Cell Phone Service

[Cole]

What is everybody paying and what company do you have the service with?

Just on my phone I pay anywhere from $350-$800 :shock:

[Rich]

:shock: You're getting screwed. My company phone costs the company about $54 / month through Nextel. My personal phone through Verizon costs $49 plus some federal fees.

[Mike Finley]

Qwest - about $60 a month.

[Cole]

How many minutes are you getting with your plans?

[Rich]

Nextel I get unlimited direct connect and 1000 minutes for cellphone - free nights and weekends.
Verizon - 1000 anytime minutes and free IN calling.
Last month I had 53 minutes cell time and 40 minutes direct connect.
I'm more of an in-your-face talker though - would rather crush this damn phone :)

[Cole]

Rich, my secretary just informed me the amount of minutes I use on my cell phone. Last month I used 6000 minutes and the month before that I used around 8000.

I wish somebody would come out with a plan that is unlimited all around. I would pay 120-150 for it.

For my office plan (10 cellphones with service) I pay $390 a month for all of those.

And I pay $120 for 2 800 numbers.

Am I getting ripped, i know that the office plan is great. Got a buddy that works for sprint.

[Rich]

6000 minutes in one month? Let's assume you work 8 hours a day for 20 days a month - 9600 minutes... you're spending too much time on the phone :) I'm sure you work more than 8 a day but even if you double it to 19200 minutes worked that's 36% of the time on the phone considering 7000 average minutes.

[Cole]

Never looked at it like that. Wow, i am on the phone to much, time to cut back.

[Mike Finley]

400 minutes I believe, haven't gone over... yet. But I'm like Rich, I don't spend more time on the phone then I need to. It is stricktly used for business.

If you have 10 phones for emplyees wouldn't it make sense to look at using those Nextel type phones that don't charge you or count your minutes when you are talking to other phones on your plan? I always thought that made sense economoically.

[Rich]

My issue with phones is they are so inefficient at conveying information. You can talk for an hour trying to explain a simple thing to somebody - but for some reason or another it never really gets through. Nothing better than standing in front of someone showing them exactly what you are wanting. Phones of any sort are good for 1-2 minute conversations. Nextel type (push and talk) phones are good for 1-60 second conversations such as .. hey where you at? or I'm headed to the other jobsite be back in a bit.

[Cole]

Im going to look into Nextel because I cant pay cingular any more money, half of the time my phone doesnt work or they find some other way to over charge me.

[grumpy]

I will say this until I am blue in the face. The actual phone you purchase is as important as the carrier (service provider).

If you get the cheap freebie phone, expect to have poor service no matter how good the prodiver.

I have used Nextel in the past and will never go back to them. I lost sales because of them. I experienced dropped call after dropped call after dropped call. The reception was never all that good anyways. I wouldn't use Nextel again if the phone was free, it's not worth the frustration.

I have Cingular now and I have no complaints. I have been with cingular for a few years, and AT&T before nextel. At&T is now owned by Cingular.

[Cole]

Yes grumpy, I agree. I never get the free phone that always comes with the plan, i upgrade everytime. My agent for our phones keeps telling me not to leave because they will get the problems fixed within a couple of weeks,(something about overloading the system for the Dallas area.)

[Rich]

As I've stated earlier - the company I work for has had excellent service with Nextel and uses them nationwide.
But Nextel is good for the 2 way radio more than the phone. Now Verizon has a similar feature as nextel called Push To Talk - I don't know how it compares to Nextel as far as quality. I know the one phone that they have is 199 for a 2 year commitment.

[grumpy]

Verizon, or is it sprint, are merging with nextel.

I share 2000 day minutes per month with my soon to be wife. I use about 1200 a month. I am not sure about nights or weekends because those are free and not tracked.

[Rich]

:) I can't imagine spending that much time on the phone.

[Cole]

Is that to me, to be honest with you Rich, 80% of the time it is with something involving work, and the other 20 is family, friends, etc...

[Rich]

You and Grumpy.. I don't doubt it has to do with work. If it was all family I would really worry about you :)

[grumpy]

Subs, customers, suppliers... That's the bulk of my calls. I am a loner. I almost never call my friends they call me. I'm content sitting home working. I go out when my fiance makes me or one of my friends invites me, but it's almost never my idea.

I guess I am not really a loner I just enjoy working. I'd really have to guesstimate that mine is more than 80% work since I have mobile to molbile with my fiance and brother and they would be the only family I regularly call.

[Tom R]

I got Sprint, - - about $33/month for 300 minutes, - - though I've never gone over about 30 minutes in a month, - - I don't even give the number out, - - I just use it to 'make' calls, - - business only, - - I'm with Rich, - - 'crushing' it is tempting! Cell phones are like TV's, - - basically just wasting your life away!