How to Get Respect When You Call AT&T Customer Support to Complain About Your iPhone

107 Comments

1. Steven

   February 8, 2011 at 7:24 am

   Thanks for the Post, I had been an AT&T customer since Iphone 3 -2008, So far I am happy with their service. I do get some drop call at once a week, but I got use to it, As of their customer service, so far I am very pleased with them.

   • MrGroove

     February 9, 2011 at 9:14 am

     Good feedback. I honestly don’t think any carrier is 100% perfect as there are so many variables both on the technology side and customer service side. That being said, feedback is feedback so thnx for sharing.

   • Rodney W Isaac

     January 2, 2018 at 7:20 am

     Thank you for the info as I’m about to cancel my service with at&t wireless. to anyone looking to move to at&t don’t do it for the cell. DTV us still good except for the Not having the Dodgers and Pac 12 network. I joined at&t in June 2016 and they have lied and misrepresented facts the whole time. I thought combining my bill would make my life easy. Boy was I wrong don’t do it, it is an excuse to overbill clients. I will use this article to my advantage to help get rid of them. They ruined my Christmas vacation and didn’t care. I requested a case and I still haven’t heard from them. They want you to give up and just be overcharged. Don’t do it I will continue to fight and I will spread the message about their wireless customer service.

2. Kelley

   February 24, 2012 at 9:03 pm

   I was just hung up on by an AT&T rep. Here’s the convo:

   Rep:”Have I resolved all your concerns?”
   Me: “No.”
   Rep (in a sassy tone): “yes I have; I answered all your questions. Thank you for calling AT&T. Goodbye.” *click*

   How about that?!

   • Austin Krause

     March 14, 2012 at 10:03 pm

     Sprint isn’t allowed to hang up on you. You have to end the call. Rather surprised me one time.

   • Kristy Gault

     February 7, 2017 at 5:50 am

     I agree. AT&T has horrible customer service. I re negotiated my contract and they sent me to some AT&T web sales department that was trying to sell me magazines in exchange for a visa gift card and because I declined this my contract was not re negotiated and I now have a 300 dollar ATT bill. I should be polite to them why? And by the way, my cable tv channels now consists of a huge red x on my tv screen that they said if I wanted a technician to come out it would be 149 dollars. So instead they are just sending a new cable box and I have to take the old one to UPS and send it back. This company stinks, stinks stunks.

     • Cassie Tyll

       February 13, 2017 at 8:57 pm

       I agree,been dealing with multiple issues ranging from damage to my new home, intermittent WIFI, dropped calls, including a 911 call, YES, I said a 911 emergency call dropped, huge DVR issues, Playback issues, the list goes on and on and is still ongoing for over EIGHT months. I’m writing to a group, hoping against the odds, that someone might care. Not optimistic, but I have to try something. I have some names and email addresses, IF anyone needs them, might help??? Sorry were all in this rocky, stinky boat together!

       • MLH

         December 26, 2017 at 10:19 pm

         Yes, I will take anything I can get. I’m writing to the Attorney General in South Dakota to put a stop to the Nonsense lies AT&T has brought fourth to my boss. I was 86’d from the store, the customer service, the site, blah blah blah cuz I figured out what they were doing to him and they don’t like it. Well Attorney General here we come. Can’t stop me from that ATT, now what? I will take it all the way to DC. I speak to the senator regularly for the truckers, why not add this bit of into in too. This company needs shut down with all the hell they’ve done. How can a person that’s paid over $1k in 3 months of service with everything opposite what he was promised stay calm and collective with this company?!?!? Not possible!

       • The Knight

         July 26, 2018 at 10:51 am

         Answer to your thread is pretty obvious. Outdated lines and equipment. DVRs and receiver’s especially for U-Verse are very old and are not used almost at all outside US. RGs are old too compared to what 3rd party offers (Xiaomi…) and the technology is clunky at best. Also lines that you are hooked up on are probably 15 years old or older unless you have Fiber. Unfortunately for you there is a little chance that 3rd party router will work as a primary one usually you need to have 3rd party RG connected to the AT&T RG that works as a primary one which basically leaves the issue unresolved for intermittent connection and other issues. DIRECTV is usually better (newer equipment, better technology etc.) even though it still runs on COAX for no reason when RJ-45 already exists. Also unfortunately for you many providers are renting the lines from AT&T so if you switch they might just hook you with a new RG but in the end you will be on the same copper wire which is pretty embarrassing. I wouldn’t pay a dollar for the service any US provider has compared to what is used in my country (obviously not US) where I get a basic router and can get a 3rd party router of my choice. On top of that DVRs used here are the same brand as US ones but they are current. No equipment from 2005. And I am not talking about the price at all for reasons… Unless your internet infrastructure improves you all will be on that same boat with other 400 million citizens.

     • Linda Voigt

       May 11, 2017 at 9:15 am

       Oh yes, my last attempt to get customer service left me in tears…they kept shifting me from one department to the other, dropping my call every single time. Today I called to find out when a service repair person would be coming a WEEK from today! They have been running test remotely to fix my land line, which was working but with a lot of static. Yesterday the phone was dead probably some careless idiot running the test turned it off and forgot to turn it back on. So I will be a week without my land line, if they manage to fix it when they come out. Last time they had to come our FOUR TIMES to finally get someone who had a brain and figured out that the problem was not with my land line but with the AT&T box downtown. Luckily we have a cell phone and suddenly after I complained to today’s customer service person, amazingly our phone is back on again, with static, but at least we can use it. This company reeks. We are researching a different solution. We are going to dump AT&T as soon as possible

       • sherry cwidak

         November 3, 2018 at 3:29 am

         i know exactly what you are going through. they are still screwing my bill up they are very rude and above all i was transferred 9 times in 75 minutes no help whatso ever i thought a bundle meant more than one boy am i getting screwed charging me seperate for all 3 and yes i have cried and still crying over this shady company somehow i will get answers especially when i go to the news

     • The Knight

       July 26, 2018 at 10:40 am

       Well if you come on the phone and demand a tech right away it’s considered dispatch on demand (DoD) and it’s always charged. Issue that you have with red X always or almost always requires a tech to come to fix but AT&T rep has to go through a certain process in their system to get you a tech for free. If you are impatient and want a tech right away you will pay. If you spend 10 minutes on the phone with a rep they are gonna get you on free. All at least a bit experienced reps know that the issue troubleshooting will end with a tech appointment and they will send one because it doesn’t affect them almost at all.

   • Melanie Wall

     June 24, 2017 at 7:14 am

     I have gone so insane with ATT customer service calls, I am surprised I am not in a mental hospital by now. I do want to thank the gentleman who posted this article!

   • Rachel

     September 28, 2017 at 7:14 am

     Wow, what a rude and entitled customer you were Kelley. *Sarcasm.*

3. D

   March 14, 2012 at 11:56 am

   I don’t get this. BoomGuy mentions entitlement and you say rules of engagement. WTF is the logic in that? It’s a good habit to treat every person decently but when you pay for a service, you are entitled to a certain quality or exprectation of service. When you don’t, you get a lot of angry customers.

   And when companies starts gaming their provision of customer service by ranking it then everone suffers. Where I work, if yhou can’t resolve a customer issue within 15 minutes, you promptly tell them you’ll call them when a resolution is at hand or you tell them it cannot be fixed.
   Most folks understand if you are honest and knowledgeable.

   • Charles

     July 26, 2016 at 7:34 pm

     BINGO. From what I understand from what you wrote we have to be respectful to them and yet what about the company who we’re paying for a service respecting you?

     • Conspicuous_Consumer

       January 19, 2017 at 2:22 pm

       It’s about cordiality. They are very polite when the lie, cheat and steal your money. They are pleasant when they promise things they never intend to provide or do. They are downright friendly as they ignore your requests for help and attempt to sell you additional services you likely don’t want or need. CANCELLING A SERVICE FROM ATT? GET THE ORDER CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND KEEP IT! Rep didn’t offer a confirmation number? They probably just ignored your request and obtw, you’ll probably keep getting billed…

     • Roger Henry

       April 27, 2017 at 9:55 am

       No need to be respectful if you are really embarrassed with the services offered by AT&T.

       Just try to comment on third party website which gives an exposure to your complaint and try to help other customers by making them aware of these type of issues with the AT&T Customer Service.

4. Pam Barge

   March 16, 2012 at 11:35 am

   I really really can’t believe this. I have a cell phone that I use for everything. I’m a therapist and have recently had two more therapists join my practice. We wanted to have a voice mail routed through my cell phone with extensions for each of us. I walked into my local ATT store. The guy there said,”No problem. We’ll make your personal account a business account and sign you up for Office at Hand. Office at Hand is their ‘virtual cloud….whatever you call it. Basically a client was supposed to be able to call my cell phone number, get a menu where they could push ‘1’ for me and be routed to me, “2′ for my associate and be routed to her….exactly what I wanted.

   I was assigned a “Personal Implemention Specialist” who had an email with an auto responder saying he was out of the office and an extension that had a message saying that number was out of service.

   Bottom line….after over five hours on the phone with I think everyone who has ever worked for ATT on every continent in the world, my call has been dropped too many times to call (I’m on hold right now as I’m writing this with yet another person dedicated to my satisfaction). I’ve just been told that my business line (remember I’m a therapist…that means I have people who need to be able to reach me) is no longer in service. My number has been ported out and, of course, no one is taking ownership of the problem.

   What can I do???? My phone number is no longer active and it’s not my fault!

5. Matt

   February 17, 2013 at 12:38 am

   I work the Small Business Call center for AT&T Southwest and West region small business customers (specific states being California, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas). While this discussion is about AT&T’s mobility customer care group, it appears, I can flat-out tell you that procedure in my department is not like this at all.

