AT&T Tech Support Fixes Our DSL…but only after extracting their pound of emotional flesh.
[Here’s an interaction with AT&T. It is copied from the IM window in an on-line chat tech support session. I’ve logged in by giving my name and phone number. I’m using Scott’s name coz the account is in his name. Spacing added for readability. There is some overlap as we both type but one message posts first. That explains some of the disconnect. Some.]
System: Welcome, Mr. jonathan weaver.
System: Connecting to server. Please wait…
System: Connection with server established.
System: Technical Support Topic: undefined
System: Lisa has joined this session
System: Connected with Lisa
You:hello
Lisa:Thank you for choosing AT&T Internet Services. My name is Lisa (am943m).
Lisa: Please let me know the first and last name.
You: We have ATT DSL. Last week we ‘upgraded’ the service to a faster speed. Thur evening our service slowed way down. I think something on your end is tweaked. We have a modem and router that we have been using all along…nothing changed there. I tried calling in but got instructed to setup an account(?) which I did. Can you check and see what’s going on?
You: Oh, I alread filled in the first and last name on the sign in screen but it’s Jonathan Weaver.
Lisa: Hello Jonathan Weaver.
Lisa: I apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Lisa: I will be glad to help you with the relevant information
You: Great
Lisa: Mr. Weaver, Please let me know the 10 digit DSL number to pull up the records.
You: 415.821.xxxx
Lisa: Thank you.
Lisa: I am sorry for the inconvenience you have faced due to this issue. I will do my best to help you in getting this resolved.
Lisa: As I understand you are experiencing the speed issue. Am I correct?
You: Yes, a severe speed issue. Service has shrunk to .12 up and .02 Mbps down. It happened abruptly Thur evening and has not recovered.
Lisa:Thank you for the confirmation.
Lisa: Please let me know the name of the modem/router you are using?
You: The modem is an Alcatel 1000 ADSL that AT&T provided when we first signed up for the DSL service. The router is a NetGear something or other. I’d have to get the step ladder to check the model number.
You: Is that enough information?
Lisa: No problem, thank you for the information.
Lisa: Mr. Weaver, I need to ask you a few questions to reach the root cause of this issue. This will help me to provide an effective resolution. Would that be all right with you?
You: Yes, ask away.
Lisa: Thank you.
Lisa: I appreciate your support.
Lisa: How many computers are connected with the network?
You: Usually 5
Lisa: Thank you.
Lisa: Are you connected with the wired connection or wirelessly?
You: Both
Lisa: I am sorry, I mean to say how are connected with us ,either from the wired or with the wireless connection.
You: Please note, nothing has changed in terms of connections, modem, router, number of computers, or usage pattern between Wednesday when everything worked and Thursday when it slowed to a crawl and stayed there.
You: wired connection to you: DSL phone line to modem.
Lisa: Thank you.
Lisa: Mr. Weaver,Please let me know if you’re using any VPN connection, like your office Network.
You: No.
Lisa:Thank you.
Lisa: Please let me know have you power cycle the modem/router since you started experiencing the slow speed issue?
You: Yes
Lisa: How did you perform the power cycle of modem/router last time?
You: I turned it off and turned it back on. And rebooted the computer I’m monitoring speed on.
Lisa: Fine,
Lisa: Let me provide you all the steps once again how to perform the correct power cycle of modem/router.
Lisa: As correct power cycling mostly resolves the speed connection issues.
You: Can you verify that we do in fact have the service that we are supposed to have and that you are providing appropriate service to our modem?
Lisa: Please let me know a preferred e-mail address where I can send you some useful information for further assistance.
You: Can you verify that we do in fact have the service we are supposed to have and that you are providing appropriate service to our modem?
Lisa:Yes in order to get to that , please lets perform all the steps which are in the email that I am going to sent you.
You: Having rebooted, etc, I am now trying to verify that you all didn’t hose something when you upgraded our service!
You: How do I do that if it is not by contacting AT&T!!!
You: xxxxxxxxx@gmail.com is a good email address but I already went through the checklist you have online!!
Lisa: please let me know the complete email address on which I can sent you some information.
You: I just gave you the address. Please tell me why you will not verify that our service is correct. There are other alternatives for high speed internet. Comcast for example.
Lisa: Thank you, I have sent you a email with all the information related to your slow speed issue. Please perform all the steps and call the Voice technical support at 1877-722-3755 toll free number available 24/7.
You: Are you telling me that you will not verify our service?!
Lisa: We have found that a technician is helpful in solving these problems. Please perform all the steps and call the Voice technical support at 1877-722-3755 toll free number available 24/7.
You: I will do that. I’ll will begin by telling them that you refused to verify our service.
[And with that I hung up the chat window. Oddly enough, 5 minutes later our service was fixed. Note: I copied most all of the above from the chat window but the last two sentences were recreated from memory. I lost them when I hung up.]