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From: ehopper@ehpcb.wlk.com (Ed Hopper)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: AT&T Employee Gets Slammed by Sprint
Message-ID: <14122@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 Oct 90 16:44:09 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 773, Message 3 of 11


I was slammed by US Sprint a few years ago (1986).  I noticed it when
the line quality went down and I couldn't reach certain 201-221
numbers (the AT&T puzzle palace in Basking Ridge, NJ) from my home
phone.  I got suspicious.  I called the 700 number for carrier
validation and, lo and behold, received the message "Thanking you for
choosing US Sprint".  I immediately called SWBT.  They had a record of
a change of primary carrier from AT&T to US Sprint issued by Sprint.
Yes, they would switch me back ASAP, for free.  I then called AT&T
(800-222-0300) and told them about it. Finally I confronted Sprint.  I
called and after an interminable ACD delay, got to a rep.  I asked her
to put her boss on the line at the outset as I wanted things that she
wasn't, I was sure, authorized to do. I also wanted to yell at a
manager, not a peon.

When the manager came on, I told him that his company had goofed,
would he please make it right.  I advised him I was an AT&T employee.
As such I had a certain amount of free LD as a company benefit.  By
slamming me, US Sprint was expecting me to pay for what would normally
be free.  Additionally, several of my calls (I had been on Sprint for
about a week) were work related.  AT&T would also pay for those, but
ONLY if they were made on AT&T.  I advised him that I had no intention
of paying for ANY of the Sprint calls.  Would he please write them off
and also make sure I was switched back to AT&T.  I got very little
hassle out of them.  They agreed to all I wanted and wrote off all
charges.

Quite frankly, if all slammees would insist on not paying for slammed
calls AT ALL, I think the practice would stop.  After all, the charges
for LD calls are ill-gotten gains and I believe that an IXC would have
a hard time substantiating them.  Just follow the practice of
screaming loudly, rationally (don't curse) and highly (keep insisting
on the next level up when you get a "no").

To this day, I call 1-700-555-4141 once a month to make sure that I am
still on my preferred carrier.


Ed Hopper
AT&T Computer Systems