Month: December 2001

Every time I think AT&T has possibley redeemed themselves, I learn something new, something that customer support forgot to tell me, didn’t know, or lied to me about. Apparently, customers in State College and surrounding areas are not being transitioned to the new AT&T broadband network after all. Our accounts will be sold to Adelphia, a cable provider headquartered in North Central Pennsylvania, assuming of course that ongoing negotiations ever end. No one has called to tell me this—in fact, AT&T’s website still boasts that the customer transition has been successful—and I only know because I went in search of information online and found customers just as disgruntled as I am. I’m starting to think that maybe I should just swap my cable modem for DSL through Verizon. The price is comparable, it’s available, and their customer support can not be any worse.

Someone just tried to drink from the emergency eyewash fountain across the hall from my office. That I find this amusing enough to share should give you a sense of how unbelievably bored I am.

Just for kicks, I called AT&T customer support again last night and, surprisingly, managed to speak to a real person after only twenty to thirty minutes on the phone. Even more surprising, given my recent experience with AT&T is that I now know more about the status of my account than I did before I called. Granted, what I know isn’t all that encouraging — they’re stuck in negotiations with a local cable provider and I could be without service indefinitely — but it’s nice to call, ask a question, and get an answer without wanting to beat your head against the wall until you black out. I should receive my free WorldNet CD sometime today, including a free month of dial-up service, and while that isn’t ideal (and I’ve heard horror stories about AT&T’s new broadband network), at least I’m no longer getting the runaround. Because it isn’t the disruption in service that pisses me off; it’s the complete lack of customer support to guide me through this transition and keep me updated on what I need to do to get my modem working again. Isn’t my fifty dollars a month worth at least that much?