IP: AT&T and snails -- from RISKS

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Hmmm, I use e payment for my ATT Wireless, we shall see


Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 10:21 -0400 
From: Bob_Frankston () frankston com 
Subject: AT&T and snails 
Using Quicken I sent a payment to my ATT wireless account. A few weeks later 
they started dunning me though the payment was clearly listed and processed. 
But it hadn't cleared. After a while I looked at the payee record and 
noticed it was queued for electronic payment. But that confuses ATT wireless 
which claims to not accept electronic payments. So I try again but notice 
that my paper payment is coerced into an electronic payment automatically. I 
finally figure out that if, instead of paying "ATT Wireless Services", I add 
a {} comment to the end, it remains a paper payment. At least on my side. 
I figured this out when one of the ATT billing people called me on the 
phone. She said she would note that the payment is on the way. Just got 
another call from someone at ATT wireless demanding payment. Of course, 
nothing in my record and once again told me that ATT doesn't handle accept 
electronic payments and that everyone places a check on the back of a snail 
(OK, snailmail might not be a fair term but it seems most appropriate or, at 
least, colorful here). Of course, this is nonsense considering the 
demographics of the PCS early adopters. 
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised since this is the same company that has been 
sending me a monthly bill for a $.15 credit on an old home office line for 
over a year. 
My real puzzle is why ATT doesn't seem to have a clue that it is their fault 
that the payment is coerced to an electronic payment and that someone should 
attempt to solve it. The larger issue is that whether a problem is caused by 
new technologies or more traditional problems, I'm struck by the lack of an 
attitude that problems are there to be solved instead of simply suffered. It 
is a reaction consistent with dealing with any bureaucracy but for those of 
(some of) us reading this list they are teething problems which need 
attention. 
[Although this is otherwise a contribution that RISKS does not usually 
include, even though it represents an all-to-common problem, we have 
included it here in the public-service mode of trying to inspire 
companies to get moving in the right direction. PGN]