Monday August 09, 2004 AT&T Clueless
Ahh, that felt great!
Finally out of contract with AT&T Wireless and free to "pick up my number and leave" as the commercials went back when that was a new thing.
I don't know why it is that everything which touches the name "AT&T" turns to crap, but I remember having AT&T as my long-distance provider who kept "forgetting" that I was on an international calling-plan and billing me hundreds of dollars that it took months to credit back to me. Not once, but three times, until I finally changed provider.
I also remember AT&T Broadband sending me to collection for not returning a digital cable box which their technician had picked up. That was fun too, especially since it was impossible to actually get through to a real person on their 800 number. Comcast, by the way, actually answers their phones. Imagine that.
Which brings me to AT&T Wireless, who apparently think that being a loyal customer for 4+ years entitles you to the same level of insulting service that one would expect from the INS and DMV.
"Got a defective phone? No problem, we'll send it to Nokia for you and you should get it back in 3 to 4 weeks. What's that? You'd like us to take the little SIM card out and put it in the cheapest stupidest phone we have and give it to you as a loaner? You've got to be kidding, sir. Just because you pay $65 a month for service with us that doesn't mean you should actually be allowed to make and receive calls. We're not some sort of service-minded company, you know."
Switch to the time when they FINALLY got around to applying the Sun discount to my account. How did I know they had done that? They started sending me bills with zero due. That went on for a couple of months until I finally got the expected notice to pay within 10 days or get disconnected. That one contained the actual amount owed. I mailed the check immediately (using the enclosed envelope) and then... got disconnected. "Oh well, checks usually take 2-3 weeks to get processed. You should have FedEx'ed your check to this other address." Well, thanks for telling me.
Add to this all the hours waiting on hold, all the clueless and rude service I've gotten at their stores, all the dropped calls. So the other day I walked into a Verizon Wireless outlet and 20 minutes later I received the first call on my old number on my new phone. Sweet. Cue Alanis Morissette, "Cuz I got one hand on my new phone, and the other one giving AT&T the finger..."
( Aug 09 2004, 07:45:50 AM PDT ) Permalink
Comments are closed for this entry.