Conn. whacks AT&T again
Connecticut state officials publicly slapped AT&T again, this time for planning to relocate 60 customer service jobs to Michigan.
Both the state and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are not happy about the closure of a customer service office in Meriden. The Conn. Attorney General held a press conference and the Governor sent a letter to state regulators ordering them to review the move and fast-track hearings on a pending investigation. State officials say AT&T has eliminated nearly 1,000 customer service related jobs in recent years.
This is the latest skirmish in a running feud between state officials and AT&T over customer service and jobs. Last month, the AG jumped into a proceeding at the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) intended to enforce repair service standards and order AT&T to improve customer service. AT&T has been accused of answering its phones four times slower than other phone companies and its call abandonment rate - where people just give up after being on hold - is also four times higher. Additionally, AT&T has not met DPUC requirements that it fix 90 percent of out-of-service phones within 24 hours, and it has failed to for eight years.
For more:
- Hartford Courant coverage of CT AT&T scolding
- Media Newswire carries the release by the Conn. AG
- Local TV coverage of more AT&T layoffs in CT
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Comments
Posted by Anonymous | October 11, 2008 - 5:00pm
The MI center already does WI, and IN along with MI. Honestly, you dont have to live in the state of CT to do this job. I'm sure that the people who work in that center havent lived EVERYWHERE AT&T has service. So if none of them have lived in a particular town, how would they know the roads better than anyone else who has never lived there. It would actually make more sense to have all of the midwest control functions being done in the same center. It does make it more efficient. As bad as it is to hear that your place of business is being closed, you are still being offered jobs. Also, maybe it is because AT&T hasnt met their DPUC requirements in 8 years that this is happening. If those employees could really do their job...maybe it wouldnt be leaving.
