I went into the AT&T Wireless store to have a simple question answered. I was "greeted" by one of the customer service people standing behind a desk, a middle aged man whose name was "Amir" (though I cannot recall his last name.) His greeting was unfriendly; he sounded as if he was bored with his job and had better things to do. During the transaction, I mentioned my decision to leave AT&T next month in favor of Sprint. This is a decision I'd made after nearly a year of researching other companies, getting feedback from others, and generally growing displeasure (since the "name change") with the lowered quality of nationwide coverage I am able to obtain while traveling the interstates (I am a truck driver, I travel throughout the lower 48).

Amir asked me why I was cancelling AT&T. I expressed a few of my reasons. While I was speaking, Amir did not look me in the eyes. In fact, he was literally staring out the window, over my shoulder. He continued to do this while I briefly explained my dissatisfaction with my service. When I finished... he actually turned his head, LOOKED MY HUSBAND IN THE EYE... AND BEGAN EXPLAINING *TO HIM* WHY I WAS "WRONG" FOR LEAVING AT&T. My husband just stood there looking dumbfounded, as he had not engaged in the conversation prior to this.

Yet Amir refused to speak directly to me, preferring instead to speak to my husband as if my husband were making my decisions for me. He offered no advice, no help... none of the typical "salesman stuff" I'm used to hearing. I was expecting something along the lines of "I'm sorry you're dissatisfied, let me see if there's anything I can offer you to get you to change your mind and keep your service?" None of that. Just arguments... Sprint was bad, Sprint had no coverage, Sprint laid off employees, I would certainly end up unhappy with Sprint, my *phone* was the cause of all of my problems, if I'd just renew my contract for another 2 years and buy a new phone it'd all be better (I'd heard that line before).

Mind you, I've had my wireless broadband (air card) through Sprint for 8 months now, and it offers me high-speed in the most unbelievably rural places. Meanwhile, a friend of mine (another trucker) uses AT&T's air card and can't send emails in metro St. Louis. I have no fewer than 3 fellow truck driver friends who use Sprint and on occasions where we have traveled together, I dropped more calls and had less service than they do. This is not a decision I took lightly after 3 years as a (happy!) Cingular customer. I found that in my experience, the name isn't all that changed when Cingular turned to AT&T, and I chose to leave.

I've honestly never been so disrespected by a sales associate in my life. To be blatantly ignored, talked over, and treated as if I were an impudent child, left me reeling with anger. After that experience, I don't care if every other cell phone provider in the country goes out of business leaving only AT&T... I will resort to smoke signals and Pony Express as a means of communication before I ever go back.

I spoke to the manager and will be writing a letter to AT&T directly; a customer service rep at the call center gave me the address. I just figured I'd spread the word.