Why does AT&T hate existing customers?

1 year ago, I had Uverse TV and internet installed. It's been very dependable and I like both products. But I was getting notices that the discounts were about to expire. I'm currently paying $86.43 (not counting taxes and fees). The new bill will be $139.60. $55.00 more per month, an increase of 64%. I would be paying $535.00 more next year for the exact same service - a cost I can't justify.

So 2 weeks ago, I got in touch via online chat and explained the situation. That I'd prefer to stay with AT&T, but it would be far cheaper for me to switch to Time Warner cable for a similar TV and internet package for $94.98 per month. The online rep told me that they would certainly be able to help me keep the bill at around my current rate, and I would have no need to switch. However, he couldn't do anything until the entire year was up, which would be Aug 12. He told me to get back in touch then, and they would take care of me.

Today is the 12th, and as instructed, I got back on myATT and opened the chat. After the usual platitudes of how she could help me and she wanted to assure me a good experience and all, she came back and said there was nothing she could do. She indicated that I would have to wait another 2 days, as the anniversary was actually the 14th, not the 12th. She wasn't clear if they would be able to do anything at that point. I told her I'd already been put off once, and I was unwilling to get in touch a third time for the same questions. I said if you wanted to keep my business, she should find a supervisor or someone who could help me today. So she said she would put me on a callback line and a supervisor would be calling me shortly. A few moments later, I got the call, and she asked me to close the chat. She went over the details with me, then said she was going to transfer me to a customer service specialist to handle the situation. After about a minute, she said "I'm transferring you now." I heard a click and then silence - I thought it went dead, but my phone still showed me connected. So I figured I was on hold. After about 2 minutes of silence, someone hesitantly said "hello?" I replied, and she said "oh I thought you were going to tell me you were there." So apparently she was there the whole time. I assume she had never worked a phone before.

Then she said "So you said you need my help with cancelling your account?" I heaved a huge, frustrated sigh, and said "I suggest you get in touch with the people I've been speaking with and find out what I actually said and was trying to do." And I hung up. Instead of offering to try to help me stay an AT&T customer, the 'customer service specialist' wanted to help me cancel my services.

So it appears AT&T doesn't want to keep its' customers. I'll be contacting Time Warner to get new service. It's a hassle, because I'll have to set up an install appointment and wait around for them, then package up your gear to return it.

And we both know what will happen next - in a couple months I'll start getting "we miss you and want you back" mailings from AT&T. You'll offer me a good rate - the kind of rate that would have satisfied me today. You'll probably tack on a rewards card to switch back, so it would actually cost you more to get me back than to keep me. But this time, it won't work. Unless my new TWC service is horrible, I won't submit myself to the awful AT&T experience anymore.

And since AT&T cares so little for my business, I think I'll go ahead and drop my wireless too. Everyone in my department at work has T-mobile except me, and they love it.

So here are my suggestions:

1. Get rid of the idiotic policy of waiting until the exact day of the 1 year anniversary to do anything. There is no reason why representatives couldn't make changes with an effective starting date a few weeks in the future. People want to take care of things proactively when THEY have time - NOT on your down to the minute schedule.

2. Get rid of the bubbly platitudes in the customer service chat. "Yes! I'd love to help! I live to serve your needs! I want to make sure you have a wonderful experience!" Followed by "sorry can't help you".

3. Make SURE your customer service people have correct information and don't make false promises. I feel lied to because I was told they could adjust my bill if I waited 2 weeks and then found out they wouldn't do anything.

4. Quit the stupid pricing games. Set a fair price for your services and leave it alone. Nobody would care if you had a 3% cost of living increase every year. The equipment is already in place, the package and account already set up, and it's paid by auto-pay. So it costs you nothing to just keep that monthly payment coming. But NOBODY is going to placidly accept a 64% increase. I like my products and wanted to remain a loyal customer. But I don't want to have to fight once a year for a reasonable price. And I certainly don't want the lies and aggravation your customer service people give me.