so what is USC like honestly

**Princesa** · 05-02-2012, 01:42 PM

I was them for 10yrs and yes they have good service and coverage (I'm in SE WI) but not that great phone selection and their customer service sucks royally imo.

Their belief plans are a joke imo but I left them after 10yrs and went to ATT and have never looked back.

**Pabster** · 05-14-2012, 05:50 PM

I give US Cellular high marks for coverage, particularly here in Iowa. You'd be hard pressed to find even a rural one-horse town without coverage. Unfortunately, they suck in every other category. So unless you live in the sticks and have no other choice...

**freibrauer** · 05-14-2012, 09:15 PM

You honestly think ATT customer service is better? That sir is a joke.

Sent from my LG-US670 using HowardForums

**Pabster** · 05-14-2012, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by freibrauer

You honestly think ATT customer service is better? That sir is a joke.

Sent from my LG-US670 using HowardForums

Did I say that? Yes USCC has very good customer support. The few times I've ever had to deal with AT&T were just fine as well, however. It all depends who you get stuck talking to, like any thing else.

**freibrauer** · 05-14-2012, 11:55 PM

That's a fair assessment, I wasn't talking to you though.

Your not the one who implied they were worsre than ATT's CS.

Of course it's possible to get bad people with either company but on the average USCC's CS is far superior to ATT's.

Originally Posted by Pabster

Did I say that? Yes USCC has very good customer support. The few times I've ever had to deal with AT&T were just fine as well, however. It all depends who you get stuck talking to, like any thing else.

**ilvla2** · 05-15-2012, 03:44 AM

I have had good customer service from AT&T, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Edge Wireless (AT&T Affiliate here in NorCal, and in S OR, SE ID and W WY, they were absorbed into AT&T in early 2008), though far and away the best and most personal CS was with Edge Wireless. T-Mobile USED be good, but their CS has really gone downhill lately.

**stlheadake** · 05-15-2012, 02:38 PM

I have been with USCC for over 10 years. I can agree that they lag behind in 'new' phones. When I first switched to them, I quickly learned that the 'other' companies really excelled in providing new phones. I don't always need the latest and greatest. I am OK with being a little behind. On a few occasions I have purchased the latest and greatest and fought it all the way.

I will tell you a TRUE USCC customer service story. Bought new phones for the wife and I. The NEXT day I was driving within a mile of the store I purchased from and I dropped a call. HMMM? Then I learn that my wife can't use her phone in the parking lot of her work (maybe 5 miles from store). Took phones back to store, and sales guy looks at them and proclaims they are working fine. He puts in a ticket in his magic computer.

The next day, around 10 am I get a call from a number I don't recognize. It was USCC engineer thanking me for alerting that there was a tower issue. He said problem was fixed, and if I still had dropped calls to call him at that number. THAT is service above and beyond in my book. I've been hooked ever since.

If you want excellent customer service combined with EXCELLENT phone service USCC is a no brainer. If you want the latest gadgets (or a silly iphone) then you should probably look elsewhere.

That's just my $1.12 (used to be $.02 but it's been adjusted for inflation) YMMV

**newyork4me** · 05-15-2012, 05:46 PM

Of note, USCC doesn't have the CLR band in Chicago. As a result, their in-building coverage isn't that good and they tend to have more dropped calls than either Verizon or AT&T.

The places where USCC excels in coverage are typically where they have the CLR band. (out west, mid-MO, WV, WI, Maine).

**swampthing** · 05-17-2012, 06:17 PM

what is us cellular really like? they have outdated old phones. Their plans and pricing doesn't make up for it but their coverage is decent in areas they actually build up. Customer service is a unique experience one that you can't measure and one that might not even matter if you never call them.

That said, there's something wrong at us cellular. They have lost overall customers for like the last 5 years straight and now they are firing their entire AAE department and most of the management, at least in iowa. So something big is happening at uscellular. Agents will no longer get the support they need on a direct basis.

**freibrauer** · 05-18-2012, 03:06 AM

Do you have any idea why thats happening in Iowa? Could it be part of some kind of restructerting? I doubt whatever is happening in Iowa is related to any problematic financial issues for USCC, their financials are strong still and they have virtually no debt which no other providers can really say, their revenues continue to increase despite customer losses due to data adoption. USCC is still fine in the near term, 3-5 years down the line could be a different story. Most regional providers have struggled in the post pay market over the last few years for what its worth. Whats left of Altell lost 20% of its post pay base in just the 1-2 years. That makes USCCs loss of about 5% over 3 years look dandy.

As cellphone prices continue to increase and new expensive technology like LTE get rolled out by the big providers the supra regional providers are in a very tough spot. They're too big to market themselves as rual providers that rely on USF subsidies and generous terms by the teir 1s allowing exclusive phones to be sold in agreement for their rual networks being used in roaming deals. At the same time their too small to compete with timely device releases or speedy LTE rollouts due to cost and exclusivity agreements.

Sent from my LG-US670 using HowardForums

**tritium man** · 05-18-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by swampthing

That said, there's something wrong at us cellular. basis.

I know something is wrong in my service area.(Martinsburg, WV) Places I would get good reception with 3-5 bars I now drop calls and only get 1-2 bars. I think USSC is going to be purchased soon by Verizon or sprint. I know if my reception does not return to it's previous state. I'm going to AT$T.

**freibrauer** · 05-18-2012, 02:03 PM

What phone do you use? Have you called them to let them know about the problem?

Sent from my LG-US670 using HowardForums

**Peterfield** · 05-20-2012, 07:57 AM

There is always conjecture about USCC being bought out but nothing points to that. I was with USCC when they were TDMA, left them for CDMA, and came back to them. With the exception of the technophiles that have to have the latest "thing" the day it comes out, USCC provides good phones and great customer service to its customers. Their price points for the various plans are very competitive despite the moaning and groaning you will see on some of the forum posts.

**ilvla2** · 05-20-2012, 08:02 AM

I might agree with you, but USCC is bleeding customers, so they obviously aren't doing something right. They still have an edge in the coverage here in our market (RSA 344), but Verizon has almost erased that, and Verizon roams in-market onto USCC in dead spots here, both EVDO and 1X. So, with Verizon you get the cool phones AND the use of both networks with NO roaming limit, and more extensive coverage in most of CA. AT&T has come on strong here lately as well, with T-Mobile coming in fourth, and Metro PCS at 5th and last place.

**freibrauer** · 05-20-2012, 09:13 AM

Bleeding customers sure, about 5% over 3 years. They're losing customers yes, but thus far its been a very slow bleed and smartphone revenue has more than offset their losses in customers. Despite the customer losses USCC is making more money with 5.8 million customers than they ever did with 6.1 million. USCC will be fine for a few more years, TDS could sell sure but their not in the kind of shape that would cause them to sell at an unfavorable $ figure. They're actually doing well financially still.

Sent from my LG-US670 using HowardForums