As a former employee it can be seen as sour grapes? No, it is just a clear picture of the inner workings of the Orange beast. Do I like Cingular? No. It is simply the worst fortune 500 company I am sorry to say I've ever worked for. I have never seen a company treat so many people by using fear and intimidation. I quit and don't look back. My experience may supply some insight as to how the employees are treated, so do you think a customer stands a chance. And yes I was the best they had in my territory.
Cingular is terrible, from not paying their personal to actually stealing from them. To understand this you have to understand how an Account executive is paid in wireless. They are paid for the activation only. So once it is sold, that is it. It also explains why Cingular's service is so terrible. They do not pay people to maintain accounts only to sell them. Of course you will be treated with royalty while you are thinking about buying from them, after the sale you become a direct fulfillment 800 customer. And the 800 numbers you dial into? Are serviced by the lowest paid employees they have. The turn over is tremendous and the errors are free.
Okay back to how is a rep paid, let's say this also about how Cingular Cap's the commissions at 150% so if someone sells over their projected quota, guess what? They don't get paid. And Cingular gets to keep the revenue from commissions not paid.
Now in sales that is the most unusual motivation you can do, Cap the compensation. Meaning to those that haven't had the pleasure of sales, Cingular doesn't want any of their sales force to excel. What this creates is a highly unmotivated sales force. What that means to you the business consumer? Bad service. If I don't/won't get paid for it. Why bother?
Now here is the fun part, let's say a rep sells 250 lines of service and their quota was 80. Now it starts to get really ugly, of the quota which was really 40 voice lines and 40 data lines, 40 equals 100% and 60 is 150% so they only pay on 60 lines when the rep sold 250.
So how is this stealing you might ask? Well there is the funny thing called charge Backs when a customer decides (wisely) they do not want the "service" Cingular is selling.
So they take back the 250 lines and move to a better carrier. That Rep that only got paid for the 60 lines just got charged back Yes. You guessed it ALL 250 lines. That hangs on a reps head for the first 6 months.
That entire compensation the 60 lines they did get paid for and the 190 they did not get paid for, is deducted from the reps payroll check. Cool huh? Yes. It happens at Cingular everyday. It happened to me. So I gave them their walking papers and now happily sell against them. I suggest using J.D. Power to see who rates the best and buy accordingly. Oh I'll save you the time, Cingular is rated the worst.
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