All About Pocket Knives

Does anyone know how to get in touch with a person with good common sense at ATT to solve a billing problem?
We cancelled our Direct TV at the end of the 2 year contract, waiting for the exact date to insure no problems. In a few days we received the prepaid box to ship all their junk to them, all done, I thought. February we received our phone bill and we were still being charged for the Direct TV which had been cancelled and equipment returned. Numerous conversations with many people passing the buck, nobody knows how to take correct my bill, one lady said pay what you actually owe, which I did. March the same thing, more time on the phone, more aggravation, finally I got a dear lady who actually recognized the problem and had a remedy. She even gave me a number to call if I didn't receive word within a week concerning the account correction. So I received a credit, something called an "off-cycle bill statement", good I assumed. The next bill came a day or so ago and guess what, I still owe them, they are charging me late fees for something I don't owe!
How do you get to someone who can remedy this. ATT/Southern Bell used to be so easy to talk with, all the outside crews were always helpful. When there were phone issues around the school district rather than call in a problem, you just flagged one of the trucks down and they took care of the work or got some one else to help out in a timely manner. But this billing mess is beyond me, this would be a great comedy plot to turn into a number one TV show by using the responses and conversations I've had beginning in February.
How do you solve something that always starts with a robot, then to a foreign operator that hasn't quite learned to speak English and then to someone who has no clue? So far I've not raised my voice too much.
Treefarmer

Welcome to dealing with corporate America in the 21st century. Take a trip down frustration road and this time when you get to that pleasant individual who seems to know their A-- from their elbow, make sure you get their name and contact information for future use.

BTW, when you get someone whose first language is not English request to speak to someone in the USA. Stick to your guns and politely insist on speaking to someone in the U.S. As I understand it, they are obligated to make that transfer.

Good Luck.

OR is there a brick and mortar facility in your area, maybe Panama City? It's much more difficult to blow someone off when they're standing in front of you with corroborating paperwork in their hand.

I find that I have the most success logging on to the company's website and going into live chat with a representative.
It's useless trying to talk on the phone with these people.
Hope this helps,and good luck.

Share you frustration with AT&T. About 2 weeks ago my internet was out. I was ready to switch
providers. Very frustrating to get anything fixed.

Bob

No wonder AT&T and Direct TV are on the top 10 list of worlds worst customer service companies year after year. I had something like this happen years ago. I had to have a lawyer send a cease and desist letter to them.

A little research discovered this.

"Click on @ATTCares ( https://forums.att.com/t5/user/viewprof ... user-id/60 )

On the top right side, under contact, click on "send a message""

To me it's clumsy and takes too much time (someone said a week for a response) but online is the way of the world these days.

.......if you get to talk to anyone at att who speaks or understands English, you are lucky!!!............ .....................

I’d try JerryD’s suggestion of going to an AT&T store and talking to someone in person. However be sure it’s a company store owned by AT&T. Many of them are storefront contractors - it says AT&T on the store but neither the store itself nor the employees are actually employees of AT&T.

And that’s likely true of the persons you talk with when you call on the telephone. You’re talking with someone in a “call center” who is not an AT&T employee. That customer service function has been “outsourced”.

My nephew worked in a such a call center while he was in college. Employees there sit in front of a computer screen, wearing a telephone headset, and answer calls in the order received from customers of numerous companies. On the screen it says AT&T, Whirlpool, etc - if the screen says the call is from an AT&T help number they answer the phone “AT&T, how may I help you” or similar. They have been trained to assist customers with routine questions and problems, which are probably 90+% of the calls. When they get an out-of-the-norm call like yours they’ll put you on hold, log onto an on-line help reference, and try to find where it tells them what to do to fix your problem. They have a list of options including transferring or referring you to a different number, where you may get an actual employee of the company you were trying to contact in the first place (and may not know how to solve the problem either).

Many of these call centers are located in India, Mexico, etc. Some, like the one where my nephew worked, are U.S.-based.

Ken

AT&T is impossible to deal with. I just had a run in with them recently over billing. After several disconnects, I finally got a little help from an English speaking employee. It really isn't worth the trouble of doing business with them but them have little competition in my town. I have to constantly refuse to have a dish on my roof.

Ray

I ask for a supervisor when I start getting the run around. I have had issues with eBay and one of the first things I say is “listen to me closely, do not repeat to me what is on your computer screen. If you don’t listen, I will ask for a supervisor, are we clear?” I know it sounds rude and obnoxious but it’s the only thing that works.
Once you get their head out of the computer answers they have in front of them it makes it easier to talk to them. Try that. If you don’t get an answer that satisfies, then ask for a supervisor.
SSk

Do you still have the paperwork from the technician that initially installed your Direct TV system or the person with whom you signed the initial contracts?

If so, their personal cell phone number should be included.

If you can find that, call them. They are your personal AT&T representative.

Get them to your home and sit down with them and show them all the documents you have. They will have an I-Pad or something with them with which they communicate with AT&T corporate.

The two of you should be able to resolve this sitting in your living room.

Charlie Noyes

Switch to local cable, good luck there too.

......do like I did and put up an antenna for local news and buy john wayne dvd's!!!................... ............