I've visited the AT&T store twice this year. My dread of the place has settled in at a level less than a surgical procedure, more than a visit to the mechanic for a major repair.
My dread has something to do with the unbridled aggression of the sales staff, at every decision point recommending options that may benefit someone, but not me. I don't need a "free" tablet or accessories that can be found at another retail store for less than the "discounted" price. I don't want AT&T UVerse, and no harangue about why UVerse could perhaps work out in my favor, even when speedtest tells me my cable mbps is faster than the advertised mbps of Uverse, is going to convince me to switch. I came to talk about adding a line and buying phones, not a dedicated lane on the broadband highway.
I don't blame the salespeople, but rather a corporate sales strategy. Surely, someone in upper management has to understand that if you place sales reps in other places outside the AT&T store, who don't take "No, thank you" for answer, then follow me around to ask questions like "Don't you want to save money?" and if you send sales reps to my residence on a regular basis, who thrust an arm through the open door for a handshake before I even know who they are, or who want to convince me that their parents attended the same college I did, so how could I not sign up for AT&T Uverse, then when I show up at the store, and get the same kind of treatment, AT&T is simply fomenting dread, discontent, and the desire to flee to a competitor.
My dread also has something to do with the complexity of the paperwork and answers to questions. My family has added 2-for-1 phones twice, and takes advantage of other discounts, including the multi-device insurance. But there are more caveats to these things than one can easily remember: two-for-one actually results in additional charges the first month (or was it two?) then the discount takes effect; there are deductibles on the insurance that change across time, etc. I came into the store imagining that the regular monthly billing would be something less than $300 (post discounts) but walked out of the store with 3 sets of paperwork describing the monthly obligation, all different, one as high as $600+. The very pleasant sales rep. says the paperwork doesn't reflect all the discounts, but they will show up on my bill. Surely, someone in upper management can understand that if a customer is committing to a 30-month installment plan for phones, then the customer has a right to expect to leave the store with a clear written summary of the total financial obligation. There's a big difference between $295 x 30 months and $605 x 30 months, right? I wouldn't walk out of a used car dealership not knowing whether the price was $8,850 or $18,150, so why is it all right in a phone plan shopping experience?
I will give AT&T one-half star for supporting our iPhone family plan reasonably well, and another half-star for its history of offering discounts that have saved me a substantial amount of money. read more
