01-31-2012 05:43:50 AM
My ATT dsl service was interrupted yesterday and I am unhappy with the way it was handled by ATT.
My internet went down at 5pm and a quick diagnosis revealed that the "dsl" light on my modem was flashing orange, meaning there was no dsl service coming into the modem. I checked all my internal settings and everything was fine.
So I called the service number listed on my bill. This took me through a series of automated steps that ended up telling me it was a problem on my end. The automated service took me in a loop that came back to step one in the diagnostice cycle over and over with no option to talk with a human being.
Having been told by ATT that there was no problem with their service, I presumed that the problem must have been on my end, so I dismantled my entire system and set it up over and over, with the same result-no dsl signal coming into my modem. This took me over an hour.
So I dug around and found a dsl service phone number and called. After waiting on hold for 45 minutes I talked with a nice man who ran a few tests, then concluded that, yes, there was a service interruption in my area.
I am angry because I wasted hours of time and energy based on misinformation given by an automated system that gave me no option for better service.
CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS:
1. Give customers a phone number for real service.
2. When there's a dsl outage in a specific area, send an automated phone call to all dsl customers in the area so they know the problem is not with their own system. This may sound like a massive effort, but you are, after all, the Phone Company, so you should be able to do it.
3. Send an apology email once the service is restored, including a reason for the outage (information is power).
IN CONCLUSION
The myth is that the route to customer loyalty is service, but it's really communication, because communication can make up for imperfect service, which is inevitable.
Thank you.
01-31-2012 06:29:26 AM
tlichtenheld32 wrote:My ATT dsl service was interrupted yesterday and I am unhappy with the way it was handled by ATT.
My internet went down at 5pm and a quick diagnosis revealed that the "dsl" light on my modem was flashing orange, meaning there was no dsl service coming into the modem. I checked all my internal settings and everything was fine.
So I called the service number listed on my bill. This took me through a series of automated steps that ended up telling me it was a problem on my end. The automated service took me in a loop that came back to step one in the diagnostice cycle over and over with no option to talk with a human being.
Having been told by ATT that there was no problem with their service, I presumed that the problem must have been on my end, so I dismantled my entire system and set it up over and over, with the same result-no dsl signal coming into my modem. This took me over an hour.
So I dug around and found a dsl service phone number and called. After waiting on hold for 45 minutes I talked with a nice man who ran a few tests, then concluded that, yes, there was a service interruption in my area.
I am angry because I wasted hours of time and energy based on misinformation given by an automated system that gave me no option for better service.
CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS:
1. Give customers a phone number for real service.
2. When there's a dsl outage in a specific area, send an automated phone call to all dsl customers in the area so they know the problem is not with their own system. This may sound like a massive effort, but you are, after all, the Phone Company, so you should be able to do it.
3. Send an apology email once the service is restored, including a reason for the outage (information is power).
IN CONCLUSION
The myth is that the route to customer loyalty is service, but it's really communication, because communication can make up for imperfect service, which is inevitable.
Thank you.
You should have trusted your gut feeling and not wasted all that time mucking about with your own equipment. The dsl light pertains to problems from the modem out.
As to your suggestions:
1. 1-800-288-2020, keep saying "none of those" to the robo voice, that will get you to a person the quickest. When you get the person (and before they start their shpiel) tell them you want teir 2 tech support and that you've done all the trouble-shooting steps.
2. Good idea, but if the customer uses VOIP instead of POTS, they'll never get the call and cell phone customers might not appreciate the minutes used on their account just for that message to be recorded/received.
3. Good idea as well, and they should include a $5 coupon code you can apply to your bill.
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01-31-2012 07:08:21 AM
Thanks, Joe, you seem to know your stuff.
01-31-2012 09:38:41 AM
