<p>The following is a point-counterpoint of how Consumer Reports rates Cingular Wireless in a recent survey and what executives at the company and its corporate parents say about service.</p><p>CONSUMER REPORTS: Cingular has middling levels of customer satisfaction. Overloaded circuits have been a problem in several cities.</p><p>RALPH DE LA VEGA: The Cingular chief operating officer said he believes those problems will be solved through the purchase of AT&T Wireless. The combined company will have unprecedented coverage, unprecedented call quality and unprecedented reliability. Its very similar to when you go home and turn on the light switch. You expect the light to go on.</p><p>CONSUMER REPORTS: Cingulars turnover rate is 32 percent, third-highest among major national cell phone carriers.</p><p>STAN SIGMAN: The Cingular chief executive said the combined assets of the two companies will help reduce churn. You get more spectrum for the consumer to access. What Ive said is this will enable us to break out of the pack and improve our service level.</p><p>CONSUMER REPORTS: Jim Guest, president of the magazines publisher, Consumers Union, said he is skeptical of the merger because of the two companies record. Its unclear that integrating two companies that provide unsatisfactory service will improve the quality of service.</p><p>DUANE ACKERMAN: The chief executive of Cingular co-parent BellSouth Corp. said the success of his own company in improving customer service will help the new Cingular. No. 1 we feel this is very important. No. 2 we pay a lot of attention to it. And No. 3 we achieve it. I am confident that when this closes we will truly enrich the experience of our customers.</p><p>___</p><p>Source: Consumer Reports February cell phone user survey, AP interviews.</p>
