What's the company culture at U.S. Cellular?

Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at U.S. Cellular?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at U.S. Cellular?

This company does not have culture. don't waste your time with them. They will treat you poorly. by the way if you work for verizon they will hire you.

The company is great but the call centers are going to hell, quickly. They say we are an open company, but if you are open, you are gone. They continue to get rid of all the strong leaders we have. You never see the director or managers, so how can you be open with them, you never see them, let alone trust them, because you don't even know them. They get rid of all our good coaches and keep the ones that don't do anything and the managers that don't do anything too. Knoxville won awards every quarter in 2005, and that had never been done before. Then they got rid of the director and managers, in the first part of 2006, and it has all gone down hill. Morale is aweful, and they are dumb enough to think it is getting better. They are messing with peoples lives.

The culture at the company is a Dynamic Organization. It is a good vision for the company but too many associates do not follow the culture model by the use of passive-aggressive behavior (say one thing to one person and something different to another). It is difficult to trust anyone since someone can burn your bridge at any moment and you have no recourse.

THIS COMPANY AND THE CULTURE AT THE BOLINGBROOK, ILLINOIS LOCATION IS AWFUL. THEY TREAT YOU LIKE YOU ARE IN THE 1ST GRADE. THE ASSOCIATES DRESS LIKE THEY WORK IN A GAS STATION AND THEY WILL FIRE YOU IF YOU ARE 1 MINUTE LATE FOR WORK. I WONDER IF <Edited by Host: Name Removed> REALIZES HOW POOR HIS DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION REALLY IS. ALSO, THE US CELLULAR WIRELESS SERVICE REALLY SUCKS. DO NOT BOTHER TO APPLY FOR THIS COMPANY, YOU WOULD BE WASTING YOUR TIME. IT IS AS LOW LEVEL AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY GO.

DO NOT WORK FOR US CELLULAR IN WAUKESHA. ALL THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE CALL CENTERS ARE COMPLETELY TRUE. I WENT FROM PLANNING TO WORK THERE THE REST OF MY LIFE, FEELING LIKE THE WORST DAY THERE WAS BETTER THAN MY BEST DAY AT ANY OTHER JOB, AND BEING ONE SUPERVISORS FIRST FAR EXCEEDS EVALUATION TO BEING RELIEVED ABOUT GETTING FIRED!!!!!!! THE COMMENT ABOUT WONDERING WHO IS GOING TO BE NEXT TO LOSE THEIR JOB IS RIGHT ON ABOUT THE CALL CENTER IN WAUKESHA. I HEARD THAT AFTER I LEFT, ONE GUY GOT SO STESSED, HE LOGGED OFF A CALL AND WALKED OUT. ANOTHER ONE OF MY CO WORKERS GOT PHYSICALLY ILL EVERYTIME SHE ENTERED THE PARKING LOT. THE PERSON WHO SAT NEXT TO ME WAS FIRED A FEW WEEKS AFTER ME. SUPPOSEDLY BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HE DID 3 YEARS EARLIER. YET THE SUPERVISOR WHO FIRED HIM TOLD ANOTHER EMPLOYEE THAT HE FELT THE EMPLOYEE WAS "TOO OLD" FOR THE "TEAM". THIS GENTLEMAN AND I ARE BOTH OVER 40, SO WE ARE IN A PROTECTED CLASS I CANT SAY I NEVER MADE ANY MISTAKES, BUT I CAN DARN WELL SAY THAT I NEVER MADE ANY THAT WEREN'T MADE BY THE FOLKS THERE WHO ARE UNDER 40... AND WHO STILL WORK THERE. IF YOU ARE DECENT, HARD WORKING, AND CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU PROVIDE, DON'T WORK FOR US CELL, THEY AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!

MARY ANN said: THIS COMPANY AND THE CULTURE AT THE BOLINGBROOK, ILLINOIS LOCATION IS AWFUL. THEY TREAT YOU LIKE YOU ARE IN THE 1ST GRADE. THE ASSOCIATES DRESS LIKE THEY WORK IN A GAS STATION AND THEY WILL FIRE YOU IF YOU ARE 1 MINUTE LATE FOR WORK. I WONDER IF JACK ROONEY REALIZES HOW POOR HIS DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION REALLY IS. ALSO, THE US CELLULAR WIRELESS SERVICE REALLY SUCKS. DO NOT BOTHER TO APPLY FOR THIS COMPANY, YOU WOULD BE WASTING YOUR TIME. IT IS AS LOW LEVEL AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY GO.

