I just reread my recent Qwest rant because I responded to a nice comment made by a customer service manager there. It made me realize that I don't write enough about the good service I receive at my favorite companies and I am fixing that today by starting to talk about those companies on this blog.
My cell phone company for the last eight years has been U.S. Cellular. U.S. Cellular is the fifth largest cellular provider in the U.S. and was the first to provide service in Iowa. I am so glad they haven't been bought up by one of the big three cell companies. I like their attention to customer service and they way they treat me and my family when we come in to one of their stores. I patronize the Urbandale store and I end up in there quite often because between two teenagers and two aging parents who are add-ons to my family plan, things happen. Keyboards blow out. Batteries die. Phones get run over and dropped in toilets (my daughter Chelsey is almost as graceful as her mother).
Full disclosure here. I used to work at an agency where my client was U.S. Cellular, and I did PR for them for two years. So I got an inside look at their customer service operations, management team and the way they do business. It was impressive. The biggest asset was their incredibly dedicated team. The folks here in Iowa that I have worked with are wonderful. I still run into a few of them. Laurie Haeder, Matt Campbell and Steve Cunningham are completely dedicated to the company and are out there representing it well. All the staff at the Urbandale store (86th and Hickman) are fabulous.
Let me give you a little example of customer service. I had purchased a couple of phone accessories for my mom and dad for Christmas that they ended up not needing. So they sat in a bag in my house until I finally got around to returning them in April. I had no receipt because the purchases had been added to my bill. So I took them in and the sales associate spent a good 10 minutes tracking them down and subtracting them from my bill. He could have told me no, but the accessories were clearly unused and in their original packages. So he did the right thing. (TARGET, ARE YOU LISTENING?) And then he reviewed my minutes on my plan for me because he remembered me from the last time I came in and knew that I was concerned about going over my plan minutes with two extra people added on to my account.
I spend $200 a month with U.S. Cellular. That's a lot of money. But it's worth every penny, because they've got my back. I could go get an iPhone at AT&T, but instead I chose to purchase an iTouch and kept my U.S. Cellular phone. I know that when something goes wrong with it, I can take it to the U.S. Cellular store where a friendly technician will take it apart right in front of my eyes, believe my story about how it has been misbehaving, and then lo and behold, he will swap my phone out for a loaner or a new phone if necessary. ON THE SPOT. No waiting, no hassles, no excuses, no bs.
We are all busy people. We all like to be treated as valuable customers. U.S. Cellular has trained their people to be courteous good listeners, empathetic, and look for solutions to problems. I am very loyal to this brand and can't see myself changing anytime soon.
Good job, U.S. Cellular. You rock!
I also want to extend kudos to US Cellular, where I've been a customer for at least 14 years. Their newsletter recently noted they'd provide free batteries for their phones that no longer held a decent charge. I went to the store at 86th and Hickman where an attentive customer service person named Amanda checked my phone. Since it's 5 years old (but hasn't held a charge for most of that time!) they no longer have batteries for that model. She offered me the one old battery they did have, but after testing both, said it actually had less holding power than mine. I declined. Finally, she mentioned that the best deals in new cell phones would be offered by the company during the Iowa State Fair, at their booth in the Varied Industries building. So, even though Amanda couldn't help my immediate problem, I left feeling that I'd been treated with dignity and provided with every available service they could give me on that day. I, too, would like an iPhone, but I don't want to leave U.S. Cellular. Maybe I'll shop for that iTouch in August. Great job, U.S. Cellular!
Posted by: Deb | May 23, 2009 at 09:10 AM
Claire- How is U.S. Cellular's reception? I will probably be switching from my service within the next year, and I would appreciate the advice. I prefer good service over fancy phone options. Let me know, and thanks for the recommendation!
Posted by: Emilee Richardson | May 26, 2009 at 12:51 PM
I had great experiences with US Cellular as well.
I've had to "executive email carpet bomb" twice with Sprint in the past 2 years - US Cellular has never once let me down in about 8 years.
They also have the best network in Iowa for those of us on the road.
Posted by: Ryan M | July 09, 2009 at 08:23 AM