I'm a long term customer - came in under BellSouth. I dropped cable last year for Uverse basically shifting me over to 100% AT&T service - internet, VOIP, and TV. The promotional rate has expired and now I'm looking at an absolutely ridiculous monthly fee. The local cable company contacted me with a 12 month offer for a significantly higher/faster class of internet service and a TV package with more premium channels. (I also would get to access to the cable company's local news channel, which was very nice - U-verse has nothing comparable - in fact the local weather features, etc. Are beyond freaking sad - I can get better and faster results over the internet.)
The bundle from the cable company is for about $100 less per month. So I figured, I've been a long time AT&T customer, I should give them a chance to keep me. I try calling customer service. 1 hour and 45 minutes later (no {word filter evasion} - my phone times call length), I FINALLY get to talk to a human - human has to ask for my phone number to pull up my account (what was the point of confirming my phone number an hour and 45 minutes ago? - If the computer system had my number, the human rep should too.) In the process of looking up my account, human operator disconnects me. It is now outside of the service hours. I try to find a way to make an e-mail or electronic inquiring at ATT's support site - no dice, no way to do that - not even a way to provide candid feedback.).
At this point I'm well - let's be honest - is appropriate. I decide to try AT&T's e-chat feature. I get connected to a nice Indian gentleman who while very polite via chat basically informs me that there are no promotional offers available to me, but that he would be happy to downgrade my service if my bill rate is too high.
SO AT&T, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO SOMEONE CALLING WITH A COMPETITOR'S OFFER, WHICH IS FOR $100 LESS PER DAY FOR BETTER SERVICE CLASS AND TV OPTIONS IS TO SUGGEST THAT THEY DOWNGRADE THEIR EXISTING SERVICE TO GET A LOWER RATE?
Really? If I was a teenager, I'd probably label this "epic fail." As a middle aged adult, I find jaded self almost unsurprised at the preposterous ignorance of your approach to service - I'm sure your assumption is that most people won't take the time or effort to change and will just keep paying the inflated bill. Thus the loss of one customer in that scheme isn't a big deal. Well except for the likely reality that you will come back in a few months to a year and offer me a "win you back" concession deal at a low rate - when you could have kept my revenue stream straight through. Brilliant. Of course when you come back with your wind you back rate, I'm going to have this experience to remind me why I left in the first place...
texasguy37
