I have been attempting to change my telephone and internet service to U-Verse since August (I write this in December) all because AT&T doubled my bill this past summer. They suggested that I change to this new "Uverse" service, and then my bill would be reduced. I said "sure, no problem, that's fine". (I should add that I have NO idea what the difference between the old telephone & internet service and the new Uverse service is - other then a HUGE tremendous pain in the rear end).
Well, I have accidentally made two payments to the old account number due to my Bill Pay at my bank. One check AT&T sent back to me, the other they have kept. They have sent me a delinquency notice and turned off my telephone and my internet.
They sent me a letter that I received on December 3rd stating the service would be turned off on December 3rd. When I received the letter at home, after work, I called the number listed immediately, at 5:55 p.m. The unbelievably annoying male robo-voice told me that the office had already closed at 6:00 p.m. (it was 5:55 mind you) and that I should call back later. As I did not want my telephone disconnected, I persisted to find another AT&T office. I then called another number for AT&T in California and spoke with a very nice person who could not help me but was friendly.
I called back TWICE yesterday (December 4th) during regular business hours, and both times got put on hold so long that I had to hang up.
I called again today (December 5th) - I called 800-634-4948 at 8:29 CST and after being on hold for five minutes spoke to the RUDEST, most arrogant customer sales rep I have EVER dealt with. He would only identify himself as "Brooks", would not give me any other identifying information.
He told me I only had a bill for internet service, that I did not have a land-line, that he could not help me anything to do with my telephone service, only Uverse (which is what I have). He yelled at me when I asked him to repeat something stating "YOU HEARD ME!" I was calling from my cell phone (remember that my land line was disconnected) and the call was dropping off. I actually did not hear what he said to me.
He told me that I wasn't listening to him and that it was entirely my fault because I did have my bill in front of me. I only had the disconnect notice and a case number. I told him I have sent money into AT&T and that I thought AT&T should be able to apply the money that I sent into them to my new account, as AT&T was the one that created the new account and new account number. He told me that it was my fault that the account was disconnected because I had sent money to the wrong account number. Unbelievable. (Whatever happened to that old expression "The customer is always right"?)
He finally just disconnected me (as I asked to speak to his supervisor) and forwarded my call to some other dept, I don't know what, as I just heard another recording. I was SO ANGRY with him - still am. He does not belong in customer service of any kind. I think he would make a great trainer for fighting pit bulls.
I am still FURIOUS. This is not a problem that I created.
However due to AT&T's handling I am ready to cancel everything I have with them.
Their problems:
1. They changed my account in August and doubled my rates. They then offered this new uverse service which appears to be identical in every regard to the old service but cannot be set up properly, Technicians have been to my house twice and still the voicemale doesn't work right. The last time I spoke to a technician they said that my internet wasn't working properly either. I told them "don't touch anything" it works and I have been through enough with this switch.
2. my account has changed numbers (although no one told me that would happen) - my bill pay payments have been going to the wrong account - but they can't seem to apply my payments to the correct account number
2. AT&T's limited customer service hours - I can't get through during off hours when I am not at work
3. AT&T's gigantic size, (uverse, internet, landline, television, etc etc), they don't seem to have good internal communication between their different departments, but yet they attempt to link everything together, at least from the viewpoint of the customer.
My accounts should NOT have been disconnected and I should not have had to deal with the unbelievably rude Mr.. Brooks today.
I am hoping that this forums works better then their other customer service areas, because this is bad, bad, bad. I am contacting my US Representative and Senators next. AT&T should NEVER be allowed to expand so large that they cause this sort of terrible service. We depend on quality infra structure and communications. There is NOTHING quality about this.
texasguy37
