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Leann C

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AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Leann C » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:51 pm

Our AT&T (land line) bill was due on Monday. We're normally very prompt paying bills. But we had been out of town on vacation last week & just hadn't worked our way through the stack of mail awaiting us when we got home.

On Tuesday (one day past due), AT&T starting calling......CONSTANTLY. They were not leaving messages. Just calling over and over throughout the day. I answered a couple of times, but there wouldn't be anyone on the line. When I let the answering machine pick up, they didn't leave any sort of message.

Note: There wasn't a past due amount from the previous month. Our current bill was $52.00. This bill was literally ONE day late.

Our caller ID shows that they called at 10:52am, 11:46am, 6:23pm, 7:06pm, 8:09pm and 8:39pm

What's going on with AT&T? Has anyone else encountered this? I saw this article today on Consumerist.com. Not exactly the same situation, but the same crazy calling pattern.

We've decided to switch carriers. We had actually been thinking about switching for awhile. This bit of craziness just provided the motivation.

http://consumerist.com/5365884/att-keep ... iphone-3gs
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John Hagan

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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by John Hagan » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:08 pm

Not about late payment,but some days they call( on the business line) almost every hour trying to talk to the person in charge of phone communications about some great offer. We have asked to speak with supervisors to stop this and got nowhere. It will go for some time with no calls then one day we will just get flooded with them. Being on the states no telemarketer call list doesn't seem to help either.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Steve P » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:50 pm

Leann,

<chuckle>...Have I ever experienced this. Bear with me on this...it's long story but it has a happy ending (for me anyway).

When we moved to KY and I set up the home phone I explained quite clearly to the representative that I was retired and that I received my retirement on the 1st of every month. For that reason I specifically requested that my billing date fall somewhere in the first week of the month. It's not that I don't have the money at other times, it was simply the fact that I do all of our bills on the last day of every month combined with the fact that if I ever do happen to find myself macaroni and cheese broke at the end of some month that would be one less thing to worry about. So what happens ? I get my first bill and my due date is the 26th of each month (with a "past due" date of the 7th of each month). Well I'm a little pissed but it's no big deal...Like I said, I always do all the bills on the last day of the month and get them into the mail on the 1st. Nothing is ever officially late (and most of 'em are actually quite early). I figure if AT&T and gets there money on the 2nd or 3rd of evey month it's no big deal. WRONG !!!! Following the first month of service...the day after the bill is due (27th) I come home and there are like 6 or 7 calls from what turned out to be AT&T. Well I finally manage to catch one of these calls and I politely explained to the representative that I had specifically requested a due date in line with my paydays and that it really wasn't a big deal since it wasn't past due until the 7th. WELL ! You'd have thought the world was coming to an end and the rep is giving me this big lecture on being prompt with my payments, yada, yada, yada. So NOW I'm getting pissed...

So segue to the next month and the same thing happens only this time I'm ready for them. When the rep finally gets me on the phone I told them that I needed to go "check my records, would you please "hold" and I just walked away from the phone...and went about my business. They called back four or five times that evening (different rep each time) and each time I did the same thing...I put there ass "on hold" and just walked away. At some point I realized that each time these folks called they stayed on the line exactly 10 minutes (must be some kind of "policy" or something)...So now I'm REALLY jacked to have a little fun. For the next three or four months I would get 2 or 3 days worth of phone calls (until the check cleared) and each time I'd put them on hold and just walk away. A few times, If I felt like being a really big prick I would ask to speak to a supervisor and then I would put their ass on hold.

I kind of got bored with this mindless sport after three or four months and just canceled my land line (since I never really used it anyway)...in the interim I figure I kept these bozos on hold for ohhhhh I don't know 3 or 4 hours total. So to give you a short answer...yeah, we've had experiences similar to yours

:twisted: :roll: :lol:
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Leann C » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:04 pm

An update to my previous post. I just took a hard look at the AT&T bill and it's not actually late! It indicates that it is "due" on Sept. 21 and "late" after Oct. 1st. So I don't know what the h#ll they are calling about. If this is some sort of marketing campaign to increase revenues in a bad economy, it is a really badly executed one.

