An anonymous AT&T employee who says to call him “Vernon” wrote in to tell us that starting next Tuesday, March 11th, some customers in the Southeast who call in to make a payment will be charged $5, with the fee going nationwide by May. He writes, “I feel this is taking advantage of our customers’ trust, because even when we put it on all of their bills, and let people know, there will be tons of reps that won’t let the customer know they’re being charged for taking their payment.”
Here’s his full email:
I have been working for ATT (Cingular, before SBC bought ATT Wireless) and starting March 11th, they are going to be doing a trial in the Southeast Market in charging customers who call in to make a payment. $5 is the charge to be exact, and they expect it to roll out nationwide by May.I would be forwarding you the official internal memo, but they do monitor our emails with Nazi prowess…so no official email from them..
This upsets me as two fronts, as first, a customer. Why the fuck would they CHARGE their customers for taking their payments?
“So, you’re telling me I have to give you MORE money for giving you my regular payment?”
“Yep”
Secondly, it upsets me as an employee. I feel this is taking advantage of our customer’s trust, because even when we put it on all of their bills, and let people know, there will be tons of reps that won’t let the customer know they’re being charged for taking their payment.
I feel that if this gets enough word and bad press, maybe this shit ball of a company will change its mind.
Well, you’re welcome AT&T, we just helped alert readers to your new fee scheme.
We doubt they’ll drop the fee, though—it sounds like a classic case of a company deciding to no longer foot the bill for what was formerly an included customer service.
Prediction: someone will introduce “live operator” surcharges in the next 24 months.
(Photo: Guillermo Esteves)
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Tampa Electric was doing the $5 charge for internet/phone payments by credit card. After I contacted Visa, Tampa Electric changed it to $5 charge for ANY payment (check or credit card) over the phone/internet. Boo Tampa Electric! Boo!
All of my other utilities gladly accept my money in any form I wish to send it.
It starts March 11th in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. How it works: If you call in and speak to a person, the $5 fee will be placed on the next bill. If you goto a store, the $5 fee will be paid up front.
@tme2nsb: To add, payments through the IVR, online, autopay or mailed in, there is no charge.
My personal account’s with Verizon, and the payment machines in the store are awesome and if there’s a line they will take my payment at no charge. Verizon has been very, very good to me in terms of service…it’s comparable to ours at t-mo but more consistent; t-mo has more rockstar CS reps and some crappy ones to balance it out (though more rockstars than crappy!) and Verizon is pretty much always…the…same.
I do occasionally ponder going to Sprint for SERO but somehow i don’t mind paying Verizon for my basic, basic $39.95 a month for 450 minutes deal. I like my t-mo phone better, but try getting service in Castle Rock, Toutle, or Darrington…
I paid my AT&T wireless balance, in full, through a customer rep. NOT ONCE did the representative inform me of the $5.00 charge…she told me my balance was at zero…she explained all the different ways in which I could check my most current balance, etc.
Shortly after my payment was made I logged on to make sure the payment had indeed posted to my account…and there sat a FIVE DOLLAR BALANCE!! How sneaky and unprofessional of the rep. to withhold this important information.
Yes folks, utility and mortgage companies DO charge for phone payments…but they ALWAYS inform the customer and they NEVER, I mean NEVER fail to add it to your phone payment. The charge instantly attaches to the outstanding balance. Paid in one nice little transaction.
The $5.00 charge is not unusual…it’s the lack of communication with the customer and adding it to the next bill, without choice, that disturbs me.
I regret that I called customer care in the first place, I would’ve paid on the internet had I known I would be paying $5.00, on TOP of the $722. balance they let me rack up as a new customer.
That’s a whole other story….UGH