   Before I discuss my department, let me clear up the “ETF” – the contracted purchase price you got on your iPhone? The reason you got it is that AT&T paid Apple the bulk of the normal price of the phone, on the condition that you commit to two years of service, so that your payment of monthly recurring charges eventually reimburses AT&T for paying a LOT of the purchase price of your phone. If you decide to bail because Verizon wants to give you service $30.00 a month cheaper, AT&T just gave you a really cheap iPhone, which you now own and can probably sell for more than what you actually paid AT&T. If you don’t want an ETF, don’t get a contract – the monthly price for the service is the same, but you’re going to pay for the fact that you could simply move the phone to several other carriers to save yourself money.

   Granted, AT&T could probably better explain this to customers when they purchase phones at prices contingent on agreeing to a two-year service commitment, but to be fair, you also get 30 days to cancel the service after purchase. So if the thing works terribly because of dropped calls or whatever else you don’t like, you return the phone, and end up being billed a $36.00 activation fee.

   Now, in my department, the general rule is that a customer can be as rude as they want. Frankly, with the way the “automated system” routes customers who are trying to get help with their account (frequently, to the wrong department), they should be rude. If they’ve been transferred 4 times before they get to me, they should be rude. In fact, the only thing we are told we can threaten to terminate a call over is either foul language or threats. If somebody wants to yell for 5 minutes straight about how screwed up their account is, they can yell away. The split-second the customer’s account is accessed, the billing system notes the account with the AT&T email address (sans the @att.com) of the individual accessing the account. If somebody told you they have your account pulled up, and then they disconnect you for being pissed at what AT&T has screwed up (without cussing and swearing or threatening to blow up an AT&T store or whatever), the next time you talk to somebody, they can literally send a message right over to the previous agent.

   It is also company policy that, immediately upon account access, the name and callback number of the customer calling in must be taken. If the call is disconnected, for any reason, prior to resolution, the agent must close out from inbound calls (and potentially complete the next call that came through immediately when yours dropped), and then call you back. Failure to do so constitues what the company terms “customer mistreat”, and is grounds for immediate termination.

   Now, let me tell you how it actually goes:

   AT&T is actively converting call centers from pure customer service to customer service and SALES. Yes, that’s right, call center reps now work on commission, based on what products they sell to either existing customers calling in, or new customers calling in to establish service.

   To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, there are agents in my call center – in a Midwest city with comparatively low cost of living to the rest of the nation – that are making 6 figure incomes.

   Now for the dirty part: If an agent hits exactly 100% of their sales targets in a given month, their pay is about 40% hourly, 50% commission, and then there is a flat $500.00 at stake for scoring maximum on customer survey. That $500.00? Miniscule portion of a commission check. Tiny. Furthermore, the survey system can be manipulated so that customers never actually receive a survey call (if the rep notes the call as a transfer to another department, even if no transfer occurred – yes it’s actually possible to do this – then the customer never gets a survey on that rep).

   So, a rep can basically crap on you, then flag the call as a “transfer”, and you get no survey. If a rep receives no survey responses in a month, then they are paid as if they made 100% of their survey score requirements.

   The ETF about cell phones I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it makes sense for cell phones because AT&T is basically floating you a loan for a lot of the purchase price of your phone. What is inexplicable is the fact that AT&T does the exact same thing for wireline services for small businesses, even when no equipment was purchased, and AT&T is using the same infrastructure it was using for the last person who occupied the office building/suite/whatever.

   A lot of businesses have multiple phone lines. The ETF for terminating a phone line under a 1-year contract (basically all small business products come with one year contracts), is $15.00 per line times the number of months left on a contract. Terminate 5 lines 6 months early, $375.00. But it doesn’t stop there. They put long distance plans on an entirely seperate contract. The early termination fee is half the monthly price of the plan, times the number of months remaining. So if your 5 lines had unlimited long distance on all 5, you may have gotten an introductory rate of $10.00 per line. $25.00 ETF times 6 months remaining means an additional $150.00 long distance ETF tacked onto the $375.00 ETF already billed for the local calling plan.

   DSL internet also has an early termination fee for business service, U-verse internet does not.

   Now, keep in mind that small business customers are a TINY TINY FRACTION of AT&T’s subscriber base. It is largely residential users. But let me tell you some of the things AT&T does to these people:

   1) That local calling plan I told you about that comes with a one year contract? Here’s what the customer doesn’t usually get told: When you order that service, AT&T sales/service reps have the ability to set the contract to auto-renew (literally, place you under a new 1-year commitment) up to two times. Since I listen to people sitting right next to me every day sell this stuff, I can tell you, they don’t even ask the customer if auto-renew is desired. Instead, they just pick “Y” (for yes) in that field, the customer knows nothing about it, and if they don’t open the contract expiration alert mail that is sent to the billing address on the account, in a seperate mail from the bill, and in the same envelopes as all the mailed advertisement existing customers get every month – if customer says to themselves “I already paid my phonebill” and has spent 10 months getting a bill and then 2-3 pieces of advertising mail – they assume it’s advertising and trash it.

   Then, maybe 14 months after they initially established service, they say “One year contract is up” and go to another carrier. Since going to another carrier and keeping your phone numbers automatically disconnects service with the previous carrier, the customer’s first time being informed of the auto-renew is when they get a final bill from AT&T with 10 months worth of early termination fees. Why not simply stuff the contract renwal notice with the bill, and actually make it the first page of the entire bill, in huge letters?

   Because, when customers refuse to pay the ETF, AT&T proceeds to start making collections calls, and if that doesn’t work, they turn it over to collections and report either the customer’s SSN (for sole-proprietors) or Federal Tax I.D. number (for corporations) to the credit bureaus!

   Now, on to the next problem:

   2) The environment in AT&T Small Business call centers for my regions has become one where, before anything else, sales numbers are the most important thing. If it’s taking me 20 minutes to resolve a customer’s issue so they can get off the phone, that’s really too long. AT&T tracks the average call handle time of all their customer service reps, but it is not even a component of our annual performance review. If I spend an hour on the phone with every customer, but meet my sales targets, AT&T is totally indifferent to the fact that most customer service issues should probably be addressed in 5-8 minutes.

   Additionally, the hiring standards in these call centers is “high school diploma, previous call center experience a plus”. The reason for this is that ALL of the California call centers are being shut down, because they have an average right now of 60% of employees calling in sick EVERY DAY (that 60% number was shot out on a conference call with management the other day). They cannot fire them because of California labor laws and absurd CWA (union) demands, so they are simply closing those call centers, because they don’t have enough people showing up for work to handle the California accounts.

   The flip-side of that is that they are hiring about anybody who asks, touts their up-sells of candy bars at the register at Walgreen’s as “sales experience”, and knows how to use a computer.

   The result has been that service representatives (the ones that work on commission), are using increasingly fraudulent sales practices to falsify their sales records and increase their commission. I’ll give you a very brief example: Customer calls and asks for a single business line, long distance service, and broadband. Price of that service on one year contract is $75.00 per month prior to taxes and surcharges.

   However, here’s the catch:

   Company directive is that sales reps that aren’t also selling AT&T Webhosting services, as well as AT&T technical support services for customer computers – they are going to be subject to discipline. Same situation if the reps aren’t selling cell phones.

   Keep in mind that the commissioned sales position in my department is something like 3 years old. Prior to that, it was pure customer service reps who got their hourly rate that was largely based on how long they had been with the company.

   So, in my office alone (I work in the biggest small business call center for the AT&T region I service, about 200 customer service/sales reps), select reps have started telling the customer that the service they are requesting is $89.00 a month, and includes technical support for their DSL/U-verse internet connection. A lot of customers buy it. What the customer doesn’t realize is that the actual price of the local phone service, long distance, and broadband is $75.00. The reason the customer was told $89.00 is that the sales rep added Technical Support services to the order that cost $14.00 a month, didn’t tell the customer, and the rep just made a substantial bump to their commission check.

   The “tech support for your internet service” part is where the rep misled the customer: Technical support on broadband is 100% free with the broadband service. Repair of inside wire isn’t free, but actual technical support and troubleshooting on issues outside the building is totally free.

   That’s one example. There are a BUNCH of problems in the AT&T Small Business department right now.

   When approached about this, managers state the N.O.T. team will catch these people and they’ll be fired.

   The problem with the N.O.T. team is that it’s in INDIA. Unless the individual in India is dyno-supreme at English, they may not have even caught the manipulation of verbiage by the salesrep in regards to the technical support;.

   This situation started appearing more extreme, when I began seeing indications that managers (sales reps are divided into teams of 12, under a manager who also gets paid on commission based on the sales performance of their reps) were actively instructing their reps to do this.

   So, my point is that if you think AT&T mobility customer service is terrible, you haven’t even seen the surface of things.

   not going to try to be the grand-champion of the premise of mobility early termination fees, but I will tell you that if early termination fees didn’t exist, and carriers kept paying a huge chunk of the retail price of smartphones, then Verizon and AT&T could effectively start taking huge shots at the bottom line of the competition by running a promo like this:

   “Just recently bought an iPhone from Verizon? Switch to AT&T within 10 days of purchase, and we’ll provide service for 20% less a month than your Verizon service!”

   If it’s an iPhone 5, and the customer got a $400.00 discount off the normal retail price when purchasing, and then cancels 5 days in, Verizon just forfeited about $400.00. The reason they ask for term commitments is so that, if AT&T attempts something like I just mentioned, then Verizon has a way to recover the costs via the ETF they bill.

   • Diane

     May 24, 2013 at 8:13 am

     Matt, Well maybe I should call your center, because, Florida’s 360 Tech support stood there ground and wouldn’t help out our situation which incidentally ATT screwed up when the tech came out, thanks to Business class it started from there then escalated. ATT 9 members were all nice and apologetic, but, so was I, I have been bounced back and forth I feel like a Ping-Pong. I guess when you are a BIG conglomerate business little businesses don’t matter…..Little business is what built our Country.

     I am still waiting, not holding my breathe for the “Supervisor” to me in touch with me cause I am in my gestation time of 5- 10 days I was told.

     Is this great customer service, NOT, I wouldn’t treat my customers like this.

