Telephone - Cell Phone Service Review: AT & T vs. T-Mobile

In the world of telecommunications, a review of two phone services remains a steadfast history of customer satisfaction and consumer abhorrence: T-mobile versus AT&T. While both companies staff amicable customer service representatives, AT & T has a propensity for inducing irate customers, uttering profane language. Alternatively, T-mobile takes their professional service a significant step further: They listen and deliver, promoting joyous, elated subscribers.

Well before AT & T gobbled up the baby Bells, Ameritech and SBC; the phone beast always had a special talent for spewing customer dissatisfaction. A decade later, they continue to demonstrate the same old despicable behavior. As a longstanding customer of both companies, the following review was inspired by AT & T’s recent bout of inept customer service:

Bait and switch pricing. Ask any AT & T business or residential customer if they have ever experienced an impetuous fee increase, and more consumers than not will report the wrath of the miraculous AT & T rate hike. 

Affordable. T-Mobile extends economical prices backed by exceptional service.  Text message, minute plans, Internet service, and other options show competitive prices, devised to retain consumer satisfaction.

Unusual rewarding. Six months ago, AT & T raised fees and repackaged their prices. Rather than notify their loyal consumers, they waited until the complaints rolled in to send a ‘special offer’, rewarding lower prices and an instant rebate check. In reality, the promotion was intended to acquire new cable subscribers.  Even more confounding, when consumers called in to redeem offers, service representatives seemed to be unaware of the deal.

For some reason, AT & T has the misconception that luring customers in now on a short-term deal and inflating rates later is the formula for customer retention. 

Straightforward rewarding. Conversely, T-Mobile’s rewards are void of the obfuscating information. They do not waste money mailing fake checks and ambiguous promotional literature. Without any notice, T-Mobile rewards longstanding consumers online, in store or even when they refer a friend to the service. 

Disingenuous. Despite AT & T’s ability to staff and train polite phone professionals, backed by a bevy of inhospitable policies illustrates AT & T’s commitment to disingenuous service. For instance, the company exploits its (paying) Internet subscribers with spam and cookies. Rather than offer customers the choice to opt out of cookies and web beacons, their privacy policy attributes these tracking devices for the need to “improve service.” In other words, it’s a nice euphemism or excuse for spamming consumers based on search behavior or visited sites. 

Recently—during the week of May 25, 2009, AT & T took the liberty to modify the email interface. Rather than notify customers of a technological glitch, they deemed it more customer friendly to shutdown their phone lines, offering customers a link to report any problems. 

While a customer driven company would have apologized for the inconvenience, providing a few details about the “error,” AT & T thought that it was timely to capitalize from already frustrated consumers---with a checkbox to receive additional spam from their advertising partners. Again, the business modus operandi reflects a service geared toward growing their advertising revenue and telling consumers: 

Another nifty option, that AT & T extended during the impetuous email modification, was downloadable software and unsolicited ads plastered around the email box. Although subscribers could not access their email in boxes properly, all links for their “advertising partners” and unwanted software downloads were highly accessible. For example, when consumers would click the “mail classic” link nothing would happen. However, their advertiser’s links were assured of a fast page load.

Despite the company’s free McAfee virus protection software, it’s virtually ATT’s own personal spyware. For consumers smart enough not to download AT& T’s free software, the new mail interface makes it impossible not to acquire a virus because anytime the mouse hovers over an email, it automatically opens, exposing your computer to any virus embedded in tainted digitized communication. Nevertheless, when customers report the atrocities, representatives blame the service’s inadequacies on Yahoo. 

Authentic customer care. Unlike AT&T who would rather rationalize unfair policies, T-Mobile takes the time to listen and modify service, accordingly. Seven months ago, consumers were complaining about paying for unsolicited text messages. Instead of T-Mobile rationalizing the problem, not responding, or using the issue to exploit the discontent, they developed an option for customers to block out unwanted text messages.  

Meanwhile, as consumers continue to endure AT & T’s relentless repugnant service, T-Mobile should know that we’re waiting quietly, for them to release Internet service at the office and home.

Holly Bentz (c) 2009 fruitionMedia