AT&T

If you never have to contact AT&T for anything, the service is not bad. Once you have to contact them it goes horribly wrong.
I had basic internet with them for many years while living in Olathe. For the most part the service worked great. About every 3 months or so it would just randomly not work. I would call on chat in with them and more often than not they wanted to send a tech out. All that was needed was a reset to get the service working, but the contact always took a minimum of 3 transfers and often having to contact again to find someone to reset the service.
I was going to keep AT&T as my internet provider when I moved. The representative I spoke to told me I had an outstanding balance on another account and could not transfer until that was paid. I knew my bill was current and that I did not have another account. After chatting I discovered this account was for a new router and service that they never installed. I was previous offered a new router and higher speed service at no additional cost. When it was time for me to hook up the new router I received a call that it was not ready in my area and they would call back when it was. I never had received a call back. I told the rep I shouldn’t have any charges as the router was supposed to be free. The rep told me that it was free after the rebate. I was never told about a rebate and never received any rebate information with the new router. I told her I would return the router, but she still refused to transfer my service. I requested to set up a cancellation on my account. The rep very eagerly and quickly processed the transfer request.
Not long after that I received a bill that was higher than it should have been based on the cancellation. I contacted AT&T and the rep told me that a final bill would be generated crediting me for the cancellation period.
Not long after that I received another bill which did not seem right. I contacted AT&T and the rep told me I had a zero balance on the account.
Not long after that I received a very rude letter that being I was ignoring paying my bill it was at risk of being sent to a credit agency for collection. Once again I contacted AT&T. I was told there was a balance on the account, the charges were explained, and a very random $ 30 credit was offered. AT&T may be better served actually addressing what is wrong with their company and customer service instead of handing out credits. I accepted the credit and confirmed my final balance. A payment was sent, ahhh finally done with AT&T…
In the last week I have been getting calls from a company wanting personal information, address, alternative phone numbers, etc. The company refused to identify who they were and why they were calling. Obviously I am not going to give out my personal information to some random person over the phone and each call ended with me hanging up after expressing that. Today I received a letter from a credit agency stating I owed AT&T $ 30. Once again I contact AT&T and I am told I have a $ 30 balance due and the rep offers me a $ 30 credit for the issues. I should have accepted the credit and after that explained that a previous credit was not applied and waited for a $ 30 check from AT&T to compensate my time dealing with the final billing. Instead, I explained that a credit was to be previously applied. The rep said the credit would be applied.
I also expressed that I expected this to not show as a blemish on my credit report. Not that it would impact it much at all, there is just no reason for it. The rep tells me he is going to talk to a manager and a few minutes later with no explanation I am transferred. Once again a credit is offered and I have to express concern over the possible impact to my credit history. This rep assures me that the credit has been applied and that I will not have any issues with this on my credit report.
I am expecting to continue to be harassed by the credit company and to have to contact AT&T at least two more times to resolve this. It sure seems like a lot of trouble just because I wanted to remain a customer and transfer my service.
A separate issue with an AT&T driver that expressed severe road rage including getting out in the middle of the street and challenging me to come back and confront him makes me happy I am not an AT&T customer. The fact that this man with a temper issue may have been sent to my home at some point is concerning.
AT&T is a huge company with many unhappy customers. My leaving the company alone will not have huge impact to them. The continued issues of poor service and no follow through from customer service will impact AT&T. Giants can fall and unless AT&T start taking the service they provide seriously they will be gobbled up by competitors.