Customer Support outsourced to The Phillipines

[rofgib]

I just changed over from Direct TV to Uverse since  I already had phone and Internet with AT&T. As many others have  mentioned before me, the initial bill was quite a shock and not as agreed upon. I called the Uverse billing department and got someone on the worst connection imaginable. Every other word was either missing or distorted. I noticed that the customer support person had an accent so I mentioned the bad line and asked her where she was located. > The Phillipines! I am pretty ticked off that AT&T cannot employ people in this country considering the high rate of unemployment and the economy. And for a telecom company to use support from a location where a clear connection cannot be guaranteed is too sad to even be laughable.

[jimgfitzgerald]

With our free enterprise system, they can hire whoever they want.  I'm sure you have plenty of foreign made products in your own home.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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rofgib wrote:

I just changed over from Direct TV to Uverse since  I already had phone and Internet with AT&T. As many others have  mentioned before me, the initial bill was quite a shock and not as agreed upon. I called the Uverse billing department and got someone on the worst connection imaginable. Every other word was either missing or distorted. I noticed that the customer support person had an accent so I mentioned the bad line and asked her where she was located. > The Phillipines! I am pretty ticked off that AT&T cannot employ people in this country considering the high rate of unemployment and the economy. And for a telecom company to use support from a location where a clear connection cannot be guaranteed is too sad to even be laughable.

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U-verse does not have one customer support call center.  They have several.  Some are located in the USA and yes, one is located in the Philippines.  Why is that an issue?

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

The state of Missouri moved one of their call centers to India.  That being said, I've had as good, if not better luck with the CSR's from the Philippines.

[toddie53]

New Visitor stated why it was an issue.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

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toddie53 wrote:
New Visitor stated why it was an issue.

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In their opinion. 

I usually do not have any trouble understanding the Filipino "help."  I also have Virgin Mobile - I have to have their Indian call center staff repeat everything.  After my mom passed away, last June, I had to deal with Allstate Life and their Manilla call center and had fairly good success too.

I just don't get the Patriotic angle.....  If they hired only American's, the rates might go up and then the complaining would start.

[oufanindallas]

AT&T's call center may even be in the same building as my company's customer service department and I work for a Fortune 500 company. 

If it's not in the same building, it's probably in the same compound in Manilla.

[Aimmejo]

Honestly, patriotic issues aside, I call for customer service. I have never had a remotely negative experience with the Manula call center. I'm happy to be helped by someone who is happy to have a job. CS is all rudeness here in the states.

[oufanindallas]

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Aimmejo wrote:
Honestly, patriotic issues aside, I call for customer service. I have never had a remotely negative experience with the Manula call center. I'm happy to be helped by someone who is happy to have a job. CS is all rudeness here in the states.

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And it's not just phone customer service.  Its the guy/gal at the cash register or your server at a restaurant.  Those are all aspects of customer service.

[valpd]

I just spent the most frustrating 2 hours of my life on the phone with a person in the Phillipines.  That mixed english converstation was very painful.  I am in Vermont.  My 76 Yr old father is in Houston TX.  His bill nearly doubled (at the end of a promotion) and as a result of his being on a fixed income he got behind on his bill until they terminated his service in August.

His back bill was $252.74.  I don't have much money, but I scraped together the money over the last 2 months to get him caught up and restored.  I called and they said his DSL was no longer available and he would have to be moved to UVerse which would require new equipment.   This would require a $100 equipment fee that would show up on his first bill.  If he needs someone to set him up with the new gear, that would be another $99.  Additionally, because he got behind on his bill his credit report would now require a $100 deposit for his phone service and a $50 deposit on his phone.

$252 plus

$100 equipment

$100 Tech fee for installation

$100 Deposit for Internet

$50 Deposit for phone

The additional equipment fee and tech fee are no fault of his own.  He didn't ask for UVerse.  My 76 yr old dad can't configure a router or modem on his own and I am in Vermont.  And why do they run credit checks?  If you get behind, they turn your service off.  This is criminal.  Now the $252 I worked to get together so my dad can have Internet again is not enough to do anything and they have already billed my checking account which I am going to block.

I am going to contact my state Attorney General.  They cannot take advantage of the elderly like this.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

valpd - Unfortunately for you and your father, that is the way AT&T and most "for profit" companies work.  Miss a mortgage payment or two, and the bank socks you with PMI and puts a black mark on your Credit Report.  Miss a car payment or two, the financier takes the car back and blackens the Credit Report.  Utilites, the same way.

You could complain to the Attorney General but I don't see how they well empathise too much when the company is most likely within their legal rights.

What I would do is to contact Alex, one of the AT&T Community Managers who may be able to get fees reduced, reports unmarked and so on.  Maybe but at least he is in an ombudsman type position to get the situation to the proper department.  Good luck.