Dive Brief:
- AT&T launched AT&T Guarantee, a series of customer promises aimed at improving the experience for personal and small business users across wireless and fiber internet network subscriptions, the company announced Wednesday.
- The mobile service provider guarantees that customers who call customer service and are routed to technical support assistance will speak to an agent within five minutes or offered the opportunity to schedule a callback for their time of choosing.
- The AT&T Guarantee also promises same-day or next-day fiber technician availability to resolve issues. If AT&T fails to deliver on its guarantee, consumers will receive a $5 reward card and business customers will receive a choice of benefits or bill credit.
Dive Insight:
AT&T is working to build trust with consumers as part of a multiyear strategy to grow the telecommunications company’s customer base.
AT&T Guarantee is the latest initiative and could help the company maintain consumer loyalty following a major service interruption last year.
AT&T’s February 2024 wireless network outage lasted at least 12 hours and prevented customers in all 50 states from using voice and data services, according to a Federal Communication Commission report released in July 2024. The incident blocked more than 92 million phone calls, including more than 25,000 attempts to reach 911.
AT&T responded by offering $5 credits to affected customers, which was met with mixed reactions. The AT&T Guarantee seeks to standardize how the company deals with future outages.
As part of AT&T Guarantee, fiber customers who experience network interruptions for at least 20 minutes and wireless customers who experience at least 60 minutes will now receive a bill credit for a full day of service. Small businesses will receive a selection of options following an outage. The recompense is only valid for an incident impacting 10 or more towers.
"Customers tell us they want confidence in their service provider and offering a guarantee makes them four times more likely to choose a brand that offers one,” Kellyn Kenny, chief growth and marketing officer at AT&T, said in a prepared statement Wednesday. “It’s about being transparent, taking action and ensuring our customers know they are supported.”
The company has invested more than $140 billion in its network and customer support operations since 2019, according to Jenifer Robertson, EVP and general manager for AT&T Mass Markets & Mobility.
“That’s brought us to where we are today — becoming the first and only carrier that offers a guarantee for wireless and fiber networks,” Robertson said in a prepared statement.
The customer care investment amounts to more than $750 million, the company told CX Dive in an email. Improvements include technology that lets the company proactively communicate with customers during an outage and the ability for customers to continue online support chats on the go without the session timing out.