     Diane
     Discover Automotive

   • Gail Lee

     May 29, 2015 at 11:02 am

     Thank you for saying that customers have a right to be rude after waiting forever, being transferred multiple times, and having to call repeatedly. Thank you for saying that customer service is included in the package we buy, and it is an outrage to base our service on our ranking of income producing accounts or whether we are nice. Frankly, that is extortion.

     I am glad that you try to run an honest organization. And I do appreciate that governments create situations that make it difficult to do business. I see it all the time. But AT&T is nevertheless responsible to delver what people pay for, and it is not cheap.

     No other company gets away with charging people for services not rendered, and the reason–be it the government regulations or bad weather–does not get the a free pass?

     If AT&T is incapable of doing business, delivering the service as sold, and providing the necessary customer support to do so, the should get out of the business…they are committing fraud. That’s how it works for the realtor us. Thus when AT&T offers a contract to delver a service that is consistently not delivered, AT&T has already breached the contract. It is fair to have the free phone retune, but not fair to charge customers when the reason for the broken contract is AT&Ts failure the first place.

     I think the public outcry will eventually get loud enough that not even their powerful size will stop a federal investigation. It’s long overdue.

     • Steve Krause

       May 29, 2015 at 3:55 pm

       I agree Gail. It’s all about the customer. And in the digital communication/social age — that’s something a company cannot forget. Some may think they are too big to fail and people will get over it. But that’s no longer the case, especially with a business like AT&T where the consumer has options and porting a phone # has never been easier!

6. Terry Sumpter

   December 26, 2013 at 8:15 am

   I sam an older man and am having trouble with my DSL. After going through all the automated questions trying to get to Tech help, I finally got there and then I trying to get help from someone who does not speak clear English. I could not understand the woman and ended up just totally frustrated then I hung up the phone

7. Carrie

   May 19, 2014 at 7:09 pm

   AT&T is absolutely awful! I had their service for two days before my new Nokia completely died and they wanted to charge me to send me a new phone. So, I decided to cancel my service within the 3 day period. AT&T then sent me a bill 2 months later saying my account was delinquent. I spoke with a rep who told me that he saw the history and would get it adjusted. A month later I receive a collection letter. I talk to two more reps who tell me they are going to ‘zero out’ the balance and take care of it. Then 2 weeks later, I get another bill saying I’m delinquent. I am totally amazed that this company is actually in business with the crappy customer service that they provide. No one can actually do their job or do it well.

   • Robert

     May 1, 2015 at 2:21 pm

     I tried to get a payment for GoPhone wifi hotspot adjusted. CSR agent said she had to send me to BILLING. BILLING agent said my plan is non refundable but I could call a CSR and suspend service. Called CSR Agent 2 who said I had to call in on the day I wanted service suspended.

     Absolutely abysmal customer service, which I suspect is deliberate to frustrate the customer into going away with their problem or request.

   • Wendy

     September 19, 2016 at 9:25 pm

     I cancelled two lines after the terrible customer I got. Then I got billed again and yet again. When I called and said I cancelled both, they said you just thought you did. No I did cancel both.

     • Wendy

       November 23, 2016 at 10:18 pm

       I am now with Verizon and I do not miss at and t at all.

   • Jerry Fortenberry

     December 22, 2017 at 1:26 pm

     Horrible company. I get so frustrated dealing with them

8. Tom

   June 12, 2014 at 10:38 am

   I got a phone upgrade after over 2 years with AT&T, and was told that my plan and discounts would not change. 6 months later, they are still billing me with a $30 higher bill. Been in contact every month and get a different story from each rep. I asked to put me back at my plan I had for 2 years, or I will cancel, and they threatened an$285 ETF (fee).

   I think the legal term for this is “Bait and Switch”. and they get by with it.

9. Octavia

   November 29, 2014 at 1:11 am

   I work for AT&T and I just want to add that when yall get the survey, shortly after the call, put your harassing comments in the notes, put all 10’s in the other fields. Litterally this might make or break someone.

   • Lauren

     August 25, 2015 at 6:53 am

     Seriously… “all 10’s?” No, if you suck at your job, are rude to the customer and don’t resolve the issue you don’t get “all 10’s.” That’s the whole point of the survey, to measure your customer service skills and ability to resolve the cal. If you suck, you get 0’s. Do better.

10. Stacie

    January 21, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I have been calling AT&T since November with issues on my bill and EVERY time I call I get the typical “We will take care of this for you” and my response is “I have called 10-15 different times and every time I call someone tells me they are taking care of it but it never gets taken care of” so what should my next step be!?!?!? I have spoken with Managers and I have their names written down and I even went as far as getting the last person’s employee ID number so that I would not have any more issues and guess what!? I am still having billing issues. Anyone have a number for management or even corporate offices, at this point I have to get in contact with someone who knows what the hell they are doing/ talking about! (I am BEYOND frustrated with AT&T U-verse)

    • Audrey Sullivan

      June 22, 2016 at 5:46 am

      I totally feel EXACTLY what you have gone through…Ive been calling sine February and hardly anything has been resolved!!! All that is left is for me to start removing all AT&Tservices from my home…This includes Direct TV, U Verse, home phone, and cell phone service that we have had since 1997!! I’ve given up!!!

      • Wendy

        September 19, 2016 at 9:28 pm

        I couldn’t get uverse because my address doesn’t exist. I’ve lived here since 1979 and google maps has a photo of my house but at and t can’t find me, so no uverse for me.

    • Jeannette

      July 20, 2016 at 9:57 am

      Stacie.. You have to write a letter to the Attorney General of your State.
      I am doing that today, myself. All our stories are exactly the same and it is extortion. The reps are told to say how sorry they are to hear what has happened to us.
      However, they will not get you to the Dept you need. In my case they sent me a sims card with a presupposed phone. Then t hey created a contract for that number and sent me a bill . I was on the phone in 2015 and was told (their error), so sorry ; all taken care of. Throw the next bill away. Today ,2016 July…I receive a bill from collection agency. I tried to remedy and was told by a representative they could not give me my account number. I read the account number to them that was from collection agency and they said that wasn’t it. Collection agency was decent and gave me their email in order to dispute and wait 30 days to hear back. They said A^&T had already written it off. This is Extortion. Imagine 1 million people and they collect 18.00 from them. Yep.. Corporation/Corporation. Write your Attorney General witht the facts and your problems will be solved. You do have to talk to a rep first and be sure to get the date/time and reps names. I have talked to 6 reps over this situation and was cut off twice. Credit Collection told me that is what they do. Attorney’s get the money, of course, for class action suits. We could have one of our own.

11. Chrissy Jamie

    February 2, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    I feel horrible for the men and women who have to work for AT&T and their customer service department. We hear nothing but complaints day after day from customers who are put on hold, ignored, and flat out lied to from this company. I really really can’t believe this level of service is still present in 2015.

12. Reality Check

    March 22, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    This article is garbage. It is clearly written with a bias and assumes an environment that normally doesn’t exist in call centers.

    Most times when you reach out you get a first level support person and you don’t get treated with any kind of respect. More often than not the “agent” doesn’t understand what you are trying to get resolved. Of course the supervisor is just the person in the next cubicle over and as unable to help as the first person but you have to play that game.

    If, when calling a customer support person you knew they had the ability to help then of course it would be to your benefit to be respectful and polite.

    By the way, if true, the “value” score is ridiculous and is the opposite of respectful.

13. Tom Ntos

    March 26, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    I have been customer since 2007. In my opinion ATT deals are scam. Be aware of tricks what they use.
    I think it is the worst company in USA. Hiding charges, not tell the true when they sale service and etc.
    Sales people are lies…Last 11 months I was screwed 3 times.
    My advise… when you go and do any thing with ATT, record conversation, have a witness. It helps.
    I hope this company will go out from business and wish them so much.

14. n/a

    April 16, 2015 at 2:00 am

    I don’t know what things were like in 2011 but as a current customer care rep. This is like 90% incorrect XD

15. FreddieMorr

    April 20, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    I HATE ATT. I have decided to leave them. We would not get angry if they were not such an unorganized mess!

    I want to file a complaint against a live chat guy. I asked nicely saying I had to to my bill, can I have the URL to do that. it was a long pause so I said im in a hurry please send it to me. he then decided to play dumb and keep sending me snail mail, TV service, everything I did NOT ask for. this went on 6 times before I told him he was rude.
    he flat out refused to send me the url. I pay a lot of money I should get decent service and when they act like children they should be fired.

16. Jen

    April 22, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    Last March I upgraded from DSL to Uverse. I paid out the nose to get the Uverse installed and was told that my DSL account had been closed. A month later I notice two charges from ATT on my bill payer. It turns out that they were still charging me for the DSL that was supposed to be closed. I called, dealt with the person politely, they apologized and said that they had fixed it. Two months later I notice the 2 charges again! Again I call…more apologies and promises to fix it. They also said that they saw that my DSL account was not “turned off.” Again, over an hour on the phone and they said that they had fixed it. TWO MONTHS later—THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN! More hours on the phone with them and assurances that they had fixed it. Charges then stopped for about three months and they were at it AGAIN! So I sat down in December, on my precious day off, and sat on the phone and did not let up until they sent me the massive REFUND in the form of a credit to my Uverse account and confirmation that the DSL account had now been closed. I even received a letter to that effect. A month later I get a bill saying that I owed about $93 on the DSL account. I CALLED AGAIN and they said that they didn’t know what had happened. Again, the time spent on the phone and more assurances that the problem had been solved. Two months later I received a collections letter stating that I owed ATT the $93!!! I called them again and they said I would have to talk to the sales department. I sat on the phone for over 35 minutes waiting before they hung up on me. So here I sit AGAIN, over a year and one month later, still trying to resolve this freeking problem! I regret every day that I upgraded!
    To add insult to injury, I was supposed to receive a $50 Visa gift card for upgrading. I never received it. Then I was told that they had no such record of the promotion. I will NOT pay for the DSL that I never used. I keep getting told by the ignoramuses that I actually terminated DSL in DECEMBER and I owed the $93. OH MY GOD!!!! This is OUT of CONTROL! If we had another service for internet, I would SO switch over—I already dumped their cell phone plan and use Virgin mobile.
    There is no recourse it seems. This is what happens when a corporation gets more rights and power than the people!

