospitals and trauma centers) where the use of cell phones is forbidden as they allegedly interfere with heart monitoring devices and other medical equipment which may be in use inside and near the phone. As a medical professional I must follow this protocol.
Whenever I enter a building where the sign "Turn off all cell phones." meets me at the doo, I follow that order as I would not wish to endanger the lives of patients or the license of a medical professional who may interpret a reading on a monitoring device improperly and act based on that incorrect information. I was therefore involved with the medical conferences 9 to 10 hours a day for almost 2 weeks. These meetings were held in an area where the phone company had abundant towers; therefore, the reception was acceptable - there were failed calls, but after the 2'nd or 3'rd try there were connections made.
Upon my return to my office and home I then discovered I had 2 problem phones the 400 and 600. It was at that point I began my calls asking for assistance.
After the situation with the CSR I then began the quest of attempting to go higher in my quest to get help. I am pleased to report that an official with Cingular recognized that there was a very unhappy customer and that the problem could be rectified. I was given 2 other phones to use that so far have better reception and have been more dependable. I have been pleased with their performance and have now written letters thanking the upper level folks for their help in resolving my problems.
To the gentleman who stated that he was a Manager of 15 (?) stores in his area: I have a suggestion that I feel you need to pass along to your folks who order models of phones to use.
You are missing out on a huge market by providing smaller and smaller phones with lousy reception, poor audio, have multiple numbers on 1 key - the one and two on the same key on the keypad for example. Phones such as these are hard to see, hard to use and are not at all rugged. The construction worker needs to have a small and ruigged phone that he can take with him on the jobsite and make calls easily. He has to be able to hold the phone and dial with one hand as he works out in the hot sun or on a roof somewher or on a girder inside a building.
An elderly person who has difficulty seeing, wears thick glasses and maybe even has a hearing aid. They need cell phones for emergencies and to be able to contact law enforcement or medical help if needed. They need to be able to see the screen - good contrast, lighted screen that will stay on long enough to make the call - to hear the party on the other end. Look at your present offerings and ask yourself could my grandmother use this phone in an emergency without any problem?
Law enforcement needs to have a backup phone that can be used in case of emergencies and it needs to be small rugged and dependable.
Emergency medical technicians need a small and rugged phone that can be used rapidly upon need.
My line of work requires that I carry a phone, have a backup to use in case one goes out and also carry 2 pagers at all times. I need a phone that isn't based on a 6'th grader's concept of being "cool" and tiny.
Talk to your designers and to your marketing people. Have them look at the use of the phone and the size of the market. Even my office manager who is a lady says she would prefer having a phone that was cosmetically pleasing but easy to see the screen, make calls and hear the calls ratyher than a tiny piece of junk.
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