AT&T loyalty department advice

[8_8]

Family has 2 Lines ($59.99 total, pre-tax and fees)
- FamilyTalk Nation 450min, $40
- add a line, $9.99
- 100 bonus min each line / month
- 200 messaging each line / month, $5 each line

This plan has worked fine with some careful diligence. Grandkids are getting lines (on their own, but not on AT&T), so need a slightly bigger cushion on minutes. Some family abroad so anything on international text would be neat but not critical like cheap intl text bundle 10-20 messages would be neat.

Wish list
- getting slightly more minutes (either bump up on bonus min or free early nights, or a preferred rate, any other options?).
- anything on messaging front to get 10-20 per month international messages free?

This plan is for older family members and I don't think they have ever upgraded phones, maybe once. The phones they have are dated. Will AT&T waive upgrade fees to +7 year loyal customers? Any ideas on upgrade front? I'd like to work out min and txt stuff before having them upgrade their phone and committing to another 2 years.

Can anyone please share some ideas/ advice? Would like to stay with AT&T, so not asking to switch to prepaid yet. Just curious how helpful and generous AT&T might be. THANKS in advance.

[gdart]

I don't know about international texting, but you can get an unlimited text package that covers all lines on a family plan. That package also includes free mobile to any mobile (not just another ATT mobile) That can really cut the minutes used. I think you have to have at least a $69.00 @ month plan to add that. (700 minutes) They usually will waive the upgrade fee on the primary line for accounts they want to keep. I have successfully called in later to have another removed. There are plans that include Canada and also Viva Mexico. Some cover texts to: but not from within those countries.

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/in...d-packages.jsp

They are not going to give you a deal on a loyalty basis for such a small user.

[veriztd]

I can almost guarantee that you won't keep any bonus airtime.

[8_8]

They usually will waive the upgrade fee on the primary line for accounts they want to keep. I have successfully called in later to have another removed.

Thanks for the constructive feedback. So just to clarify, on accounts they want to keep they usually waive upgrade fee's, but not on a secondary line. However, you've had them waive them on secondary lines in the past (particularly after the fact/ upgrade)? Thanks again.

I can almost guarantee that you won't keep any bonus airtime.

What do you mean? They have it. How exactly do you guarantee / think they will take them away? How is this going to go down when I call (do you imagine)? I hope they don't lose them.

[veriztd]

What do you mean? They have it. How exactly do you guarantee / think they will take them away? How is this going to go down when I call (do you imagine)? I hope they don't lose them.

Bonus airtime can be removed at will and commonly is as such bonuses are never guaranteed for life. I used to work as an At&t offline CS rep who routinely audited accounts, so I have a little perspective on how At&t operates. You might keep it for a limited time, but plan changes often result in deletions of bonus airtime. You should be aware of that distinct possibility.

[8_8]

Bonus airtime can be removed at will and commonly is as such bonuses are never guaranteed for life. I used to work as an At&t offline CS rep who routinely audited accounts, so I have a little perspective on how At&t operates. You might keep it for a limited time, but plan changes often result in deletions of bonus airtime. You should be aware of that distinct possibility.

Cool, that's why I'm here. Want to pick people's brains. Amazing how much I use to spend on my own personal line until I became better informed. Nothing like what some of our members have with some of thier old grandfathered plans, but I'm okay with my line.

Considering your insight, any ideas or recommendations with my goals above would be appreciated. Thanks.

[veriztd]

Considering your insight, any ideas or recommendations with my goals above would be appreciated. Thanks.

The best advice is to be polite with the rep and if they do mention that your bonus airtime will be removed, politely ask if they can be extended for 6 months. I am not suggesting you should proactively ask about the bonus airtime but I suggest you ask if all of your current features will stay the same instead.

[mpossoff]

Get unlimited mobile to ANY mobile.

[gdart]

I have also have had a easy time getting a bucket of rollover minutes added. The best advise for a pair of light users is to just get added to a larger family plan. As I said above, one has to have at least the 700 minute plan to be able to pay for the unlimited text and mobile to any mobile. That's hard to justify on a family plan of just two lines. But it sure works for limiting anytime minute usage.
As an example, my own plan with four lines on the 700 minute plan only used 123 plan minutes last month. The M2M was 1092 minutes & 10 N&W. Current rollover balance is close to 6000. Some of that is just using texts to communicate instead of calling. But with both unlimited, who cares?

[spdickey]

I ran your numbers through the savings calculator at ting.com. You could save $20 per month $480 over a two year contract by switching. Of course you would have to get new phones since they operate on Sprint's CDMA system. But you could pick up a couple of phones for around $150-200 each and you'd still be saving money.

You might want to bring up this specific example with the retention, "loyalty" reps to tell them you're serious about switching if they can't compete with the prepaids.