    • Joel

      December 26, 2016 at 9:06 am

      I don’t know what the laws in your state are, but in Texas you can file a small claims case against fraudulent charges. This is considered damages in Texas. If we all do similar, AT&T will be worn down.

17. Ginger

    April 27, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    Had been a customer many years with landline, cell phone & DSL. Dumped the first 2 due to poor customer service & too pricey. Decided to upgrade to Uverse internet. Scheduling an appointment was totally disorganized. When the day finally came the inside tech had to call an outside tech, when he got done the inside tech wouldn’t come back. I was told my only alternative was to schedule another appointment. Really? Does the world revolve around at&t? To make a long story short after spending over 3 hours on the phone with no satisfaction, I fired them. And they don’t make that easy either. Just another bully conglomerate!

18. an at&t employee

    July 28, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    I worked as a chat agent in one of at&t’s outsourced contact centre, which is located in India.

    The main reason, why an agent lies to customer is because he has been instructed by his supervisors to do the same.

    Now, why these supervisors ask agents to lie? Each team has targets to achieve. Surveys place a very important role. To avoid D-sat(dissatisfied-0) survey, agents lie. We have been given strict instructions from the supervisor to proactively transfer the chat to supervisor id and log out from our system and take the same chat from supervisor id. If you think that your issue will get resolved by transferring it to supervisor, then you are wrong.

    Surveys for the chats that has been taken from supervisor’s Id will not count. Results: The same agent will act as supervisor and will be rude to customers and ask him to call 1800- number and ask him to cancel the services.

    Why the agents ask customer to call 1800 number? Because when an agent take chat from supervisor Id he has to logout from his own system and that will effect his login hours. And the supervisors won’t entertain to elongate the chats because the next agent might be waiting to transfer the chat

    I really don’t think at&t has any idea about these unethical and dirty tricks by the outsourced contact centre’s from India.

19. An at&t employee

    July 28, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    I’ve been working for at&t for past 2 years. I know how does these at&t’s outsourced contact centre’s from India works.

    We have been given, strict instructions by our supervisor to proactively transfer the chats to supervisor ID, and logout from our system and take the same chat from supervisor’s system if realize the customer is upset or angry. Because the survey from supervisor system doesn’t count.

    Surveys place a very important role for these contact centre’s. To avoid (Dissatisfied-0)surveys, this is one of the dirty unethical tricks played by one of at&t’s contact centre in India.

    At&t spends millions of dollars on these outsourced contact centre’s and I’m 100% sure that at&t will not entertain these dishonest business.

20. An at&t employee

    July 28, 2015 at 7:14 pm

    The wrong information and false promises from agents is part of their dirty trick to avoid dissatisfied-0 surveys.

    Agents has very less to do with these unethical business practices, because we have been instructed by our managers to do the same.

    For example. After placing a new order we are suppose to provide with all the information to customers like promotion expiry date, ETF and actual price after the promotion expiry date.

    Managers won’t entertain us to give off these disclosure because, they do not want to lose a sale because of these correct information. They just want to meet the fail sales target.

    They don’t even care if the customer cancels the order very next day. Most of the cases customers will cancel,since they receive an email confirmation regarding the ETF and other one-time charges.

    But these greedy managers don’t care a hoot about customers. All they want is to achieve their fail target.

    It’s high time at&t, should audit the chats from their end take action against these contact centre managers.

21. An at&t employee

    July 28, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    I wish to talk about why an agent provide wrong information to customers.

    This again is part of the dirty tricks to avoid (dissatisfied-0) survey.

    For example. If customer’s payment due date is passed, then he needs to make the payment immediately for past due amount in the current bill to avoid uninterrupted services.

    If a customer initiate a chat to make payment arrangement for past due amount, we are suppose to educate the customer about the above mentioned fact.

    But the supervisors won’t allow us to do so, because customer will be unhappy and give us a negative survey. In order to avoid this we have to make payment arrangement to customers and it’s a fact that we will get a positive survey on that particular chat, but customers services will get disconnected within 1 or 2 days. I don’t know where is the customer service part?

    These supervisors are going blind for achieving the incentives.

22. An at&t employee

    July 28, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    I’m just wondering why at&t still outsource their services to India despite of these unethical business from these third class contact centre’s? Do Randall Stephenson really knows, on a daily basis how many long time loyal customers of at&t disconnect their services because of these lies and false promises?

    I should suggest at&t to fire all these greedy hypocrites and clean up their customer care service.

23. Jesse

    July 30, 2015 at 8:10 pm

    FYI for all ATT customers with regards to the phone insurance
    #if your phone is lost or stolen you get a reconditioned phone you dont get a new phone so you get someone else’s problem
    #2 there is a deductible of $200 as well
    When you call customer care and speak to someone who’s English is brutal ask where you are calling what state or country they wont tell you they say for security reasons they cant. Hum now what could possibly be the real reason?

24. Khan

    September 10, 2015 at 8:38 am

    This whole article is probably funded by AT&T or this guys is just started writing, Id say a blogger far from Journalism…. Whatever he is telling was so 90s everyone knows that. Here the issue is AT&T is stealing money…. So why don’t you write an article about Police and a thief.. or a thief and a victim… and ask victim to be polite and nice and sweet to ask your money back.
    I had $25 discount on 4 lines for 2 years, I have been AT&T customer for over 10. This guy I was talking to about upgrade at the end of 2 year contract, he told me you get new phones and no change to discount. I got 4 new phones next month, I found he lied. Then its a whole new story. Bottom line they stole $1920.00 from me…. and I need to be nice and sweet, and they have all the right to be jerk behind a statement “I am sorry for what happened” I apologize for inconvenience” last guy you talk to did not enter/post comments”

25. soloholypaladin

    September 12, 2015 at 8:48 am

    No offense.

    IF you are customer support and I tell you I ahve been using and troubleshooting the internet since 1992 and your guess is wildly off and you say you’re 39 and have been doing so since a later year…and I come out and say I’m presently 30.

    Sit your ass down and respect your elders, ATT salesman.

    I don’t need your business.

26. Sharon K

    September 22, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    I know this may seem trivial, but after speaking with bill collectors I have discovered that my situation seems to be quite common with AT&T. First they took two deposits from me for services I never received. They claimed they would return those deposits and cancel my order which they never did. All this was over a landline that I never got. I had to open a dispute with my bank against them over the deposits – which I won. I had asked the AT&T Social Media Manager Pam ####who was handling AT&T’s side of the dispute to make sure that account was closed. She never did. So for months I continued to be billed for services and equipment I never received. I sent two certified letters back with the bills to the billing department explaining the entire situation and that I considered billing someone for services and equipment never received ‘fraudulent billing’. Never heard back. I continued to receive bills that also stated they would be disconnecting my service if I didn’t pay my bill. That was funny because there was nothing to disconnect. I was being billed for TWO phone numbers & never even had ONE phone line. Yesterday I went to the mail box and there were 2 letters from collection agencies – one agency for each number. I think it’s outrageous AT&T is doing this to me and so many others. Too bad it took me so long to start talking to AT&T by email in black and white because most of the stuff was done over the phone until I finally realized I needed to be documenting what was said to me. Well.. that is when they quit contacting me- when they had to put it in black and white. I have already sent you some of the email correspondence between myself and Pam Rodgers, too bad I can’t include the letters I sent to the billing department with this email. THERE WAS NEVER A WORKING PHONE LINE, PHONE JACK, or PHONE at my house. NO PHONE BOX on the telephone pole…NOTHING. NOT ONE phone guy ever showed up at my house to install ANYTHING. I’m making a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s office and with Public Utilities Commission. I am also considering getting an attorney and exploring other alternatives.

    Below is correspondence between myself and Pam Rodgers – I never heard back from Pam ####..not a word even though she knows I was in the right. She never closed my account like I asked either. I have spent so many many hours on a problem AT&T created & I’m not calling customer service because I already tried that route and they are incompetent. lazy, or dishonest- pick one. And it’s pretty hard to feel like being a sweety in your corresspondence when you have wasted over 20 hours of your life on something that should have been so so simple.

    SK
    ***********************************************************************
    ********************************************************************************************************

    Sharon K

    Can you please look at your bank statement on 05/21/15, This is where I see a returned payment. I have also sent you a screen print.

    Pam ####
    Social Media Manager
    myAT&T Social Media Team
    Monday to Friday 430pm to 1:00am CST
    Check out our support center: http://support.att.com/
    **************************************************************************************************************************************************

    SK@####

    May 27

    to ATT

    Ms. ####,

    There is no debit card transaction or activity at all for the date 05/21/15. I could not see your screen print because I don’t have Microsoft word on this laptop. There is no activity for that day at all .

    On 05/18/15 however, my bank did reimburse me with 2 $50.00 refunds for the money I lost with At&T. Those refunds you see are not from AT&T to my bank account, that is why AT&T is not listed as being the one
    doing the refunding. The refunds you saw were from my bank to me, not AT&T to me. You can ask my bank as they are well aware of the date and time they refunded my money. That is why I told you earlier AT&T no longer owes me any money- they owe my bank money. I really do not understand the confusion. Why is it being made so complicated? I just want the bills to stop for service I never received. As I said my bank reimbursed the 2 deposits At&T took from me and never returned. Below is a cut and paste of MY BANK REFUNDING THE MONEY on 05/18/2015. As you can see it was definitely not a refund from AT&T.