AT&T hasn't asked for my advice. But if they did, I'd tell them to fire the Retention Manager....and the Outbound Telemarketing Manager. And while they're at it....hire a few phone reps to be on the other end of the line when a customer actually answers one of their calls. What's the point of the hourly calls...and p*ssing your customers off.....IF THERE'S NO ONE ON THE OTHER END TO MAKE THE SALES PITCH?! I'd also suggest that they set their outbound dialing program up with a rule that they do not call more than twice in one day. Maximum.

Also, you'd think that a "communications" company could manage a better orchestrated telemarketing effort. It could just be that their robo-dialer just got bored & decided to make a little mischief. Regardless, I'm willing to bet that we're not the only customers that they run off with all the pointless, repeated calls.

BTW, we are also on the KY Do-Not-Call list. And on the national one managed by the Direct Marketing Association. Unfortunately, having worked with & around telemarketing back in the day, telemarketers can still contact you if "you have a relationship". That said, most reputable marketers keep a "customer" do-not-solicit list that includes their current customers who do not wish to receive marketing calls. I haven't asked to see if AT&T has a customer list, but that's my next step until we actually switch carriers.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Steve Shade » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:19 pm

The easiest way to avoid this idiocy and is to put your bills directly to a credit card or a bank account automatically. I usually write only a couple of checks a month. Never late and never a hassle.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Steve P » Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:03 pm

It is a robo-call. Not sure how it works but if the call is "answered" by AT&T voice mail it somehow recognized that and there was no message. If the call is actually answered it is transferred to the AT&T rep.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Nimbus Couzin » Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:50 am

I strongly disliike At&T. They took over from Southwest Bell here. The telephone industry overall is going to go the way of the newspaper industry, downhill. But they've seen it coming, so their new focus is on cell phones.

When I opened my biz in louisville, and needed a land-line, I was shocked to find the rates up around seventy bucks a month. Crazy isn't it? Southwest Bell. Monopoly.

I've since gone over to Insight (which I don't like that much, but their business side has been much better than their residential, which I had ages ago). Insight gives me high speed internet PLUS phone landline for $90 a month. Not great, but I need both, and better than paying the AT&T mafia. Internet alone would be $45, so I'm saving considerably, and I don't get annoying phone calls.

As for the future, I'm thinking about getting rid of my cell phone (cricket) and going to just skype. I'm online frequently, and I carry a laptop, so why pay so much money for the "convenience" of being bothered at any moment. Just leave me a message, and I'll get back to ya......Emergencies are the only real reason to really have a cell. I talk to my brother in Hong Kong free on Skype, and it is a video call, so we can make funny faces at each other, or show off our kids. Times are a changin'.....
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Mike Hardin » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:15 am

A lot of the calls you are getting probably aren't from AT&T proper but someone claiming to be with AT&T. They'll tell you there is a new billing process or some such thing and they only want you to say the word "yes" so they can "slam" you by signing you up for things you don't want. AT&T has done nothing to stop this and lets these people do what they want.

Do what I just did. Dump AT&T. I got Insight phone for my business and will never give AT&T another penny. It feels great.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Madeline M » Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:15 pm

just an FYI... being on the Do Not Call List ONLY applies to companies you are not currently contracted with. So no one should be calling *unsolicited* to sell you life insurance, septic tank cleaning, credit card offers, etc. However, if you are doing business with Chase for your checking, they can call you about a credit card offer...State Farm can call you about Life Insurance since you have Auto with them... and AT&T can call you non-stop about switching to a different plan.

Having worked with them once upon a time in college, you should be able to call into customer service and have them remove you from getting offers via mail/phone/email as well as from them and their other companies. If the rep you speak with doesn't know about this (and they may not) ask for a supervisor. It's just a few boxes they uncheck and no more calls. You can also have them not call you when you are past due, however, they will disconnect your services once it shows up in the work queue which may be 7 days or up to 60 days.

