After being an AT&T customer for several years, I finally decided to switch my mobile service to T-Mobile because I had grown tired of AT&T's poor customer service. Unfortunately, my experience trying to leave only reinforced why I made that decision.
Earlier today, I went to the AT&T store in White Marsh and explained that I wanted to transfer my phone numbers to another carrier. I was told that all I needed to do was call AT&T, obtain my account number and transfer PIN, and I would be able to transfer my numbers.
That turned out not to be the case.
After spending time speaking with several AT&T representatives by phone, as well as an employee at the White Marsh store, I eventually learned that my phone was locked because AT&T says I still owe money on a tablet I purchased through them.
My biggest issue isn't simply that there was a balance. If I owed money that needed to be paid before my devices could be unlocked or transferred, I would have handled it. The problem is that **no one clearly told me this upfront.**
I spoke with multiple AT&T employees specifically about transferring my service. Not one person simply said, "Before you can complete this transfer, you have an outstanding device balance that needs to be paid."
Had someone provided that information when I went into the store that morning, I could have addressed the balance immediately and saved myself hours of unnecessary phone calls, confusion, and frustration.
After several years as a customer, I expected better communication and better customer service. Instead, I received conflicting and incomplete information from multiple representatives while trying to do something as straightforward as transferring my own phone numbers.
This experience is exactly why I decided to leave AT&T in the first place. Customers shouldn't have to speak with multiple representatives and spend hours troubleshooting simply to get a clear explanation of what is preventing an account transfer.
AT&T needs to do a much better job training its employees to give customers **complete and accurate information the first time.**
After years of being a customer, this was an extremely disappointing way for the relationship to end. read more