 | | Who will service? Karl or anyone
Usually this is handled by an independent company and/or contractors. But I haven't seen any evidence of that. Does anyone know who (or which company) will actually come to people's homes?
Dave Burstein | |
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 | | | Re: Who will service? I'm wondering the same thing. While I won't claim to know every contractor in town, NO one has been contacted about this. Maybe they are counting on retraining line techs to install TVs?
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Intel Q6600 @3400Mhz/GA-EP35-DS3P/2x 2048Mb G.Skill/Seagate 750.10/EVGA 8800GT's SLI/Silverstone 850W/Custom water cooler | |
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| | | | Re: Who will service? Retrain? I am sure they are hoping their techs can jump into this without training. | |
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| | | Emiya
join:2006-03-30
Southington, OH | Re: Who will service? Maybe they'll hire some good old ex-comcast installers. At least if they did we would probably have some good exploding TV news  | |
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| | | | | | Re: Who will service? If they hired ex-comcast guys, they would set up your stereo then take a nap on your couch. | |
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| | | | | | Nah, they don't even pay as much as comcast does.
At least here in Atlanta they don't for Uverse installers who do the same things as the cable guys do.
I assume they would use the aforementioned Premise techs for something like this.
Another low paid, mostly less than knowledgeable about all subjects (just good at one thing or another at best) they are dispatched on and likely to disappoint. | |
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|  ThrowDemsOutIf you can't convince 'em, confuse 'emPremium
join:2002-03-03
Mullica Hill, NJ
kudos:4
1 edit | said by daveberstein:Karl or anyone Usually this is handled by an independent company and/or contractors. But I haven't seen any evidence of that. Does anyone know who (or which company) will actually come to people's homes? Dave Burstein It will be 3rd party contractors. And it will be different contractors in different parts of the country. And AT&T has not listed who these are.
Their TOS for AT&T Connectech states they can use contractors all they want.
»www.att.com/gen/general?pid=12034
Third Parties. AT&T reserves the right to deliver all services via independent and authorized third party service representatives and technicians. They will use the cheapest they can contract for and change contractors as they deem fit. You probably won't see who they are using as that will be AT&T proprietary info.
Only after the service is available for awhile will the companies they contracted with become known as users post that info in forums like BBR or disgruntled AT&T employees leak that info to the public.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? | |
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| |  en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: Who will service? I suspect that it will be whoever is cheapest, and meets AT&T's requirements.
Possibly Firedog, GeekSquad, or any other indie installer that's looking for a buck
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Canada = Hollywood North | |
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| | | | | Re: Who will service? Probably through onforce.com | |
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| | | | | From the Terms of Service section on the ConnecTech website - "Third Parties. AT&T reserves the right to deliver all services via independent and authorized third party service representatives and technicians." | |
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| | | Give the man a cigar... yep it's done by indepenant contracts..oh crap..did I say that outloud? | |
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| | | The service is done by independent techs via onforce.com - The buyer behind the scenes is a group of people in texas who used to be part of compusa, they were the field service team. They dispatched installs on onforce for CUSA and they also do all the HP field warranty work. CUSA went under but they were still doing all of the existing CUSA warranty work and all of the HP warranty work so ATT bought out that division when CUSA was closing up and they are now trying to expand it. This is part of that effort. | |
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 Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
kudos:2 | Ahh I can see it now... "And between your DVD player and TV we'll place this little box... just insert your credit card to enjoy the great sound! THX/Dolby Digital surcharges may apply." | |
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|  ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Grafton, WV | Re: Ahh I can see it now... said by Jerm:"And between your DVD player and TV we'll place this little box... just insert your credit card to enjoy the great sound! THX/Dolby Digital surcharges may apply. We additionally thank you for allowing us to siphon off all your habits so that we can give them to the insert govt. agency here." Added in bold what you forgot. | |
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| | | | Re: Ahh I can see it now... said by ropeguru:said by Jerm:"And between your DVD player and TV we'll place this little box... just insert your credit card to enjoy the great sound! THX/Dolby Digital surcharges may apply. We additionally thank you for allowing us to siphon off all your habits so that we can give them to the insert govt. agency here. As well as selling this information to anyone willing to pay us for it" Added in bold what you forgot. Add in bold what YOU forgot. 