I would guess they are calling you non-stop about some new things about to roll out. They just started running commercials for a new bundle plan and U-verse should be in the area shortly, so that's probably what that's about. As previously mentioned, the people calling you with these "offers" are usually outsourced and can't make the changes to stop the calls. Yay for auto-dialers...

Google voice? I'm gonna have to check into that... We are about to dump AT&T for Insight so we can get better internet speeds and still debating on if we need a home phone...that may be an option...
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Rebecca Clark » Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:29 pm

Don't even get me started on AT&T. I've still got an issue to settle with them and I just don't have the two hours it will take of being transferred from one rep who can't help me to another. I tried writing them and received a note that they have to "talk" with me. They ROYALLY messed up my parents records when my mother was put in a nursing home and I unloaded with both barrels on some supervisor ... can't remember his name, but I used it like a curse word.

I am seriously considering dropping the land line because of their latest foul-up. Funny thing, until I made one small change in my services, they provided fairly good service and my account was correct. Make one change and you are thrown into the abyss.

I don't think it is just AT&T, though. Customer service has taken a decidedly downturn over the past five years. It most definitely isn't any type of "service" that I know.

Steve P. ... I like your style. :)
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Steve P » Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:52 pm

For years I was under the impression that in order to have DSL that you had to have an active phone line. NOT. As soon as I found this out I dropped my ATT home phone service like a bad habit. We get along just fine without a home phone...perhaps better since we no longer have to put up with all the telemarketing.
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Leann C

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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Leann C » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:42 pm

I found this on EmailsFromCrazyPeople.com. I think Steve P would be proud of me if I were to mimic this crazy person the next time AT&T calls.
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... -problems/
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Paul Mick » Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:38 pm

Leann C wrote:I found this on EmailsFromCrazyPeople.com. I think Steve P would be proud of me if I were to mimic this crazy person the next time AT&T calls.
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... -problems/


I'm speechless. I think this goes well beyond anything Steve could concoct, and I'm not even certain he could condone this rampant insanity. I mean, Steve is pretty crazy at times, but this woman needs to be institutionalized!

I love how speechless she was when he was nonchalant about being called at home, and how she had to take so much time formulating a response before she finally whipped out the "grandmother card." I also love how he said that he hopes this tape is played in court one day!

In short, Alex is my new hero.
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Steve P » Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:09 pm

Leann C wrote:I found this on EmailsFromCrazyPeople.com. I think Steve P would be proud of me if I were to mimic this crazy person the next time AT&T calls.
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... -problems/


<sniff> For some reason I'm not able to open this. I'll keep trying.

<edit> OK, I got it open. WOW !!! This woman is cazzzzzzy. I wonder if this is real ? I like to have fun and fire an occasional shot across the bow on behalf of the little guy but this is over the top.

BTW, just so there's no misunderstanding, I am not under the faintest illusion that I am actually winning the game, I'm just trying to keep them from throwing a shut out and let 'em know I at least suited up for the game. :lol:
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Re: AT&T calls a lot (has anyone else experienced this?)

by Leann C » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:28 am

OK. I'm sidetracking the thread. Can I just say that I am IN LOVE with the site "EmailsFromCrazyPeople.com" I could spend hours there (and have).

Here's my favorite. It's a series of communications between two neighbors. It's been dubbed "The Epic Lawn Chair War" In short, an age-old battle between the nut job neighbor "Paul" vs. John (who has the audacity to keep two lawn chairs....in his own yard) Paul doesn't like John's lawn chairs. Hilarity ensues.

Part I:
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... struction/

Part II:
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... part-deux/

The conclusion:
http://emailsfromcrazypeople.com/2009/0 ... onclusion/

The conclusion part II:
http://www.burbia.com/neighbor-lawn-cha ... al-dilemma
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