AT&T CEO says most iPhone users won't leave for other carriers

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mac_dog View Post


    once again, a case where an executive speaks before he should. i think folks are so fed up with the lack of service and attention, they'd be willing to pay the cancellation fee and go elsewhere.



    personally, i won't ever use at&t again. got rid of them 10 years ago and haven't looked back since. i'm glad the iphone is coming to t-mobile. i may actually purchase one.



    I too left AT&T over 10 years ago and swore I'd never return. Well, I did due to the iPhone, and now I remember ALL the multiple reasons I left them the first time. It's rare I give a company a second chance, but the iPhone and the several changes within cellular carries had me hopeful for a company with newfound customer service ambitions. WOW!! was I wrong, the same AT&T and the same disconnect with customers. I can't wait to pay my 325.00 to rid myself of this pathetic company... and this time i'll never return (even if they were paying me to use them)
  • Reply 42 of 66
    I think the reason most people do not want to jump ship is the huge price tag that comes along with it. That's why people are saying they don't want to jump ship just for the iphone. Anyone agree with me?
  • Reply 43 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BlackSummerNight View Post


    I'm one of said AT&T users who wouldn't leave for another carrier. I get great service and customer support is pretty good.



    what planet are you on... It's nice to know AT&T found some place to provide good service with customer service to boot!! (The management idiots alone are their real demise... 'customers are trapped' comment, so typical of AT&T thinking)
  • Reply 44 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


    So what you're really saying is that you've had no experience with AT&T for a decade, and don't have an iPhone. So your opinion is based on...what exactly?



    In my 2+ years with an iPhone (3G, now 4) I've had decent AT&T coverage in my home area and very good coverage in my travels. Customer service has been excellent both via phone and at the local AT&T store.



    Count me in that majority that has no intention of switching, if and when that becomes an option.



    Your experience termed as 'decent' says it al. You are happy with inferior service and seem not to understand what 'good' service really is!! I can only agree with your comment of Customer service via phone. (they are really getting good at apologizing for the lack of service and frequency of dropped calls).
  • Reply 45 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by just_a_guy View Post


    I think the reason most people do not want to jump ship is the huge price tag that comes along with it. That's why people are saying they don't want to jump ship just for the iphone. Anyone agree with me?



    It is a major barrier, I agree. Those termination fees seem like just a waste of money, because it's paying to lose something, not to *get* anything.
  • Reply 46 of 66
    Yeah, I'm so awesome. I'm not worried they'll leave my party- because I've got them chained to the wall!!
  • Reply 47 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by robogobo View Post


    Yeah, I'm so awesome. I'm not worried they'll leave my party- because I've got them chained to the wall!!



    That's how I'm going to make *my* next party better. No leaving for you! Must stay until 4am singing karaoke!
  • Reply 48 of 66
    I have 8,000 rollover minutes from AT&T at the moment, and I have too many friends and family members with AT&T that don't require me to use minutes to call them that switching doesn't really make sense for me.
  • Reply 49 of 66
    My ass is gone. I'm selling my iPhone 4 on eBay for $700 and paying the $300 early termination fee.
  • Reply 50 of 66
    In related news, 23% of people say that they are masochists for dirt slow 3G.
  • Reply 51 of 66
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cubert View Post


    In related news, 23% of people say that they are masochists for dirt slow 3G.



    I barely use it as a phone so I?m looking forward to this extra room on these towers. While it?s still faster than Verizon can muster I can definitely see a drop in speed during peak hours.
  • Reply 52 of 66
    My wife, son, and in-laws have phones (4 total, all with data plans, unlimited text, 1,500+ minutes and we're paying $225/month.. Oh and our 5th phone is actually our home phone w/ T-Mobile.



    I'm on AT&T w/ the new iPhone 4 and am paying $150/month for unlimited data, unlimited text and unlimited voice.



    Where will I go when T-Mobile USA finally gets an iPhone? Its a no brainer, back to T-Mobile! After years of a buggy jailbroke iPhone, I switched to AT&T so I didn't have to jailbreak but its costing me double what I'm paying for FOUR phones (plus the home phone) on T-Mobile, ridiculous!
  • Reply 53 of 66
    The CEO is playing the part of the Flight Attendant on the plane that is about to crash. He wants everyone to cover their windows, buckle their seat belts and return their trays to an upright position. Was the Captain of the Titanic the first off the ship? Did the Captain of the Hindenburg have dinner plans for that evening? The CEO does not care about us but only the Billions of dollars AT&T made while it had an exclusive contract with Apple.



    I left AT&T for Verizon a few months before the original iPhone was released because of poor service. Unfortunately, V's software was horrible and I returned when the contract was up and I bought an iPhone. If Verizon yields to the same software on my current phone, I will drop AT&T like third period French. Thank you but no thank you Mr. CEO.
  • Reply 54 of 66
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    I, for one, will be happy to see all the haters jump ship and shack up with Verizon (or whatever other carrier Apple sees fit to open up the iPhone to). I've had nothing but very good to excellent coverage both at home, work and where I travel/commute. When there were minor issues or questions, AT&T customer service has been nothing but courteous, professional and of course, helpful. Sure I drop a few calls here and there, but I can honestly say, it's no more than when I was with Verizon (who still has crappy coverage by my house after all these years). I know everyone has different experiences, but I'm staying put with AT&T (especially since I just signed a new 2-year contract ).
  • Reply 55 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brandgreen View Post


    Your experience termed as 'decent' says it al. You are happy with inferior service and seem not to understand what 'good' service really is!! I can only agree with your comment of Customer service via phone. (they are really getting good at apologizing for the lack of service and frequency of dropped calls).



