Cell Phones And You

As most of the regular readers know, I work as a tech support rep for AT&T Wireless.  Lately we have been getting more than usual calls which causes longer than normal hold times for our customers.  I am guessing at least 40% of those calls could be avoided by using “self service” options.  I thought I would post here about what those options are and how to use them.  I hope this helps prevent some people from having to hold for 20 minutes on the phone.

1.  Star Services:  There are several ways to check your account from your phone.  Dial *MIN# to check your current minute usage, *BIL# to check your current charges and the due date, *PAY to pay your bill using the last payment form and *DATA# to check you current data usage.  After dialing one of these, press your send key and it will send you a free text message with the information.  In the case of *PAY, you will be prompted with instructions.

2.  Internet:  There are many things available to you on your account at www.wireless.att.com which can help you prevent calling in.  One of the most helpful is the Device Tutorial.  This is something you may want to put in your favorites.  It will walk you through, step by step, many functions of your phone and also supplies you with troubleshooting for certain problems such as voice mail, text messaging, etc.  Want to know how to tether your device to a computer?  Device Tutorials will tell you how and even show you pictures of what to look for.  Simply choose your device and select the issue you need information about.  If you lock your device because you put the PIN code in too many times incorrectly, the phone will ask for the PUK code to unlock it.  You can find this on your online account under support, no need to call us.  Allot of tech calls I get are from people who didn’t think to check their online account for the solution and I make sure to let them know for next time.

3.  Power Cycling:  Turning your phone off and right back on again will fix 80% of your problems.  As you move about in your car, you are changing towers.  As you get too far away from one tower, the next tower picks you up.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen smoothly all the time and you will have problems making/receiving calls.  Turn your phone off and on again to re-register on the closest tower.  Power cycling your phone should be the first thing you do for any problem.  You would be surprised how many people do not know how to turn off their phone, especially for the iPhone (Hold the top button until it tells you to slide your finger across the screen).  Look for the button with this symbol on it, which is the universal symbol for power.

4. Are Others Having the Same Problem:  If your friends and family are having the exact same problem as you are, know that it is probably a network issue and we probably already know about it and are working to resolve it.  If issues occur within the network, it sets off alarms at the engineering office, they will then investigate and resolve it as quickly as possible.

5.  Indoor Service:  I’m sorry, but we do not, and can not guarantee service indoors.  There are just too many variables that can prevent the radio signal from getting to your phone.  Things that hinder the signal can be the material your home is made out of, if you have allot of walls between you and the outside, etc.  The GSM network has an easier time penetrating walls but the signal does not reach as far from the towers.  On the other hand the UMTS (Our new system) has a much harder time penetrating walls, but the signal extends much farther from the tower.  So as we upgrade to the UMTS, you may find that your indoor coverage goes away.  There is nothing we can do about this.  You will have to step outside to make your calls, period.

6.  Upgrade:  You do not have to call in to find out if you are eligible for an upgrade.  Simply sign on to your online account and click the option that says “Are You Ready to Upgrade?”.  This will tell you if you are eligible and you can complete the upgrade at that time.  The exception to this is the iPhone.  you have to go into an ATT or Apple store to get one of those.

Here’s a little bonus tip for you Lockergnomies.  Want to get your phone unlocked but we tell you that you do not qualify because you are still under contract, etc?  Simply say that you are taking a trip overseas and you need your phone unlocked so you can use a local SIM card.  All that is required is to have international roaming/dialing feature on your account, and this is a free feature.  You will then be eligible to have your device unlocked.  Be sure to choose a country where we provide service.  You can find that information in our Travel Guide.