How AT&T pushed my business away

I just experienced an all too typical poor customer experience in which the company actually made it easier for me to leave than staying on as a valued customer.

As a result of my consulting with many different organizations throughout the year, there are often times when I am unable to access the Internet through their company networks while working on-site for long stretches of time. Because of this, I purchased a wireless card awhile back through AT&T. A few months ago, I was at a client location where web access was not an issue, so I knew I would not need my wireless card for about 3-4 months. I didn't want to keep paying $60/month if I was not even using it, so I contacted AT&T customer service to see if they could help me out. Rather than cancelling my contract outright, I was pleasantly surprised to learn of a "contract suspension' program they offer, where it was explained I could put it "on hold" with out any monthly fee and then resume whenever I chose. Kinda like stopping the newspaper for a vacation hold. This seemed like the perfect soution.

However, I just realized I had been charged $10/month during this suspension period. I would have realized this sooner had I looked more closely at my monthly statements. Because I had a large credit due to starting this suspension at the start of a billing period, I only saw the overall credit appearing on each statement. But apparently that credit had been going down every month until this latest bill, when it ran out and I now owed $7.37.

I immediately contacted AT&T customer service to find out why I had been charged a monthly fee during this suspension period. I soon learned that there is actually a "reduced" monthly service charge. The original agent who explained this program to me was completely wrong on the key essence of the program. If I knew that before, I would have just ended my contract then rather than pay any amount while my card was never going to be used for this period of time. In explaining this situation with CSR "Willy," it became clear that he was unable or unwilling to make amends for their agent's misinformation, so I asked to speak with a supervisor.

As I waited on hold for about 15 more minutes, expecting to finally speak with a supervisor who might be willing to credit these past few "reduced" monthly charges and as well as waive them for no more than a couple more months until I resumed service, Willy returned to tell me that "he" spoke with the supervisor himself and all they would offer was to allow me to cancel my contract without paying what would be a $106 early-cancellation charge. At first, that seemed like a good deal and an easy solution, but I really didn't want to cancel.

I countered that if they were willing to credit me back the last 3 months and not charge me anything for up to only 3 more months, I would keep my contract and stay an AT&T customer. I further explained that if I cancelled my contract, it was very uncertain that I would return back to AT&T when I do need to resume having a wireless card, as there are many competitive choices out there, but if they kept me in suspension a little longer under the terms it was originally proposed to me, that would ensure I stay a customer and keep paying $60/month or $720/year once I started back up. I further explained that separately, I am an AT&T customer for my for home cable, phone and Internet and spend over $150/month ($1,800/year) for those services, but that did not seem to matter.

So, bottom line, when AT&T could keep me as a satisfied and loyal customer for as little as $60 total (to credit past charges of $30 and waive up to 3 new months of up to $30 maximum while on suspension), they preferred to instead eat $106 and take the chance that I might possibly start up a new wireless card contract with them in a few months when I am again shopping around for a new wireless card.

Wally was not empowered to deviate from their standard terms & conditions, no matter the circumstance. The supervisor could not be bothered to speak with me after I requested to. From a pure financial standpoint, they made a very bad business decision in both the short-term and long-term. From an overall customer experience standpoint, they were unwilling to take responsibility for an agent's misinformation and essentially opened the door and pushed me away rather than trying to retain my business.