Calling any cell-phone expert!!

[Brad Johnson]

I have two phones on my plan - a newer Audiovox digital and an older Motorola MicroTac 650 analog (mounted in my car with an amplifier). I want to swap numbers on the phones - literally. I want to take the numbers the phones are currently assigned and swap them, one to the other. My provider (Cellular One, now AllTel) says they can't do it because the old phone is analog. I refuse to believe that is the case or I wouldn't be able to use the old phone on the system at all.

Anyone with advice? And PLEASE!!.. I don't want this to be a "use a difference service provider" thread unless there is actual techinical info included.

Thanks in advance!
Brad

[cfabe]

Unfortunately you're going to have a very hard / impossible time finding anyone who will provide you new service on your analog cell phone. Alltel probably considers switching the phone numbers to be the same as signing up a new service. About the only carriers left that will turn up a new service on an existing analog cell phone are some of the bring-your-own-phone prepaid carriers, but given your line of work I'm assuming that doing prepaid is probably out of the question. The prepaid guys can probably port in your existing number, though, so that would be about the only way I can think to get it to happen.

Might be time for an upgrade. The analog AMPS network is going to start being phased out next year anyway. There are car install kits and amplifiers available for the newer digital phones.

[Brad Johnson]

It's not that they won't - they say they can't.  They claim their system literally won't accept any changes in relation to the old analog phone. They say the only reason I have service now is because the phone was activated before their system changeover (to digital). If the phone ever craps the bed there is no way to shift the number over to another analog phone. It will have to be digital or nothing.

I have a hard time believing that the numbers can't be swapped into a phone that currently working on the system - digital or not - but I don't know enough about the system or the electronics involved to dispute their claim. I was hoping someone here at APS could 'splain it to me - good, bad, or otherwise.

Brad

[cfabe]

Check in at howardforums.com, if anybody will be able to answer this to the level you're looking for, it'll be someone there.

[mtnbkr]

In all likelyhood, this administrative issue has been hardcoded into the ordering system so the folks that process adds/changes/deletes CAN'T do this.  However, if you bug Customer Service, they might find a way to help you.  The folks in the store are nearly helpless other than what their computers tell them to do.  Call Corporate and complain to them. They may be able to help.

Chris

[Brad Johnson]

Had that thought, too. I fired off an e-mail to them just a couple of minutes ago. Not expecting a lot, though.

Brad

[mtnbkr]

An email is too easy to dismiss.  Call them.  Get a human on the phone.  Point out how much you spend on their services each month.

I used that technique to my advantage in order to use Verizon's "New Every Two" promotion to get my wife a new phone.  Since her's is the secondary on a family share plan, it didn't qualify.  I pointed out that my wireless data card qualified and was due, but there was no reason to replace the card (no real upgrade path at the time).  I convinced them to use the card's NET bonus to pay for my wife's phone.  I tried the same thing at the store and the manager basically told me to pound sand.  I called Verizon Customer Service and gave them the spiel, pointed out how much I spend on VW services, etc ($200/month and sometimes more at the time).  They put a note in my account for the manager to honor my wishes.  You just have to get the ear of a human being...

Chris

[Vodka7]

I work for a similar company in a different field, and I would bet money that mtnbkr is 100% correct.  Once a plan gets phased out, the rate codes for it disappear from the system--they stay on current accounts but can't be swapped, added, or kept on a current account that wants to change anything else.  No one can restore them below a call center director, and even then they're not allowed to.  You can expect to spend a very long time on the phone talking to a lot of people just to be told no every step of the way.

Calling in isn't futile though.  If they work anything like we do, you'll eventually get offered the best they can give you, which my guess would be is a free entry level digital phone.  I'd give up on getting your numbers swapped and keeping the same physical phones, as it just isn't going to happen.

And by the way, don't waste your time threatening anyone below an assistant supervisor or supervisor with cancelling your service.  I promise the drones do not give a flying you-know-what if you cancel, and they are not rewarded at all for making a customer happy.

[Brad Johnson]

Ask and ye shall receive!

AllTel responded to my e-mail with the generic "You need to contact our customer service at..."

*Grumble. Grumble." Okay, I'll give it a shot.

Would you believe that it took under a minute to get someone with a pulse on the phone. The VERY nice young lady I first spoke with had my account switched immediately. She transferred me directly to their upper-level tech support people who had me up and programmed in no time. And I even have a companion/group ring feature I didn't know I had (all the phones ring at the same time instead of having to use call forwarding).

OUTSTANDING! And both the folks I talked to were way beyond nice.

Brad

[Antibubba]

But, at the same time, the lower-level folk weren't lying to you.  They were either ignorant of such a change being possible (since such knowledge wasn't in their department), or they were told it was a long process that would raise their Handle Time, and it would be much better for them (and for you, AFATWC) to simply upgrade to a new digital device.

The Squeaky Wheel!

[Brad Johnson]

They were either ignorant of such a change being possible (since such knowledge wasn't in their department), or they were told it was a long process that would raise their Handle Time

Very much agree. The local sales and service staff know only as much as their corporate handlers want them too, and corporate wants everyone on digital so they can stop having to support the analog service.

To their credit, the local folks have always been nice. They just didn't know.

Brad