Posted by: Joan Marsh on November 9, 2010 at 3:57 pm
At AT&T, we believe control of wireless products and services should be in the hands of our customers. We believe that customers should understand what fees they will incur when they use their devices. And we believe we need to provide our customers with the tools they need to understand their usage and manage their monthly bill.
Last month, Chairman Genachowski announced the FCC’s Consumer Empowerment Agenda – a campaign to ensure that all Americans have the tools they need to take advantage of new technologies. As the Chairman recognized, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a consumer of communications technologies. But every new gadget and gizmo brings with it new complexities and challenges, and consumers can become confused and overwhelmed.
So today, we’re introducing the new AT&T Smart Controls Website – a one-stop online destination dedicated to providing AT&T customers with safety and control tools and resources. We can truly say that the inspiration for this easy-to-use site came from our customers. Their input has resulted in an online location that helps them to use and manage their technology choices in a safe and effective way.
AT&T is also doing its part by developing best-in-class wireless practices and tools to arm consumers with the information they need to make smart choices every step of the way:
- First, we begin every customer relationship with easy-to-understand personalized information about the service plan and product being purchased, including a sample bill. We back that up with a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy and ensure that the customer’s first bill is delivered during that window.
- We also provide our customers with an array of tools to monitor their wireless usage and manage their account. By visiting the myWireless section of the AT&T site, customers can view their voice and data usage, analyze charges and find tips on how to avoid overages. Customers can also obtain usage information almost instantaneously using simple keyboard commands on their device.
- For customers with a prescribed data plan, we also provide best-in-class data usage alerts. To help avoid data overages, AT&T provides courtesy text alerts and email notifications to warn customers as they approach and exceed their monthly limits.
- And for parents looking for peace of mind, we have tools that let them filter access to the Internet, define the number of text and instant messages allowed on a child’s device and determine the amount of web browsing usage during a billing cycle.
At AT&T, we are committed to empowering our customers with the information and tools they need to make the best choices for their connected world.
As Chairman Genachowski noted, consumer empowerment enhances technology adoption. And perhaps, in the end, that is the most important goal of all. Broadband adoption opens up new worlds of connectivity, productivity, education and entertainment. We are proud to put those capabilities into the hands of our customers while empowering them to use it with confidence and control.
