Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Some may catch feelings over this post but oh well. First, this companies leadership is not, I repeat is not legacy T. It is SBC (Southwestern Bell). SBC was able to grow thru M&A (mergers and acquisitions) due to funny money (think Enron) and its closeness with the Bush administration. You need to know the history before you pick a fight.

I miss working as DTV tech pre ATT take over. Sadly it’s a former shell of what it once was. The family atmosphere quickly deteriorated and everything was company policy this and company policy that. No more Christmas parties or company bbqs. You were just a damn number waiting to be tossed aside. I learned a lot in those 5 years and now I have a better job

My husband was with Ameritech, then Cingular, then SBC and finally AT&T. Each time, he had to interview for his job in the dealer channel. Finally, after 23 years of service, he was laid-off three years ago in the 2017 blood bath. It's all about the President and his minions padding their wallets and screw the workers that made them that money. Welcome to AT&T!

A spoiled kid whines and begs for some super cool have to own it toy for Christmas. Daddy spends months searching every toy store and website until he can finally buy this toy. Kid plays with it for a few times before getting bored and the last time anybody saw the cool toy it was broken and abandoned in the back of a closet.

This is what it feels like to be former DirecTV.

Thank you OP. You reminded me that once we were warriors and we at DirecTV led the business in all metrics. Now we are but a hollowed out shell of a formerly successful company doomed to be spun off to some predatory Holding Company before the last of our flesh is stripped from our bones.

You nailed it OP. Thanks for speaking up. I have noticed a profound difference in people's attitudes since the DTV and Time Warner acquisition. Less obsequious worship of "leadership" now. It became obvious even to those of that didn't come from DTV that AT&T "leadership" didn't know how to run what they had acquired. Then, when AT&T bought TW it was even more stark! Putting a mutton head like the Stankhole in charge was a world class blunder on Randall the Vandal's part. AT&T had a very confusing offering in streaming and the HBO people asked Stank about it. Needless to say that was injurious to his fragile little ego. He threw a childish tantrum, that in a well run company, would have cost him his job. He had the gall to tell HBO execs that he knew more about TV than they did. Now that is textbook hubris. Of course this company is failing. It is run by venal, self satisfied mediocrities that are unfit to run a food truck. They couldn't sell cookies outside a pot dispensary but they are brilliant in their own eyes. What a joke these clowns are!

As one of this company's overworked and underpaid wire techs, I felt bad for you guys from the very start. DTV is just another in an endless string of beautiful dynamic companies that the Death Star has taken over and proceeded to destroy in every conceivable way.

AT&T does not serve the public interest in any way whatsoever. They rip off their customers with non competitive overpriced products while providing infuriating third world customer service, give a very poor return to their investors, take over and completely destroy numerous formerly successful small and medium businesses, and create a toxic living h#ll work environment for their employees. The only people this organization serves are the arrogant, incompetent clowns at the top.

I don't generally support government meddling in private business, but in AT&T's case I really wish the government would break this beast up into tiny little pieces to take away its destructive impact over our country's economy.

Millenial? I think not. The guy sounds like he has been around for quite awhile as was with Legacy DTV etc....

Thank you, thank you, thank you one of the most accurate pieces I have read on this site. AT&T destroyed an amazing company that held a top rated customer service. I challenge any competent person to disagree with any of your statements. No truer words have ever been spoken. Best to you and where ever you go from here.

At&t seems to ruin everything it touches. I mean they fired my arsm bc she groped in the phone closet. p-ss-d me off

This way of thinking about leadership has two important implications. First, when we teach people about leadership, we need to be more explicit that domain expertise matters. Just because a person is successful at running one kind of organization does not mean that they are likely to have the same degree of success running an organization with a different mission. Second, when we train people to take on leadership roles.

@drl+15sZJ0oc - Spoken like a true millennial punk that probably got the job based on a worthless piece of paper from four years of frat life that mommy and daddy paid for. Please save this post and read it again when you're in your late 30s. Karma does happen sometimes. There are actually people in their 30's and 40's within the company that do have a great deal of knowledge and a good work ethic. Perhaps you never realized it because the day you were hired you already knew everything. In the UK we have a saying for people like you ... P!$$ off !

I was a dish customer when T bought Direct . I switched to get emplyee discount. I always kept T-Mobile as I was pleased with their pricing and customer service. When I got laid off last year, I was happy to go back to Direct Tv. Better service, better GUIs and just won't spend a dime with T. I have converted several folks from there as well. You can't treat employees this way and not expect me to stay with your product. I stopped telling folks I worked there years ago. I ain't missing it at all...since I been gone.

Former Cingular employees can relate to this post. The worst thing to happen to Cingular was SBC buying Bell South to get control of Cingular.

