No matter how kind and understanding some customer service representatives can be about whatever issues you bring to them , in the close their companies limit what they may do to help . A lecturer ’s troubles reminded us of just that .
Gizmodo reader Greg sent the following letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson . It ’s a bit on the tenacious side , so here ’s the gist of it :
Based on publicly announced data , Greg should be eligible for “ early upgrade ” pricing on his married woman ’s AT&T line . The only trouble is that his AT&T account does n’t appear to reflect that . Several AT&T client voice were able to confirm that yes , Greg really should have early raise pricing on that line , but they were unable to make any variety for him .
In Greg ’s discussion :
It is unfortunate that I had to step up my issue to this level , but I have exhausted all other avenues and finger that I have no other alternative . I also apologize for the length of this email , but I wanted to give as many details as possible so that hopefully this can be adjudicate in a timely manner .
My married woman and I both wanted to promote our current iPhone 3GS ’s to the new iPhone 4 . When we dial * 639 # from our phones , it say that I could upgrade my telephone line ( [ REDACTED ] ) for the price of $ 199 , but said that she would have to give the full retail price on her line ( [ REDACTED ] ) of $ 599 . I thought this was rummy because a number of my Quaker that have essentially the same account apparatus that we do ( two railway line on the report , both line were advance in July of last year , etc ) , were eligible for the early upgrade price of $ 399 .
evaluate from past experience , I know that the “ upgrade signal flag ” has to be set properly on your account in order for Apple to be able to betray you the telephone at the lower toll , because they can not see any notes on your account in the store . I called into the AT&T client religious service section on June 12th to come up out why our 2nd dividing line was not eligible . I spoke with a representative named Ashley Robertson . She was very civilised and she inform me that we definitely should be eligible to upgrade that line for $ 399 . She open a font to have it corrected ( Case Idaho # [ REDACTED ] ) , and severalise me that I would get a call back by the 22nd of June . Based upon this entropy , I listed both of our current iPhones on eBay so that I would have the money from their sales in time to bear for the new phones .
On the June 15th when I fuck off online to reserve our new phones on the Apple internet site , mine run through at the $ 199 price decimal point with no problem , but my wife ’s line was still showing $ 599 , so I live at this gunpoint that it had not yet been corrected .
I receive a call back on June 18th from Marla Cooper of the review squad , and she informed me that our account had been reviewed and that the $ 399 toll would be no problem . I inquire her numerous times if she was sure , and she said yes . I told her that I did n’t want to get to the Apple entrepot on the twenty-fourth and not be able to nail the transaction , but she reiterated that she was positive that we were eligible for the $ 399 pice . This was now the 2d congressman that has assured me that I could advance that line for $ 399 .
Yesterday ( June 21st ) , I called into AT&T Customer Service because the LG toss phone I was temporarily using was having outcome agree a connection to the meshing . The congresswoman I spoke with informed me that my issues were likely due to the fact that their system was still read that I was using an iPhone . She warn me that if she removed the iPhone from my account , I would then lose my unlimited datum plan and would n’t ever be able to get it back , so I told her to just leave it and I would deal with the topic . While I had her on the speech sound , I require to triple check the eligibility to raise my wife ’s line . She told me that her scheme was showing the $ 599 cost . I ask her if she was certain , because I had been told by Marla Cooper on the 18th that this had been resolved . When she again confirm the $ 599 price , I enquire to speak to her executive program . The supervisory program I spoke with was named Chris . He said he saw in the notes on my account where I had been told that I could advance for $ 399 , but there was nothing that he could do . I asked him to intensify the issue . He articulate he would , and someone would call me back today ( June 22nd ) .
I called back in again later on the 21st because I wanted to aver that the interpreter that I had spoken with earlier was n’t just mistaken . The spokesperson I talk with read over the account , and posit that our second line of merchandise definitely was in fact eligible for the former upgrade Mary Leontyne Price , and that the representative and executive program that I had spoken with earlier in the day were mistaken . She even read me a statement from an interior memo stating that if your upgrade date falls within a sealed range , that you could elevate early , and inform me that our dates were within that reach . She made denotative notes on our accounting that we could kick upstairs early , and even read them aloud to me as she typed them .
