Why Cingular Is Becoming AT&T Again

When the announcement first went over the newswires that Cingular would be returning to its previous status as part of the AT&T network, there was quite a bit of concern among dedicated Cingular customers nationwide. In addition, to be perfectly honest, this concern was to a large degree understandable. Since its inception, Cingular had made a name for itself in the industry as being a company that took an unusually proactive approach toward customer satisfaction. It's only natural, therefore, that some people might wonder if this customer-friendly approach would suffer once Cingular again became part of a massive corporation like AT&T.

The good news is that, almost immediately following the announcement of the merger, an aggressive public relations campaign was launched to assure people that all the great aspects that had defined Cingular previously would remain intact. Furthermore, Cingular subscribers were set to benefit from a wide range of services that only an established company of AT&T's caliber can provide. An audible sigh of relief could be heard on cellular phones from coast to coast.

The reasons that Cingular became such a popular alternative for customers who had grown weary of the treatment they received from other cellular carries were quite varied. The very unique culture and philosophy of this company was evident from the very start. Even from the eye-catching logo of an orange "symbol man," it was clear that Cingular would aim to humanize the process of individuals dealing with their cell phone carrier, a process that can all too often be an exercise in mechanistic frustration. However, the logo was only the beginning in terms of the changes Cingular was determined to bring to the marketplace.

What was truly revolutionary was when Cingular announced that it would be the only wireless company in existence that allows customer to keep their unused minutes. (Many people thought this must be a typo the first time they read about it, that's how innovative an idea it was at the time). The concept of applying "rollover" minutes (they automatically transfer to your account at the conclusion of a given month) was a tremendously exciting development in the world of cellular communications. The immediate result was a high level of interest in Cingular, even from people who previously had no major cause to complain about their cellular carrier.

Obviously, when it was announced that Cingular would be returning to the fold of AT&T, the first thing on the mind of many customers was whether or not the rollover policy would remain intact. These folks were mightily relieved to learn that there will be no change in this regard, and their unused minutes will still transfer each month. In addition to that, a Cingular customer will now benefit from the largest international coverage of any U.S. carrier. Furthermore, customers will be rewarded for their loyalty, becoming eligible for a Free Camera Phone with the purchase of two-year contract and online discount.

It seems quite clear that the reunification of Cingular with AT&T is an excellent development for people who've come to rely on top-notch cell phone service and customer support. Sometimes change really is a good thing, after all.

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