    05/18/2015 Misc. Credit CREDIT DUE TO DEBIT CARD DISPUTE $50.00
    05/18/2015 Misc. Credit CREDIT DUE TO DEBIT CARD DISPUTE $50.00

    Sincerely,
    Sharon K

    **************************************************************************************************************
    SK@###
    May 28

    to ATT

    Ms ####,

    #1. When a telephone technician comes to a customers home to climb a pole and install a phone box and a phone line that runs from the box to the home for a land line he has the customer sign a form when he has completed his work. This is something all repairmen/ technicians from companies do. They get a signature from the customer stating that the work was completed and that it’s up and running. Since no one came to my property to install a phone box and a land line – your company cannot produce any paperwork proving any such service was installed because it wasn’t. I was billed anyway. I was billed even after explaining no one came and that nothing had been installed.
    I can however produce witnesses who are willing to testify that no phone box or telephone line or phone jacks are in place at my home. That home is being remodeled. There are workmen there every single day. They are working on that house inside and out and also know no phone man came and nothing was installed. So, what it boils down to is I can prove my case and your company cannot.

    #2. I can and did prove to my bank that two deposits for fifty dollars were taken from my bank account by At&T for service that was never delivered or received. Your company cannot prove that any money was returned to me by your company, because NONE WAS. My bank can see that when they look over my account- which they did.

    #3. Your company is already aware that I was billed for services never received and that my entire orders were bungled and mismanaged. Instead of trying to rectify the situation , more stalling and bungling is going on. It’s a very very simple case. I am astounded and amazed that it is being made so complicated on your company’s end. You are now telling me you have access to see my bank activity. You should be able to see that your company never did return my deposits , but alas the saga continues.

    4. My account was never closed when I canceled it even though I was assured it would be.

    5. Ms. #### you are receiving a paycheck for the time you are spending talking to me. I on the other hand am not receiving anything but lost wasted time with your company. I had to take two days off twice to wait for a telephone man to come to my home. No one came. That was 2 days of work for me LOST. I had to spend countless hours on the telephone trying to rectify the problem while no one cared and I was transferred from one person to another and then after holding the line and so many transfers having my calls dumped and expected to start all over again. Which I did. Hours and hours lost over a stupid little service I never even received. I was not paid for this lost time as your company employees are being paid to give me the run around.

    6. Where is YOUR COMPANY BANK RECORDS showing that I was paid my deposits back? LOL There are none. And there is no record of your company giving my deposits back in my band account records either.

    END OF STORY….PERIOD.

    Nothing complicated about it at all. I can’t prove my case & your company cannot.

    I can remember when AT& T was a good company with quality customer service. Sadly, those days are gone. I will NEVER be an AT&T customer again. This is such a shoddy way to treat customers. REALLY. I believe I’ve wasted enough time.

    Sincerely,
    Sharon K

    • Sharon K

      September 28, 2015 at 6:36 pm

      I did finally get my problem resolved. I had to go way up the ladder to the top rung to do it.

27. Phyllis

    September 28, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    I have been trying for many days to access my account to change services on my phone. I cannot access my account and can get no one to help me. I remember when att actually treated customers with respect but today you are not able to even get any help at all.What ever happened to customer service?

    • Sharon K

      September 28, 2015 at 6:37 pm

      I feel for you . I know what it’s like believe me

      • jewel

        May 31, 2017 at 6:42 am

        I’m having a similar issue Sharon, thanks for these tips. I’m at my wits end over this. Same thing – ordered landline service, never received service, was told I would be refunded the 50.00 “one time fee” – 20 days later no refund. Hours and hours on the phone with them. They are the worst company in the world to deal with and I’ve absolutely had it over their highway robbery tactics. Thanks for sharing this, I’ll take similar steps.

    • JANET

      December 16, 2016 at 5:36 pm

      GONE OUT OF THE COUNYRY

28. rose cohen

    October 1, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    I had an appointment scheduled between 8 am -12pm, for ATT to remove its own equipment from my property. The equipment is not being used, but it is still attached to an exterior wall and to an interior wall. As I write this, it as after 3 pm. The tech is more than 3 hours late. No call, no text. No explanation. I understand that ATT values only its own time; nobody else’s time matters.

29. Robert C

    December 11, 2015 at 7:38 am

    AT&T customer service people are the worst people in this whole world. They are costing AT&T a lot of businesses. I had a DSL account with them; I had to call customer service every month before paying for my bill, so they can give me a correct bill. I get overpaid almost every month. The funny thing is their customer service rep will make an adjustment on the account and promised me over the phone that the bill will be adjusted; then, the next month, the amount is doubling.

    After experiencing this for 6 months, I decided to close the account. I called and spoke with a rep that closed the account for me. I paid the account off at that time. Then, couple months later, I found out that the account was never closed, and billing was accumulating even when I get a confirmation number that the account was closed. I called again, another customer service rep promised me to close the account and bring it to “0” balance. 4 months later, I received a later from a collection agency hired by AT&T to collect on the account that is closed and paid off.

    Their customer service reps don’t document phone calls; they are not coordinated; they don’t speak the same language; they are not on the same page with information provided to customers. It is a big mess to deal with these people.

    One thing that I noticed their services may be superior to their competitors; but, you don’t have enough time and patient to deal with their customer service reps. They are sucks!!!

30. Eddie

    December 11, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    Every single time its some new bs charge with AT&T.i called three months ago and after being passed down from one agent to another,two hours later i was able to get my billing issues “solved”and the guy even went as far as telling me i will be paying $140 every month after that date. Comes the next cycle everything seemed ok,then on the next they raised around 25 ,the next cycle now those extra 25 bucks magically became $35..wtf kind of scam are these guys running?!! I call costumer service ,the first guy had no idea what i ment when i told him i spoke to a rep who left my balance at a locked price, gave him the Name and rep #. The guy still didnt know wth to do so he passed me the “manager”as ignorant as he is. Deven or Deveni Smith,also had nonidea on how to explain the reasons my bill would magically raise every month,i kept asking if she can look in to it and hopefully offer me the same price the guy 3 months ago did.she kept repeating my services and the total they come out to be,i told her i know how much it is and i know how much the person said the actual total should be after my call that day. She didnt know what to say,she said ok give me a momment. Next thing i know the C you N Tee clicked. SMFH.

    IS THERE A NUMBER WHERE I CAN CALL AND SPEAK TO THESE CIRCUS MONKEY’S MANAGER/S?? THEY HOTTA HAVE SOMEONE ABOVE THEM ,SOMEONE THAT CARES IF THESE IDIOTS DONT DO THEIR JOB RIGHT,RIGHT?SOMEONE MUST BE INTERESTED IN THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE HIRED AND ARE CURRENTLY PAYING A COMPLETE MORON WHO IS DOING NOTHING BUT DRIVING HIS\THEIR COSTUMERS AWAY.RIGHT? IF SO …….

    CAN I PLEASE HAVE IT????????

31. Albert

    December 30, 2015 at 7:39 am

    I was lied to by AT&T and it borders on Fraud actually. They got me to agree into a contract price for Uverse service and never honored the price and terms. So, for the next two months my bill went up $100 instead of down. Now they claim they cannot do anything as that offer doesn’t exist. I have a copy of my chat transcript and have dealt with customer service, a local AT&T corporate center, and two retention agents. The see the transcript and contract number I agreed into but still won’t honor it. I have had to resort to creating a case with the BBB (Atlanta, GA). As far as I’m concerned AT&T is a horrible business based on my experience of their business practice. Their support was good and polite but in the end they would not honor the contract or do anything to get me to the agreed upon price. Fraud.

32. Rhonda

    January 5, 2016 at 10:23 am

    ATT has no idea how to treat a customer…… They have owed me $$ since Oct. Promised me, assured me that I would have this refund check. 5 months later and now 3 hours on the phone(hold) transfers and disconnects I am pissed. I would like them to now send $$ and interest accuured for 5 months. Wishful thinking. How incompetent are these people and do they get trained to just apologize, and transfer and disconnect. Why can I never speak with same people? Are there systems ATT. So bad that they disconnect so often and today they said lines were unclear and statick, pretty bad service within. I need a place to file formal complaint.

    • jewel

      May 31, 2017 at 6:44 am

      exactly!! That is their MO – apologize, say “I understand,” place on hold, transfer and disconnect. ((Rinse and repeat)). Ridiculous.

33. Rhonda

    January 5, 2016 at 10:25 am

    August original date not Oct. See above post

34. eddie

    January 25, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Was told I could get uverse, they called a few days later and said it wasn’t available in my area,
    10 months later I called about something else and they said hey you should upgrade to uverse, I said not falling for that, oh no we have done work in that area since its available. Took 1/2 day off vacation waited for appointment, no show,,,I called and they said oh not available in your area. I said that’s what I said but you didn’t believe me. So they offered gift cards and a credit for then not calling me to let me know they were not coming and me taking a half day vacation in vain. Never got any of these promises.
    I called weeks later because obviously somehow these calls resulted in double billing. During this call, guess what they said we can upgrade you to uverse,,,,I said please don’t start this again, I mean really! they said no really please let us make this right, you have been a customer for 18 years and have never missed a payment, let us apply a $70 credit and $200 gift cards wave activation and installation. I said it cant be done! They said yes! it can, it was miscommunicated to you, we don’t know why it was rejected by engineering but it is available to you and we will have it installed in your home…..we ASSURE YOU! So I tok another half day vacation. Guess what….they didn’t show up. So I called and they said the order had been cancelled. never called me to let me know so I could have saved my vacation for something important for something important like …oh lets say internet stress.

    • Melody

      March 16, 2016 at 10:50 am

      I drove 400 miles for them to put n my service only to have a no show spoke to them for 8 hours on the phone still no service had to drive 400 miles back to my other house. Drove 800 miles spoke on phone for 8 hours, what kind of credit should they give me for those wasted 3 days of my life????? Nothing done. All those people were paid to sit on the phone with me. I wasted away that part of my life that I will never get back dealing with these people. What form of action do I get to take to get something taken care of?

35. Manilyn Gutierrez

    February 1, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    AT&T is the best..

    • John

      July 6, 2017 at 7:19 am

      Yeah, the best liars, the best time-wasters, the best at screwing customers to the wall.

36. RS

    February 9, 2016 at 6:59 pm

    Just write an FCC Complaint and AT&T will get back to you the next business day. More than likely, the problem will go away quickly. It sucks consumers have to go to such lengths for something that should be easy. Also, I never speak to anyone outside of the US. If more of us did this, do you think AT&T would employ in foreign lands?

