• Welcome to the Off-Topic/Schweb's Lounge

    In addition to the Mac-Forums Community Guidelines, there are a few things you should pay attention to while in The Lounge.

    Lounge Rules
    • If your post belongs in a different forum, please post it there.
    • While this area is for off-topic conversations, that doesn't mean that every conversation will be permitted. The moderators will, at their sole discretion, close or delete any threads which do not serve a beneficial purpose to the community.

    Understand that while The Lounge is here as a place to relax and discuss random topics, that doesn't mean we will allow any topic. Topics which are inflammatory, hurtful, or otherwise clash with our Mac-Forums Community Guidelines will be removed.

AT&T DSL Customer Service Terrible

Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
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.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
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! :D

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! :D

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.
 

CrimsonRequiem


Retired Staff
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
6,003
Reaction score
125
Points
63
Your Mac's Specs
MBP 2.3 Ghz 4GB RAM 860 GB SSD, iMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 32GB RAM, Fusion Drive 1TB
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.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
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.
 
OP
A
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
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!!!!
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
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.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
67
Points
48
Location
South Carolina
Your Mac's Specs
-->
Maybe someone on here can enlighten me with a fantastic customer service story

This isn't one, sorry! :D

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! :D

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

Good luck!
 
OP
A
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
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
 
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Messages
4,695
Reaction score
73
Points
48
Location
houston texas
Your Mac's Specs
09 MBP 8GB ram 500GB HD OS 10.9 32B iPad 4 32GB iPhone 5 iOs7 2TB TC Apple TV3
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.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
1,466
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro OS X 10.7.x & some old Macs
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.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
67
Points
48
Location
South Carolina
Your Mac's Specs
-->
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. :D

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.
 
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
comcast

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!
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2010
Messages
23
Reaction score
0
Points
1
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?
 
OP
A
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
So if finally got hooked up:D, 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 :Angry:

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?
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
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! :D

Have you tried a Speedtest like Speedtest.net and Speakeasy? What are you getting there speed wise.?
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
give them a call and ask for Level 2!

Even with the fastest AT&T DSL service, my son's streaming video has the hiccups. You can still watch stuff, but I wouldn't recommend anything but the fastest option for doing sol
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Here in my city with the 3Mbps plan I have no issues at all with streaming video. It might be different in different areas. Also remember in my previous post how it slowed way down and it was an overloaded router at THEIR office.
 
OP
A
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
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! :D

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

It is DSL.

Went to speedtest.net, it's giving me 3.6 MB/s hooked up directly to the router and .5 Mb/s upload speed. Ping is 86 ms

Connected via Wifi I'm getting 2.77 Mb/s and .5 Mb/s upload speed.

UPDATE:

So I just put in a PS3 game and it seemed to work pretty well. A little choppy at times but not terrible. Looked it up and it says that usually you have to have between 1.5 at the least and 6 mb/s to optimally play online. So apparently its my netflix itself that is just being slow. Read a few things online that said to delete and reinstall the codes. I'll try that, thanks for your help guys
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Actually, your ethernet connection download speed of 3.6 MB/s is better than what the average internet user is getting from their ISP. Of course, if you're paying for 10 or 15 MB/s it would definitely be an issue. Most upload speeds promised by an ISP are only a fraction of the download rate, so that's pretty much normal. However, your wireless download speed is a bit suppressed, it should be closer to the ethernet rate.
 
OP
A
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
128
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
13" Unibody Macbook Pro, Iphone 4 16G
Ya, I just reset my Netflix disk and re-installed the "codes". It's still rolling at about 250 Kb/s to 650 kb/s. I really doubt that I could play ps3 online with those kinds of speeds which makes me think its a netflix issue. I put another disk on order so I suppose we will see if that fixes it.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top