Dear AT&T,
I was one of the many who stood in line outside of your stores on the 20th of September for the iPhone 5S launch. I was number 6 in line that day. It was 5am, it was chilly, but I like others who'd been into the store earlier in the week were standing there in hopes of getting a 64GB White with Gold Trimmed iPhone 5S. I was also one of the many who were disappointed to find out that you'd not received inventory to sell of anything other than the SPACE GREY Phones in varying capacities.
I decided at that point to get a phone so that I could enjoy that new phone with everyone else and perhaps even wrap a case around it, and get on with life. I was saddened that the inventory for a supposed "flagship" store did not include the flagship phone model and that none of the first 10 people in the line would get one as we'd expected. Otherwise we might have just slept in and come later in the day to pick up the other.
Then came the lovable survey that asks "Was your experience at AT&T this morning good?" "would you recommend us to others?" "are we your company of choice?" all those questions that really tend to anger a customer who's had a substandard experience.
Everything at the store in the morning was just fine with ONE MAJOR EXCEPTION. I had come in earlier in the week, asked about iPhone 5S's, was told there was "Plenty of inventory coming", just make sure to be in line early, I was once again number 6 in that line, and there were NO GOLD iPhone's to be found.
What else am I supposed to say? Now, today I get a call after a text from someone who has the audacity to ask me the same questions in response to my responses in the survey. WHY??? Why would you want to waste a customers time with repeat questions that you already know the answer to?
Will I recommend AT&T to anyone? HELL NO. Will I recommend anyone else? HELL NO. Is there anything you can do for me? Yes, get me a Gold iPhone 5S and then came the response that generated this email:
"Well sir, you can order one, pay a restocking fee and when it comes it we'll let you know".
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????? (Now attach Steve Jobs' face to that statement yelling at the top of his lungs as I know he would if he were standing here next to me and his spirit is as we knew each other for 24 years, and he can't believe I got that response at all).
Pay a restocking fee for a phone which you should have had in stock on launch day???? And order it, send in my current device, leaving me without a device and when they come in you'll let me know???
NOT A CHANCE.
I have been an AT&T Business Customer since the LAUNCH of the ORIGINAL IPHONE. I have STUCK with AT&T while others bailed out. When you throttled people's data plans, I stuck around. When you changed pricing structures, I stuck around. I have been completely and totally loyal to AT&T when others jumped to Verizon and other networks. I'm one of the old guard. I believe that AT&T does the right thing.
I'M WRONG. AT&T would rather milk customers like me out of things while providing SubStandard Service delivery. I have a damn MICROCELL in my HOUSE because you cannot provide accurate cell coverage in our area and STILL I GET DROPPED CALLS with my iPhone 5S which is supposed to have better coverages. Do I get a credit on my monthly bill for any of this? NO.
How about crediting me for your crappy phone services since January of 2011?? Can you do that? NO you can't. Will I leave AT&T? NO I WON'T. WHY? Because since I bought an original iPhone, I have UNLIMITED EVERYTHING and that beats the crap out of anything anyone else can offer me.
The other reason I won't leave is because I am faithful to brands I support. AT&T is one of them. But that does not give you an excuse to NOT deliver on things you say you will.
Now that I've openly expressed my opinion and even cc'd the CEO of APPLE, I am sure my note like others will fall into the wastebasket of AT&T and absolutely NOTHING will be done to appease this customer. Sad because with the number of people out on the web who will catch wind of this posting...it might do you some good to actually do something about it.
Warmest regards,
Michael
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