AT&T BellsouthReachedOutandScrewedSomeone: Recent Comments

Comment on Employees Speak Out

Tom Clann — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:27:52 GMT

Due to my recent negative experience, I would like to hear about your experiences plus other AT&T employees, especially those in Georgia. I am located in Cobb County. Please direct your emails to tclann@abestinsures.com

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

Un-happy#2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:24:15 GMT

Hey! No one is coplaining about the pay at AT&T/Bellsouth. Bellsouth/AT&T DOES SUCK!!!!! I recently quit working there because of all of what has been mentioned above. ABSOLUTELY customers are told that they cannot take services off that are completely optional only because the employee is getting docked for it. Eventually (after several calls) the customer may reach another employee willing to remove those services in question (or they may not). They are absolutely lied to and badgered into keeping optional services by being told that they MUST keep them. How do I know??? I used to do it under ,managment's instruction. I felt DIRTY every time I went home for the day. The fact that they are a giant DOES NOT attest to their good customer serice. It only speaks volumes of the power they have to change or ignore anti-trust laws. Also, a couple of years ago Bellsouth was not what it is today so it's possible that you don't know what you are talking about. The new envirnmnent with AT&T taking over is cut-throught, ruthless and completely disregards the customers. Customers BE WARE! Alway remember if you only want BASIC serice ask for 1FR. One F R is just dial-tone, unlimited local calling with absolutely no features. The next cheapest option if you ONLY want call waiting and caller ID is a package called the 2 pack. These two options are drastically cheaper and will NEVER be offered to you by any rep because the company doesn't make sooooo much money on these. Please keep in mind that you DON'T need their service to have 911 access. Even if you disconnect your phone service, you can still call 911 from your phone. It's not because they found it in their BIG heart to give you that access. IT'S THE LAW. That's why and no other reason!!!!

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

Mr Slammed — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:04:57 GMT

I got my drivers license in 1971 - since day one I have had Triple A roadside assistance. In April, I spent countless hours on the phone with AT&T wireless about roadside assistance I had been unknowingly paying for for months. I get my bill the other day, noticed it had gone up and lo and behold roadside assistance has been added to my account again. It's outrageous you can't call in to pay your bill without being slammed with something. I think it's time we band together and deliver a nice class action lawsuit to AT&T's world - who do you supposed they pay off that they can doing this to their customers?

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

maria — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:03:54 GMT

I have worked in a call center for well over 10 years and you wouldn't believe how horribly we are treated. Both from the customer and the managers. You never know your work schedule more than 3 weeks in advance and you can never plan anything a month in advance. Not even a doctor's appointment because they are scheduled more than 3 weeks ahead. So, you go through life scheduling, rescheduling, canceling, and missing appointments, holidays, children's games, shows. There is also the unplanned:"needs of the business" overtime to account for. Never mind that you must pick up your children or even make that after work manicure appointment. The managers calculate your every minute, your every word. They, in fact are people who have never had to take call after irate call after call ,,,but they judge and and threaten your livelihood with suspensions regularly, just because someone didn't like the tone of your voice. Never mind that you've had that tone for 50 of your 55 years. Respect is nil you are called outof the bathroom over the PA system to "make your position ready".. You have no time to cough, sneeze, drink or ever finish a sentence with your coworker for they too are taking calls and are NEVER on the same 15 min break or lunch schedule as you. Unlike the Phillipines or India; there are no lounges, massages, ping pong tables, cafeteria, yoga infused resting areas. Noone is interested in relieving your stress. Instead you will find, poor air conditioning, debris everywhere, filth in the kitchen areas, as well as old, slow, computers overladen with software that lenghtens your access time to over 9 systems that must be viewed in order to give a half way decent answer to an irate customer that your company has f'd over. Earphones aren't even availble, ever, nor are cleaning supplies for the endless times that you must change desk positions for working computers or telephones or team manager changes that occur almost every 3 weeks. These are indeed the modern day sweat shops,

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

Mrs PTL — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:46:52 GMT

I would like to first and foremost state, NO ONE here is lying. I really hope customers are reading this, but don't believe ANY of the bull that AT&T/ BellSouth, gives a rat's a$$ about you! They don't. You are a money game to them. We were often told in our SM sales center, that we needed to not hold the customer's purse strings. What that meant was, even though in the long run the customer actually would NOT save, we still needed to push the product, but PUSH it a certain way. Let me tell you, BellSouth maybe okay to work for, BUT NOT AS A SALES REP. I am considered a very good employee by all whom I have been employed by, but I could kick myself, everytime I left a good contract job, for the bullshyt at BellSouth. No, I didn't lsiten. I had been warned, admonished, but no. I had to see for myself, and that I did. You know you are in trouble, when you are looking for a way OUT of the training class. Our class started with about 13 people, only about 5 of us came "out" of the class. I have always had the gift of gab, and so I knew I would pass training. I could sell shrimp to fish, and that's all they look for. They want someone who wants to hustle just as much as they are greedy. They hook you in with the bonus for this, and bonus for that, but one time you DON'T meet your objectives, you are hounded. How many customer's do YOU KNOW, who call in and want to increase their bill? Come on now. Let's not be stupid here, but that didn't matter. I remember one time I was on a billing call. As everyone stated, I felt so sorry for this old lady, she had been tossed around and hung up on. Her husband had died and she no longer needed the two extra phone lines for the business. She called to cancel them. Well, that meant cancelling a phone line and losing 2 complete choice packages as well as what ever else was tied to those two lines. My first thought was, now I see why people hung up on her, but I just couldn't do it. Well needless to say, my "manager" was listeneing to the call, he comes over and says, "you are not a billing rep or customer service, get her off the phone, you got sales to make!" I could not get over the shock of this. Let's see, you tell me to take ALL types of calls, yet I am to ONLY sell on each call, that's bullshyt! We took phone. line problem calls, billing inquiries, etc. Do you really think those folk all called in to increase their bill? Hell NO!!!! Before I got out of training, I was looking for another job. I was a borderline high blood pressure patient, but working at BellSouth insured I would be on it for the rest of my life! I never needed a prescription for meds, until I made the mistake of working there. AT&T will always be hiring for sales reps, you know why? Because it is a shitty job and you are talked down to and hounded for basically your entire shift, on sales. Yes, when you sign on the line to get the job, you don't have any idea of just how terrrible it will be!!!