Everyone at ATT, is 45 and older. The majority have been collecting paychecks, and doing nothing for years. Mass layoffs, is the only means of getting rid of old people. If you target an old person (I.e. trim the fat), then you get sued. You get sued, because mgmt gives everyone at least a “good” rating. Mgmt can’t give bad ratings, because they would lose headcount, then lose their title/team. Mgmt could never get rid of sandbaggers, because they could not backfill. So, here we are today. This week 50k heads are going to roll. For the most part, the 80/20 rule has applied. 20% of the folks, do 80% of the work. The 50k people will not be missed. The same thing needs to happen with upper management. 80% of them can go. Anyone can sit on meetings all day and cheerlead. Anyone can take an escalated email, and assign it to someone to do the work. I have my popcorn and coke. I am lm@0. I am a contractor. I will be getting paid a handsome some, to cleanup after your mess. You, on the other hand, are now blacklisted from the company. You’re thinking, “oh, I will just come back as contractor”. Nope, doesn’t work that way anymore. Have fun trying to find another job, when you have zero skills

I have been on the core side of this Company, for a long time. Every point you make in your rant, is valid. I’ve been watching the implosion here for years. It started for me when then SBC bought all the old RBOCS. When Ameritech was taken over, I noticed a big change in management philosophy. And it was all negative. Back then, as a condition of the merger, CEO Ed Whitacre promised the Feds all of his customers would have access to high speed Internet. They were given subsidies over and over to fulfill this, but never delivered on the promise. Now, they’re all in for 5G, and most of theirs subs won’t have access to it. So many f*ck ups by mgmnt; including the coup de gras Randall T-Mobile debauchery. Now, we’re an entertainment company. It’s tragic comedy, for sure

Thank you OP. Thirteen years in DirecTV I remember when people sought out our product line and raved about our service and reliability.

We had SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) in every yard that were called Engineering Liaison Techs (ELTs) that monitored issues with a potential for global impact. We had weekly direct contact with DTV Engineering with the goal being to investigate and fix software or hardware issues within 10 days.

Neither group exists under T and now problems exists for months and years in some cases.

Under the T dynasty, it's we don't care, we don't have to.

The hubris and self-importance is neither warranted or earned.

An ego driven company with no idea what it is they want to be or any idea how to get there in the first place. Place is doomed and all I am doing is going through the motions and cashing a check. First time in my life I can truly say I do not care. Sad. and no, I am not going to quit with less than 3 years to go until the finish line. I give what they are worth - the bare minimum.

I’ve been with the company for 20yrs- everything you say it’s the truth. Why I’m I still here? Because every quarter I get lucky and I don’t get cut. No I don’t go around kissing anyone’s a–, no I don’t have connections with anyone, I’m just lucky. I’m sure my luck will run out eventually and I’m ok with it. I’ve never been proud to work here, NEVER tell anyone where I work, NEVER recommend any of its products. I use their products though, 50% discount is a good deal, but the day I get cut, I’m going with T-Mobile. I don’t necessarily like my job, but don’t hate it, and I get paid well. So, I’ll stay here until they tell me otherwise.

As an outsider I do not know why AT&at bought DTV and gave up on it’s fiber service. I knew streaming was the future 7 years ago with Netflix. The stock gains of Netflix have far outpaced AT&T. The video strategy seems that of an amateur. Overpayment of assets, lack of marketing clarity and execution and redundant multiple platforms. I doubt the new product is going to take off to surpass the competition. You’re going to see more cuts to pay the debt and cover dividend payments.

I think that the running of entertainment entity with a telephone mentality is not going to work.

This whole fiasco will be written as a business school business case in a few years.

True. Well said OP. Good luck to you.

To the OP, you call that a rant!!? I’ll call that THE TRUTH!! You hit every point with no distortion. Best of luck to you.

This is the absolute most accurate post that i have ever seen on this site. Every single word is 100% correct.

sorry that dtv became attized. I remember one of the first things they did was to stop all future satellite launches after att bought and after they only did one.

I will never forget that because at the time it just seemed really strange that you bought a satellite company and you just made a commitment to never launch any more satellites. WTH.

They had another motive for they destroying of DTV. Whether it was to destroy the competition or get the IP of dtv now I don't but it served it purpose I guess and destroyed the company.

There was no need to buy dtv other than to enrich the executives and the board. I remember when they bought DTV and they had the best customer satisfaction in the industry and I thought cool maybe att will bring that on board and learn how to treat customers and we would get more. But I should of known the people that run att are never wrong and always put a round peg in a square hole and never admit they do anything wrong.

Destroying every merged company is the history of Legacy T. They did this to Terrible Data, NCR, and every single company that they acquired.

• They over pay, many times the company's value.
• Put some a$$wipe in carge of the company that has no idea what to do with it.
• Chase off all the talent.
• Mismanage the merged company.
• The sell if off for a penny on the $.
• Call it a great victory!
• Move on to ruin the next target.

They are trying to sell off DTV, so maybe DTV will be a good company again. Can’t do much worse than being a part of this company.

Well said OP! I was not with DTV but it is the same for every Org/dept. The last 10 years were pure h#ll for me. I was within 3 years that I could retire, but enough was enough. Everyday was a struggle to go in there. This past January I could not take anymore of the lies, metrics, and I could go on and on but you already know. I have been so much happier since I left. My blood pressure is no longer at stroke level and my family and I are doing great. I feel your pain and I certainly wish you the best! You will not regret it.

They have a perception that America needs them where as the reality is America Hates AT&T with a passion.

I am also a legacy DTV. I completely agree with everything you said. While dtv wasn’t perfect and we had our flaws , at least you didn’t have to worry quarter after quarter if you were going to have a job. It’s amazing that legacy T thinks they were the smartest in the room about everything. It’s clear now, that the can’t do anything without a guaranteed profit as a regulated utility.