Today, I called AT&T to make some changes to our account. I was ready for a hassle just getting to a human, let alone getting the changes made. They have a handy call-back service now. If you don't want to wait for a human, you can have them call you when a human is available. Hey, cool. So I put my name down and went about my business, waiting for my human.
Then, I got a nice human when the call came in. I really appreciate that. She logged in all my changes, and we were just about ready to go, when she said, "WAIT a minute... hang on..." I waited and hung while she tippity-tapped, and then she said, "What about doing d,f,q instead of just a,b,c? You could still cut your base rate by $20 a month, get unlimited long distance, and keep your whosits and dodads." Did ya see that big ol' bomb, there? She just breezed through it like it wasn't a big deal. Whoa-whoa-whoa, did you say 'Unlimited Long Distance'? "Yes, as you can keep..." Yeah, yeah, okay. Whatever. Hang on.
HONEY!?!?! Do you want to lower our monthly rate by twenty bucks and have unlimited long distance included in our bill? (He looked at me like I was either making this up, or toying with him by asking stupid questions, which I took for an affirmative, and signed us up with that plan.) And you know, I knew this. I knew that it's a good idea to call on occasion and make sure you've got the best deal available. But, well, I dropped the ball and haven't called them in eons.
Well, that got me all pumped up and ready to redo the Federal budget. However, seeing as I am fresh out of Security Clearances, I figured I'd go after our cell phone problem. (The problem being we're two years past the expiration on our two-year contract, and we're getting jaked royally on minutes -- but I'm not "authorized" to make changes to the account.) So we loaded everybody up and drove into town to deal with this issue.
Not only did the Very Helpful Man at Verizon get us squared away with a new deal, and a better discount, he back-dated our new plan to the beginning of this billing cycle. (Because, as he put it, "If we change it now, your next bill will be a bit schitzo.")
On the drive home, I was so incredibly pumped up by the two experiences that I was absolutely dying to find somebody else to do business with. Sadly, by then, the Social Security office was closed. Bummer. Wouldn't it have been wonderful to catch them on this, the Unofficial Very Good Customer Service Day? Yeah, I thought so, too.
But it's okay. We've still got the teeth all ready for Monday when the Social Security office is open again! :-)
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
7 comments:
I'm glad you had a good experience with AT&T.
That's all I'm gonna say about that.
Well, when we signed up down here, it was Bellsouth. It's since been bought out. *shrug* kwim?
Dy
Yeah for you!! I've been locked in a month long struggle to the death with Vonage customer service...it hasn't been pretty. My kids have to remind me to use "the soft answer to turn away wrath, Mom!"
Yesterday was very good customer service day?! And I missed the call from the Rooms to Go people about my mattress?! Why didn't you tell me sooner!
And all we got was a visit from a guy who was Supposed to be an electrician and who turned out to be the patriarch of the carpet installing family, who didn't know Beans about electricity and who just wanted to tell us that there was No Way his workers could have messed up our electricity. Sure, those hanging wires are odd, but it is just a pure coincidence.
But I'm glad You had a great customer service day! I think Em's teeth might have had something to do with the fine service at the cell phone place -- she is darling, but you wouldn't want to annoy her! Katie started trick or treating with vampire fangs (the "beautiful princess with vampier teeth" costume), but she shed them when she realized that it is impossible to eat candy while wearing vampire teeth.
I think AT&T's service has really improved lately. I've called them twice in the past month (bill questions) and had such positive experiences both times. The first time, the lady said, "Hey, we can save you $26 by doing things this way." Yesterday they gave me the same line they gave you except it really doesn't work for me due to free long distance through cell phones and the metro-plus number we have to have so all our friends and family in Wichita don't have to call long distance. They were both so sweet and pleasant and ended the call with, "Before you go, have I done absolutely everything possible to make you a very satisfied customer?" Other than giving me free phone service, I'd say yes they did. Now if they could teach their tech support to do the same...
Man, I should have had you do my communication with Meade when my telescope broke. It took them 5 months and scads of hours clocked on hold, two shipments of the same telescope to California and a VERY ANGRY telescope owner leaving a message with hot air spewing from her ears before the telescope was returned. I've been a little afraid to take it outside and try it. We'll hope I won't have to do business with them again...
:-) Jean
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