[Infowarrior] - fw: [IP] Contact AT&T's CEO, hear back from his lawyer

Tue Oct 13 14:33:56 CDT 2015

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: "David Farber" <farber at gmail.com>
> Subject: [IP] Contact AT&T's CEO, hear back from his lawyer
> Date: October 13, 2015 at 3:17:33 PM EDT
> To: "ip" <ip at listbox.com>
> Reply-To: dave at farber.net
> 
> 
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: the keyboard of geoff goodfellow <geoff at iconia.com <mailto:geoff at iconia.com>>
> Date: October 13, 2015 at 2:49:06 PM EDT
> 
> Subject: Contact AT&T's CEO, hear back from his lawyer
> 
> Contact AT&T's CEO, hear back from his lawyer
> By David Lazarus <http://postlink.www.listbox.com/1975943/d4c04a57a9621e4d2ce822badf4941d7/126368/2b613309?uri=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5sYXRpbWVzLmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy9sYW5ld3MtZGF2aWQtbGF6YXJ1cy0yMDEzMDUwNy1zdGFmZi5odG1sI25hdnR5cGU9YnlsaW5l>
> LA Times
> 
> Oct 13, 2015
> 
> AT&T's Code of Business Conduct <http://postlink.www.listbox.com/1975944/4c170fae0fe7ef3a5372b35644540ae9/126368/2b613309?uri=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hdHQuY29tL0NvbW1vbi9hYm91dF91cy9kb3dubG9hZHMvYXR0X2NvZGVfb2ZfYnVzaW5lc3NfY29uZHVjdC5wZGY> declares that "our customers should always know we value them" and that "we listen to our customers."
> 
> But you might want to think twice before offering suggestions to the company's chief executive, Randall Stephenson, about how AT&T can improve its Internet and wireless services.
> 
> El Sereno resident Alfred Valrie, 35, found himself in the cross hairs of a top AT&T lawyer after recently emailing Stephenson with two simple ideas for improving customer satisfaction: unlimited data for DSL users and 1,000 text messages for $10 a month.
> 
> "I just wanted to give him something to mull over," Valrie told me. "I never thought I'd get a letter from a lawyer."
> 
> Nobody would. Consumers are routinely assured by businesses that their feedback is valued and that their opinions matter.
> 
> A Google search for "your opinion matters" will return about 700,000 listings, with almost all top results being companies soliciting the thoughts of customers.
> 
> "Every firm is concerned about having open lines of communication with customers," said Eric T. Anderson, a marketing professor at Northwestern University.
> 
> "This is how you know if your products or services are on course," he said. "To not listen to customers is like a pilot flying blind."
> 
> Valrie would seem the ideal AT&T customer. He gets the full package from the company — home phone, wireless, Internet and satellite TV.
> 
> "I'm a quadruple customer," Valrie said. "And I've been happy with their service."
> 
> It was in that spirit that he decided to offer his two cents for some minor improvements. Valrie went online and tracked down Stephenson's email address. He sent the following message:
> 
> "Hi. I have two suggestions. Please do not contact me in regards to these. These are suggestions. Allow unlimited data for DSL customers, particularly those in neighborhoods not serviced by U-verse. Bring back text messaging plans like 1,000 Messages for $10 or create a new plan like 500 Messages for $7.
> 
> "Your lifelong customer, Alfred Valrie."
> 
> You'd think any CEO would be thrilled to receive an email like that. A long-term customer is sufficiently engaged with the company to offer advice on how things could be even better.
> 
> Stephenson, however, referred Valrie's email to AT&T's legal department, which unleashed Thomas A. Restaino, chief intellectual property counsel.
> 
> Restaino thanked Valrie for being a lifelong customer. Then he adopted an adversarial tone.
> 
> "AT&T has a policy of not entertaining unsolicited offers to adopt, analyze, develop, license or purchase third-party intellectual property ... from members of the general public," Restaino said.
> 
> "Therefore, we respectfully decline to consider your suggestion."
> 
> They wouldn't even consider what a customer had to say? That's a fine how-do-you-do.
> 
> After Valrie shared AT&T's letter with me, I assumed the company made a mistake and would no doubt apologize as soon as I brought it to their attention.
> 
> But no mistake had been made. Georgia Taylor, a company spokeswoman, said the response to Valrie was quite deliberate.
> 
> "In the past, we've had customers send us unsolicited ideas and then later threaten to take legal action, claiming we stole their ideas," she explained. "That's why our responses have been a bit formal and legalistic. It's so we can protect ourselves."
> 
> To call AT&T's stance tone deaf would be an understatement. This is the sort of ham-fisted corporate overreaction that serves no purpose but to keep customers at arm's length.
> 
> Had Valrie been offering a patented idea for overhauling AT&T's operations, then perhaps the company's defensive posture would be understandable. But, as he said twice in his email, he was merely making suggestions and expected no follow-up on AT&T's part.
> 
> "AT&T missed a huge opportunity with this customer," said Andrea Godfrey Flynn, an associate marketing professor at the University of San Diego. "They may have jeopardized a long-term relationship and could end up driving him to a competitor."
> 
> This isn't the first time AT&T has stumbled in this way. In 2010, the company apologized after threatening legal action against a customer who had griped in an email to Stephenson about not qualifying for an iPhone discount.
> 
> The customer was told that "if you continue to send emails to Randall Stephenson, a cease-and-desist letter may be sent to you."
> 
> AT&T still hasn't learned how to play nice with customers.
> 
> Taylor, the company spokeswoman, said AT&T "will take a look at our processes to see where we can do better going forward."
> 
> I have an idea. Read all emails and letters from customers carefully and don't go nuts when they're just offering some constructive feedback. (Note to AT&T lawyers: That was just a suggestion on my part; no need to break out the pitchforks.)
> 
> And to AT&T customers, I say whatever you do, don't send your thoughts to Stephenson at his direct work email address, rs2982 at att.com <mailto:rs2982 at att.com>.
> 
> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20151013-column.html <http://postlink.www.listbox.com/1975945/31ac112cfcf2f3972c3f005beafa4b5e/126368/2b613309?uri=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5sYXRpbWVzLmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy9sYS1maS1sYXphcnVzLTIwMTUxMDEzLWNvbHVtbi5odG1s>
> -- 
> Geoff.Goodfellow at iconia.com <mailto:Geoff.Goodfellow at iconia.com>
> living as The Truth is True

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