My Troubles With AT&T: Update April 16, 2018

As you may recall, I've been having trouble with AT&T over my bill. The short version is that I was promised that both my February and March bills would be $0 because of the ongoing trouble with my service. The problem is that Patrick, the employee who promised the bills would be $0, didn't properly document the call. Or, perhaps, he did, but that documentation has been lost somehow since then. After speaking with several people over the past month, I learned that all calls are recorded. For some reason, no one ever bothered to listen to the recording of the call I made on March 12th (the fateful call with Patrick). So last week I was promised (by a man named Adam) that recording would be found, and that I would hear back.

Before I get to the latest from today, here is more information from the 13th (scroll down if you wish to skip this part, about yet more repairs to the line):

April 13, 2016

• 3:03 p.m.  – I get a call from the technician. He says he’ll be here in twenty minutes. But he’s not an outside technician. I said specifically yesterday that the problem will be outside, but AT&T sent me an inside guy. Perfect. He says his own tests on my line have shown everything in working order, and that he’s not sure what he’ll be able to do, but he’s on his way nonetheless.
• 3:38 p.m. – Still no sign of the technician. I suppose you could say he’s only fifteen minutes late, as he said he’d be here in twenty minutes thirty-five minutes ago. But, really, he’s an hour and thirty-eight minutes late, as I was told he’d be here between noon and 2 p.m. Plus, it sounds like he won’t be able to do anything anyway. So I am likely waiting around for no reason whatsoever.
• 3:46 p.m. – The technician, Michael, arrives. He is a seriously nice guy, and gives me back a bit of my faith in AT&T. He says the tests he’s run have all come up positive, and that it’s an old building with copper wiring, saying that they can’t replace the wiring in the building because of course AT&T doesn’t own the building. Still, he makes at least one adjustment on the box outside, and gives me his card. I joke with him that I am trying to collect the entire set of AT&T technicians cards, like baseball cards. I am optimistic that my service will not be interrupted, at least for a while. Unless of course AT&T simply shuts off my service because of a lack of communication regarding my bill. I have not heard back from Adam. And it’s Friday. So, does that mean nothing will happen until Monday?

April 16, 2018

I haven’t heard back from Adam, and in today’s mail was a notice from AT&T that my service will shut off on the 19th if the bill isn’t paid. What the hell? These guys are terrible. So I make yet another call to AT&T.

• 4:49 p.m. – I call AT&T, and am almost immediately put on hold, before even reaching an actual person.
• 5:08 p.m. – I am still on hold. This time music plays (last time there was just silence). One song which has already played several times through. I am beginning to really hate this instrumental piece. Will anyone answer?
• 5:11 p.m. – The song is starting again. All I need to do is tell them to put a hold on any charges until the managers listen to the tapes of that elusive March 12th phone call. Why is this so difficult? I sent messages to AT&T via Twitter, but those have been ignored, as were my previous messages. Am I being ignored again here?
• 5:14 p.m. – The song begins again. Is anyone still there? Has the office closed without bothering to notify those already on hold?
• 5:17 p.m. – The song starts again, and I am beginning to give up hope of ever reaching anyone. What the hell, AT&T? I’ve been on hold for nearly half an hour.
• 5:20 p.m. – Still no one is answering, and the song has started yet again. I feel that AT&T is now deliberately torturing me, the bastards.
• 5:24p.m. – The song is starting again. Is the song getting longer? Weird. Time is stretching out and I am no longer a part of reality. I’ve entered another dimension where nothing ever happens.
• 5:25 p.m. – Finally someone answers. His name is Hero (badge # CO385P – that an O as Oscar, not a zero), and he promises me he will be my hero. Who knows? Perhaps he will. I tell him about the notice that I just received, and explain that while I am waiting for a problem to be resolved I want to make sure that my service isn’t shut off. That’s all.
• 5:30 p.m. – He applies an extension and assures me that my service won’t be shut off. At least, until May 3rd. If the problem hasn’t been resolved by then, I should call back. I thank him for his help, and express hope that the issue will be resolved before then.
• 5:31 p.m. – The call ends.