I've been an AT&T uverse customer for a few years now. There was a discrepancy with my bill so I contacted customer service, once resolved I had a few questions about the wireless service because I was with Verizon, so I was transferred to a "manager". She explained that if I switched my service to AT&T, I would receive a new iPhone 6, as well as a $500 credit on my bill (she would credit $200 then when I went into the AT&T store to activate my new phone, they would add the additional $300 credit to my account). It sounded amazing but naturally I was skeptical. I must have asked her 50 questions and was one the phone with her for close to an hour, but she convinced me to switch. She explained that I had 15 days to cancel once I received the phone, if I changed my mind. Before we hung up she gave me a phone number I could call to reach her should I have a questions, she said it wasn't directly to her but if I left a message she would call me back asap.
Of course questions came up after the fact so I contacted her on two separate occasions, left messages and she called me back within 5 minutes. Unfortunately my phone was delivered to my leasing office and I wasn't made aware it was there. After a few days passed when I hadn't gotten it I went to the leasing office and sure enough it was there. (Not AT&T's fault) I immediately took it to the AT&T store to have it activated and receive my additional $300 bill credit.
While starting the process of switching my phone number, the sales associate told me not only would I not receive a $300 bill credit, I wouldn't get the $200 credit either and that a promotion like that has never existed, he even double checked with his manager. He said even though I was told that by a manager, they would not honor it. I told him to stop the "switching" and explained I would contact her to find out what was going on.
The next day, first thing in the morning, I called her and left a message. I hadn't heard back by noon so I called and left another message. After another hour she still hadn't gotten back with me so I called the main customer service number to speak with someone else. I was literally transferred and put on hold at least 10 times, the line was "dropped" two different times and was on the phone for well over three hours. I was finally able to speak with another "manager". I explained the entire situation to her and told her I just either wanted my credits, or I wanted to send the phone back and not change my service. First she asked me to give her the other manager's name that I'd been speaking with. She said she did locate her and she was working, so she was actually choosing not to contact me back. She told me also, that there was no such thing as the promotion I'd been quoted. Then she informed me that the 15 day grace period started the day the phone was ordered, not even when it was shipped, let alone when I received it, and that it was only 14 days, so I had 2 days left to return the phone. She said that a lot of phones are misplaced when they are sent back so I should do it as soon as possible; because if they receivef it after the grace period I would stil be responsible for paying the entire retail price of the phone, even though I sent the phone back. I told her I at this point I just wanted to return the phone, without penalty, and stay with Verizon because I'd never experienced such horrible customer service in my life. She said that she would send me a shipping label and if I overnighted it back I wouldn't be penalized. She also said she would cancel the "switching" and as soon as they received the phone it would be finalized.
I was relieved that I finally was able to get answers, even though it involved finding out that the original manager lied and offered a non-existent promotion and was too much of a coward to discuss it with me, because the time for me to switch was almost up and she'd already gotten the sale. When I got home, my phone rang...not my Verizon phone, but the new unopened AT&T phone still in the box. I tried using my Verizon phone and it was no longer in service. The last manager actually activated the new phone and completely switched the number over rather than cancelling it as promised.
I decided to keep the new phone because if I sent it back I would still have to pay for it. So, I'm stuck with AT&T for the next year.
I work in customer service myself and if a customer tells me they've had a horrible experience, it's important to me to do everything I can to make it better for them...that is obviously not the case for you guys. Horribly disappointing!
Of course questions came up after the fact so I contacted her on two separate occasions, left messages and she called me back within 5 minutes. Unfortunately my phone was delivered to my leasing office and I wasn't made aware it was there. After a few days passed when I hadn't gotten it I went to the leasing office and sure enough it was there. (Not AT&T's fault) I immediately took it to the AT&T store to have it activated and receive my additional $300 bill credit.
While starting the process of switching my phone number, the sales associate told me not only would I not receive a $300 bill credit, I wouldn't get the $200 credit either and that a promotion like that has never existed, he even double checked with his manager. He said even though I was told that by a manager, they would not honor it. I told him to stop the "switching" and explained I would contact her to find out what was going on.
The next day, first thing in the morning, I called her and left a message. I hadn't heard back by noon so I called and left another message. After another hour she still hadn't gotten back with me so I called the main customer service number to speak with someone else. I was literally transferred and put on hold at least 10 times, the line was "dropped" two different times and was on the phone for well over three hours. I was finally able to speak with another "manager". I explained the entire situation to her and told her I just either wanted my credits, or I wanted to send the phone back and not change my service. First she asked me to give her the other manager's name that I'd been speaking with. She said she did locate her and she was working, so she was actually choosing not to contact me back. She told me also, that there was no such thing as the promotion I'd been quoted. Then she informed me that the 15 day grace period started the day the phone was ordered, not even when it was shipped, let alone when I received it, and that it was only 14 days, so I had 2 days left to return the phone. She said that a lot of phones are misplaced when they are sent back so I should do it as soon as possible; because if they receivef it after the grace period I would stil be responsible for paying the entire retail price of the phone, even though I sent the phone back. I told her I at this point I just wanted to return the phone, without penalty, and stay with Verizon because I'd never experienced such horrible customer service in my life. She said that she would send me a shipping label and if I overnighted it back I wouldn't be penalized. She also said she would cancel the "switching" and as soon as they received the phone it would be finalized.
I was relieved that I finally was able to get answers, even though it involved finding out that the original manager lied and offered a non-existent promotion and was too much of a coward to discuss it with me, because the time for me to switch was almost up and she'd already gotten the sale. When I got home, my phone rang...not my Verizon phone, but the new unopened AT&T phone still in the box. I tried using my Verizon phone and it was no longer in service. The last manager actually activated the new phone and completely switched the number over rather than cancelling it as promised.
I decided to keep the new phone because if I sent it back I would still have to pay for it. So, I'm stuck with AT&T for the next year.
I work in customer service myself and if a customer tells me they've had a horrible experience, it's important to me to do everything I can to make it better for them...that is obviously not the case for you guys. Horribly disappointing!