    File a BBB Complaint, as well. While the BBB is a scam, they do make it hard for businesses to explain-away bad behavior.

37. Melody

    March 16, 2016 at 10:41 am

    Maybe if ATT treated their customers with respect this article would not be needed. Having said that
    I don’t care if their customer service likes me or not. I am not calling them to be liked. I am calling them to either supply a service or fix a service either way it is not a popularity contest. By the time that you get through the automated service an angel before you started, is already a cursor. By the time you get through to a live customer service who seems to know that they a live you are satan incarnate. This is why this article was written, once again to blame the consumer who is only trying to get something taken care of. They did not want to take up rental on the phone with ATT. Every call I have ever made to them has been at least 3 hours before anything is accomplished. So instead of trying to tell the consumer how to be nice, maybe you should write an article on how ATT can better serve their customers. And yes I just got off a 2 hour phone call with them and NOTHING accomplished.

    • informme2

      December 17, 2017 at 11:40 am

      I AGREE with you Melody!

      Re: Why is customer service at ATT so bad??
      I have been with ATT prior to them being ATT…

      It is now 12/17/17 & Customer Service is ATROCIOUS to say the least.

      I was on the phone with ANN for approx. 47 minutes today to obtain no answer to a simple submission as I could not go any farther back in my call history than 12/05/17 & needed specific dates & times for a specific phone number from 11/01/17 to 12/04/17…you would not think this was a hard question to respond to…well not the case here.

      I then went to the CHATS, TWO as a matter of fact, one with Diane who disconnected me (lost connection) & one with Judy who disconnected me (lost connection). In Judy’s CHAT conversation I requested an emailed transcript, which I am only presuming is the reason both calls “lost connection” & not on my end. Neither Diane or Judy appeared to read the submission sent to them with my name & phone number as well as what information I was requesting, so from 8:38 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. (when I finally disconnected from phone call) with Ann up until approx. 10:33 a.m. with Diane & Judy, ALMOST 2 HOURS, not one could provide me with the aforementioned information.

      THREE STRIKES & ATT IS OUT!!! …and all in one day, this must be a record but not one to be proud of, oh, & cathy2981, please be sure to find the other posts on this site to address the content on!

      Gee…I wonder if ATT is taking a page our of Disney’s playbook as Disney laid off 850 American workers with some given 90 days to train their replacements along with the threat of losing severance pay if they left before the end. This appears to be from an/around 2014 due to H-1B Visas, which is long overdue for an overhaul due to abuse.

      It certainly appears that this could be the problem with ATT in some way, shape or form…in my opinion.

38. Fran Logan

    May 26, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    AT&T “customer service” is FAR from it! They are horrid, and I can’t wait to get them out of my life! #antiatt

39. Elaine Lee

    July 12, 2016 at 6:08 pm

    The nightmare began 2 years ago and it will end within 2 weeks. I planned to go to Verizon but I live in an area surrounded by hills and Verizon’s only option is to use Wi-Fi to make calls. My Internet from TWC Wi-Fi isn’t even that reliable. Long story short, AT&T have proven to me they cannot be trusted, customer service is only another sales department, they lie and hold back information regarding your charges, they are deceitful and no one there gives a cramp about you or your communication issues in the store, online or via 1 800 if they can’t make money off of you Unfortunately, this will never change and it’s so sad for all of us. I am looking to find another carrier. Wish me luck because I really need it! P.S. I hate everything about AT&T.

40. Young Koru

    August 2, 2016 at 9:01 am

    My wife and separated and I called several institutions and made necessary securities to protect my accounts and social security number from my wife. Well, every institution was able to help except AT&T. I called to prevent my wife from changing the account because it’s in my name. Instead they argued with me that if she has my social security number there is nothing they can do for me. We were together for 18 years, I hope she knows my ss#. So they let her make changes to my account and then sent me the bill. She changed the passcode twice and both occasions I called AT&T and nothing was done. On the 3rd occasion she changed the account. They simply said sorry we can’t do anything about it.

41. Scott

    August 5, 2016 at 7:14 am

    I recommend Pioneer Telephone out of Maine to everyone. (We used to ) Now in Wisconsin, we’ve been with AT&T for 29 years and, under Randall Stephenson (their $23,000,000 a year CEO) things got so bad that we are now back with Pioneer Telephone’s Voice-over-Internet service. Our bill has one from about $50 a month to $12.50 a month with minimal extra charges and surcharges and, after a couple hiccups runs flawlessly. Their phone number: 1-800-704-2000.

    • Scott

      August 5, 2016 at 7:19 am

      That should have read (We used to live there.) Now in Wisconsin, It would help if we did not keep the laptop by the stove so I would not have to watch the screen for missing letters.

42. Allison

    August 28, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    I work for a center and we do customer service for att and I don’t think this man ment customers couldn’t be upset. But some of the things we put up with are ridiculous. I’ve had customers threaten me and my family because att has a policy not to waive etfs. Because obviously it’s my fault that as an adult you didn’t read a contract that you signed with someone else. I’ve been called every racial slur in the book. I’ve had co-workers that men have said horrible sexual things to. I’ve heard every cuss word in the book along with every other harsh thing people can think of to say. A girl that worked with us is now deaf because some stupid man that thought he was entitled to something that his contract Cleary stated he wasn’t blew an air horn in her ear. Most people are no longer asking for customer service they want someone they can talk to like dogs. I personally can see being upset about some things but don’t except someone to go out of their way to help you when you act like that. You know you wanted do it in person or they would kick you out of the store. Asking for a supervisor doesn’t help you because 90% of the time when you start showing your ass they’ve already told they’re sup, about the call. But thing is those people don’t want to take a call where people actually like that especially when it’s something you as an adult should have read in the contract before you signed it. And when things Sontag get done 9 out of 10 times its because the people we put orders aND cases through to don’t do their half. So really the customers that are here bashing att I can almost guarantee haven’t been model customers and maybe should wonder what you would do if we walked into your place of business and acted the way some customers do on the phone.

43. JW

    November 20, 2016 at 10:57 pm

    I have been an att wireless customer for more than a dozen years, never late with a payment, was very happen with the plan, the service was excellent, never once did I have to call. I joined the Uverse plan in 2009 it was the best thing since sliced bread to me. Again no problems, no late payments, when I moved into my new home and transferred my services in 2013, I was convinced by the sales rep, that bundling would save me a bundle. and make billing easier. My Uverse service has not been right since. Disruptions with the TV, the landline is either muffled or static. despite changing phones, and having the wiring redone. The modem would kick my mobile devices off the wifi causing me to go over my data plans unaware, I had been with my internet provider for a dozen years but changed with the Uverse plan because security was offered for free. But that too, unfortunately, doesn’t work.

    I guess now that I have been on the phone with the company some three dozen times over the last year. my number has been reduced from 3 to 0, because all I get now is hangups, and attitude, even during chats I am passed around from department to department. And I am always described as too kind and respectful. There is one escalation rep. Jay, man this guy is an angel. He does his due diligence before he even takes to the conversation by researching the account for notes so you don’t have to keep repeating yourself, He listens to you, without cutting you off, and does his best to resolve the customer concerns.

    So I can’t write the company off by generalizing the customer service reps by the actions of a few, If you can find the time to keep calling, or chatting your bound to find those that take customer service serious.

    And like one of rep stated above, I am sure they get some over the top customers that are just mean spirited which I have worked with, but I understand that many customers like myself feel victimized. Being charged for services you cannot use can be a real problem.

44. John Wolf

    November 23, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    How bout this, if you want respect from any customer service agent… Don’t be an entitled tool bag. These folks talk to 50+ people a day, your attitude really dictates your resolution. If you need something done, educate yourself first, then call.

45. Melissa Wilson

    November 25, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    I actually am starting to think there isn’t real people there working just all on messaging and push 0-9. Lol. Y’all are horrible. Can’t wait to get my $30 box and never pay another dime.. oh yeah it’s out there now!!

46. beenthere

    December 1, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    I work for AT&T Small Business. I am a manager and we sell the spectrum of AT&T services. Here are some real tips to help you
    1. Dont overcomplicate your account just because you want to save a few bucks a month. Some customers will do anything to save a penny. What happens when you have crazy plan configurations is…. EVERYTHING GETS MESSED UP! in the end you end up paying more and spending more time dealing with AT&T to resolve it.

    2. listen to the sales pitch. The person your talking to isn’t customer service, they are sales agents. They will try to sell you new service. Normally this will save you money.

    3.Asking for a manager is the last thing you wan to do.. The managers have even more on their plates than the agents. Managers will do what they can but really they can only afford to spend 5 minutes helping you before they are being pulled in another direction. 99% of the time the agent has to be the one that fixes your account anyways. I know many managers that can’t even place an order.

    4. Dont drag the call out. AT&T only wants agents to speak with you for about 20 min. After that, if your not buying something they need to get you off their line. Also, sent refuse to get off the line. it will not help you in any way. many times that is when the agents just stop trying.

    5.The first time you call get the ATT UID of the agent your speaking with. All agents have them and must provide them if asked. if they refuse then ask for a manager. ( side note 80% of the time if you put @att.com after the ATT UID its the persons email account) If that agent is the one that caused the issue AT&T makes their office fix it. So if you keep their ID number then you will alway be able to get back to them..

    6. If they tell you they can’t help you, its true. If an agent is trying to transfer you or get you to the right person that is 100% what needs done. Training is horrible… Agents and managers have no idea how to fix things. BUT! They have a good idea who mite be able to. SO, let them transfer you. ( This is why you need to keep the ATT UID)

    7. Nothing is going to happen today. Everything is a process. it takes time to make any change.

    8. when speaking to a supervisor. Sometimes you will want to go above a supervisor and many times you can’t. Every office is a little different but at some point your at the top and they have no one else they can transfer your call to. at that point you are at a dead end. let them do what they can. i promise at this point they want to remove it as much as you do.. That way you will just shut up.

