Monday, June 23, 2008

An ungracious hello: How AT&T saved me $1,000...

. . . and showed once more that companies like Gannett lose big money when they skimp on customer service. Here's how:

I signed up for AT&T's high-use data plan, fully expecting to spend as much as $500 a month this summer, using my iPhone here on the Spanish island of Ibiza. Then, without warning, AT&T suspended my service -- forcing me to find all sorts of free Wi-Fi hot spots, where I can surf like crazy. (Note, AT&T customer service: free.) A week later, I finally got AT&T to admit it screwed up -- but only after spending 30 minutes in an un-airconditioned phone booth, listening to a young woman arguing loudly in the next booth. (Thanks, AT&T, for that vacation memory!)

Now, of course, I don't need AT&T's pricey data plan. My $1,000 gain in savings for July and August is the short-sighted telecom giant's loss.

Earlier: Ex-Gannett publisher: 'bottom line didn't work,' and Louisville: Call center can't keep up today

[Image: snorting AT&T operator Ernestine, played by Lily Tomlin on the Laugh-In comedy show]

2 comments:

  1. we love free wifi ;) - thanks for the link

    seriously though if you find wifi spots that we dont have listed will you let us know ?

    cheers

    ade
    www.iphoneibiza.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. AT&T cut my service without warning, too! Apparently they thought I should pay them a 175 fee for ending a contract "early" because my daughter left their Family Talk plan. A plan we'd had for years. I was still paying my usual monthly fee even though we were down to just my one line on Family Talk. Well, they made me so mad I'm not upgrading to an iPhone after all. I'm on Virgin and am spending 70 a month LESS on a pay-as-go with no contracts. Oh! and after I wrote a letter to AT&T, they DID call to apologize and reinstate my account, waiving the fee. But it was too late. Customer service was horrible and I can't believe they didn't bother to call my CELLphone to tell me my account was in danger of being disabled.

    ReplyDelete

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