Adios, Alltel in Charlottesville!
Well, we've got just a couple of days to go here in the heart of central Virginia before Alltel is no longer available as an option for new service.
In the final analysis, Alltel was a superior service. The phones weren't all that exciting, but certainly more than adequate. When I was outside an Alltel market I never had a problem picking up a signal unless I was out in the middle of nowhere, in a building that prevented a signal from getting to my phone, etc. In other words, the phone functioned pretty normally.
It makes all the sense in the world, at this point, that Alltel should join forces with/succumb to Verizon. It had to happen sooner or later. Alltel has had no rudder since selling out to the financial holding companies a couple of years ago to gain capital for the frequency auction at which they won nothing, as well as an opportunity to get money to pay down some debt, a chronic problem in the cellular phone business.
The down side is if the Alltel top brass are not staying with Verizon, and why should they, they are getting out with a boatload of money, their "golden parachutes". Not so, from what I hear, for middle management and below. These folks will have to adapt to a new, a higher, and a more stringent standard. Verizon Corporate takes crap from NO ONE, and if you don't play by their rules, you're going to be history in short order. It will be interesting to see how the indirect dealers who will formerly be Alltel stores deal with Verizon's indirect sales representatives who will call on the indirect channels.
Overall, I couldn't be happier. I'm just an old guy waiting to retire in a few years who uses a cell phone for the primary purpose...to make and take phone calls. I have a digital camera, I don't want or need an mp3 player, I send e-mails on the computer when necessary, and all the other applications...how have I managed to get this far in life without them?
I am hopeful that Verizon disappoints no one in the takeover, but it's likely someone is going to be pissed. We will just have to wait and see who.
RIP Alltel.
In the final analysis, Alltel was a superior service. The phones weren't all that exciting, but certainly more than adequate. When I was outside an Alltel market I never had a problem picking up a signal unless I was out in the middle of nowhere, in a building that prevented a signal from getting to my phone, etc. In other words, the phone functioned pretty normally.
It makes all the sense in the world, at this point, that Alltel should join forces with/succumb to Verizon. It had to happen sooner or later. Alltel has had no rudder since selling out to the financial holding companies a couple of years ago to gain capital for the frequency auction at which they won nothing, as well as an opportunity to get money to pay down some debt, a chronic problem in the cellular phone business.
The down side is if the Alltel top brass are not staying with Verizon, and why should they, they are getting out with a boatload of money, their "golden parachutes". Not so, from what I hear, for middle management and below. These folks will have to adapt to a new, a higher, and a more stringent standard. Verizon Corporate takes crap from NO ONE, and if you don't play by their rules, you're going to be history in short order. It will be interesting to see how the indirect dealers who will formerly be Alltel stores deal with Verizon's indirect sales representatives who will call on the indirect channels.
Overall, I couldn't be happier. I'm just an old guy waiting to retire in a few years who uses a cell phone for the primary purpose...to make and take phone calls. I have a digital camera, I don't want or need an mp3 player, I send e-mails on the computer when necessary, and all the other applications...how have I managed to get this far in life without them?
I am hopeful that Verizon disappoints no one in the takeover, but it's likely someone is going to be pissed. We will just have to wait and see who.
RIP Alltel.
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Now that it's all said and done, I miss Alltel. The quota system was much nicer, as were the payouts. Oddly enough, I actually miss the multiple systems now. Running an inventory check, doing an xbm, changing a rate plan, and upgrading a phone all at one time was nice. I know you can sort of do the same things in Net Ace, but it's not the same.
It's just not the same being stuck in a kiosk after being in a "premier" store.
It's just not the same being stuck in a kiosk after being in a "premier" store.
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