I often rant about bad customer service on my blog, so it seems like I should credit good customer service when I get it. Yesterday I received a collection notice for an AT&T Wireless account. This struck me as strange, because I've been a Verizon customer for almost six years. Also, I have never seen a bill for this alleged account; only the collection notice that says I owe them $160. I called AT&T to inquire, and it turned out this was for a 30 day free trial I got from Cingular Wireless--a Cingular Wireless card came with my old laptop, but the service was slow, and anyway, the Atlantic uses Macs, so I cancelled the service when the trial period was up. Some computer in the depths of AT&T's billing system, however, hadn't realized it was a free trial; hence the outstanding balance.
The operator was courteous, asked me only one question (Had I returned the equipment? There wasn't any, I explained; the card was hard wired into my laptop.) Then she went off to her manager, leaving me on hold, and reversed all the charges. The whole thing took twenty minutes, which is annoying, but it's the first time in a long time that I've interacted with a customer service line that did not make me feel as if I was a presumptive criminal trying to put one over on the company. I'm suddenly a lot more likely to buy an iPhone when my contract with Verizon expires next August.
I remember ATT switching me to an incredibly expensive long distance plan, without my knowledge or consent, days before my wife called her sister in Japan. I think I paid $200 for a two hour call. I immediately switched to Verizon and sold my ATT stock.
They will never, as long as I live, get my business. I will use anybody else, even if it's more money, and even if the service is worse.
With luck, I will have denied them ten times as much revenue as that shifty move made for them.
I've only dealt with The New AT&T-nee-Cingular-nee-AT&T Wireless customer service on a couple occasions, but the operators seemed knowledgeable and friendly. And I've not had any service glitches.
Another company that deserves props for good customer service is Qwest. I subscribed to land-line phone and DSL service after moving into my current place, then had immediate problems with a bad wiring connection. The speed of the technical service and the amount of follow-through was downright amazing.
I always get a good horselaugh whenever Comcast sends out one of the five or six monthly mailers encouraging me to buy cable modem broadband service -- including the latest circular, which offered "Fast-Acting Relief for DSL" and an explanation of how a Comcast broadband account can cure my speed woes with high bandwidth. Unfortunately for them, Qwest offers fast-acting relief for Comcast customer service, so I don't plan to switch.
I had a good experience with (of all things) Microsoft tech support last month. Seems to be the only thing they can still do right these days; the product was laughably unsuited to purpose even after it worked. Best Buy's really good with returns, by the way.
I've actually had pretty good customer service with Amazon. I once ordered a computer game and made the mistake of trying to save a few bucks by having it sent via the U.S. postal service. Of course, it never arrived. I e-mailed them, and with no questions asked, they sent a replacement via UPS 2nd day, and didn't charge either for the replacement or the shipping upgrade.
I had a contract with AT&T a while ago. A few days after the contract expired I called them up to find out what new contracts were available. They informed me that they had 'automatically' signed me up for another 2 years. No, this wasn't in my original contract, but they claimed they had unilaterally changed the terms (and had somehow neglected to tell me). So I said "No way, cancel my service," and I shut the phone off and paid through the end of the month.
AT&T then decided that I owed them $1600 for all the charges for another 23 months. So if I have to pay anyway will they turn the service back on? No can do, I am just supposed to pay for the service without getting any at all. Naturally, I told them I had already paid for every minute of service I received, and wasn't going to pay for service I wasn't going to receive.
After a few months of hassling me directly, they sold the 'debt' to a collection agency, which has regularly called me, about once a week, for 6 years, to inform me I owe them. They refuse to listen to my explanation, refuse to send me any proof of the 'debt', refuse to submit it to my credit record where I could contest it. In short, it seems like they believe that if they hassle me for long enough I will just give in and pay them 'hush money'.
If you think you might get along with AT&T, RUN, AWAY, FAST, and DON'T LOOK BACK.
"After a few months of hassling me directly, they sold the 'debt' to a collection agency, which has regularly called me, about once a week, for 6 years, to inform me I owe them. They refuse to listen to my explanation, refuse to send me any proof of the 'debt', refuse to submit it to my credit record where I could contest it. In short, it seems like they believe that if they hassle me for long enough I will just give in and pay them 'hush money'."
Steve,
File suit against the 'debt' Collection Agency..
And, get these guys: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf
involved...