Dear Editor:
I have been a customer of AT&T Wireless in the New York region for several years. During this time, I have utilized the service from a home base in Manhattan, central New Jersey and northern New Jersey. Over the years, I have had problems with poor signal quality, dropped calls, incomplete dial attempts, delayed notification of voice mail, delays in voice-mail indicator removal after voice mail is deleted …. and most recently, very frequent “fast” busy signals.
I spend $100 to $200 a month on wireless services with AT&T in addition to a flat rate for nights and weekends, and find I am paying for redialing calls that are dropped or unintelligible because of bad signal quality. I don’t have time to call AT&T to request credit when I have dialing problems. I expect that I will receive the service I am paying for. I have articles where AT&T Wireless President Dan Hesse stated that they are concerned with customer service and service quality. I haven’t seen evidence of their concern.
In contacting AT&T to discuss my frustration with the service provided, customer service reps and AT&T Wireless’ corporate consumer advocates office all provide the same information: “We have made a commitment to improve service by the end of 1999.” My ability to use my cellular phone has degraded as 1999 has progressed-not improved, as they would want you to believe.
If you ask them what their plans are for your specific usage area, they reply, “We have made a corporate decision not to share our growth plan with customers.” Now, if AT&T is truly worried about their customers’ expectations or their perceptions, don’t you think they would give us the information?
It is time for AT&T to stand up, admit the issues at hand and not hide behind the shield of their consumer advocates. They aren’t listening to my voice.
David Steinman