I remember how happy we were when you guys started taking calls down there. waukesha and cedar were really getting the brunt of it.I also remember some of our coaches who went down there. I know one was fired. The other one, I trained, when I was mentor to new reps. As for the "dynamic organization", lets face it, hanging up signs to tell the world you are great is kind of like putting bumper stickers on your car that say you are beautiful or a Christian. If you really were either, there would be no need to announce it, it would be evident to all. If putting up signs made something true, I would just put on a tshirt that says Im young, skinny and tall!

USCC in Tuttle, Oklahoma said: The culture at the company is a Dynamic Organization. It is a good vision for the company but too many associates do not follow the culture model by the use of passive-aggressive behavior (say one thing to one person and something different to another). It is difficult to trust anyone since someone can burn your bridge at any moment and you have no recourse.

dont say anything because what is right today is wrong tomorrow. I figured that out by comparing my termination paper to my last evaluation... everything that made me get a far exceeds one year got me fired the next.

Company culture? There is no such thing at US Cellular. You are given a job at a rather low rate of pay compared to other jobs in the Milwaukee area, and you are in constant fear of losing your job, no matter how well you perform. If you are intelligent don't you dare let it show.

I was reprimanded for speaking to a customer at their level, and used the word "ancillary". The customer understood what I had said, but my coach (supervisor) didn't. She came to me after the call and told me that I couldn't use words like that. A conversation ensued where she called it "The enhanced use of language". If you enhance something, doesn't that mean you make it better? Needless to say it wasn't long after that, a month tops, that I found myself being walked out of the building by management for failing to meet a monthly metric expectation on a daily basis.

IMO, you're better off looking for a job elsewhere. When I was fired, I was making 12.39/hour. A month after I was let go I got a job doing exactly the same thing for 15.14/hour and I don't worry about losing my job here, and my intelligence is actually respected and encouraged.

may I ask where you are working? and do they have any openings? Just in case my new field doesn't work out

are most of you guys discussing your experiences in a customer-service-type call center or another type of situation? I just got hired to work in a U.S. Cellular retail store; should i be scared?

I really cant say.. I tend to think that because retail stores are smaller environments, it may be more the manager who makes it a good/bad place to work. But I'd love to share some advice with you... stuff we always wish was noted by retail but seldom was. Advise the cstmr to hang on to their contract. if there is any dispute over services or cost, we will go by that, and it can take forever to pull a copy. Note the account with anything you tell the customer. Note that you gave them a brochure with the contract, and that the customer told you they understood everything before they left the store.... and make sure they do! please tell them their first bill will be larger than most as they will be paying for a partial month and the next full month... let them know we bill ahead for services. Don't assume the customer knows what roaming is. If a promo feature doesn't work while roaming, tell them. Tell them when their cycle closes, and that they should get a bill withing 10-12 days of that date, and if they don't, they should call. If you aren't sure of something, call, I don't know about those who are left in the call center, or at the help desk, but I always said I would rather answer the same question from the same rep a million times than talk to an angry customer because a rep was too embarassed to call and ask. Oh, and any promos that have expiration dates, be sure to tell them... did I say note the account? remember, if you didn't write it, you didn't say it.

It is interesting to read these comments. I was a sales manager and was forced to resign or be fired last June because my 25 year old boss did not believe I believed in the company(I guess that is why I kept my service there after I left)--I had built this store since we started in a kiosk and transitioned to a real store being the only constant--but none of this was considered because middle managers in this company are one of the least secure positions. They also like to hire very young and inexperienced people for management positions who do not know how to effectively deal with some personnel issues. To put it simply, some people let some power go to their heads and it was easier to just can people than try to make it better. The dreams of the dynamic organization propaganda that is such a part of this company all came crashing down as the curtains came down and you see what is behind the scenes really. I am really surprised that I actually believed a company could function that way at all. To the post that asked if he should be afraid--probably not as long as you don't rock the boat and you do not enter into management.

wow, isn't it funny(weird funny, not haha funny)how the comments have a similar thread? Even from different regions and different branches.sales customer service, all the same.. I have heard the comment about mid management before. From my limited management expereience, I think lower to midmanagement is always a frequent target for firing, that is why I continually said I didn't want to go above helpdesk @us cell. That being said, I have heard that many midmanagement people at us cell live in fear. And yes, they are all still under 30. I'd advise that person who wanted to know if he should be afraid to nod and smile, learn as much as he can, and keep his/her resume updated. Keep copies of ALL emails in a file away from the jobsite. Plan on this job being temporary, and take advantage of any benefits you can. ESPECIALLY THE 401 K

I have to agree that US Cellular should only be a transitional type position. When I started in CS, it was part time just to get me through school. When life events changed my financial situation, I went to full time CS....then was "VolunTOLD" to do temporary HD assistance...then pushed to apply for pipeline......needless to say I regret the day I put in my application, and even moreso the day I signed my Coach acceptance letter. I'm in my mid-20's and due to that position, and the managment around me, I developed extremely high blood pressure, a panic/ anxiety disorder, and my (maybe once a month) migraines, became a three or more times a week event - causing me to need FMLA - which is like the kiss of death at the USCC. Funny thing is, since I quit 6 months ago, I haven't had A SINGLE migraine, I've been taken OFF blood pressure medication and I haven't had a stress-related panic attack.