    Just because you have personally had bad experiences doesn't mean that everybody has bad experiences with AT&T. I get what I consider good service from AT&T. A lot of it depends on the area you live in. I live in a rural area so I don't have 3G service (but having 3G on drains my iPhone's battery faster so I usually have it turned off when in a 3G service area anyway).



    I am not on a contract (my iPhone 3GS was purchased factory unlocked in another country), so if and when Verizon gets the iPhone there are a few conditions they have to meet in order for me to even consider switching. 1. The iPhone must not be "tampered with" in any way, just like on AT&T. If even ONE THING is different and it is a result of Verizon's demands then it's a deal breaker. 2. Charges need to be comparable between the carriers. If Verizon nickels and dimes people the way they do with other phones then it is another deal breaker.



    Plain and simple. I don't want a branded phone. I don't want a phone that is crippled in order to force people to use overpriced services that are available for free in non-crippled firmware. If Verizon does either of those then I'll stick with AT&T.
  • Reply 56 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    AT&T's chief executive said Tuesday that he's not concerned about Apple's iPhone becoming available on other carriers in the U.S., because most customers are locked into long-term contracts.



    Speaking at an investor conference hosted by Goldman Sachs on Tuesday, Randall Stephenson admitted that the iPhone 4 is responsible for a great deal of the company's smartphone sales. But he also attempted to assure investors that his company will do well even after its exclusive agreement with Apple ends.



    According to MarketWatch, the CEO told investors that most iPhone users -- about two-thirds -- were already customers of AT&T. In addition, strong sales of devices like the iPhone 4 lock customers into two-year contracts, meaning they won't jump ship to an alternative carrier like Verizon.



    "If you look at the iPhone base, about 80 percent is either on a family-talk plan or in a business relationship with us," Stephenson reportedly said. "Those customers tend to be very sticky. They don't churn very quickly."



    Stephenson's comments come soon after Credit Suisse raised its price target for AT&T, citing a study showing that only 23 percent of AT&T iPhone customers would switch to Verizon if "given the chance." Another 3 percent would depart for Sprint, while 2 percent would stay with T-Mobile, but 63 percent said they would stay with AT&T.



    Neither AT&T nor Apple have publicly disclosed when their exclusive arrangement for the iPhone is set to expire, though numerous reports have indicated a potential January 2011 launch of an iPhone compatible with the CDMA wireless standard, which is what Verizon operates in the U.S. In terms of subscribers, Verizon is the largest wireless provider in the U.S., ahead of No. 2 AT&T.



    There have also been rumors of the iPhone becoming available on other, smaller carriers in the U.S., like T-Mobile, as soon as this fall. As exclusivity agreements for the iPhone have ended in other countries around the world, it has resulted in even greater sales for Apple.



    Earlier this year, AT&T, in federal filing, warned investors that exclusivity for "a number of attractive handsets" will end, but did not give specifics on phones or dates.



    In addition, in May, Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T's mobility and consumer markets division, downplayed the effect the loss of exclusivity would have on his company's business. Like Stephenson on Tuesday, he said earlier this year that family talk and business discount plans are "sticky" and keep customers with the carrier, regardless of options from other providers.



    Yea, of course most users won't switch, because you would have to pay $350! Another reason is that you would probably have to buy another iPhone capable of running on the Verizon CMA network. The current iPhone is not capable of running on the Verizon network.

    The only way Verizon would be able to get customers to really switch is to offer the new iPhone for free with a $350 rebate to pay off AT&T's contract. FAT CHANCE ON THAT HAPPENING!!!
  • Reply 57 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by UbiquitousGeek View Post


    I would personally like to see Sprint get an iPhone. They offer great rate plans for data users and have pretty decent coverage. They're also the most lenient towards customers with less than perfect credit. The highest deposits with Sprint, right now, are $50. Their 3G network is great and their 4G coverage is expanding rapidly enough. I sell AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Sprint is, by far, the easiest to sell. $129 for two lines, when Verizon's comparable plan is closer to $300? It's a no brainer, so long as coverage isn't an issue for the customer. Who cares if Verizon is the largest? It only depends on where YOU are going to use your device.



    And personally, I wouldn't want an iPhone with their retarded logo stamped all over it.



    I'm with you 100%. I left Sprint (going back to the Treo 300 days) for the iPhone 3G, and while all carriers have issues, I was most happy with Sprint. I find the coverage area with AT&T to be terrible. My work has me in many outlying areas without coverage. My work provided BlackBerry works fine, my iPhone leaves me SOL. Hard to make a case to my boss to switch to iPhones when most of the time you don't have coverage.
  • Reply 58 of 66
    So, I'm an outlier in every sense, according to this guy. I'm new to AT&T, came specifically for iPhone, and signed up for a family phone (two iphones and a kid phone). And yeah, I anticipate jumping ship as soon as there's an alternative.
  • Reply 59 of 66
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post


    My ass is gone. I'm selling my iPhone 4 on eBay for $700 and paying the $300 early termination fee.



    This is exactly why the ETF is irrelevant. My ebay profit will cover the ETF and the new device.
  • Reply 60 of 66
    I'm pretty happy with my AT&T Service and won't be cancelling. And i do think the ETF will be an issue for some people since alot of peoples hours at work have been cut back,etc. 325 may not be alot for one iPhone but if someone has a family plan then it is alot of money.



    Hope you guys that go to Verizon are happy you will just be freeing up bandwith for me to use.
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