[8_8]

Thanks for the good advice. A family plan with an added third line might work, but tapped out on trusted people to pair up with.

Very intrigued with Ting. Math definitely works. Biggest concerns:
- Voice coverage, I think AT&T is better and has roaming arrangements with other carriers. Not sure how Ting compares particularly because it's a Sprint MVNO. I use to have Sprint almost a decade ago and have never looked back. Ting though is an interesting proposition. I feel like more minutes would be had and texting too at reasonable rates.
- Less of an issue but a concern is upfront cost to set up 2 lines, basic phones + activation fees are high. Loss or damage of phones could be a real issue with replacement costs factored in.
- Something to think about is CDMA vs having GSM phones. GSM phones seem less expensive to replace and from more carriers with unlocking. Nice added feature.

I appreciate the advice and guidance. Definitely some food for thought. Might be visiting a retail store to check out the feature phones this wee. Will probably call up AT&T once I know for sure what device costs and fees might look like. At the minimum I'd like to ask for upgrade fees to be waived. I think I'll also ask for some bonus rollover minutes to - good tip.

Any other ideas or things to think about. Thanks again.

[spdickey]

Thanks for the good advice. A family plan with an added third line might work, but tapped out on trusted people to pair up with.

Very intrigued with Ting. Math definitely works. Biggest concerns:
- Voice coverage, I think AT&T is better and has roaming arrangements with other carriers. Not sure how Ting compares particularly because it's a Sprint MVNO. I use to have Sprint almost a decade ago and have never looked back. Ting though is an interesting proposition. I feel like more minutes would be had and texting too at reasonable rates.
- Less of an issue but a concern is upfront cost to set up 2 lines, basic phones + activation fees are high. Loss or damage of phones could be a real issue with replacement costs factored in.
- Something to think about is CDMA vs having GSM phones. GSM phones seem less expensive to replace and from more carriers with unlocking. Nice added feature.

I appreciate the advice and guidance. Definitely some food for thought. Might be visiting a retail store to check out the feature phones this wee. Will probably call up AT&T once I know for sure what device costs and fees might look like. At the minimum I'd like to ask for upgrade fees to be waived. I think I'll also ask for some bonus rollover minutes to - good tip.

Any other ideas or things to think about. Thanks again.

You should check Sprint's coverage maps. Things have changed. In the past few years Sprint put up a tower about a block from my home for example.

Phone cost is a concern. But you might make that back over time with cheaper rates. The ting.com calculator will tell you that.

You can find inexpensive CDMA phones that work on Sprint at eBay. Of course there are more GSM phones out there worldwide, but you'll find a nice selection for sale online. Just check with Ting to see if it will work on their network. But they do have an active hacker community that makes even Verizon phones work with Ting.

[Nick Walker]

first off before you go calling in to get something for free. things to consider are. am i a profitable customer, look at your lines if you have a 700min FT plan no data and 200 texting per line. prob not. if you have all iphones, unlimited voice, high data plans and a FAN discount yeah you make them a ton of money. remember the wireless industry is based on ARPU (average revenue per user) so lets say you have the following

700 min plan with three lines $80
unl text with m2am $30
2 data plan for $20 each $40

total rev is $150

when you average per user on the account that is only $50 per user. the industry avg is nearly 67-70 per user. they dont' make that much off you. they will try to sell you more i'm sure but you have to look at it from both sides of the transaction.

it may be alot per month for you but to the business you are a low profit or no profit per month depending on credits, off network roaming, etc .

you may want to just find a cheaper carrier

now lets say you have

3 lines unl voice 170
unl text 30
3 iphones 5GB data150

350 / 3 users thats approx 117 in revenue per line. any company, sprint, verizon, t-mobile, etc will fall over themselves to keep you. you are highly profitable.

[8_8]

I am a profitable customer. ARPU does not translate 100% to profitability. I talked to them and they like us enough as a customer to provide us bonus rollover minutes and even offered to add a line witch by your analysis would have lowered ARPU specifically on my account. You probably underestimate churn and keeping subscribers. We may not be a high ARPU account but we've been pretty profitable after being with AT&T more than a couple years.

I think AT&T prefers customers that always pay on time over customers that have five lines have unlimited mins and texting and data plans on all the lines - in other words higher ARPU - but a shoddy payment history.

Thanks to everyone that provided advice to my specific situation. We have an appropriate plan / acct. with AT&T and they were willing to keep a good customer happy with little hassle, but by simply asking them for recommendations, that were ultimately free. It was a pleasant experience and your input made it easier.

[johnhere]

You are exactly right about on time payments. I don't ask AT&T for much but when I do, their response is often "because of your excellent payment history" we can give you this, or we can give you that. I pretty much get what I want and paying on time has helped.