Having been in midmanagment there, I will testify that I did live in fear - b/c if i did actually see my manager, it was only to give me more (of her) work to do, to gripe about something, or to tell me how bad I was doing, even though, I did my job, and that of others, w/o complaint and how/when I was supposed to. The comments about the things that far exceeded you or what got you promoted - end up getting you fired, are so true. The pay is good (for this area), the benefits are great - but only use this company as a stepping stone to help you get to a "real" job.

oh, my God, DeRee, its EXACTLY like the Waukesha call center. Glad to hear the coaches... a.k.a jerks, buttheads and mostly unprintable things suffer thru the same things as the people below them. Guess its true about doo doo rolling down hill. IM migraine free now, too.

glad Im not there anymore in Janesville, Wisconsin said: wow, isn't it funny(weird funny, not haha funny)how the comments have a similar thread? Even from different regions and different branches.sales customer service, all the same.. I have heard the comment about mid management before. From my limited management expereience, I think lower to midmanagement is always a frequent target for firing, that is why I continually said I didn't want to go above helpdesk @us cell. That being said, I have heard that many midmanagement people at us cell live in fear. And yes, they are all still under 30. I'd advise that person who wanted to know if he should be afraid to nod and smile, learn as much as he can, and keep his/her resume updated. Keep copies of ALL emails in a file away from the jobsite. Plan on this job being temporary, and take advantage of any benefits you can. ESPECIALLY THE 401 K

Also I might add, document anything and everything when you have interaction with another employee. I found out they were keeping a file of my e-mails and phone calls asking questions as to why something was implemented. Their answer was they hire people to make these decisions and we aren't to question their decisions. They refered to it as I didn't respect their decisions instead of see another side of the equasion. If you don't agree with them, you will be dismissed. Mark my words on this one. Look at their employee turnover!

USCC in Tuttle, Oklahoma said: The culture at the company is a Dynamic Organization. It is a good vision for the company but too many associates do not follow the culture model by the use of passive-aggressive behavior (say one thing to one person and something different to another). It is difficult to trust anyone since someone can burn your bridge at any moment and you have no recourse.

We had a 25 year old "expert" who told us he was to be our consultant and advisor. He just applied for another job and will be leaving in 2 weeks. His boss was a 30 year old lady who dished out directives, smiled at you, told you nice things, and stabbed you in the back by denying what she had agreed on, put high objectives on us, and then critized us for not obtaining them. They are good at patting you on the back and then jerking the rug out from underneath you. Her boss, who was a pretty decent individual, just got fired and, of course, they won't talk about why she was fired. She must not have kissed-a** with the right people. A**-kissers are plentiful within US Cell.

voicefromwithin in New Hartford, Iowa said: Also I might add, document anything and everything when you have interaction with another employee. I found out they were keeping a file of my e-mails and phone calls asking questions as to why something was implemented. Their answer was they hire people to make these decisions and we aren't to question their decisions. They refered to it as I didn't respect their decisions instead of see another side of the equasion. If you don't agree with them, you will be dismissed. Mark my words on this one. Look at their employee turnover!

I found this comment very interesting in light of many of us former employees being criticized by some people on here for not going along with things, not going with the flow, etc. You were told you "didn't respect their decisions" because you questioned why they were made. Believe it or not, there was a time when management was made to wear buttons that said ask me why. this is a sterling example of whats right today being wrong tomorrow, or them saying one thing and doing another. Thats another reason why they fire people who have been there any length of time, especially from the time when Jack and company first took over. They KNOW they told us we SHOULD hold them accountable, and now that they've changed their minds, they just get rid of the "old schoolers". As to the comment about the decent boss getting fired, thats very familiar as well. Some people may think we say these folks were decent because we were their "pets". NOt so. Most of the fired managers I know of weren't all that friendly with anyone, but they were fair and objective, and were at least willing to listen to you. IN Waukesha and Madison, these were always the first to go, and were always replaced with incompetent idiots.
Finally, realize that your coach can see any email that comes in or out of your computer almost immediately, and any call has the chance to be recorded.

