Believe it or not but AT&T sucks. Â Yup, they really do. Â And even more shocking is that they don’t care. Â Hard to believe I know, but its sadly very true.
You may ask, ‘How do you know this Dane?’ well I know from first hand personal experience as a customer of their cell service and in my talks with their customer support. Â I wouldn’t call them “customer support” since they really don’t offer any support or care about your issues, rather I think they are simply just “phone agents”. Â Primary goal appears to be to get you off the phone as quickly as possible so that their calls answered measurement goes up.
AT&T doesn’t have to care right? Â They are too big and they know it. Â The reality is they are MaBell but with a new name and image. Â Not to mention when it comes to cell / wireless you get to blame everything else when its not working since there is no physical line to test or trace.
Too bad there isn’t an ATTCARES like there is a ComcastCares that I could speak with.
The latest round of issues started when they rushed out 3G service here in Lafayette, Louisiana. Â They did a week or two before the iPhone 3G launched as to not disappoint those buyers. Â Yes I am one of those buyers.
The 3G service here is obviously broken and they don’t seem to care. Â Not a day goes by that I and my wife doesn’t experience the inability to call someone or dropped calls. Â It’s kinda funny to be in the middle of a conversation with someone and then all of a sudden hear “Were sorry but the number you dialed is not a working number”. Â Huh? Â Umm funny it was working about oh one second ago when I was talking to them!
And no this isn’t just happening to my wife and I. Â It’s everyone I know on AT&T in this area. Â Which makes no sense to me as to how they could allow this to continue.
Hell just turn 3G off so that we can actually use our phones for phone calls again. Â The nice thing about the iPhone is you can turn off 3G which I do when I am in Lafayette. Â When I work in Baton Rouge I turn it back on with NO issues.
Have called in to customer service numerous times about this and the responses are absolutely hysterical. Â When I call in about my phone (iPhone) and explain things the solution is turn 3G off. Â Umm… ok, so I spent this much money on this phone and service that doesn’t work? Â And you don’t feel there is a bigger problem here that should be addressed?
When I have called in for my wife who has a Motorola V3 Razr something or other the answers really get fun. Â So far the answers to this problem have been:
1. Â They are working on the tower in your area and it should be fixed tonight. Â (Seriously? Â like I am the first to report this and they are gonna rush out and fix it for me tonight? Â Wow thats service. Â Of course its still an issue so they must not have made it out to the tower yet)
2. Â You need a new SIM card. Â (humm… this SIM card is only a few months old, this issue happens to every other AT&T customer I know, my iPhone works when I turn off 3G, but my wifes phone needs a new SIM card and its going to magically solve everyones issues in this area?)
3. Â You need a new phone. Â (yes I need to go buy a new phone because they turned on 3G, not even a offer to replace her phone but I need to go buy a new phone to replace her phone which is a few months old. Â I can’t even begin to state all that is wrong with this)
4. Â Well Sir it is wireless, its not going to be perfect. Â (This was actually the most honest answer I got, and I agree with it completely. Â I got this answer by going to an AT&T store and speaking to someone face to face. Â They admitted there are lots of problems with the service and they have been complaining as well, and he believed the service was rushed through for the iPhone launch. Â He stated that on his own and I almost wanted to hug him for being honest like that)
At no point in all of this has anyone offered to assist in any way. Â Nothing that wouldn’t cost me more money that is. Â And no one has muttered the words “credit” at all. Â Dropped calls?, thats normal. Â Can’t make a call?, thats normal. Â Credit your service any for all your troubles?, thats not normal.
So I either need to find a phone for her that is edge only, or buy her an iPhone 3G so she can turn off 3G.
Thanks for nothing AT&T!