AT&T CEO admits ‘we blew it’ with response to customer advice

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson admitted his company “blew it” by sending a letter from its lawyer to a customer who suggested ways to make AT&T’s service better.

“At AT&T, our top priority is to treat our customers to a premium experience every time they interact with us, and our consistent award-winning service demonstrates we usually get it right,” Stephenson wrote in a letter to the Los Angeles Times.

The lawyer sent a letter to Alfred Valrie, who suggested the company “allow unlimited data for DSL customers, particularly those in neighborhoods not serviced by U-verse” and “bring back text messaging plans like 1,000 Messages for $10 or create a new plan like 500 Messages for $7″ in an email to Stephenson.

AT&T was less than receptive to Valrie’s suggestions.

“AT&T has a policy of not entertaining unsolicited offers to adopt, analyze, develop, license or purchase third-party intellectual property … from members of the general public,” the lawyer told Valrie. “Therefore, we respectfully decline to consider your suggestion.”

“We blew it, plain and simple, and it’s something I’ve already corrected,” Stephenson said of the response to Valrie’s suggestions.

T-Mobile US took no time in using the bad press to its advantage, sending out a press release saying, “AT&T obviously does not like to hear from its customers, but the Un-carrier does so we’re stepping into the void,” the press release said. “AT&T customers, or any wireless customers, can always tweet @JohnLegere or email him directly at [email protected] with ideas and thoughts to keep improving the wireless industry. That will never change!”

But T-Mobile US didn’t stop there. It also promoted an email account and Twitter hash tag that calls for customers to make suggestions to the AT&T CEO.

“Starting today, AT&T customers can also send comments, concerns and genius ideas to [email protected] or even better use #IdeasforRandall on Twitter and send @JohnLegere your ideas with the hashtag! T-Mobile will keep the best ones and send Randall – and his lawyers – all the ideas we’ve already fixed.”