Wow, there are a lot of ex-employees angry with U.S. Cellular. Aren't all ex-employees mad at the companies where they used to work? I have worked for USC for several years and I think it's a great place. It is a call center people, so the job requires you to talk to both pleasant and hateful people all day long. If you don't like that type of work, go somewhere else. When you have worked out in the sun and heat doing manual labor then get a job in a call center, suddenly you realize how good you actually have it. Full Medical Insurance (about $23.00 a pay check), full Dental Insurance, a Vision plan, you can listen to a radio at your desk, they bring in food all the time, you get 2 weeks of Vacation, 1 week of Personal time, and 48 hours of Sick time to use per year. You can park your car within feet of the entrance. Your free cell phone account has unlimited minutes of use. All they ask of you is to be at work on time and follow the FCC privacy policy. Just do your job and you can retire there...period. I think the pay and bonus structure is terrific, especially since they give you a private desk (you don't share it with anyone) with over head storage and file cabinets, a comfortable chair, and a climate controlled environment. I don't know why so many people are upset, but I can tell you from their comments that the right decision was made to show them the door. Get over it people !!!

keepin_it_real in Tulsa, Oklahoma said: Wow, there are a lot of ex-employees angry with U.S. Cellular. Aren't all ex-employees mad at the companies where they used to work? I have worked for USC for several years and I think it's a great place. It is a call center people, so the job requires you to talk to both pleasant and hateful people all day long. If you don't like that type of work, go somewhere else. When you have worked out in the sun and heat doing manual labor then get a job in a call center, suddenly you realize how good you actually have it. Full Medical Insurance (about $23.00 a pay check), full Dental Insurance, a Vision plan, you can listen to a radio at your desk, they bring in food all the time, you get 2 weeks of Vacation, 1 week of Personal time, and 48 hours of Sick time to use per year. You can park your car within feet of the entrance. Your free cell phone account has unlimited minutes of use. All they ask of you is to be at work on time and follow the FCC privacy policy. Just do your job and you can retire there...period. I think the pay and bonus structure is terrific, especially since they give you a private desk (you don't share it with anyone) with over head storage and file cabinets, a comfortable chair, and a climate controlled environment. I don't know why so many people are upset, but I can tell you from their comments that the right decision was made to show them the door. Get over it people !!!

by the way, I did frequently have to share my desk with others, the climate control involved cold air shooting down my neck, and our insurance at Waukesha was far more costly than what you report. I planned to retire from there..after all, I was the one they quoted as saying my worst day there was better than my best day at any other job.. so before you judge those who were terminated for trumped up reasons, remember many of us felt as happy as you do now.

Jane Doe in Janesville, Wisconsin said: by the way, I did frequently have to share my desk with others, the climate control involved cold air shooting down my neck, and our insurance at Waukesha was far more costly than what you report. I planned to retire from there..after all, I was the one they quoted as saying my worst day there was better than my best day at any other job.. so before you judge those who were terminated for trumped up reasons, remember many of us felt as happy as you do now.

Hey Tulsa,
Remember you could be the next one out the door. Don't say we didn't tell you so! Hey, and if it's such a great place what are you doing this job site???????

I don't think Jane Doe really bothered to read many of the comments here. Jane, the problem isn't dealing with rude, nasty and hateful customers. If that was a problem we wouldn't even have worked in the call centers. Yes, it is bad enough when you have to deal with unhappy customers who call you every 4-letter word in the book, but having your coach behave as though he's your best friend while secretly planning on having you fired is downright awful.

At first I was thrilled with my employment at U.S. Cellular. I would always think "This is just too good to be true".

What I didn't realize then that my intuition was right.

There's the culture that they preach about, and then there's the REAL company culture where everyone is terrified of being fired, and are forced to tell customers one thing, while they mean another.

Things only got worse in the Waukesha call center when "multi-site routing" when implemented. Supposedly it was to ease the burden on all call centers. All it really accomplished was astronomically higher hold times, absolutely NO time to catch your breath between calls, and confusion on the part of retail locations.

I remember the girl who sat next to me dared to argue with our coach during a Q.A. session about using slang with a customer when she did not. Not surprisingly, she was walked out the building a few days later.

As someone said earlier, we were all happy for a time when we worked at the call centers, but many of us were actually relieved when we found ourselves walked out the building. You just may find yourself in the same situation one day.