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

kkbbmore — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:12:52 GMT

AT&T again refused to let me use any of the weeks of vacation time I already have built up or any of the flex days I have in order to have these tests done which were ordered by the GI specialist to determine the seriousness of the condition. I asked for these days off 2 weeks prior to the scheduling of the test. I was only advised that the days are just not available. The FMLA denial came in on this because it is not serious condition, but per the specialist diagnosis can be concluded without the tests done. I need the job and the pay, but what am I supposed to do? Just keep going to work and getting sicker? Felt like I had to chose between my paycheck and career or my health and wellness. I even tried to schedule time off for the tests weeks in advance and am still told that time is just not going to be available even though I still have all of my vacation, flex and personal days.

On Thursday, 1-31, after the FMLA denial came in, I was at work and was asked to come in the office by a team manager. I asked what this was in reference to, but she said nothing to me. I was told to wait in the conference room for her and that she would be back in a few minutes. A couple minutes later I overheard the manager, speaking to a Union rep, who is a clerk at my office. The manager asked her to sit in the meeting with us for termination. The Union rep replied that she absolutely refuses to sit in the meeting with us and how wrong this was and etc. Jan also stated that she would not oversee this because it wasn't right and protocol was not being followed. I then had to wait in the conference room confused and utterly shocked at what was happening for another Union Rep to come to the office. Cliff, who is another Union rep came to the office and met with myself and Pam in the conference room. I was terminated on the spot. When I asked what this was for, I was told that it was for the 12-19 thru 12-21 absence. I asked her if she remembered speaking to me that day on the phone while I was in tears because I was in so much pain, and how she asked me if I was OK. She did not say anything and they took my badge and walked me out. I did file a grievance for this and gave it to the Union Rep Cliff. I then was asked to wait there in the conference room, while Cliff made copies of all the medical paperwork that I have to try to protect myself from this type of event. After awhile, he came back and asked me to walk outside with him because he wanted to discuss some things with me. He then told me that Tiffany the manager offered to allow me to resign the next day, that my personnel file would be wiped clean, and that I can apply for the company again in 1 year and could have my job back. I was shocked at this and was also advised that this does not happen and that it was a generous offer by the Union Rep, Cliff. I asked him how they can do that and he replied I am just not sure.

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

kkbb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:11:14 GMT

I have been employed at AT&T for almost two years. During those two years, I
have had to file numerous grievances with the CWA Union for the way I have been treated, with little to no action taken by them. I have been harassed, screamed at in front of everyone, called white girl, cracker, ivory, as well as filing a complaint, in my opinion, misleading a customer on services by a manager.

A year and a half ago, my husband fell ill due to an aggressive MRSA Flesh eating staff infection and was told that without immediate surgery, would only have 36-48 hours to live. I had to take 2 days off to take care of him after the surgery, and because I was not there for 12 months yet and eligible for FMLA, I was written up for an occurrence. I did file a grievance for this. I can honestly say that anyone else in my shoes would have done the same thing by taking care of their spouse. This is an extreme circumstance, and I do not see a legitimate reason for any type of discipline. I did not hear any response from the Union on this grievance or from the management to try to rectify this in another fashion. I do not feel that this matter should have been handled this way. I feel that I was being punished for putting my family first.

Last Spring, I fell victim to an abscessed tooth. I went to work anyway with a swollen face, jaw and neck until the infection spread too far into my neck and chest. I then took off to go to the dentist, who advised me that I had to have the teeth pulled immediately or it was going to kill me. I was advised by him that the infection could spread into my heart or brain and cause a heart-attack or even a stroke. I was written up again as an occurrence, even though I had plenty of vacation and flex days saved up, they wouldn't allow me to use them because the day had to be available as a vacation day, but wasn't, so I was written up.

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

kkb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:06:54 GMT

WELL- i was a top performer in the whole 9 states- and you have idea what the hell is going on in this company-ATT is the worst company ever to work for- NO SICK TIME AT ALL- the bills are never what they are suppsed to be at all!!!!! I worked in small biz- i got fired because my husband got MRSA and I had to take off work-He almost died- ATT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! i will go to the paper- and I hope that customers do too!!

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

kkb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:59:55 GMT

man!! I thought that I was the only one! DO NOT WORK FOR them at all! I was actually thinking about going to the news about this. there are lawsuits over this as well--

Comment on Consumers Speak Out

Mary — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:47:42 GMT

You are 100 percent right! I worked for BellSouth also and it is the worst company in the world to work for. One of the men in my office in Orlando was fired because he had a kidney problem and had to sign off to go to the bathroom four of five times a day. He had been there for years and they just let him go. Another was fired one month before her 30th anniversary, because she did not make her sales objective. Another developed shingles behind her eyes from nerves, and had a seizure at her desk. When she finally came back after months, she did not make her sales, got really upset from the pressure given by her manager and had another seizure. Last last person calls this a good place to work. Maybe they think that going to hell after you die would be a good place also. I am teaching now, and the stress is off. Don't let anyone tell you that Bell is a good company to work for. I would rather be the Walmart greeter!