Complaint About an AT&T Store!

Well you may not believe it but it's true. AT&T employees are not allowed to transfer data between phones, it's a liability issue. Authorized retailers may choose to take the risk. 

You may not know the difference between a corporate store, where the employees actually work for AT&T, and an authorized retailer where they work for a completely third party. They may look identical.  The only difference would be the words authorized retailer somewhere on the front signage

I don't believe it!  

@fatkinson  You don't believe what? Authorized AT&T Retail Stores are independently owned and operated, totally separate from AT&T and are not staffed with AT&T employees. They both look exactly the same. AT&T has no control over a retail store, in any capacity, on how they operate.

The second store you went to could have been a Corporate Store and the employee just took a chance and decided to transfer your data but it's certainly not policy for the very reason that @formerlyknownas alluded to. Or, it was another Retail Store and they just took a chance.

Not sure what part you didn't believe.  For various good and sufficient reasons, AT&T employees are really not allowed to copy data between phones anymore.  Yes, they used to. Now they don't.  If you don't believe that the below isn't really an AT&T store, I can assure you it is not.  Yes, it has the AT&T logo.  Yes, the people in it have on AT&T shirts.  But the name on the door (that Google Street Maps has blanked out in part) is for a different company.

told them they were going to find a way to do it.

That doesn't change the reality of what is allowed or what they are capable of doing. But it does increase the risk of being kicked out of the store and telling you to pound sand.

Instead of yelling "I don't believe it!" (in the forum and essentially in store), learn how these situations and requests actually work. You cannot substitute reality for your believed one.

t's disappointing when customer service falls short of expectations. It's great that you found a more professional and helpful manager at another AT&T store who was able to assist you. Hopefully, your future experiences with AT&T will be more positive.

FWIW, a lot of Retail owners have purchased the AT&T storefronts but have either neglected, or are taking their time on adding "Authorized" to the outside signage. That's why it's always best to ask if you go in or, if you get a receipt, carefully read the receipt because it should say somewhere on the receipt that the store is an AT&T Retail Store or an Authorized AT&T Store.

First of all, I didn't yell.  
I was just insistent.  
I worked in the telecom / I.T. Industry for most of my working years.  
i took the attitude that 'failure is not an option'.  
That is good customer service.  
That is not what I experienced in that store.  

As mentioned, not all stores are allowed or capable of doing what you want, partly because of updated rules. Big difference between AT&T owned and AT&T authorized locations. An attitude of "failure is not an option" isn't always the best as cannot change reality of options or force people to break the rules to make (if possible) an option.

Perhaps the store rep could have handled it better. But telling someone "they were going to find a way to do it" should get your rear handed to you one way or another. 

CAN they transfer data?  Sure but so can my 30yo son.

SHOULD they?  That’s a gamble they may or may not take.

WILL they?  That’s their call if they decide to take the risk.

Are they REQUIRED to?  Absolutely not.