Welcome to AT&T! (Consumer Reports has rated AT&T as the worst of all major cell phone carriers)

American Thinker ^ | 12/11/2010 | Paul Schlicta

[SeekAndFind]

I'm pleased to inform you that Consumer Reports has rated AT&T as the worst of all major cell phone carriers.  I can assure you that they deserve the honor, at least with regard to their customer service telephone line.

A few months ago, I had some trouble with my broadband connection.  I was told to call the AT&T customer service number for technical support.  Half an hour later, I wearily hung up the phone after having endured something like this:

(1) Welcome to the American Thinker! Si Usted lee sola en español, por favor vaya al (14).  If this is a life-threatening emergency, stop reading immediately and call 911.  Please select from the following options:

• If you are new to the American Thinker, please go to (15).
• If you wish to contribute to the American Thinker, please go to (8).
• If you wish to complain about a previous article, please go to (6).
• If you voted for Barack Obama, please go to (20).
• For all other issues, please go to (11).

(2) Oops! You have reached the wrong paragraph. Please go to (19).

(3) If you are dissatisfied with this column, please call 1-800-331-0500 and state your complaint. Then go to (5).

(4) Please answer the following questions:

• Your name, rank, and serial number.
• Your birth date, social security number, and bank account passwords.
• Your reason for reading this article.

Then go to (17).

(5) I'm sorry but your identification does not match our records. Please go back to (1) and start over.

(6) This is not an operating paragraph. Please go to (4).

(7) You have reached the wrong paragraph. Please go to (19).

(8) Please go here and have your checkbook ready.  When you have sent in your donation, go to (11).

(9) If you work for AT&T, please go to (7); if not, proceed to (22).

(10) You have reached this paragraph by mistake.  Please go to (3).

(11) Before you proceed further, you must identify yourself.  Please go to (9).

(12) Please wait five minutes and then go to (13).  While you are waiting, you may wish to listen to music, but please hurry back.

(13) This information can be found only at (10).  Please go there immediately.  Do not be discouraged by any "this paragraph cannot be found" messages; keep on trying until you get through.  If this fails after five minutes of trying, go to (3).

(14) Lo siento, pero este artículo no está disponible en español.  Aprenda inglés, por favor, y vaya entonces al (1).

(15) Please go here.  Then go back to (1) and start over.

(16) Please go to (7).

(17) I'm sorry, but this paragraph is under construction.  Please return after September 1, 2011.  We apologize for the inconvenience.  Please go to (3).

(18) I'm sorry, but you have reached the wrong paragraph.  Please go back to (1) and start over.

(19) Please pat you head while rubbing your tummy for one minute and then go to (16).

(20) Go to (2).  Do not pass Go.  Do not collect $200.

(21) We are conducting a survey on the helpfulness of this article.  If you wish to participate, please go to (12).  If not, go to (18).

(22) Please enter your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, primary bank account, and password.  Then go to (21).  If you do not wish to provide this information, please go to (20).

(23)  Thank you for reading the American Thinker.  Goodbye!

[South40]

Can’t see it.

[pillut48]

We have phone service and U-verse with AT&T—their website is absolutely awful to try to navigate! I wander around in circles forever before I happen upon what I am looking for—not very user friendly, that’s for sure. I hate all that choose #blankety blank—I start smashing zero as soon as the computer starts talking, LOL. Usually that takes me right to a human being! ;-)

[Psycho_Bunny]

About 6 months ago, AT & T got my email address associated with someone else's new TV/internet service in Ohio. I called them twice and emailed them a few times saying they had the wrong email. I was told twice my email was removed.

Finally, I got pissed off, reset the password on the account and had the service disconnected.

[bigheadfred]

We dumped our cellphones and just have a land line. But for some reason it only rings once, although to the caller it rings on. And the answer machine doesn’t kick on. I’ve thought about seeing what is wrong, but, who cares?

[max americana]

Maybe it’s me, I’ve had the BB for a long time and they’ve almost never pissed me off. Their internet service is “good”, that I was able to reach Tier 2 customer service.

My “broken Engrish” Hispanic colleague got mad a week ago that he reached Verizon customer service and he couldn’t understand the Indian CS guy!

[al baby]

No worries, I had the Lasagna

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

Have to go against the grain here.

Had cell service with them since after they gobbled up our small regional carrier back in late 90’s.

Don’t have any complaints. Can’t remember the last time a call got “dropped.”

Will also add that my jail-broken 3G iPhone has been as reliable as the network.

Go figure, right?

[IMR 4350]

At one time I had AT&T Yahoo net service.

Not only did the soft wear provided by AT&T get you internet service, you got a nice virus at no additional charge.

[ken21]

agreed.

as soon as our contract’s up, we’re out of at&t.

unbelievably bad service.

i wrote the ceo and got bitched-down by a male admin ass’t.

the letter’s several pages long!

[rockrr]

The most aggravating thing - with ATT especially - is after you wade through all the phone-tree hell and provide them with all the info they demand, the live operator asks you for it all over again!

[Hotdog]

Post it...love to see it

[secret garden]

For the life of me, I don’t see how anyone could be worse than Sprint.

[rednek]

I went round with att over my internet service (or should i say - lack thereof). Ended up talking to Ms Petit in the office of the president of att. I have now dumped my business phones, 4 cell phones and my internet as a result of my conversation with her. She had nothing to offer to the conversation and about all she did was offer to expedite my exit from att. They aren’t the only telephone company in town anymore, but they damn sure act like it!....red

[rednek]

“the live operator asks you for it all over again!”

and the live operator is in India and speaks about 4 words of English.......red

[mongo141]

I had my phone and DSL service through ATT for about 5 years. My # was an unlisted, unpublished # until they decided to put the # in the phone book for me. I raised hell with them until they gave me a new # which they swore was an unlisted # then they put that in the phone book. AARRGGG. more screaming... The third try I think they got it right, I will never know the DSL died. They tried to tell me it was my equipment, Pure BS! I build and install computers. I took my equipment across town to another user of the same service, worked fine. I brought it home and ran a phone line out to the pole, no workeee. I called them up and told them what the results were, was told the problem was in the house. I told them in language you would hear on a USN warship where to put their co. Never again will do do business with ATT nor will I recommend them to anyone else.

[Delta 21]

[NeverForgetBataan]

“For the life of me, I don’t see how anyone could be worse than Sprint”
_______________________________________________________________________

Oh god yes!! That’s the truth. I’d rather have needles pushed into my eyes than call Sprint customer service.

But, to their credit the web site had gotten a tad better in the last year.

[jospehm20]

I don’t have issues with them either. I switched from Sprint to AT&T and have not been sorry I did.

[Pappy Smear]

And the #1 carrier in that report is US Cellular. Glad to hear it, cause I think they are great. They don’t have coverage everywhere, but very happy with them.