At 9:30 this morning ( June 22nd ) , I received another call from the review squad informing me that the lawsuit had been resubmitted to them . They aver that they were good-for-nothing that I was misinformed , but I was indeed going to be paying $ 599 . I debate with them that :
A. According to their policies , we should be eligible
B. Three representatives had inform me that I was eligible
C. Because of what their representatives had told me , I sell my current sound , and could n’t give to make up $ 599 + tax for a new one .
She apologize but said there was nothing she could do . I asked to speak to her supervisor . Her supervisory program was n’t available , so I depart a voicemail for her .
At this point , I felt that I had no other selection than to get through the Office of the President ( [ REDACTED ] ) . They took down my selective information and say an executive would review the account and call me back within two to three hours . I received a call back about an minute and a half afterward from Jessica Wilson . She was n’t very sympathetic to my situation , and was in reality quite snippy at times . She said that there was no manner to adjust the cost of the iPhone , period . I reiterated to no avail that I had sold my current phones ground off of what their representatives order me , and I feel I was due a new iPhone at the $ 399 price point . She claimed that she could n’t see anywhere in the notes where a representative had severalise me that we could purchase one at $ 399 , even though the supervisory program I verbalize to yesterday confirmed that he see it , and the representative I talk to last night made another note on the account saying that we could . She said she would research it further and call me back subsequently today , credibly around 2:00PM , but to not get my hopes up . I ’m still await that call .
At about 11:30AM , I received a call back from the supervisor that I had leave the voicemail for this cockcrow ( Allison ) . She state that “ the buck hold back with her ” , and that the Office of the President would likely reach my type over to her squad anyway . She claimed that she was the lead of the team for iPhone upgrades . Overall , she was very nice , and seemed to be sympathetic towards my situation . She also admitted that she could see in the notes where three different repp promise me the $ 399 price point , but once again she said there was nothing that could be done . She say that even if she put out a course credit to my score to make up for the difference , it would be reviewed and remove . We went in circles for ten or fifteen minutes , but I finally just give up .
To this spot , I still do n’t understand why we ca n’t have the former acclivity . agree to this screenshot from the Apple site , we can do the former upgrade on December 1st :
And according to the AT&T imperativeness releaseat this tie : “ Existing iPhone client eligible for an upgrade between today and the end of this twelvemonth , have been made immediately eligible for AT&T ’s unspoiled pricing for iPhone 4 with a new two - twelvemonth terminal figure commitment . ” … So according to that , we should be able-bodied to upgrade for $ 199 .
I called in to AT&T Customer Service just a little while ago to see when I could cancel my married woman ’s line . When the congressman asked why I want to inquire about scrub a line , I plainly tell her that it was because AT&T would n’t let us do an other acclivity like we were promised . After go over our account , she order me that I was indeed eligible for an early rise on that line . That now make the 4th representative that has told me that .
I have now wasted approximately ten hours of my time dealing with this issue . As utmost Apple fans , my married woman and I literally own one of everything made by Apple . Hopefully this phone will not be the exclusion . All I want is to be able to purchase a young iPhone at a fair terms as I was promised by four unlike congressman . I drop thousands of dollars every year with AT&T between my cellular Robert William Service , household speech sound religious service , and U - Verse Internet service . I experience that AT&T should abuse forward and correct their errors for a very loyal customer .
Greg explains that this is what fall out after he post the letter :
I receive a call back from Jessica Wilson in the Office of the President late this afternoon . She even had a copy of the above email that I had sent to Randall Stephenson . She was once again firm in her position . She never refuse that I had been told that I could upgrade for $ 399 , but was unwilling to honour it . Her exact words were : “ We will not be adjusting the price of the iPhone for you ” .
I called in to AT&T Customer service once more tonight , and was again informed that we could upgrade for $ 399 . I even have this call recorded . That made the fifth sentence I ’d been recite that I could upgrade for $ 399 .
Greg ask what he can do at this point and I had no answer for him . I have quite a little of similar stories about plenty of companies . In the remnant , it boil down to a mix of good and bad customer overhaul representatives who are all equally powerless to do anything beyond volunteer either sympathy or snide comment as their companies connect their hands and limit their actions . Today AT&T was the grown perpetrator , tomorrow it ’ll be someone else .
Customer overhaul
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