Sorry I didn't mean to address you, Jane Doe. It was directed towards keepin_it_real

thats ok, its nice to hear from someone else who feels exactly like I did. I was there for 6.5 years, so I remember the good times, before all the "improvements" that were really just the opposite. I loved your "intuition" comment. I wonder if you felt like you must be going insane, "feeling" like your boss was out to get you, but on the surface everything is all "nicey-nice". I actually felt relieved when my husband, not known for instincts, met my coach, and said "that guy hates you". Imagine being "relieved" to hear something like that! But at least I knew I wasn't paranoid! Before I worked for us cell, Ameritech was the provider of landline phone service in the midwest. I remember when I went totally cellular, how happy Iwas to get Ameritech out of my life forever, they were such rude idiots when you called for help. Now, I don't know when Jack ran Ameritech with all his buddies who now work for us cell, but I can tell you, Im starting to feel the same way about being a us cell customer, and you know, I don't think thats a coincidence.

I seriously think that Jack needs to reevaluate how 'dynamic' his organization really is. I'm sure he and the other bigshots have noticed the astonishingly high turnaround rate with employees.

When I was in training Jack visited the Waukesha call center. Our class was told that Jack would stop by and visit our class. Jack came to the building, but never visited our class. Then later in the year came our all employee meeting. Basically all it is is Jack, Jay, and the rest of them standing on stage talking about how great and 'dynamic' U.S. Cell is. That's when I began thinking that Jack is full of hot air.

While I was there I heard mention from a coach that the churn rate was rapidly increasing and first call resolution was DEcreasing. Instead of firing people, couldn't they just revamp the whole training program? That would make much more sense to me.

Jane, my advice to you is not to renew your contract with U.S. Cellular when it is up. When I was let go I was told that if I wanted to keep my cell phone service I would have to visit a retail store and sign a customer contract. I told my coach and that H.R. person Sandy that I'd pay whatever expenses I owed on my account, but after that they would never see a red cent from me again as I would be signing a contract with Verizon. So far I haven't had NY problems whatsoever!

C Dizzle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: I seriously think that Jack needs to reevaluate how 'dynamic' his organization really is. I'm sure he and the other bigshots have noticed the astonishingly high turnaround rate with employees.

When I was in training Jack visited the Waukesha call center. Our class was told that Jack would stop by and visit our class. Jack came to the building, but never visited our class. Then later in the year came our all employee meeting. Basically all it is is Jack, Jay, and the rest of them standing on stage talking about how great and 'dynamic' U.S. Cell is. That's when I began thinking that Jack is full of hot air.

While I was there I heard mention from a coach that the churn rate was rapidly increasing and first call resolution was DEcreasing. Instead of firing people, couldn't they just revamp the whole training program? That would make much more sense to me.

Jane, my advice to you is not to renew your contract with U.S. Cellular when it is up. When I was let go I was told that if I wanted to keep my cell phone service I would have to visit a retail store and sign a customer contract. I told my coach and that H.R. person Sandy that I'd pay whatever expenses I owed on my account, but after that they would never see a red cent from me again as I would be signing a contract with Verizon. So far I haven't had NY problems whatsoever!

Ha, I bet the person who spoke up at the meeting is no longer with the company. I am definitely going with another company. It used to be noone out here in Watertown was happy with anything else, but Ive been talking with othe people, and that is no longer the case. MOre evidence that these so called improvements are anything but

well, bless you for making me feel soooooooo vindicated. I've seen stuff like this from coaches before, but never from your level of management. I have no doubt at all that our human resources person was a carbon copy of yours. I actually had several Wisconsin Employment services people BEG me to file an age discrimination case, but as you say, who has time. As it was, they didn't get their paperwork in to unemployment in time, and that delayed my claim decision AND my payments. How pathetic is that, a big company like us cell picking on a small time former employee? And the thing is, their customer service is getting worse, and their phone services are costing more. I hear from more dissatisfied customers than ever before. Not to mention disgruntled former employees- even 30 miles away from the nearest call center. This company is pure poison.

Also, have you ever noticed how this company likes to avoid answering questions?

For example, we all know that U.S. Cellular has one of the worst billing systems ever. 99% of customers call because they simply can't make rhyme or reason out of their bills.

One of the most common questions I got was "Why do you guys make your bills so confusing to read??!" Unfortunately I was never able to give a good answer to this. I had asked my coach and a few help desk folks, and the answers I got were rather dodgy at best. My coach said something along the lines of "It used to be alot worse. Its just the system we use. Not much we can do about it." Now that I'm a Verizon customer I know that that is complete and total B.S. Their bills are ridiculously easy to break down and figure out.

It seems to me that U.S. Cellular does this to make it easy to tack on hidden charges and fees which are not mentioned to the customer at point of sale. I seriously hope U.S. Cellular goes down in flames.

