Phone/Internet Company Woes

[doityrselfguy]

Is it just me, or do some of these companies have the absolute WORST customer service?

Whether it's being bounced around phone menus that are impossible to navigate, or being bounced around among several people once you do reach a live person, it's frustrating.

I ordered a phone/internet bundle from AT&T two weeks ago, and spent about 45 minutes on the phone to get all of the details handled and my order confirmed. I just called yesterday to follow up on the status of my order since I hadn't heard anything, and was told they had no record of my order, and furthermore, the internet service that I supposedly "ordered" is not available in my area!!!!!

I'd be curious to hear of your experiences....

 

[toggleswitch2]

By far, it's EZ-pass with the worst customer service in my area.

There is a form of "discrimination" called nativism- those born here are believed to be "better" than foreigners. I dont know if I'm guilty of that one, but if your accent is so thick that I cant understaid you [and as a NY-er I'm used to "EVERYONE'S" accent because "everyone" here is a foreigner] we have issues. Why is it that those that TALK for a living often have little command of the language and the pronunciation? I will hang up on anyone in customer service that can't speak English.

Ithink worse is that fact that one gets the attitude that one is incoveniencing them in trying to resolve an issue. At least EXPLAIN your bureaucray (sp?) and help me navigate through it.........

Rant over. Communications companies? Oh yes the royal run-around.

 

[toggleswitch2]

And before anyone goes off half-cocked, my father and my great-aunt are the only ones (before my generation) that were born here. ALL OF MY OTHER RELATIVES ARE FOREIGNERS.

They learned English.
They worked with English speakers.
They learned the social habits and customs of (north Americans),and adapted to them.
They changed their names to have a pronouncable one.

They didn't expect their language to be spoken by Government or in any official capacity.

 

[rp2813]

The Plumber's House Has the Leaky Pipes

Telecommunications companies are the worst for their shoddy in-house communications. Take it from someone who spent 17 years on the inside.

The problem for the past dozen or so years, and thanks to deregulation, is that these companies have become sales-driven rather than engineering-driven and their entire approach is now sales-oriented rather than service-oriented. Add out-sourcing to the mix and voila, you have call centers in Bangalore with thick-accented representatives reading from scripts, and you have an ordering system consisting of a dumbed-down GUI with such limited scope that they can pull someone off the street and sit them in a chair and they'll be good to go. Order anything more that basic dialtone and the service request likely gets bounced around until it lands at an old timer who still knows what they're doing, if you're lucky. By and large, nobody knows what they're doing anymore. A sad commentary indeed.

Yes, yes, yes, without deregulation we wouldn't have cell phones and all of the other crutches people seem to need now to get through their day but the price for that is steep, as witnessed by the complete evaporation of customer service. It's all about sell, sell, sell now.

To paraphrase an old GM ad, this is not your father's phone company anymore.

 

[dogboy44]

I called AT&T to bundle services & save some money

it took 3 days and about 4 hrs on the phone. I supposed I could have seen it thru in 1 day, but could not devote that much time in one sitting. I am amazed the phones work at all.