AT&T Adds Two More Customer-Friendly Policies

[Nikos Kartalis]

AT&T today announced two customer-friendly policies that provide greater flexibility for customers who are changing calling plans and for those exiting contracts early.

Beginning in November, customers who change to any one of the company's standard wireless calling plans during the course of their contract will no longer be required to extend their current contract or enter into a new one.

In addition, those customers who choose to exit their contract early will no longer be required to pay a flat early termination fee. Instead, that fee will be progressively lowered during the term of the contract. Beginning early in 2008, this early-termination policy will apply to new and renewing wireless customers who sign one- or two-year service agreements. More details will be forthcoming at that time.

"AT&T leads the wireless industry in the flexibility, friendliness and fairness of its practices, and the new policies we have announced today are the most recent examples of that leadership," said Paul Roth, president of Sales and Marketing for the company's wireless unit. "Customers have told us they do not like one-size-fits-all approaches. They are right, and that is why we have made these important changes."

AT&T also continues to retain its strong commitment to customers who prefer not to sign a contract at all. For example, the company's GoPhone prepaid offers provide an array of attractive options to meet a variety of customer needs.

Other examples of AT&T's flexible, friendly and fair customer policies include:

• 30-day return policy, the first of its kind when it was introduced, is a no-questions-asked grace period for service and equipment.
• Street-level coverage maps, an online interactive mapping tool that lets customers view AT&T wireless coverage down to a neighborhood street level. It can also estimate the likelihood of coverage inside a building or a vehicle and outdoors.
• Rollover Minutes, unique in the wireless industry, lets the customer carry over unused anytime minutes and use them in any month they want to for up to a year.
• Customer Service Summary, a personalized, easy-to-understand overview provided to the customer at the time of purchase. It shows the calling plan and its selected features, plus estimated first bill and ongoing bills so that the customer experiences no surprises.