    9.complaining gets you everything and nothing. If you escalate it will force departments to take action. HOWEVER. They now hate you, and really no one cares if your happy.

    there are some tips. Im sure a lot of people will hate them. but, oh well.

47. Steve

    December 20, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Getting jacked around by them again right now… I HATE AT&T!!

48. Wes

    December 21, 2016 at 7:22 am

    I recently had a horrible experience with AT&T Customer Service. After reading the other stories before this, I can believe they would do anything to get you to become frustrated and hang up. They absolutely do not care, and will put you on hold forever, and then come back on like they have been doing something else…I lost it when after an hour on the phone they started asking for my password (again) long after we had established who I was.
    Jeez, I have marked my calendar for the day my contract expires….I should have plenty of time to find another company. Good bye to a customer decades old. AT&T will spend a fortune trying to get new customers, but won’t lift a finger once they have you.

49. Store representative

    December 28, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    I’m a current employee for the store. I came form a prepaid carrier that took care of their customers and fix their problems quick. Thi company doesn’t even care if you are an employee. They will give you the run around too.
    At the store level management loves the ppl who miss lead customers by omitting information. So be aware that when you go to the store they will up sale you. I am one of the few if not the only honest in the store. I have got in arguments with management because I refuse to reword and change how I explain so the customer knows what their getting in to (and customers sometimes don’t get it anyways) I highlight in front of the the customer everything that is important in their paper work.
    I try to avoid getting managers involved, because they just want to upsale rather than help you with an issue. Sometimes I wait when they walk away to talk the customer out of things that can become an issue later on, because their not been honest by omitting information. Or I tell them flat out that is not a good option in front of the manager. The reason I do that is because all the customer see is my face and they will come back me. They sit us down and ask why you didn’t sold this or that! And I tell them because I take off that uniform and all they see is the Person who sold them or messed them up their account. So I rather be honest and be at peace. At&T corporate wants to get rid of the corporate stores and convert in to outhorize dealers because they don’t have to pay and employee with benefits. And also because they will not only miss informed a customer, but mess up your accounts and won’t be able to resolve your problem. So you are stuck with them. (AVOID NATIONAL RETAILERS AND AUTHORIZED DEALERS) this is not a transparent company! They want ppl, like third party call centers that have no real idea on how to fix an issue, to get you all tired so you can give up.
    Btw when customer service is telling you to go to the store most of the time they are trying to get rid of you! At the store level we can’t do much for you or credit your accounts.
    Another thing DON’T UNIFIED YOUR BILL that is horrible to fix issues or even credit your account.
    what is worst they will even do this to employee accounts for: I known employees that upgrade it their accounts and they won’t apply the discount and when we call customer service guess what we experience the same as you! The run around of course. And then we get a customer service rep from a third party who solve everything by saying the wrong information.
    So you are not alone we are customers too!!!
    My advice:
    1) never do business over the phone. If you want business services establish try to get a rep from your area. Review every document prior to signing.
    2) THERE IS NOTHING FREE!!! No one gives anything free people tablet come with a contract of 2 years, activation fees and eft charges.
    3) new lines have only 3 days to cancel (counting the day of purchase so is more like 2 days) so you don’t get activation fee charges restocking fee is charged . Otherwise is 14 days plus with restocking fee and action fees. After that you are married in to the agreement or contract.
    4) gathered all the information and research, and if the rep was honest go back to them.
    5) consider prepaid if it is one line only! And you are less for the high end phones.
    6) Insurance is always good for at least half of the term of the installment. After that if you keep it you king of paid for it. So save the money!
    Well I hope this company stops outsourcing is ridiculous! they want our American money, but no jobs or third parties for lower rates and no benefits.

50. Amanda

    March 30, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    I’m not a rude customer. I absolutely hate AT&T. My mom tried to switch from AT&T, paid her final bill, thought it was finally over, and the got a notice that they were sending her to collections. She called to resolve it, because she didn’t actually owe them any money. Here’s the next problem : you call the number on your bill, and it puts you into a nightmare phone tree, and when you finally talk to a person, they say “that’s not my department” and transfer you. But they don’t transfer you to the right department, or they send you back into the useless phone tree. I believe this is on purpose, to wear out the caller and get him or her to give up. Finally my mom talked to someone who helped her, got it resolved, no problem, their mistake, end of story. Except then after another month, she got another collections notice. This kept happening. It still hasn’t ended, and she has submitted proof that her bills have all been paid. Then I tried to make some changes to my business account, and the customer service was so bad – the whole phone tree and transfer system – that I decided to just switch to a voip service. I don’t know how many times I heard “that’s not my department, but I can transfer you to someone who can help you”. One lady even transferred me to some carpet company – not even an AT&T number! I got fed up, and switched. It’s done. And I’ve paid every bill, on time. I have my final bill here, and it’s $30. So imagine my surprise when I received a separate notice that I owe them $211, and it’s late, and they’re about to send me to collections. Ridiculous! This can only be a scam that AT&T is running on its customers who try to leave. But the letter says I can call this 800 number and speak to someone about my account…. Right, like that will help anything. Whoever is responsible for this stuff at AT&T should be ashamed.

51. Bill

    May 18, 2017 at 7:41 am

    Why is there not some place to appeal a company who does not even provide the barest minimum level of response to customer issues and problems? I understand the deal with mandatory arbitration, blocking class-action lawsuits – I disagree that it should be legal, but they do have that in their pockets – but if AT&T refuses even to respond to customer issues, should there not be some third-party or legal avenue through which they can be pursued?

    I guess if you buy enough legislators . . . which they certainly do . . . this is not a problem.

    This country and this company are becoming more corrupt with every passing day. Criminals and law-breakers, should be jailed and publicly flogged.

    I have had AT&T cellphone for 15 years, U-Verse for 10 – that will be changing very soon.

52. Cathrin Gordon

    June 2, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    STOP OUTSOURCING!!!!! I only called to Get ATT UVerse and Direct TV (thinking it would save me money over Spectrum) and instead – I have dealt with the most bureaucratic, most robotic, most uneducated and/or non-native English speaking representatives who do NOT listen, blindly follow scripts, hang-up on their customers, transfer me to black holes and dead numbers that tell me the number not in service, or make me hold FOREVER while they transfer me to some other 888 number where some other person with a thick accent who doesn’t listen attempts to talk over me and/or sell me stuff for most of the call. Just cancelling the install for Direct TV and UVerse took 1 HOUR. F*#K ATT are your corporate executives THAT GREEDY that you can’t keep your customer service in the US????!!!! Do American jobs and American prosperity mean nothing to you???!!! ENOUGH WITH THE OUTSOURCING! I am sticking w/ Spectrum.

53. John

    July 5, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    I am retired ATT, and I was in Service Management. I am now just a customer, AND I HATE THEIR GUTS. They are easily the most rude and vindictive company that I have ever dealt with. I would leave in a heartbeat except for the fact that I get a discount as a former employee. But their snide behavior is getting to the point that even with the great monetary savings, it may not be worth it.

54. John

    July 5, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    Bad company, rude employees. For some reason, they seem to have a sense of entitlement.

55. Georgia

    July 18, 2017 at 11:49 am

    I agree with all these comments. After 2 1/2 months my problem has not been resolved. Many hours on the phone and ton of promises. I have not been rude but been firm at times..near tears. Something is really wrong with this system. Respect and care are not one of this company’s goals.

    • Elaine Barker

      October 7, 2018 at 7:33 am

      Why does there need be all the how to get along with ATT web articles (too many to count), why do we as their customers not demand through law, that they perform. They are a public entity not a governmental agency. If you call 5 times, you get 5 differing responses, this after hours/days of holding, waiting…I’m done. File with FCC, FTC, small claims, public utilities commission to let ATT know your complaints will not go unheard, unanswered. Also I have an email from assistant to the president of ATT that they do not engage in email with their residential customers. Quite alarming behavior.

56. cheri

    August 29, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    I am so sick of ATT screwing me over. not honoring warrantee over charging. bad equipment. I hate ATT!!!!!!

57. AYoung

    September 9, 2017 at 8:51 am

    I have been talking to ATT for the past 8 months about my bill. After hours, no exaggeration, each month someone will finally see what’s wrong, correct it, and promise they have fixed the problem and promise my next bill will be right. I went to the store repeatedly, used online chat, but nothing helps. In July I was told they know there’s a problem and they are resolving it. They credited my account, left $0 balance and told me my bill was corrected, sent an email showing $0 balance. in August I received a bill for $399 (should be $67). I went into the local store and they were on the phone for hours. I came home and my service was turned off. I received a request to return the equipment and was told I will be billed for terminating the contract. I’ve been polite to everyone. I had documented every call so I brought all records with me back to the store and was told by the rep my best bet would be to just get another service and pay what ATT asks or take a hit on my credit. We should have some protection.

58. pamela third

    September 10, 2017 at 8:31 pm

    Well since AT&T merged with Direct TV things been getting out of hand .I had Direct TV know I don’t started paying to much i had to pay channels that are free than AT&T want give internet service know mind you i can get hot spot and can get cable dish what kind of mess is that . Also I renewed phones on my contract 3 well one of the old phones i was told that I can’t replace my phone since I changed my plan upset I was this was my first phone about a week later my phone died so I went to AT&T well bad news why I didn’t get my phone replace with a new one insurance was expired to now I told them I was told this above now I’m paying for the old phone than I’m paying for the tablet one gb I’m paying for things that I’m not using I can’t cancel one of the phone line because I have to pay of the phone first I should be able to cancel things of my account as long I keep the service going than I pay way to much.