Michael Edwards in Dallas, Texas said: I can attest for the call center environment in Tulsa as I was located in the same building on the west side with our sales and marketing teams. The idea of the Dynamic Organization is a complete joke. I bought into the culture for several years but came to realize how executive leaders were leading within the company. I could write a "tell all" book about the inside practices and behaviors around the annual culture survey and talent review process that would leave you amazed and angry. There are individuals that need to remove from the company for true ethical issues or blatant violations of company policy, but there were so many people terminated under false allegations it was absurd. Most employees do not have the time or money for litigation against a large company. The attorneys for USCC in Tulsa are nothing short of scum. They will bend, twist and modify any information to stall and keep you from getting any justice in a court of law. The chances of a settlement or trial for wrongful termination is null. The main source for this action in Tulsa is Jennifer Tucker in their HR department (jennifer.tucker@uscellular.com). I have worked through her on so many employee issues that she assisted with "making it legal" for the termination. Its so funny and sad at the same time. I am amazed that she is still employed with the company. If you want to reach anyone in the company via email simply use their first name, dot, last name, @uscellular.com. This includes the executive leaders as well on uscellular.com.
I highly discourage anyone from employment at U.S. Cellular. The organization is built on nothing but a "good ol boy system" which creates a threatening, intimidating and passive-aggressive culture. I task anyone out there to find an employee with 10+ years of service at USCC and find out their story. They have tolerated the madness or simply "stayed below the radar" to avoid

Mr. Edwards.. Im dying to know the answer to this one... the answers on the Culture Survey are not really anonymous, are they? I stopped beleiving in that long before I was terminated for "walking the wrong way to the printer". I once had a manager get about 2 inches from my face and almost quote what I had written on my culture survey about employee input. Not that I ever really believed it, but by this point, I just didn't care. It especially ticked me off that this manager used to perform the same job I did, and when she did, spent Sunday mornings at work painting her nails?

Mr. Edwards

What are you doing now?

Im not surprised at what you say. Of course, if you coerce, threaten, etc the people you supervise, you really cant expect them to either trust you enough to approach you with honest, constructive criticism, or to hold back on the culture survey, can you? You know what they say, what goes around comes around. I never believed for a moment that anything I wrote on there would result in any positive changes, but I sure needed the chance to vent, and I took it! Can you tell that I am someone who was threatened and coerced? Victimized?
I hope you are able to salvage your marriage.. and find a job..just lose the d.o. crap and remember the best advice for a boss OR a husband is still what that smart Jewish kid said over 2000 years ago.. do unto others as you would have others do unto you...it may sound corny, but trust me, it works.

Mr. Edwards

I know you from the WW days. I know you will find a good position with a company and do well. We all make mistakes, we learn from those mistakes and move on. You were a major Role model for me years ago and I learned a lot from you. You are a great Manager and great leader. Leaders make mistakes but are still leaders, the difference is they don’t make the same mistakes. You are a leader!!

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at U.S. Cellular?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at U.S. Cellular?

Well I was just fired from US Cellular today because "I was not a good fit with the D.O." Their reasoning actually was that I said some negative comments during a break to a co-worker in the authorized smoking area outside and was over-heard by a coach (not my own) who basically turned me in. I had no idea you could be fired for something you say during a break in a private conversation but I guess you can. In the time I was there the only thing I learned was that the US Cellular is very different than anywhere else, they "believe they are better." And the values of the D.O. are really to lie about the true culture of the work environment, and to not show too much promise or abilities because perhaps maybe you threaten someone else.

They treat their employees like first graders, they are hipocrates in that they expect you to be early/on-time to work back from breaks/lunch etc. But they had no problem (while in training) sending us to breaks or lunch late or even getting us off work on time. For all the values of the D.O. the trainers or coach were exempt could walk into class at whatever time they wanted, (because there were 3 of them) one would be waiting with an eye on the clock for the associates.

Even though I was told I was considered a "leader" in my training class and that the other associates looked up to me because I was "further advanced" than others in the class, I was terminated because they said they valued their BS culture more than work production, and that being great on the phones with the customer was only half the deal. I don't want a second family when I go to work, I just want to do my job.

Im sorry to hear that you were fired. The scenario you describe is a very common one in all us call centers, tho many who have never worked for us cell, and some who do refuse to beleive it. It may take awhile, but trust me, you will learn that getting out of there is probably the best thing that could have happened to you. Remember to request ALL items in your personnel record be sent to you IMMEDIATELY. You have that right. Here's hoping you can find yourself a CAREER, not just a job next time... its taken some time, but I did.. Jane Doe, NURSE

Paulm, your situation is pretty similar to what happened to a young lady who was in the same traning class I was in when I had starting working for U.S. HELL.

