Not sure if utility companies only hire a**holes for customer service, or if only a**holes apply for those customer service jobs. Whatever the case may be, if you have to deal with customer service – you will certainly have to deal with an a**hole.
Take for instance Ron Dorff, an 83-year-old Woodland Hills resident, who was told (oh so wrongly) by AT&T that he would have to pay over $24,298.93 for two months of dial up internet service.
Now, before going more into Dorff’s story, I know what you are thinking: dial up service?!? Yup, 2.2 million Americans still use AOL dial up to get on the internet – and yes, it is 2015.
Now back to Dorff, who lives on a fixed income, and was used to paying just over $50 for his land line from AT&T. Until March, when he received a bill for $8,596.57! Dorff called to complain, AT&T said they would send someone over to investigate, and (surprise!) no one came.
Dorff figured that things were handled, paid his $51, and moved on. But he was oh so wrong. His next bill was for $15,687.64, which brought his total debt to AT&T, including late fees, to $24,298.93!!!
Dorff called AT&T yet again, they said that they would send out a service rep, and (surprise!) this time someone showed up. And this is where AT&T customer service showed just how terrible they are. Via LA Times:
“He said there must be something wrong with my modem,” Dorff said. “And that was it.”
He called the phone company yet again. He passed along the technician’s verdict and asked if AT&T could lower his bill.
This would be the same AT&T with a self-professed commitment to “building strong customer relationships.”
“The woman said they couldn’t make an adjustment,” Dorff recalled. “I told her I couldn’t possibly afford what they wanted. She just insisted that I had to pay it. She was very blunt about it.”
Dorff did not pay. Instead opting to call The LA Times and (surprise!) once they got involved AT&T blamed it all on a long distance phone number issue and immediately waved all of their dumb fees.
Of course, this whole thing could have been avoided if AT&T’s customer service reps would have used logic and common sense – but I guess that is just asking too much of a**holes.
