Ma Bell 1, customer looses

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@Maggieandme wrote:

 

My question to AT&T:

1. Why do you demand a Pin number without informing of the need for creation of one and then be confrontational about it? You cannot do this on-line so everyone has to call in and go through this assonine (you can read between the lines here, right?) routine to set one up....a waste of everyone's time yet I am told that it is for my 'own protection'. 

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It is for your protection to ensure that unauthorized changes or charges are not done to your account. This enhanced pin requirement was either last year or the year before and all customers were notified, or at least they were supposed to be. I received my notification, I'll bet you did too. Yes, you can set your security pin online. That is exactly how I set mine up.

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@Maggieandme wrote:

I received a text today that I was past due. After returning home, I called and AT&t's all-knowing voice bot transferred me to David who demanded that I provide a 6-8 digit pin number. This pin number was NEVER provided to me nor is there anything on myProfile to set up one as far as I can see...given this, David still demanded the pin number in such broken English that I was sure he was not comprehending so I asked to speak to his manager.

 All customers are requested to have a 4-8 digit PIN number in addition to their regular login username and password.   If you don't remember selecting one, you may still be on the default PIN, the last 4 of your SS#.   This PIN code is required for everything, including switching carriers.  

Paul C[edited for privacy – please do not post personal information] came on and demanded the same Pin number that is non-existent in order to talk to me on why my payment had not posted. Of course, since I could not provide the mysterious Pin number, he wouldn't help me until I allowed him to create one...at least he spoke comprehensible English!

 

Long story short: while this was going on the phone, I went on-line and paid my bill still not knowing what failed to transact last time. Mr. C would not waive the $5 late fee after I asked that it be done. Little does he know that I am on a limited income and that $5 could mean the difference between eating and not. All said, I am a long term AT&T customer but the rules are the rules, right Mr. C ?

 The reconnect fee is $40.  If postpaid service is that much of a burden, switch to prepaid, it's much cheaper.  Prepaid plans require you pay for your phones in full.  

My service is so poor at my residence that I have had to install a micro-cell in order to even use the cell phone in the house. This is just forcing me to take my business back to Verizon and Xfinity....yes I have internet and DirectTV with AT&T....

 

My question to AT&T:

1. Why do you demand a Pin number without informing of the need for creation of one and then be confrontational about it? You cannot do this on-line so everyone has to call in and go through this assonine (you can read between the lines here, right?) routine to set one up....a waste of everyone's time yet I am told that it is for my 'own protection'.   It absolutely is.  I change my pin after using it in stores.  With a copy of a bill and your PIN a thief can add lines, order phone's and transfer your service.  It is just like having a PIN for your debit card.

2.Why is it that you cannot set up a specific text notification notice that will tell you that you are approaching a past due point? Other smaller firms can do this, or is this set up to be a profit center for AT&T?  

You are notified when your bill is produced.  You have 21 days to pay.  Since the day is the same each month, put it in your phones calendar.   You were notified you were late.  Next step would have been no phone service.  

3. Why are you not training people in English speaking skills if you are going to afflict them on the public? Diversity is great but it also should not punish your customers because of a language barrier.

 Most carriers pay call centers and some are not in the US.  That may change with Donald in charge.  Yes, they are poorly trained sometime.  

Lastly, if you are going to have these forums, create them so people can get to them easily. Not everyone needs to be and 'speak computer' to find them.

 From the ATT.com home page, its 2 clicks...  not hard at all..

 

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@Anonymous wrote:

 

2.Why is it that you cannot set up a specific text notification notice that will tell you that you are approaching a past due point? Other smaller firms can do this, or is this set up to be a profit center for AT&T?

 

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Why is it AT&T's fault that you didn't pay? 

They'd much rather you pay. They have autopay options for you to use.

Or set a calendar on your phone to remind you, it's a repeatable cycle and your phone should be able to handle it.

Really? it's for my protection that this un-communicated requirement is set up and not communicated to me? I'm supposed to know this requirement because of ??? Where does it pop up on AT&T's Login for payments??? You do not learn to create a new pin number with ESP...I flunked that course a long, long time ago.

Try thinking of your parents, or maybe your grandparents trying to navigate through this. Not everyone has familiarity with protocols. Not every 66 year old reaches out to a forum only to be chastised or belittled as in another pundits has written.

Been there done that with AT&T and opted out.....if you really want to be hosed, then let them have unrestricted access to your accounts. You missed the point here. I asked what had failed, what was it in the transaction history when I logged in to make the payment that failed so that I didn't repeat it. The answer was a grilling for a pin number.

I you were to use critical thinking you would have come up with the real problem is the lack of customer service here. I'm not the only one today to have that issue.

Thanks for the suggestion for setting up a calendar reminder but I don't need the belittling preceding comments

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@Anonymous wrote:

You missed the point here. I asked what had failed, what was it in the transaction history when I logged in to make the payment that failed so that I didn't repeat it.

You asked a half-dozen questions. 

I understand that you don't like it when I try to make paying your bill on time your responsibility, not AT&T's.

Two of your questions were releated to them reminding you to pay your bill.

I would have made sure my parents are on autopay! (regardless of age) 

Better to be paid up then cut off and not know their pin and have late fees.

Perhaps you might consider that not all customers will ever have interest in exploring a web page for anything more than just paying a bill? Does the lack of a pin number tell you anything about the length of time that I have been a customer of AT&T??? How many people do you really think have your in depth knowledge.....if I have not changed phones for 6-7 years????

Try creating or searching for a 'complaint' about the customer service demands and the Catch22 (know the reference?) of having the pin number without being able to create it myself per both customer service reps and them demanding I supply it to them?

I pay my bills and my credit reports show that. That is why receiving a delinquent notice after having made the attempt to pay it is so frustrating. Add to it the requirement that I have arcane knowledge on pin numbers let alone your tirade on reinstatement, etc. Not all of us use forums for anything other than trying to escalate a problem. I did not access this forum to be abused or trolled by arrogant comments.

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@Anonymous wrote:

Try creating or searching for a 'complaint' about the customer service demands and the Catch22 (know the reference?) of having the pin number without being able to create it myself per both customer service reps and them demanding I supply it to them?

No, can you explain it to me?

Why would you intentionally use terms you think the user might not understand?

That seems like it would introduce some kind of paradoxical problem with getting your point across...

yes i too am leaving att after 60 years a customer!!! everything you said is so true & for the last 90 days i have been trying to get them to understand but all the reps do is transfer me to another person in chat or another department on phone or hang up on me or sometimes i just cant understand them, then a few days later my service changes either intenet, phone or tv to some weird package or i get the tv turned off & then back on 2 days later then the internet truned off & then back on & in each case i was charged a reconnect fee & an activation fee & then late fees cause i did not pay for these things on time when it was not even my bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  eeeeeee why  cant att just hire some smarter people who actually know & understand what the problem is...so i am now diving into the world of "other" providers..... how sad  thanks for listening. dont know how this got under auto pay either but it was meant as a ""me too"

for the message above about no one understanding what she was saying

@Anonymous

The only one who was belittleing, arrogant and flat out rude is yourself.   There was no "tirade"

I factually replied to your post.  Nothing more or less.  

 This is a customer populated forum.  Not ATT support.  Please treat others as you wish to be treated.

I  told you if you didn't set up a PIN, it was the last 4 of your SS#.  

This is a common requirement.  My cable company, electric company and ATT, and Verizon all require a PIN or use the last 4 of social security as default.