It was during our lunch break when she was outside having a conversation with a friend on her cell phone. She casually let a curse work slip during this convo, and one of our "mentors" overheard it. He then snitched her out to one of our instructors. That was the last time we ever saw her.

One thing I noticed during my tenure there was that coaches seem to appear out of nowhere during lunch and bathroom breaks. To be quite honest I would not be surprised at all to learn that these areas are tapped.

US Hell...that's funny. As a veteran too, they had the audacity to ask me how the military would have handled things...I simply told them the military would act like adults. I certainly have no love loss for the BS. Even 2 days before Christmas I have had calls scheduling interviews. And though they said I wasn't a good fit, most of the class called me after I was fired and thought it was complete BS. They fired another guy from my class because he didn't VSNZ on his final call assesment because he was nervous.

If I could have done anything differently it would have been to never apply there. I turned down three job offers for US Cellular, three probably better offers at that.

I think paulm has kind of hit the big change I saw on the head. When I first started at us cell in 1999, it really was a great, fun place to work. No one had to go around saying so, it really was. There were no ugly colors, no offensively childish decorating schemes. We were open 24/7. The big difference is the philosphy from the top. Leadership was local, vps worked IN the call center, and saw the front line people in the break room and in the bathrooms. They knew us, we knew them. If I had a difficult call, or needed help, and a manager or center director walked by, I didn't hesitate to ask for help. They really were there to help us help the customer. In short, we were, for the most part, all decent people treating each other and our customers the way we wanted to be treated. Now its all snitching and backstabbing, and instead of focusing on how to help the customer, the focus is "get your coworker before they get you". Anyone who doesn't believe me should find comments from a Mr. Edwards on this forum. they are a real eyeopener! And yes, I wouldn't be at all surprised if common areas are bugged. certainly the break rooms in Waukesha, Wi had cameras, ostensibly to catch people stealing lunches- which just goes to show the type of people they are reduced to hiring..thieves, for crying out loud...
I think it all just goes to prove what I've been saying -- 1. calling something fun, right, good, etc, does NOT make it so, and no one has or ever will come up with a better model for business management than "do unto other as you would have done to you"
Merry Christmas to all, and prayers for better days go out to everyone!

I left before I could get fired (have never been fired in my life; always have had good reviews); was considered DO one day and not the next depending on who liked or did not like me; had nothing to do with how I did my job or what I was hired to do - not a good way to run a business. Saw people lie through their teeth and backstab and just make a mess of a workplace. Was told productivity was not the key ingredient and that passive aggressive behavior was the acceptable method of communication. AND, DO NOT EVER speak up unless it's about how great everything is - that is a death sentence!

Even though the DO calls for negative feedback to be attributable it never was and if there was any positive feedback never heard it and I was NOT in a call center or store - so issues are spread around even at corporate for those not in the select 'set'.

I was so excited by the DO concept when hired and so disappointed and disillusioned after a few years that I left, sad for what 'could' have been had the upper management stayed true to the culture and not played the games and actually, imagine, BACKED UP THEIR EMPLOYEES AND DIRECT REPORTS and not sucked up to the power people.

It says something when people are willing to go online and search out others who have had similar experiences with one particular employer. It is nearly unimaginable at this point that some how I was to blame. But when people are as hypocritical as US Cellular is, and when they treat people like little kids, the truth finds a way to come out.

I jacked out of Greendale out of US Hell quik. One comment was made to me so I escaped while gettin was good. I seen it happen and it is true this is US HELL.

I learned what they mean by a people company (Means dont let the revolving door hit you in a** on way out as more people come in). If you notice none of these people are over 33 after that they are told hit door or they are singled out one by one.

Jack in Milwaukee, you are soooooooooo right about the age thing...I was 50 when I got canned for "walking the wrong way to the printer". 2 Weeks later, the slightly older, and award winning rep next to me was fired for something he'd done 3 years ago

I worked for U.S. Cellular for almost 4 years. I was in the call center in Waukesha. During that time, I fought my way up from customer service rep, to peer mentor, to coach, all the while enduring behaviors which could be defined as "Mobbing." Google it. It's an interesting term. Here are some of the highlights: 1. My manager publicly questioning (apropos of nothing) my sexual behavior, to the amusement of a favored coworker. 2. Being denied even an informational interview for my desired department, despite the fact that I was performing beautifully, had great reviews, and was a recognized team builder. 3. having the same coach who denied me an informational interview later pointedly, and repeatedly, describe himself as a personality likely to make racist and sexist remarks based on his Meyers-Briggs inventory. This douche also had the nerve to make nasty comments about the neighborhood I lived in. All this was in front of an airhead manager who said nothing. I was too flustered to fight. 4. Being described as "the girl who..." in a faux whisper, to a snickering coworker. Once again, this was a manager. 5. Having my manager accuse me of having another coach write my reviews, because they were excellent. 6. Having a manager who did her nails, giggled, and gossiped during a paid training session, and having everyone look at me like I was an alien when I just about flipped my lid. 7. Having a manager who did her nails, giggled, and gossiped during A LOT OF MEETINGS, and having people look at me like I was an alien when I just about flipped my lid.

