9 Messages
Stuck in an infinite loop…
Checked AT&T’s website for internet outage in my area and there is none. Yet, my support tickets are put on hold because there is an “outage in my area.” I am able to schedule a service appointment during a 4-hour window and get confirmation, but shortly thereafter the request is put on hold.
Talking to tech support and speaking to a supervisor didn’t help either. All I get is I have to wait until the area outage is fixed.
This has been going on for 5 days, since Tuesday PM. No one can give me an ETA as to when the phantom area outage is going to be fixed. Aarrgg🙀☠️
Accepted Solution
Mjad
9 Messages
25 days ago
@dave006 @ATTHelp Update…the Matrix has been restored✅ I called the AT&T 2020 800 number yesterday afternoon and spoke with Michael, a lead tech at the call center. After reviewing the history on my account, and after seeing 5 service requests opened on my account, he agreed with me that something was wrong with AT&T’s outage update and the appointments systems. He couldn’t believe that this situation has gone on for that long and took it upon himself to get to the bottom of it.
He spoke with his manager and explained the situation. His manager told him spend as much time as he needed to get it resolved. Michael proceeded to make few phone calls to other managers and finally got a hold of Philip, the field manager in my area. Philip promised to come and see the issue for himself today, which he did. Michael also canceled all previous tickets and opened up a new one for “outside” line repair.
Today at 9:30 am we received a message from AT&T that a technician will be at our house between 10 and 10:30am. Chris showed up at 10:17am with big a@& truck with a lift and 10 minutes later Phillip showed up. After seeing the fiber drops were cut for my house and for my neighbors out of the same junction box, they understood the “glitch” 😀. Chris attempted to reconnect the cut cables for about a hour but the instrument needed for the patching didn’t work.
Philip went and got new cables and Chris began rewiring. In the meantime, Michael, an area manager, came over and looked at the situation. At approximately 3:30 pm my service and my neighbor’s were restored.
Big thank you to Chris and Phillip from the field, and to Michael from the call center!!
Lessons learned:
1. Area outage issued by one system that did not sync with the outage website
2. Service request functionality allowed me to enter/schedule multiple requests for the same issue
3. There was no ability to distinguish between an “inside” the home and “outside” the home service requests
4. Most agents a customer speaks with simply read what’s in front of them on a computer screen. Only when someone realizes that something doesn’t add up and takes it upon themselves to dig deeper that common sense prevails
5. Still a mystery was the info that a splitter was needed to fix the area outage. Obviously, once the fiber cables were restored by the house, the internet service was also restored. The “phantom” area outage and splitter issue magically disappeared
6. If you’re not satisfied with what one call center agent tells you, call again and see if someone else can help. If I wasn’t persistent and kept on a calling, I would still be waiting for the supposed splitter to arrive!
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Mjad
9 Messages
28 days ago
Added background: both my fiber cable and my neighbor’s that connect to the same junction box were cut on Tuesday by the landscaping contractor. My understanding is that an “area outage” is flagged by AT&T when there are 2 or more households without internet. Can’t get a technician scheduled to come out and fix the cut fiber cables because the system keeps putting the service requests on hold.
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ATTHelp
Community Support
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232.9K Messages
28 days ago
Hi @Mjad! We completely understand your concern regarding service outage, and would like to help. Let's get the assistance you require.
You can sign in to get the latest info about outages affecting your AT&T services and enter your address.
Please review our Contact Us page [www.att.com/support/contact-us/], and choose the best option to reach out to us. You can call, chat, or reach out via social media, and we can review your specific issue and provide you support. If you feel your issue isn’t account specific, and can be answered generally, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to help.
Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums,
Ancy, AT&T Community Specialist.
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dave006
Scholar
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4.2K Messages
28 days ago
This is not correct. Who told you this bad information?
When you check for outages are you using https://www.att.com/outages while logged into your AT&T account? You can also login using the Blue Sign in link on the top right of this Outage page. Have you both called 1-800-288-2020 about a cut Fiber drop cable?
It is possible that there is an outage in your Zipcode and your local Fiber drop is cut.
Dave
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Mjad
9 Messages
28 days ago
@dave006 Thanks Dave! Tech support told me about the 2 household info. Thanks for clarifying!
My neighbor is going through an identical experience with services requests being put on hold.
Yes, both called the 800 number you listed, as well as troubleshooting and scheduling the service call on the myAT&T app.
Attached are photos of “no outage” in my zip code from the outage page.
(edited)
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Mjad
9 Messages
28 days ago
…the second
photo
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Mjad
9 Messages
28 days ago
@ATTHelp thanks for the info! Tried both the info page about outages and chatted with the “virtual” assistant. I couldn’t find where I could chat with a “live” agent.
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Mjad
9 Messages
28 days ago
There must be a glitch in the Matrix…Clicking on the Fix it now blue button gives me the following
(edited)
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Mjad
9 Messages
27 days ago
Day 7 of supposed outage in my area and no solution in sight. I was able to chat with live agent yesterday (Dave) and today (Josh) who honestly tried to help but could only confirm that there is an outage and that my only option is to wait.
Today, I called the 800-288-2020 number and said “line is down.” Same experience. AT&T’s system shows there is an outage in my area but, again, when I check att.com/outage, I get the “all good” message in my zip code. No ETA from the agent and no one has the authority or the ability to override the automatic hold on my service requests.
Picture of cut fiber cable below
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dave006
Scholar
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4.2K Messages
27 days ago
@Mjad
Call 800-288-2020 again in the morning before 2 PM and say "Cancel Service" at the VRU prompts. You don't actually have to cancel service but you should get a US based Loyalty / Retention agent.
Explain what you don't see on the Outage page "Any local Outage"! And ask for a resolution since you know you have physical damage to your Fiber drop from your Fiber terminal. It is cut.
Dave
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