I was going to write a letter to AT&T but then I said to myself, “What the heck? I’ll just blog about it!” Here goes:
Customer service success stories are usually hard to find. We’re quick to bark about bad service but not so fast to speak on those rare times where our urgent needs are satisfied by a company’s customer service department. Why? Well, because really good customer service is actually pretty rare, especially with larger, global companies. Usually, the smaller the company, the quicker the resolution of customer service issues (they can’t afford not to). With bigger companies (like AT&T, for example), it sometimes seems they can care less if they lose one little insignificant customer. A customer like me. Well, let me tell you how Patsy Brown turned big, bad AT&T into a “mom and pop” operation.
My troubles with AT&T started several months ago when I cancelled my phone service in favor of a VOIP (I use my cell phone for most of my calls so why pay $55/month for a home phone?). I did, however, elect to keep my internet service with AT&T. I was given a new account number for just the internet service but in the ensuing months, I received bills for the new AND the old (cancelled) account. So I called AT&T Customer Service (which is really the dreaded automated voice that offers you the option to “please say or enter” your account information). Of course, every time I try to say the information (right at the point where I think the dreaded automated voice has finished talking), he really isn’t finished talking so I end up cutting him off and have to start all over again; and when I try to enter my account information using the keypad (right at the point where I think the dreaded automated voice has finished talking), he really isn’t finished talking and I have to key in the number again, and again. And when I finally get through to a live person, it usually isn’t the “right” person so I get transferred to another department and have to navigate through the dreaded automated voice again. Anyone out there feel my pain?
The Dreaded Automated Voice
Well, I finally got through to the “right” person and told her my story from the very beginning. She promptly apologized for the inconvenience, told me to disregard the additional invoice, and assured me that the problem had been fixed. It wasn’t fixed. The next few months, I kept getting invoices for both accounts. So I called again this past weekend, navigated through the dreaded automated voice again, got transferred again, navigated through the dreaded automated voice yet again until I got to the “right” person and ended up having to tell her my story again from the very beginning. She offered up the obligatory apology for the inconvenience, told me to disregard the additional invoice, stated that she was going to cancel the inactive account and assured me that the problem had been fixed. Upon terminating the call, I realized that my internet (and internet-dependent VOIP) was suddenly not working.
Over the course of the next 24 hours, I navigated through the dreaded automated voice several times, got transferred several times, told my story from the very beginning several more times, got apologized to several times, expressed my growing displeasure with AT&T incompetence several times, and spent several hours with technical support who ultimately realized that the new account I was issued earlier that afternoon had an activation date of August 30th (did I mention it was Saturday the 20th?) and that if I wanted to have the service order expedited, I would have to call customer service on Monday. 10 days without internet or VOIP because of an AT&T screw up? Seriously? Pissed. Big company, little me.
Escalation
So on Monday, I called back once again, navigated through the dreaded automated voice again, got transferred again, navigated through the dreaded automated voice yet again until I got to the “right” person, told her my story from the very beginning again, expressed my displeasure with AT&T screwing me, and insisted they get my internet service turned on immediately. After the obligatory apology for the inconvenience, she proceeded to tell me that my new order had not yet cleared the system and that until it did, there was no way she could expedite my order. She suggested I call back later to check if the order had cleared. Call back later? Oh, I don’t think so. I was so done with navigating the dreaded automated voice, getting transferred, navigating the dreaded automated voice again, and telling my story from the beginning over and over again. Time to man up.
I asked to speak to her supervisor (enough was enough!). After several minutes on hold, I was greeted by another woman’s voice who claimed to be a supervisor. I told her my story from the very beginning again, expressed my displeasure with AT&T screwing me again, and insisted they get my internet service turned on immediately…again. She apologized for the inconvenience (I was getting real tired of all the apologies) and confirmed what the previous customer service rep had told me. There was nothing she could do right now because of the current order status. She then suggested I give her a number where she can reach me, promised to look into my order and call me back. Call me back? Give me a break. Big company, totally screwed little me. Exasperated, I gave her my cell phone number and asked for her name. She said her name was Patsy Brown. I ended the call, defeated; the fight all but taken out of me. About an hour later, I received a call from an 888 number. It was Patsy Brown.
