@ATT Redemption -- NOT!

Post originally written on 6/26

A few weeks ago, I voiced my displeasure with AT&T and their services here. Since this post, I have to admit that they've made me do a 180 degree spin on them...

First, a friend from Twitter, who is employed with AT&T, saw my blog post. He passed the message on to a protege of his in Baton Rouge. She reached out to me via Twitter and gave me a call. I spoke to her and explained what was wrong. She sent someone out (I think it was the same day) to investigate my problem. That guy ran tests and determined that part of my problem was the fact that I was slightly out of range of the premium service that I requested. He called a fourth guy (who happened to be married to a high school classmate of mine) and he shows up and runs tests (that same day).

After everything was done, it was concluded that I wasn't going to be able to get the internet speeds I requested. However, instead of me being disappointed over that being the case, I was actually impressed with the promptness and level of service AT&T put forth in an attempt to fix the problem. A few days later, a manager called and said that although it was unlikely that I would get the 12 mbps speeds that I wanted, that he would exhaust every option before calling it quits. So, he's still working on the problem.

Although I'm still at 6.0 mbps, I'm actually satisfied. Great service goes a long way and when you receive it, you no longer look at yourself as a victim. Things always seem like a scam when you're paying your hard-earned money for something only to be met with "meh" and shoulder shrugs when you have a problem.

So, I want to take my hat off to the people who put forth an effort to fix my problem (Corey, Natasha, Chris, Roy and Scott). I try to be as fair as I possibly can and if I can take the time to bash a company for doing something wrong, then I will definitely take the time to applaud them when they provide a great level of service.

Thank you, AT&T. You now have your redemption.

*** UPDATE: 6/29 *** I guess that I spoke too soon. I spent 40+ minutes on the phone, over the course of two days, to resolve a problem for my father. We were trying to remove call forwarding from a landline voicemail to a cell phone. I went in and made changes in the voicemail menu to turn off forwarding, but that didn't work. I called AT&T and held 7 minutes for an agent on the Wireless side.

He told me that I needed to speak with the landline people to resolve. I said, "fine, but while I have you, I do have a question on this account: can you let me know how many minutes phone # XXX-XXX-XXXX used last month?"

"Sir, I'm unable to see that, but I can send you an additional bill for $5 or you can view it online," he replied. 

That's what he said, but here's what I heard: "I have better things to do than research this account."

Now, I'm not sure exactly what type of applications AT&T's customer service agents use, but I can't say that I believe that someone couldn't tell me how many minutes a phone used the previous month.

So, I get transferred to the landline side and I hold for 14 more minutes (21 total). I finally get someone and of course, they have no information on me despite the transfer. I have to verify who I am again and why I am calling. After explaining it, she tells me that she's going to reset something and the calls will no longer forward to the cell phone some time before midnight.

"Midnight? Is the phone a vampire or something? Why isn't it immediate?" I asked.

"It just isn't, sir."

"So, I'm going to have to wait until midnight to find out that what you did probably didn't work and go through all of this tomorrow?"

"It will work, sir."

After close to 30 minutes of phone time, I realize that I'm powerless in the situation and I say my good-byes. Of course, the next day, the landline is still forwarding calls.  I call in again and this time, I only had to hold for 8 minutes.  This agent tells me that the previous person that I'd spoken to the day before forgot to do something when she reset the phone.  He says that he will take care of it and that i should see the results after midnight.

Well, this time it works after two days and speaking to three people to get it resolved. Luckily for them, I have patience because my father told me to just disconnect everything after the first day. I probably would have if I thought that he wouldn't need his lines of communication.

Foiled by AT&T again. For every great employee there are five bad ones. Just five warm bodies doing just enough to get a paycheck each week and not get fired. Too bad that no one with the ability to do something about it cares.

Can A Mate Veto Your Outfit?

It's Friday night and you've just finished up a long week of work. Your significant other calls you and wants to go out for a night of dining and dancing. You look in the closet and reach towards the back for that special outfit your mate has never seen. You put it on and you feel sexier than Marilyn Monroe at a JFK function.

Your mate arrives at your house and you open the door all the way so that they can take in a good view of your outfit. Your mate smiles in appreciation but then quickly says, "you're not wearing that."

 (record scratch) 

Is it wrong for your mate to say that you're "dressed too sexy" if you look like Pamela Anderson at a rave?  Is it wrong for your mate to say that you're "humiliating them" by wearing the same outfit Burt Reynolds did in "Smokey & The Bandit?"

I have only experienced this dilemma once in my life. I was dating a girl and I thought that she was very attractive. She had a booty that just wouldn't quit. She had more cheeks than a chipmunk with the mumps.

Anyhoo, we were going out to a nightclub (which I didn't like doing with women) and I went to pick her up. She came out of the house in what was basically a cat suit. Of course, I was stunned because she did look amazing in it, however, I thought about how many other people would think she'd look amazing in it as well. I mean, we're talking about a woman whose measurements were 38-26-OMG! So, I'm thinking about how many guys I may possibly have to "defend her honor" against if they try to get too aggressive.

I simply came out and told her that although I wanted to see that outfit later, that I thought it would cause too much of the wrong attention from guys. She understood and went back inside to change. I got lucky. No arguing. No drama. I breathed a sigh of relief because I didn't expect things to go over so smoothly.  Was it my tone?  My approach?  Or did she already have reservations about the outfit and just needed a tie-breaking vote?

Was I right to question what she had on at all? Should I have allowed her, as an adult, to wear what she thought was appropriate / comfortable for her? Or did I do right to speak my mind and express my feelings?  Shouldn't we be representing each other if we're going out as a couple? Regardless if an outfit is too sexy or if it should have been left back in 1975, can you state your case against it?  What would you do (or what have you done) in this position?



Fair or foul: Can a mate veto your outfit?

"So, let's set the world on fi-ya!  We can burn brighter!  Than the suunnnnnnn!"

I Was Sleep Cheating

A guy in Connecticut has a serious problem with sleepwalking. So serious that he's been accused of robbing a woman at knife point... while he was asleep. At least that's what Winston Riley says.

The 27 year old's family claims that he's had issues with sleepwalking since he was a boy. The crime does seem odd being that he robbed the woman in the elevator of the Mohegan Sun Casino. There are more cameras in that place than a Victoria's Secrets runway shoot. Why rob a person in a place full of cameras unless you really didn't know you were doing it?  Stranger things have happened, I guess.  Riley does not have a criminal record, so it would seem like an odd place to start.  After the robbery, Riley said the woman's screaming woke him. The police don't buy the excuse because they say that Riley confessed to the crime when he was apprehended.  I may have to follow the trial of this case to see how things turn out.

Two years ago, a man in Colorado woke up to a loud "bang" only to realize that he'd shot himself in the knee.  People are on record for doing some odd things when they're asleep.  At night, my father used to push the couch in the front of the door because as a child, I'd sleepwalk outside and sit on the back of the car.  That resorted in him waking up some mornings and finding me asleep on that couch since I wasn't strong enough to push it away from the door.

Is a person responsible for creating a criminal act while they're asleep? Is that a valid defense? If so, can you use it on anything? "Aw, baby, don't get upset. I was sleep cheating. You know I wouldn't have slept with her had I been awake."

"Honey, I gained six pounds because I was sleep eating."

 What sleepwalking excuse would you use to get out of a bad situation?