I’ve actually found that I’ve gotten better customer service from AT&T (or, at least, the store from which I purchased my iPhone) than I ever got from VZW. Not only was I well taken care of on launch day, but the sales rep I worked with has actually answered my e-mails – and not with a form letter! But everyone’s going to have a different experience, I guess.
That said, to your point Kev, in my experience there’s no such thing as a ‘good’ phone company. I’ve been through the hold loop of doom with VZW on a number of occasions, my former roommate had nothing but problems with Sprint. And don’t get me started on wireline utilities -when I moved into my condo about 5 years ago, it took no fewer than three visits from technicians and a dozen or so phone calls to Verizon to get my phone activated and to have another jack put in. Compared to those guys, AT&T is the shiny. (Again, YMMV.)