I need to vent about WTR

This isn't layoff related but this is something I need to get off of my chest. AT&T calls this their most important metric and their most important focus in terms of providing an "effortless customer experience." However, everything I have seen especially in the last year has pointed to the exact opposite trend.

-Randall has called this the #1 focus ever since I started working for the company until my departure. I can safely say there was ZERO progress made. Everything was under the facade of making things cheaper. SmartChat was so bad they actually brought back the internal call centers.

-One hand never talking to the other: When one branch has credit budgets and credits are closely monitored, you are bound to have infighting. As a RSM, nothing irritated me more than customer service sending someone in for a credit that we were never responsible for in the first place. My DOS told us "take care of the customer" until one day we all received an email saying we were giving away too many credits to fix LEGITIMATE issues.

-I'm sure customer care feels the same way when stores sent someone to them for credits. I'm not blasting Care here. It's simply the nature of the beast.

-WTR surveys create a culture of obsessing over every single little interaction. While I get it from a conceptual standpoint (follow the correct behaviors and everything will be fine), in reality it creates a stressful culture of "Nothing in the world is more important at any point in any time than what is happening right here, right now in this store at this very second." It creates panic when one of the systems (inevitably) fails or when a customer service issue goes wrong because we can't get the desired outcome. I'm not even getting into the fact that you "can't fix stupid" when it comes to certain customers or you can't work miracles even when you resolve their issue. I am pretty sure most of my stress came from WTR.

-I'm not even getting into getting phone calls about certain customer issues when as a RSM I am off the clock, trying to enjoy dinner with my family & friends, or trying to work out.

So yes, I get the concept behind WTR and why reputation is important. But the company does not give you the tools to truly make it work despite what they tell you. I know that I was guilty of drinking the Kool Aid too. I became a T-Mobile customer and their customer service is night and day different.

And that's all I have to say about that.

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Work to the rule, far to many times we make the company think that their theories are good in concepts. They are money driven ideas and most time undermining people and service. We come right alone and alter it to make it a win win. Stop just do as you are told. See how quick they would change their mind

You are not alone. I can express near exact same thoughts. Well said.

I am a employee of AT&T and finally went to another carrier - even with my employee discount, it was less expensive. I also left Digital Life behind as well.....they (AT&T) doesn't care about me and my family, why should I pay them more than they're (AT&T) worth....I can get the SAME IF NOT BETTER service from other carriers.

Heck, even Stevie Wonder could see that this company doesn't have any focus on the retail stores or customers right now. And as store managers, we were on the front line with no tools or ability to truly help the customer. Bit by bit, everything was taken away, and the ropes tying our hands behind out back were tightened more and more. It was SO embarrassing! I experienced every single thing this person vented about . I couldn't live that way. Life's too short. Quality talent moves on.

It really is crazy.

Everything the company says has the goal of making things "easier and faster" for the customer has the exact opposite effect but is actually designed to be cheaper for the company.

I understand the myAT&T focus. The problem is it is half as user friendly as My Verizon (if that).

Even years later you still get transferred from one department to another. I recently experienced this when a retention promo was not applied to my Digital Life service.

There was a time where the customer service truly was getting better, but the focus seems to have shifted and now it's all about cutting costs. Customers be damned.

A company the size of AT&T surely was offered hundreds of opportunities to buy other companies, With no way to grow, the only way to increase profits is cutting costs, That seems a reasonable explanation

How? AT&T has taken the lead in software defined networks, which promise eliminate the need for so many employees. They are further along in ending universal service than any other telco in the world. They've built one of the best broadband management systems to reduce the number of support calls.

They have more lobbyists than a state has legislators.

they've adopted almost a "user be damned" attitude to customers who need much support. They've concluded it was cheaper to lose 5-10% of customers than to solve the problems. The cutbacks in support have already been massive.

I expect to hear many more ways T will make people redundant,

Well on the wireless side they can go to Verizon or T-Mobile and experience better or near the same network quality.

There's always the local cable company and DISH, along with many of the new OTA TV offerings.

AT&T used to be that a businesses were judged in part by their ability to attract and keep good employees, our call center is struggling, millions are spent to train the new cheaper more disposable worker hired to replace those who are layoff, quit or are fired. This giant we work for can pay, no problem. But they cannot easily mend the damage they are doing to the company. Customers are not happy with us. But where else can they go?

Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

I need to vent about WTR

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