59. Gina

    September 13, 2017 at 11:25 am

    I joined AT&T in May 2017. Nothing but problems from day 1. I left Verizon and ever since then I have been lied to. I comolained the first week asnd I was sent from person to person. Took 2 hours of my time. Tried agai. The next day. Another 2 hours and my pbones werent working. Everythiing promissed to me never happend and any credits I had they had excuses and everything was like pulling teeth. I had 2 tickets made up and they lued about the ticket disputes. 1 for a rebate and the other for 2 months of no service.that was 4 months ago and they still hasvent resolved my issues. Im still spending hours daily and they send me round asnd around. My store rep is even having problems. Theres still no answers. My directv is not what they said it would cost. My first bill was $1000 for 2 lines. Wtf….you got to be kidding me. I was suppose to be $25 a month. And combined billing. On top of that it was buy 1 phone the 2nd is free…not….and up to $650 a line for a rebat if you switch providers…i left verizon…this is customer abuse. My phone has been shut off, by direct tv shut off. This is crazy. They want money but wont help with my no service issues and wont give me my renate…Scam…i hate at&t…i have never felt so victimized. I cant wait until a class action lawsuit opens…i have 60 logged hours, notes, names and phone numbers. Also the time i spent in store. Im so unhappy and teapped.

60. Jen

    September 14, 2017 at 1:02 am

    Absolutely the most frustrating experience! I’ve spent the last 48 hours desperately trying to restore my service that was canceled( no warning, no reason) they can’t even tell me who canceled it. 10 year loyal customer. Daughter in Dominican Republic with no communication & I just keep getting the run around… hold transfer, not my department, bundled, unified…
    would love to speak with someone that could actually take care of anything. Why bother having customer service then? Hate ATT!

61. Compassion

    September 17, 2017 at 1:19 am

    If someone is new to a customer service department you have to assume mistakes will be made. Getting calls from angry,name calling people all day must create a high turn over so assume a lot of the department is probably in training.
    The law protects the 4 walls of a contract. READ IT before you sign it. On line contracts are also binding. READ IT before you agree to it.
    Of it sounds to good to be true..
    Reps in stores work on a commision. They say or lack to say what ever it’s going to take to get his mortgage paid. Purchase from website and by pass the commission. Get and read all the information you need to make a good desion.
    Blaming customer service because you failed to read or didn’t follow through is a cop out. How ever mad you may be. Just because your angry doesn’t make you right.
    Start off being polite you’ll get a lot father. And you should know if your issue is legit! Don’t be a baby because your bill went up when signed the deal! Talk about self intilement!
    Just Sayin

62. Barbara L. Carter

    September 18, 2017 at 6:49 am

    In December 2016 I took advantage of a bundle offer from AT&T that had a 2 year-rate guarantee. In January, 2017 I was billed for my prior service and the new service. The January bill for the new service was correct. Every bill since then has been wrong! It is now 8 months later and I am still trying to straighten out the bill. I have called every month and spent countless, fruitless hours on the phone. Every month credits are issued to fix the billing (the promotional rates were dropped, blah, blah, blah) and the following month the bill is wrong again. My frustration level with AT&T is beyond explanation. I filed a complaint with the BBB and the FCC regarding AT&Ts billing practices. Subsequently I received a call from a customer service representative. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with this woman; first she tells me that I shouldn’t have received credits for the incorrect billing, then tells me because my Direct TV was not added to the bill the bundle price was not valid (please note I have been trying for 2 years to consolidate my bill and AT&T can’t figure out how to do it, and the bundle only required three services which in my case is my land line, internet and cell phone.) Then she tells me I changed my service. I had to repeat three times that I have not changed my service since December 2016. I asked her to pull up my January bill where it clearly states my land line price was $14.10 per month including taxes until December 2018. She then proceeds to tell me that promotion is no longer available. I beg to differ. After getting absolutely nowhere I am told this needs to be escalated, whatever that means. I then received a call from a supervisor and I repeat the problems to her and she proceeds to tell me that there is a system problem. I don’t for a minute believe that; all AT&T is doing is bait and switch and hoping either the customer will not notice the changes and just pay the bill or give up trying to correct the billing to reflect what was promised and agreed to. Believe me I will terminate all AT&T services as soon as I can! NEVER AGAIN will I deal with AT&T.

63. karen

    September 19, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    I am very unhappy with AT & T. They have already been to my house once. All my land lines are dead. They found nothing wrong on their end. They said it was ADT. I had ADT out and they found that their services were working perfectly well (they are) so they told me to call AT and T again which I did. They gave me a waiting time of 8 am to 8 pm–12 hours. I waited all 12 hours and they never showed up. I know they had the appointment confirmed because my husband talked with them after the appointment was made. I am more than fed up with AT and T. I have been out of a working land line for a month and I am not paying the bill for that month. I am just fed up with them. it will be worth it to change to another carrier just to get rid of them.

64. Johnny Arnold

    September 26, 2017 at 6:09 am

    Every month I have to call in because my bill is not correct. They have over charges me and are charging me for returned merchandise. Lately it has been a defective phone that was returned. I even recieved a email on August 24, 2017 that they received it. Yet they are charging me $709 saying they haven’t recieved it. $709 Is the new phone cost by the way. I’ve been on the phone with them, and in the corporate store at least three times this week alone. I was told not worry they will get it corrected and my service won’t be disconnected. Well this morning I have no service. This company does not care about their customers. I don’t understand with as many customers saying the same things how they can keep doing these things. I am changing phone service. I run a business and can’t have this happening every month.

65. Keith Nelson

    September 27, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    I called AT&T twice to cancel service for my 87-year-old mother, who moved to eldercare, gave them all the information needed and the second time was told it was cancelled as promised, don’t worry about the bill. Guess what? They continue to automatically withdraw money from her account. I’m out of state, will get this done, through the bank but they’ve ripped off a couple of hundred bucks in the meantime let alone frustration. And I handle complaints in my job so am very nice and received what I thought was good service. Nice enough interactions, but they didn’t do the simple job tasked to them of cancelling her service. It feels like not just incompetence, but a built-in way of sucking money that is not theirs and making it too hard to retrieve. I certainly hope my negative reviews cost them money as well and they certainly lost my business forever.

66. Clif

    October 11, 2017 at 10:25 am

    You’re dreaming if you think being civil, polite, or rational with ATT makes a difference in their handling consumer concerns. Simply put – they don’t care. It’s all about the consumer’s payments not the service, which is their end of the contract. They don’t have to even appear interested since they are so large a company.

67. Kim

    October 24, 2017 at 8:05 am

    At&t does not care I was double charge they took money out of my husbands account and than took money out of my bank account and put me 180.00 in overdraft without my permission and then want me to pay 69.00 to them for returned check and late fees they did not care?at all when I called.

68. Fred

    November 20, 2017 at 9:10 am

    Sounds like AT&T employees are the ones with the “massive sense of entitlement”! How dare this jerk complain about customers expecting SOME customer service! Who does he think pays their salaries?

    Of course people are angry! By the time they FINALLY get through to a human being they’ve already been run through hours of runarounds, goose chases, impossible websites, overcharges, and general AT&T incompetence. Then he has the audacity to say they’re not going to help customers unless the customers are pleasant enough to them! If anyone should have to be nice, it’s the employees, who better finally wake up and figure out that their jobs depend on keeping paying customers satisfied!

    AT&T has had horrendous customer service as far back as I can remember. They were THE worst and rudest people in the world back when they had a monopoly, and now they still act like they have a monopoly. It’s no wonder so many people have canceled their land line phones!

69. Jim

    August 19, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    I haven’t had the pleasure of speaking with a customer service rep from AT&T, believe me i would love to. I have their long distance service on my home phone line, which I’ve been trying to cancel. They don’t make it easy. In fact, no matter which menu options I choose from their automated answering system, I always end up getting a recording which says to hang up and call another number to add my new service, and then it hangs up on me. Their customer service site is even worse, it refused to allow me to register until I had a hardcopy of my bill with a 7-digit account number on it (good thing I never switched to electronic billing). Even then, i was forced to wait 7 days to receive a registration key in the snail mail. So I would dearly love to speak to a representative, but they are smart enough to keep them away from me at this point. AT&T sucks and I won’t do business with them again if i can help it.

70. Robert Wilson

    August 29, 2018 at 9:43 am

    I can’t believe that the writer believes a complaint is someone being “self-entitled”. While I agree there are some angry trolls out there and they do exist there are also people who are frustrated with the level of service provided by AT&T and I happen to be one of them. This does not entitle their company to be disrespectful, which in my 2 months of experience with them is exactly what they have been. My mom who is on my plan when my wife handed over her phone to the associate to have her data transferred when we switched services had her case removed by the associate and thrown away in the trash. This was a case she purchased from our previous carrier. I can not believe that it is procedure to throw out something that belongs to a customer. When my mother voiced her concern to the store manager over the phone she said, “that’s what we do when you switch services but I can give you a new one for 75% off? You threw away her case! Since my wife switched our services to AT&T I’ve had nothing but dropped calls. I’m not able to receive or make phone calls inside any structure anywhere nor am I able to open any web page using my phone browser. It has been virtually useless and I pay for this service which I expect to be usable at least 50% of the time which it is not. My wife did tell me that they said if I had any issues to just go to the retail store where she switched our service which I did and was met by a very nice associate who was listening to my story. I was visibly frustrated because it is very important for me to be accessible to my team members at work as well as my boss. While I was speaking to the associate the store manager interrupted me by saying, “Most carriers have problems with connectivity inside buildings.” I told her I used to have Verizon and I was able to make phone calls at work and receive them with no problem as well as connect to the internet.” Her reply? “Verizon is across the street.” I went there for help and this was the response I got. In no way was I disrespectful. My tone was professional albeit frustrated (rightfully so) but I said nothing to deserve that level of treatment by this manager. I do not believe there is any level of accountability and it does not seem like the cell industry is an important part of AT&T’s business or they would not allow this type of behavior especially from a leader within their organization. If I addressed a customer concern the way she did there would probably be a very serious discussion between my boss and I. When I asked for the manager’s name she even refused to give it to me. Since my mom had the issue with the case as well I’m sure this type of thing happens at this location consistently but it either falls on deaf ears or there is nowhere to turn so there can be some level of accountability. Constructive feedback goes a long way and instead of locking people into your service if you just hear them out and do more listening and less interrupting you can learn a lot about your customer’s needs. Providing good customer service goes a heck of a lot further than putting them on a rating scale and treating them like a number.