Why did AT&T ruin DirecTV?

[jdtavares]

After 15 years as a DirecTV customeer, I am seriously considering switching to something - anything - else.

Since AT&T took over, it has gone to crap. Terrible customer service, terrible equipment. Nothing works right anymore.

I recently switched to the wireless boxes and they are so slow and constantly freeze up. I know I'm not the only one having this problem, but it's a shame that a company that used to be on top of everyone's customer service list is completely ruined by a larger corporation that clearly doesn't care about the customers. And the fake charm and gratitute that the people spit at the call center is a joke. The whole conversation is just a sales pitch for the AT&T products that I don't have. Whenever they say "Thank you for calling AT&T" I tell them I didn't call AT&T, I called DirecTV.

[Ardee5]

I agree 100%! I’ve been with DIRECTV since 1996. I loved it UNTIL AT&T took over! Now it’s a mess! I’ve never been able to register my iPhone or my iPad with my DVR as promised by DIRECTV! Now, AT&T has changed the DVR format and several of my saved shows have been deleted! Stupid them -that just makes it easier for us to leave DIRECTV! Looking into Comcast and Dish Network!

[adareed]

Pros

It's a paycheck, so it could be worse.

Cons

Huge amounts of unnecessary red tape and 1990's old-guard business culture were brought in with the acquisition by AT&T. It will take several more years for the dust to settle - until then I would not suggest working for DirecTV. There is simply too much uncertainty in the transition.

Advice to Management

If you are considered Legacy DirecTV Management, you won't be there for long. AT&T has been laying off DirecTV Supervisors, Managers, Directors, and S/VPs during their "organization optimization" directives

I actually have some sensible work expertise with write my essay and my words are clearly supported what I felt through such processes within the past

[nycinoc]

Couldn’t agree with everyone else. I left AT&T as my cell carrier several years back and was thrilled to have the Blue Death Star out of my life once and for all. I’ve been a very happy Directv customer up until 2017 when services started gong down the toilet, call centers were moved off shore with horrific language skills (except for the El Salvador one, go figure) and technology that’s failing in our home weekly and every time I call support the offshore help desk INSISTS on again sending someone out and each time the techs say the same thing: “It’s on our way and, we don’t know why they keep sending us out to customers for the same problem”

And I freaking love those now every time call center questions “Are you calling on a AT&T phone?” “Is your internet which provides your on-demand through AT&T?”   I just want a service that works as it was intended to! Never had a problem with DirectTV and now just problems. All of the people sang their praises to us that made us switch have all gone back to cable in th  last year 

Now they’ve bought up a whole mess of channels as well, hopefully T-Mobile will get their 5G in place faster then the Death Star so we can say one final farewell forever.

[Blainster]

It seems that at&t bought directv so they could shut it down ending the competition and switching their customers to uverse. Directv was the best, but now all glitchy, the guide screwed up. DVR not following input instructions. The resolution list on settings? The boxes are checked one day, the next day it says my 2018 LG 4k tv does not support any resolution except 720p, and won't let me check other resolution boxes. AT&T has serious management  issues. They need new leadership and direction. Shame. Judging from Clark Howard's experience, AT&T assumes a totalitarian regime to its customers. Like it or leave it I guess, 'cause ain't nobody listening at AT&T. Who would have guessed that Sears would disappear....

[sandblaster]

It seems that at&t bought directv so they could shut it down ending the competition and switching their customers to uverse.

You couldn’t be more wrong on that. ATT has been doing quite the opposite and pushing customers to Directv rather than UVerse. From the beginning, the vision has been to offer a single TV service regardless of how the service is delivered but satellite allows them to deliver service in places they don’t and can’t deliver via wires. Maybe the name “Directv” will go away but the satellite technology won’t. Now if you want to blame the new glitchy hardware on ATT, go ahead but have you forgotten how bad the early Directv DVR’s were?

[smhbuyer]

I have been with Directv for over 10 years. Since AT &T took over the reins customer service has taken a nose dive. They just don't care. I have been waiting for over 3 weeks for a replacement wireless genie (under warranty) and after 3 calls (9 associates and 1 supervisor) I am no closer to receiving my product. There has got to be a better way. They either don't have the product and they don't know how to run this business. Should have stayed out of the TV business. 

[Blainster]

Explain how quality could drop in a system that was stable, directv, after being taken over by AT&T. In management that is known as "tampering". Usually it is middle management making changes to a stable system that results in destabilization of that system. Direct tv's employees probably knew the best way to do the job whether or not directv corporate implemented those ways. Did anyone at AT&T evaluate directv's existing system(s) and listen to what ideas directv's original employees (not middle management)may have? The folks in the "trenches" often know how to best do the job. In addition to this, manufacturing in China is not quality oriented, it is quantity oriented. For example, led light bulbs made in China have a 20% or more failure rate. Pretty much the failure rate of most imports from China.It adds to destabilization. I'll bet that if you localize customer service, and provide a place for customers to suggest, or complain, and get positive results, those nasty forum comments will change. And implement statistical process control to help keep systems stable while constantly improving those systems. 
#- Please type your reply above this line -##



Sent via the Samsung Galaxy Tab E, an AT&T 4G LTE tablet

[MikeBird]

sandblaster...  What kind of drugs are you taking? The software update is awful beyond words.  It's slow, it freezes, it's cluttered, it's confused, and those are the better features.  No effort has been made to correct any of the issues and service is a joke.  

[Bezz2020]

I totally agree!

[Randy’s]

Att clearly doesn’t care about direct tv customers just call retention to verify they will help you cut and don’t care

[Mark4257]

Yeah, I am making other arrangements for tv myself. AT&T turned a simple, convenient thing into a monthly nightmare, not to mention jacking up my rates.

 Nice job, guys.

[PhilS56]

I've been a customer for 20 years.  I've started the move over to other services.  If they don't get their act together, they will lose me as a customer completely.  I never thought it would happen. When I moved from cable 20 years ago, I was so pumped at the quality of everything they did and their commitment to customer service.  Now it seems they just don't care anymore.  I never thought the day would come when I would be disappointed in Directv, and there is no doubt in my mind it is all attributable to AT&T.