The Right Person
Patsy informed me that there were several unusual aspects to my account and and that the screw-up apparently started when my phone service was cancelled months ago. She asked that I be patient as she continued researching the source of the problem and promised to call me back as soon as she got some answers. OK, hold up. Did she just say that she was working to solve my service problem? That she was looking for the clues that would break this case wide open like Agatha Christies’s fictional detective Miss Marple? That she was going to spare me from having to navigate through the dreaded automated voice again, getting transferred again, and navigating through the dreaded automated voice yet again? It appeared I had finally found the right person. Before ending the call, I thanked her rather awkwardly. I really wasn’t expecting a call back. I put my cell phone down, looked at my wife and remarked, “She actually called me back.” I was cautious not to get too optimistic about the whole thing but the beginnings of a small grin had begun to form on my lips. Big, bad AT&T had just gotten a wee bit smaller.
Late that afternoon (sometime past 5pm), Patsy called me again. She informed me that after communicating with several different departments, she believed she had uncovered the root of the problem and wanted to know if I’d be home between 8am and 12pm the next day so that she can get authorization for a technician to come to my house to see if they could reconnect the service (she was still on the case!). I said yes. I then thanked her again and expressed my genuine appreciation for all her efforts. I told her I was sending her a virtual hug and she laughed. I wished her a good night and ended the call. I had a smile on my face. Big, bad AT&T had gotten even smaller.
Smaller Company, Bigger Me
The morning of the following day, I get a call from a technician. He wants to know if I’ll be home, he’s on his way to my house. He arrives about an hour later and gets to work on my main phone line. I get a call on my phone, it’s Patsy again. She’s calling to see if the technician got to my house. I tell her he’s here right now and she asks to speak to him. I pass the phone to the technician and watch as he slowly nods his head up and down a few times. He hands me back my phone. Patsy tells me he has all the information he needs to get my internet service back up. I’m starting to feel like AT&T’s only customer right now. Big, bad AT&T was now a very small business. I’m smiling again.
About an hour later, I’m back in front of my computer, my internet (and VOIP) finally working again. I’m happy. Later that afternoon, I get another call from Patsy Brown. She’s just checking to see if everything worked out OK. I tell her I’m back online. I struggle to elevate my “thank you” to the level where it makes clear how grateful I am for all her help; to express how I could never have imagined that someone from such a big, bad company like AT&T could have ever given such a damn about one tiny little customer like me. I tell her that she made a company with several million customers, a company that ranks #12 on the Fortune 500 list, a company whose stock is one of the 30 that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average…
I tell Patsy Brown, employee ID# PB6722, that she made AT&T seem like a “mom-and-pop” operation.
Little company, big me. I like that.
25 comments
Glad you tot help. Having spent 1.5 hours trying to get an issue resolved with no success yet, I’m afraid AT&T has very serious organizational issues that prevent good customer service.I’m willing to accept that the people I’ve spoken with are trying to do good, but there is something very wrong with the organization. Not enough patsy browns perhaps.
Gotta hire the right people. Patsy Browns would still be hard to find…
Dan thanks for posting this experience you had with Patsy. I will make sure she and her supervisor receive the feedback. In this busy time we live in now, oftentimes we only make time for the negative. I appreciate you calling out the positive as well and thank you for sharing it.
Shawn, the challenge is to make Patsy Brown the rule, not the exception. Kudos to her. Like Dan, I have only encountered great people like her at AT&T. But I have only encountered them *after* hours of endless call backs and finally insisting on a supervisor. Please, use her story as a reason to empower the front lines to solve customer problems.
Dawn,
It’s so true. It usually takes me asking to speak to a manager/supervisor (and navigating the dreaded automated voice several times) before I get any positive results. Patsy just went so beyond my expectations…
Shawn,
Thanks for sharing. I hope it made Patsy’s day 🙂
Way to go Patsy! I work with her and believe me when I tell you that she treats every customer with the same urgency and respect. Patsy has a true service orientation about her that shines through in all she does. I am so proud that she has received the recognition she deserves!
