Why does AT&T treat prospective customers badly?

Question

We had problems with AT&T when we lived at our previous home. So we tried Comcast this time but their service is bad too. Uverse is now available at our new address. But AT&T is like an octopus with tentacles that do not work with each other! On 6/27 I started with AT&T's online site to research options for AT&T Uverse. On 6/29 I went to the AT&T store at Jacksonville Beach and spoke to Karl. There was a $7.50 difference in the package he quoted me and the package I later found back on the AT&T website (due to 50% off on a 2nd residential line). Also AT&T rewards were better than at the store (online: $10 if I went paperless and $350 = $360 versus $150+$50 VISA card = $200 at the store). Naturally I bought the package online and even booked an installation date for July 15, 2015. I received an email acknowledgement of my order listing the plan components and prices. So, I emailed our AV supplier and arrange for his tech to come on July 15, AFTER AT&T's installers. On Sunday, July 5, 2015 at 1250pm I get an SMS asking me to call 1 877 331 0446 re my order XXXXXX0138 between 8 am and 5 pm. I was unable to do so until a few minutes ago. The representative on the phone talked to me as if I had not completed and submitted an order - asking about the speed of internet, the channels I wanted on Uverse TV, phones, etc and came back with a price of $154 versus the $146.50 on the acknowledged order.  When I asked why I needed to go through all this when I had placed my order on the internet - she said they might have new offers. Yet why did she not include the 50% off on the 2nd phone line until I mentioned it? And she tried to upsell me on a slightly faster internet speed. After we hav re-invented the wheel, she needs time to complete the order that I’d already ordered online - to set up an account, so she said. All that is fine, but then she informs me the first available installation date is 21st July - after I had already made an appointment online and made arrangements for peripheral services based on that! I told her that I had ordered online and made an appointment. She responded that AT&T had emailed me on 30th June to say the order could not be processed - I check my email several times a day and I DID NOT receive such an email. In fact no communications until Sunday’s SMS. She was adamant that is the way AT&T works (never mind the customer) so I said I did not need to change over to AT&T and hung up. This is why I am NOT changing back to AT&T. 

Answer 1

I was hung up on four times this evening prior to finally getting someone who was willing to assist me in cancelling part of my service--even after I recorded two of their names and employee numbers. The fact that the customer service representatives were willing to hang up on me even after I recorded their employee ID numbers and told them that I had already been hung up on several times previously says to me that this is a systemic issue. If you're having this issue, file an FCC complaint for unfair business practices. That's what I'm planning to do. I am beyond livid about how AT&T handles customers who have been using their services for years. I have had a AT&T wireless account now for going on 10 years. I called today to just cancel my TV service, but I am about to pull the plug on this company completely. Google fiber can't come to my area soon enough.