I need some help with my phone service. I have no land line working at my home since we had all the rain at the beginning of the week. I did everything I could think of to troubleshoot to no avail. Now I also have an AT&T cell phone. You might think that it would be okay that my home phone isn't working because I could use my handy dandy cell phone. That's a problem though cause you see my cell phone doesn't really work inside. Sometimes I can go to the dining room window and stand in a certain position and it will work. Other times I can go outside and get a connection, but almost every time the call gets dropped which I know is really hard to believe since AT&T promises to have the fewest dropped calls of any carriers. They really need to re-evaluate this promise because the number of my dropped calls would certainly disprove this. I call the 800 number once, but get disconnected. I'm sitting outside and I get through on the 2nd try and get a recording. You know the type: press one if you want ......., press 2 for so and so........ it goes on and on. I press the appropriate number and then it goes through a list again and I push the appropriate number. Then out of clear blue it says I'm not pushing the appropriate number, but I'm not pushing ANY number. I then push the prior correct number and it tells me 3 more times to push the correct number. It finally says it will connect me to a customer service representative that will be able to assist me. Hidden message that it sends me, "Hey dummy, can't you press the right number???? Are you stupid?" The recording does say they are experiencing a high volume of calls at this time. I hold for a couple of minutes and it says a representative will be with me in approximately 2 minutes. I am hopeful at this time, thinking this won't be so bad. It starts to go downhill though when every few minutes I get a recording that says I can report this at AT&T.com forward slash repair. They must think I'm a slow learner because they keep repeating themselves OVER and OVER. Hey guys, I'm a teacher and I'm a good listener and I heard you the first time and I understand I can go to AT&T.com forward slash repair, but I don't want to do that; that's why I called you!!! I want to talk to a living, breathing, and talking human being. Now in case you have forgotten I am outside. It's getting a little colder now and I only have a short sleeved shirt on and of course my jeans and shoes. I'm getting colder and colder, but wonder if I should take a chance on being disconnected by walking into the house to get a jacket. I wait a few more minutes and think it's really cold so I go in and find a Christmas sweatshirt hanging in the laundry room. Now I wonder how will I be able to put the sweatshirt on since I can't take a chance and put the phone down so I carefully put one arm in and then the other all while precariously holding the phone and pulling the sweatshirt over my head. It works and I go back outside. I sit and sit. That 2 minute wait becomes 5, 10, and then 15. I don't know who taught them how to tell time; it certainly wasn't me!! They really need some remediation or a refresher course. Finally, I hear a male voice that asks for the number I am calling about. The first thing I say is, "Can I give you my cell phone number in case we get disconnected because my cell phone always drops calls?" The customer service representative is very nice and checks the line and says he thinks the problem is on their end and he will send someone out, but since I don't have the repair service included in my plan I will be charged if they come out and find the problem is inside the house. Since I'm into saving money instead of spending it these days, I ask if there is anything else I can do. He asks if I know where the gray telephone box outside the house is and he explains to me the steps to take. I try and get worried that I might break something so he tells me he really thinks it is their problem and he will have someone out on Tuesday. I say, "That's a really long time!" He says he will have someone out sooner if at all possible. I'm thinking I can't even talk on my cell phone in the house and I'm not going outside every time I get a phone call. Total length of my phone call: 22 minutes and 28 seconds.
Since I got it going on now AT&T, let me tell you about my little cell phone that doesn't work in my house. I don't live in a heavily wooded area. I live within the city limits and I'm about .6 of a mile from a major highway that runs through town. You would think I would have a good connection, but I don't. I don't have an iphone, just an inexpensive Samsung. It's not the phone though because my friends with iphones have no bars at my home either. When my renewal came up the last time and I got this phone, I thought I can't take the dropped calls all the time so I paid $50 for a MicroCell, which acts as a mini tower in your home and promises increased connectivity. I get the MicroCell home and go through the process of getting it installed and anticipate the sight of many bars on my phone. I then find out that my phone, which I have had at the time for less than 6 weeks is not a 3G, which is required for the MicroCell to work. Now the AT&T representatives know what phone I have. It is in their records. They held it in their hands, but they apparently don't know their products so well. I return the tower and talk to someone at the store who says, "I didn't even know we sold phones that weren't 3G." AT&T never offered to let me exchange my phone for a 3G phone so I could utilize the tower and be able to use my cell phone in my home.
I think I've written enough now so I shall close by saying, "Come on AT&T help me out with my home phone and cell phone. Your service doesn't live up to your advertisements."
****My home phone is working as of apprx. 3:30 on Monday, Jan. 30th---which is a day earlier than expected. I talked to two people today--one from corporate and one in the service department and they were both very helpful. I appreciate the good customer service. I'm crossing my fingers on my cell phone reception at my home now.
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