Give her a hug from me 🙂
Unfortuneately stories like this are all too RARE! But it is awesome when we hear HOPE, I hope Patsy Brown is recognised and rewarded for her committment to living the brand at AT and T
Good post and kudos to the Patsy Browns of the world! That said, I’m thinking AT&T and most larger companies may not give rank and file CS personnel the “authority” to solve issues as they arise. The front line rep’s goal is to do the minimum s/he has to do to get you off the phone as quickly as possible. So, the only time you get to a Patsy Brown is when you are among the most resolute of unhappy customers. 😉
Would love to read the comments in your customer file… LOL
Good post and kudos to the Patsy Browns of the world! That said, I’m thinking AT&T and most larger companies may not give rank and file CS personnel the “authority” to solve issues as they arise. The front line rep’s goal is to do the minimum s/he has to do to get you off the phone as quickly as possible. So, the only time you get to a Patsy Brown is when you are among the most resolute of unhappy customers. 😉
Would love to read the comments in your customer file… LOL
Jen,
You’d think that was true with the troubles I had UNTIL I got through to Patsy Brown. I’m hoping to get better results with the social media team (they are now on the case). Keep you posted…
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Dan reading your story gave me painful memories. I am so happy for you that you found her. I have found a few people at AT&T that have been great to work with over the years, but not many. The pain, frustration and time, spent on the phone dealing with the AT&T system, caused me to recently leave. They call and write wanting me back. They offer deals. I told them it was not about the money, it was about my happiness. I wish they had cared more about us, before it even got to that point.
Dana,
I’m hoping the social media team (who picked up on the story via twitter) can now help resolve outstanding account issues. It’s a shame how customer service can be so unreliable for such a big company like AT&T. Sometimes you just feel like throwing in the towel. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments…
Hug.
Dana,
I’m hoping the social media team (who picked up on the story via twitter) can now help resolve outstanding account issues. It’s a shame how customer service can be so unreliable for such a big company like AT&T. Sometimes you just feel like throwing in the towel. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments…
Hug.
Dana,
I’m hoping the social media team (who picked up on the story via twitter) can now help resolve outstanding account issues. It’s a shame how customer service can be so unreliable for such a big company like AT&T. Sometimes you just feel like throwing in the towel. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments…
Hug.
Dan, my heart sank for you the moment I read this … “when I cancelled my phone service in favor of a VOIP” because, recently, I have done exactly the same thing…so far, sans nightmare (but the day is young).
What struck me is that your perseverance was entirely necessary – as customers, the onus to solve customer issues seems to be landing firmly with us. Thanks for sharing this story, Dan, it’s refreshing (albeit far too rare) to learn about a CSR who actually ‘gets’ the CS part … my respect to Patsy Brown, employee ID# PB6722, and to you for sharing a positive experience!! (hope springs eternal ;-))
Tobey,
The VOIP works great and has nothing to do with AT&T (you can breath easy now). And you’re absolutely right, the onus for resolving service issues always seems to land right on the customer’s shoulders. Unfortunately, until someone creates an incentive ($$$?) for reps to resolve customer service issues, we’ll always carry the burden. Unless, of course, we get a Patsy Brown on the phone 🙂
Always good to see you here…
Mr. Perez–Patsy is my team meat– she had no earthly idea what an impact this blog would do for her– I would like to thank you for acknowledging her — I know when people call in it is not because things are going well, and I am so sorry if you and others have had a bad experience, just know when computers, databases think they know more than humans it is hard to correct — Patsy is a great team mate she is always there to help us all — I am glad you got her!!!
Joanne,
You’re lucky to work with someone who understands the importance of a job (exceedingly) well done. Give her a big hug from me (and tell her to stop by and say “hello!”).
Thank you for your comment 🙂
1. patsy is awesome.
2. i used to run a corporate call center for a bank and let me tell you…. i now understand why most reps are so disgruntled. It’s hard to listen to dumb ass people who scream at you from the moment you pick up, 8 hours a day nonstop.
3. always just keep pressing 0. no matter what the recording says.
4.i’m glad you gave a shout out to patsy cus I know that she probably gets about 700 people a month complain about her, even though she didn’t do anything wrong – yet the ones you do go above and beyond for, rarely recognize it. So, supercool of you. =)
Always nice to have my blog graced by a “real” writer. The job does suck, considering most people are pissed off when they finally reach a representative, but I try to keep my cool. This was more a case of incompetence. My case is now being reviewed by the executive office and I’m actually being contacted daily with updates(!) Keep you posted…
Great to see you here 🙂
Mr. Perez thank you for this. I work with Patsy and when we all found out, our whole center had a fire ignited within each of us. It is very rare that anyone would actually call to say they are happy with us. …..it is usually someone upset and most of those are screaming and calling us names. It makes us want to help more and do better when we see things like this. I know that Patsy is so proud of the impact she made. She is just as sweet in real life also.
Amanda, You just made my day with your comment. You are absolutely right, good work often goes unnoticed. Not this time. Thanks for your comment 🙂
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