As I mentioned in a previous post, ATT will start charging a $5.00 fee for making a payment using the assistance of any “warm body”.  Well, the time has come.  Beginning March 11th (Tuesday), the fee goes into effect.  This applies only to the Southeast market as of right now, which consists of KY, TN, AL, GA, MS, SC, NC, LA and parts of NY.

What does this mean?  Well, just what it says.  If you call in to customer service, or go into a store and make a payment by speaking to a real, honest to goodness, live person, you get charged the $5.00 fee on top of your payment.  If you go into a store, the fee will be assessed immediately, calling customer service means the charge is added to your next bill.

I know what you’re thinking…”They want to charge me to pay them!?”  Well, ya, I suppose you could look at it that way.  Here’s what was explained to us.  The Southeast market spent over $20 million dollars last year on taking payments alone.  That includes credit card fees, phone fees, paying the reps, etc.  Total cost to the company, about $9.00 per call for a customer to make a payment.

ATT wants you to use the other options to pay your bill.  Including using the IVR (The recording you hear that directs you to press certain numbers) by dialing 611, dialing *PAY from your phone, using the Internet website, the automated kiosks in most stores, and of course the old fashioned “snail mail”.  Use any of the above options and the $5.00 fee is not charged.

Now, there will be exceptions to this, as there is for any rule.  Some of these exceptions are disabled customers, if the IVR fails, when you upgrade, and several others.  Bottom line here is just that, the bottom line.  The company (ATT) wants to save money, as we all do.  This may not last for long, or it may be implemented throughout the rest of the markets.  Only time will tell.

Think that’s bad?  Think that’s not fair?  Well, I tend to agree.  Unfortunately that’s the way it is.

Ohh, and before I go, keep an eye out for another fee that is floating around in the grapevine.  Charging customers for calling into customer service (for any reason) more than X amount of times per month.  I think Sprint tried this one and it wasn’t long lived.  You would think they would learn from someone Else’s mistake huh?  Keep dreaming!