8. Being lied to in terms of the preparation I would receive for coaching a new department. I was transferred to a new department just a few weeks after becoming a new coach. I was told that the department was seriously troubled, but not to worry, as the first few weeks would be training. I was transferred the next day. I had no idea what the department even did. Just know this, the training did not materialize. I ended up seeking out two sympathetic coworkers who brought me up to speed as best they could, while I managed a team composed of clueless newbies and jaded reps who were just a little too wise. 9. Being sent into a second round unemployment hearing with no training in the matter (it is considered a part of training to have a pipeline coach sit in on an unemployment hearing to get an understanding of the process), nor even the basic information to answer the simple questions posed to me. Needless to say, I got eviscerated. And finally... 10. Being told to hold my reps to a tightened attendance and tardy policy, while the other coaches in the department didn't (when I asked, they told me). This caused a great deal of friction, because I then came across as the new @sshat coach who couldn't even take a call, and was hounding folks about three minute tardies. Sorry, just doin' what I was told. It's been about a year since I've been at Waukesha, and a lot could have changed since then. From the infrequent reports I get, I doubt it. It seems that years of mismanagement and misdirection took their toll, and it's going to be a long, slow road to recovery, if it happens at all. This isn't even the full list of occurrences. It's just things I happen to remember right now. A lot more happened that made my skin crawl. In short, if you have to work for USCC, get what you can out of it, get out when you can, and don't drink the Kool-Aid.

Host said: Every business has it's own style. What is the office environment and culture like at U.S. Cellular?

Are people dressed in business casual, jeans and t-shirts, or full-on suits? Do folks get together for Friday happy hours and friendly get-togethers?

What is a typical day in the life of an employee at U.S. Cellular?

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join the club, brownielocks. though let me point out that those reps who were a little too wise were at least smart enough NOT to become a coach.. possibly the only people who take more abuse than reps are coaches...and stop and ask yourself how many coaches these people were likely to have had to have put up with.. and probably most of them had more seniority than the coaches they got..and likely did know more. And if any of those "friendly" coaches were a libtard guy with shortman's disease and the initials BS(how appropriate)or a gal with the initials CG who will tell you all about why people got fired, even tho its supposedly "confidential"... let me tell you, they are a couple of hypcrites who were certainly putting a knife in your back.. the term coined by many of us former employees is "bladers"

and oh, by the way... I worked at the help desk in Waukesha, and BOTH of the coaches I mentioned started after I did.. one 6 months, and one several years. And the last quarterly review, or whatever it was MR BS condemned me for all the same things my previous coach had praised me for......,the previous coach was of course, MS CG......oh, one of the reasons I got fired.. I walked the wrong way to the printer, which I couldn't figure out, because Im too lazy to take the long way.. come to find out I WAS taking the shortest route to the printer I was told to use.. by the guy firing me....if you think you can surprise me after that one, think again.. oh, and I wasn't too surprised when the guy who sat next to me got fired only 2 months after receiving a national customer service award.. after all, he was in his 50's too...

I just found this site. How awesome is this! We can finally tell the truth on what goes on behind the doors /walls inside the call center!
From what I have read today we are all on the same page. That place really stinks! (for a kinder word)
I was with US Cellular for " 9" fringing years of my life! Pretty much wasted almost a decade of my time. I loved it like everyone else in the beginning but it changed gradually for the worse over the years. In all honesty it was time for me to go. I had reach the point of not really giving a rats a**. Because one day what you are doing is right and the next day its not. This policy gets added and they cannot explain what it is or it means and no one can give you the correct answer so you wing it because your empowered to do so until you do it wrong and God only knows what right and wrong is there. I was an EE employee over 40 who new more than her supervisor and was the go to person for my peers. Someone got a little jealous and intimidated my me. So bye bye old girl for some pretty bogus reasons.
People come and go like crazy, Managers, Directors, Supervisors, VP of CS, and CSR's. Major swinging door that never stops!
The words that get preached about the DO ( Dynamic Organization )really are BS. They have no idea what it really means and they cannot follow it themselves so how do they expect anyone else to.

If anyone is looking for a JOB, stay clear of US CELLULAR if you want to keep your sanity, health, a work/ life balance. If you do not want to be in daily fear of losing your job, look someplace else!