08-24-2010, 10:55 AM

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the issue of terrible customer service from AT&T. I am in the process of getting internet through AT&T and am about to scream. It was originally supposed to be hooked up last Wednesday, then they created a whole new account "accidentally" and the hook up date was supposed to be yesterday. Yesterday it wasn't hooked up so I called and they said, well it was never supposed to be hooked up yesterday, the hook up day is Thursday. Of course I canceled my local internet yesterday because I verified the hook up day of yesterday through them. I called again today to see if they could hook it up sooner because I am without internet and I was told that I would be called back in 10 Minutes and what do you know its been two hours, and this is the second time I have been promised a call back and haven't received one. I've spent WAY too much time on the phone with these bast*rds in the last week. All I can say is that they are lucky they have the upper hand to the local internet because they don't have a data cap. Maybe someone on here can enlighten me with a fantastic customer service story, because I am calling them back on my lunch break and I'm not going to be very nice.

08-24-2010, 11:14 AM

The only time I ever got good customer service from AT&T DSL was when I yelled and screamed and finally got put to a Level 2 support person. The Level 1 support person even went as far as saying my Mac (should have never told them but I don't like to lie) was not a proper computer as it did not have the BLUE E. You can't even use the Web without the Blue E. My god.

Then I told them I have 25+ computers with everything from OSX to Windows to many flavors of Linux/Unix and they said it was impossible for me to have that many systems and they were all defective!! Then I got transfered to a so called MAC tech! Oh my. They were worse then the first so called TECH!

Once I got to Level 2, they made an appointment for a tech to come out. My DSL was running like Dialup even on Speed tests! Of course it was MY fault and even MY House's fault!! They sent out this very smart and attractive lady. I had my one PC Notebook on a chair outside on my front porch with a brand new 2Wire modem Clip Leaded to the phone line that was NOT even connected to my house. She looked and laughed. Did some tests and got on her cell phone and literally tore them apart. She also found I was paying for 3Mbps and they had me locked down at 1.9! She yelled, he is paying for 3 so give him 3! Issue was an overloaded router at their office!! Problem fixed.

Just amazing it took all that though. The lady and I became soft of friends. If I ever have issues, I have her cell phone number!

So I feel your pain! If you ever have to deal with them in the future once your DSL is working, demand to speak with a Level 2 support person. You will get no where with the normal Level 1 support.

08-24-2010, 11:40 AM

Yeah I the tech support is pretty bad. >_>" Half the time I feel like I'm talking to some guy in India. Which I probably am, cause I can't understand half the stuff they are saying.

08-24-2010, 01:16 PM

I've always gotten great service from AT&T for my DSL service. Once I messed it up by changing my system password, and they had me back online in minutes.

08-24-2010, 01:18 PM

Just got off the phone with them again, apparently the lady this morning didn't call me back because she couldn't change the installation date for my service, so just decided not to let me know that, the lady I talked to gave me a number to expedite my service but she gave me the wrong number!!!!! AT&T is just awesome!!!!

08-24-2010, 01:24 PM

So I feel your pain! If you ever have to deal with them in the future once your DSL is working, demand to speak with a Level 2 support person. You will get no where with the normal Level 1 support.

Verizon is no better. Even with their sophisticated FIOS system, there are problems. And like AT&T, speaking with someone at level 1 get's you no where especially if you tell them you're using a Mac.

08-24-2010, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by ace.13unibody

Maybe someone on here can enlighten me with a fantastic customer service story

This isn't one, sorry!

AT&T is terrible, they don't care, they have zero knowledge, zero tech skills, need I go on?? dtravis hit the nail on the head with the tier 2 support. Tier 1 is completely worthless and you always have to wait for them to go through their support flip chart and still give you the wrong answers.

I used to have AT&T U-verse and after 12 DVR boxes, and 5 Residential
Gateways, a lost phone number (couldn't get the port done), I had enough and mine and the wife's stress level was through the roof. They never knew the difference between hardware and bandwidth issues, and I was the one that asked them to make sure there was not a bridge tap on the line that could be causing the issue.

I still think that they have the warning light active for when the wife calls!

Bottom line is that AT&T is not welcome anywhere in my life.

Good luck!

08-24-2010, 01:38 PM

I REALLY want to call them and just tell them to "F" off and cancel my order but the local internet has caps on every single one of their plans except "palladium" which is twice as much as AT&T. I use netflix instant streaming via my PS3 so It's my only option.

JohnCL you are from Kansas City, I'm from Lawrence you've probably heard of Sunflower Broadband, thats who our provider is here

08-24-2010, 04:47 PM

So far I have had good luck with U-verse and has been far more reliable than Comcast
was although the latency is higher. Another option would be Clear for those put out with
both cable and DSL/VDSL.

08-24-2010, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by JohnCL

dtravis hit the nail on the head with the tier 2 support. Tier 1 is completely worthless and you always have to wait for them to go through their support flip chart and still give you the wrong answers.

Tier 1 support is bad on just about all tech support I have encountered. Of course I have not tried them all so I'm not speaking generally, but from the ones I have called they weren't helpful. It's not until I get to tier 2 that I got useful answers. I have personally dealt with AT&T and my cable company and neither one have been a good experience until I got to the tier 2 support team.

Even then it depends on who you get. As mentioned in dtravis7's example a good worker willing to help makes a huge difference even in tier 1.

08-24-2010, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by ace.13unibody

JohnCL you are from Kansas City, I'm from Lawrence you've probably heard of Sunflower Broadband, thats who our provider is here

Actually right down the road from you in Olathe.

Very familiar with Sunflower. It stinks that there are not more options, especially in a college town. My niece has Sunflower in her apartment, but it is all included in the rent so I don't think there is a cap on hers.

08-25-2010, 09:16 PM

I was super frustrated with AT&T DSL several years ago and when I moved houses I switched to ComCast DSL. Luckily, I don't have to deal with them much, but if I ever do (and I have, for many small reasons), I just dread it, because I know I am completely hostage to their service, and if if get a rep who's either not very courteous, or more likely, just not that informed, I feel like I am getting angry prematurely even before anything has happened!

08-25-2010, 09:32 PM

Their tech support has scared me recently. It turns out that they can see your password. What is to keep one of them from writing your username and password down and then using it later or passing it on to someone else? Couldn't they use that for identity theft and getting information you send out on your computer? Heck, they could maybe access your computer then, couldn't they?

How the heck is that safe?! What kind of safeguard do they have to prevent their workers from doing that?

08-28-2010, 08:33 AM

So if finally got hooked up, and it's slower than molasses in January. On my Netflix instant streaming it was saying I was getting between 200 Kb/s and 700 Kb/s (the package was supposed to be "up to" 6 Mb/s). It kept pausing and having to "catch up". Really frustrating, so I guess I'll be on the phone with At&T again next week

Not really a 'guru' when it comes to internet, there isn't a break in period or anything with dsl. Maybe over a few days the connection will become stronger?

08-28-2010, 09:00 AM

Is this normal AT&T DSL or UVerse? Those speeds are very slow for a 6Mbps DSL connect.

As far as the speeding up over time, they try and tell you leave the modem plugged in and it will speed up. I have never found that to be true with all the DSL I have set up for friends and clients. I will give them a call and ask for Level 2!

Have you tried a Speedtest like Speedtest.net and Speakeasy? What are you getting there speed wise.?