AT&T Wants To Keep Me As a Customer
What do you know, Ma Bell sent me a letter. She doesn’t want to take me for granted anymore.
Today I got a letter that literally opens with “We know better than to take your business for granted”, and then spells out an offer that actually could save me $40 a month if I switched my Internet service and swapped out my regular AT&T phone service for digital VoIP phone service. It’s not a bad offer, and I appreciate the approach.
The reason I have AT&T for my phone service in the first place is because Comcast DID take my business for granted. And when I called them to tell them I was switching my Cable/phone/Internet service that I was paying over $180 a month for – they could come up with no reasonable matching offer or incentive to stay with them. Nor did they seem to care. So they took me for granted, and they didn’t care when I took my business away.
When a customer, who spends over $2,000 a year with you, calls you to say he is leaving you….shouldn’t that raise a red flag somewhere? Apparently not at Comcast.
But years ago, the same call to AT&T resulted in the same level of indifference and resignation, which is why I went to Comcast in the first place.
As a long time AT&T customer, and one time employee, I have used AT&T my entire adult life. I had the AT&T Universal Card when it first came out. I have had them for my cellular service, cordless phones, PC’s, Laptops, and a few other things they have offered over the years. And of course, they have been my home phone provider for many years. But in the late 1990’s they got sloppy and their customer service became nothing more than a series of IVR prompts and dis-interested call center drones.
Now they dont want to take me for granted. I like the improved attitude – lets see if they really mean it.
Interesting experience. I know AT&T has been hot or cold in terms of customer experience based on who you talk to. I also know one of our mutual colleagues has been in a month-long battle with them to get their AT&T TV service installed (installer never showed, phone calls not returned, random charges for services not yet provided, poor/indifferent attitude from the customer service reps).
On the other hand, Comcast appears to be uiniversally reviled, as evidence by ComcastMustDie.com and its associated blog.
At some companies, the level of indiffernce toward making the client feel valued by people in a customer service role is shocking. I recently transacted with one such company and when I voiced my dissatisfaction, I was told one story that was later contradicted by the same person. When I pointed out the contradicition and asked for clarification, I received an email response that included poritons in all caps boldface type. Really? This company has been through an acquisiton and bankruptcy in the past two years. I have been a loyal customer for 5. I no longer am. And you wonder why the are experiencing a financial death spiral.
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