My little nightmare started the last week of June. I was moving, and wanted to keep my home phone number. I called AT&T to transfer my phone and DSL service to my new address, and about keeping my phone number. I was told that it could be done, but because my current phone number was not readily compatible with the new address, it would take a week for the activation to be completed. I didn't like the idea, but I didn't want to change my phone number, so I went along with it. I was told that my phone and DSL service would be activated by 8pm on July 8th at my new address.
Well, they got it half right. The phone was working on July eighth, but I still didn't have any internet access. I called to find out what the problem was. It turned out that instead of transfering my DSL service to the new address, the CSR just cancelled the service completely. I was told that if I wanted DSL service, they would have to put in an all new work order, and because the phone number did not match the area I lived in, it would take another week. I was told there was absolutely no way around it, no matter how high up the ladder I went. To make it up to me, they gave me a month's credit towards my bill. My new activation day was July 15th by 8pm.
The fifteenth came and went. No service. I call yet again on the sixteenth, and am told that order had been cancelled. They could not tell me who or why this was done, merely that it was so. If I wanted, they could put in yet another work order, and I would have to wait until Friday July 18th.
On the seventeenth, I get a message on my answering machine from AT&T to confirm that my DSL would be activated on Monday, July 21st by 8pm! I immediately call AT&T to find out what is going on. They tell me that the CSR should not have told me it would be done on Friday, and there was nothing they could do. I eventually get to a supervisor named Ms. Settle, who assures me that there is absolutely nothing that she can do to help me beyond placing another work order. I was given a second month of service for free with more worthless appologies. I ask for her direct line, so that I can contact her if things don't go as scheduled. She hums and haws, then finally gives me what I think at the time is a genuine number.
The twenty-first came and went. No service. I call after 8pm that day, and was told that the department that is responsible for helping me with this sort of problem leaves for the day at 8pm. I call Ms Settle on the twenty-second.instead of getting her however, I discover that the number she gave me is bogus. It just sends me to the automated options menu. I am told that the records show that my service has been activated. After some back and forth, they realize that they have activated my service at my old address. At this point, I am beyond livid. I am told that if I want DSL, I will have to wait yet another week. I decide I've had quite enough of AT&T, and ask to be transfered to the cancellation department.
The woman in the cancellation department is a smooth talker, because she somehow managed to convince me to give AT&T one more chance (stupid me). She gives me a third month's worth of credit on my account, and assures me that my DSL service will absolutely be available by 8pm on July 28th.
The twenty-eighth came and went. No service. I call yet again. The CSR tells me that it appears as though DSL service is not available in my area. She was surprised nobody had mentioned this to me earlier. I know for a fact that DSL is available in my area, because my nextdoor neighbor has it. Before I ask for cancellations, I ask for a supervisor. I ask if they can provide me with a single reason why I should stay with AT&T after the horrid service I had recieved. I told him if he could come up with just one worthwhile reason, I would stay. His answer was, "We are doing the best we can for you, sir." I told him that if this sort of service was AT&T doing it's best, that seemed like an excellent reason for me to leave them asap, not to stay. I then asked to be transfered to cancellations. They didn't even try to convince me to stay this time. They just took my information and let me go.
I've encountered alot of incompetence over the years, but my experiences in July left them all in the dust. I was constantly transfered from one person to another, one supervisor to the next. None of the supervisors were willing to admit to having any true authority, and always flatly refused to admit that there might be some way to expedite my order. Everyone was more than willing to admit that AT&T was responsible for the errors, but nobody ever seemed even remotely interested in going out of their way to fix the problem.
I was generally sent in a circle. First I would get a CSR, who would assure me that nothing could be done but a basic one week work order. I would then be kicked up to a supervisor, who would tell me the same thing. They would eventually break down and admit that the folks in Technical Support could in fact expedite my order. I would then be transfered to Tech Support, who would tell me that yes, I could have it done right now. All they needed was to have a work order in the computer issued by the guy I was just talking to. I would tell him that the guy I was just talking to had told me that his computer absolutely would not allow him to put in an order right away. The tech support guy would tell me that wasn't true, and would then proceed to transfer me back to the CSRs to start the vicious circle once again. Some supervisors were unwilling to admit that tech support could do anything to help me. One supervisor even went so far as to say that tech support wasn't available after 8pm, despite the fact that the recordings I was forced to listen to while on hold clearly stated that tech support was available 24-7.
I looked around and found a local DSL provider. I called them up, explained my experiences with AT&T, and asked about their service. They assured me that DSL was most definitely available in my area, and that I could have service through their company by August 4th. Today is August 4th, and I'm now able to post this report because I found someone with some brains. AT&T will never get anything more than basic phone service out of me. I'd drop that if my satellite service didn't require a land line. Some day, it won't, and I'll drop my land line too. I don't want AT&T to get another dime out of me!
Ray
Fort Worth, Texas
U.S.A.
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