(epicharmus)

After Consumerist reader T switched mobile phone service to AT&T in 2009, aggressive folks have been calling, trying to reach someone named Jerry. For months, the annoying calls were chalked up to this Jerry person likely owing a lot of debt collectors. But then in February, one Jerry-caller, complaining that his local cell phone tower was down, told T. that AT&T had given him this number as a tech support contact only 20 minutes earlier.

Here's where we let T. tell the story:

I contacted customer service who verified "Jerry" did have my number 2 months before me, however they denied they ever gave out employee cell phone numbers.

I contacted the office of the president and after several phone calls and an investigation was told "Jerry" is in fact a former AT&T employee, but tech support could not figure out how to stop giving out my phone number. However, I could change my phone number free of charge.

This is not acceptable. I explained again and again to AT&T I am a manager for a company that provides services to adults with developmental disabilities. It is imperative my clients and my staff be able to reach me 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Changing my number and teaching the new one to all of the people who need it would be time consuming to say the least. And I knew, given my history with AT&T I would be disputing the change number charge as well.

More time and phone calls later, I was assured my phone number had been purged from tech support and never again should I receive a frantic phone call from a business customer about an outage. I was told if this ever happened again to call right away.

Today I received a frantic phone call from an AT&T business customer wanting to speak with "Jerry." This gentleman was dumbfounded when I informed him that I couldn't help him.

"Tech support gave me this number. Why would they give me the wrong number?" Given his desperation I didn't say what I was really thinking and referred him to The Office of the President — a number I only had thanks to The Consumerist.

I contacted AT&T's Office of the President and spoke with Bernard who had no record of my previous complaint though it was only 4 months ago. He apologized and assured me he would investigate.

I don't want any more apologies from AT&T. I'm frustrated with their customer service about other issues as well. I have clients and staff who need to be able to reach me 24 hours a day. If I have to change my wireless phone number, I may as well cancel my contract with AT&T.

Some weeks I work over 100 hours. What little free time I have I do not want to spend talking with AT&T.