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Intel Q6600 @3400Mhz/GA-EP35-DS3P/2x 2048Mb G.Skill/Seagate 750.10/EVGA 8800GT's SLI/Silverstone 850W/Custom water cooler | |
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|  KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | No, that would be the box the NSA wants them to install to open a backdoor into your home.  | |
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| | AT&T Will Now Install Your Home Theater If they install like Best-Buy, it will suck, always do your own work..... | |
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 JeffreyWilpon please sell the MetsPremium
join:2002-12-24
Long Island
kudos:3
 ·Vonage
 ·Optimum Online
·magicjack.com
|  Has anyone here ever used it or know someone who has?
That being said, The Geek Squad has no apparent shortage of business.
I just wonder how the quality of this service really is. If a PC is pretty hosed with infections, will the tech reinstall XP/Vista, and configure the computer the right way with the proper software and education is reinfection is less likely?
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"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
[my ramblings] | |
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 GeekGirl1Premium
join:2007-01-28
Morrisville, PA
kudos:2 | Only for supported products? The terms of service are rather explicit that AT&T will only support stuff on their "approved" products list. »www.att.com/gen/general?pid=12034 I haven't found the list yet. Maybe they're polling their techs to find out what they use at home.
Some other interesting details in the terms of service-
-There's no mention of what happens if it doesn't work when they install it. You hold AT&T harmless against just about anything. Suppose they break something?
-Don't even think about electrical wiring.
-You supply all the cabling to the TV.
For real installations, get a real company that stands behind their work. | |
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 bencPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter
| Who'd Actually Use This? Really, who?
It's so easy to set everything up by yourself. Or you probably know someone you can consult.
My father occasionally has problems, but not usually. If he does, he calls me for help.
When will more ISPs get the fact that people just want a dumb pipe to the Internet? I know it's all I want.
I know that in my case, I don't like it when other people fiddle with my network settings, A/V equipment, or anything else.
All I want out of an ISP is to give me a connection to the "modem," or possibly take responsibility for the actual modem, but nothing beyond that point.
I actually feel violated if someone has to come into my home. I try not to "look over their shoulder," but I always have to know that nothing is being messed up.
It's also generally cheaper to do it yourself. But even if I were filthy rich, I'd still feel the same way. | |
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| | compusa my buddy google found a webpage associated with compusa which we know is closed but still alive.
catcompusa.com the page is restricted, but present. linking them to the att service for authorized individuals only. | |
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 HFB1217The WizardPremium,ExMod 2000-01
join:2000-06-26
Camelot
kudos:1 | OOPS!!! Sorry I made a Mistake ! So WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE OR DETERMINE WHEN THEY BREAK, BURN UP OR CORRUPT YOUR EQUIPMENT OR HD DRIVE???
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****aka The WIZARD **** A Founding member Seti BBR Team Starfire**** | |
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| | | Re: OOPS!!! Sorry I made a Mistake ! I would imagine it would be covered by an agreement you sign before any services are installed. | |
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| | Hold on a sec!@ I think AT&T should perfect the telephone business before getting involved in PC repair, home theater and other service ventures. This is a friggin phone company for cryin out loud! | |
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| | ATT techconnect Onforce.com allready does the ATT techconnect stuff.ATT bought out the compusa tech services part when they went under. By the way the pay is crap for there stuff. | |
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| | This ain't Right Sounds like you would be inviting NSA spys into your house. NO THANKS. | |
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KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | This is higher end stuff (and high profit margin) Type work....
It's not just hooking up someone's new TV. It's about hidden cabling, speakers in walls and ceilings, whole house entertainment, etc etc | |
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| | | Re: This is higher end stuff (and high profit margin) Yeah they should know that stuff they deal with wires all the time  . | |
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| | there goes my job... I ran into one of these "wonder techs" full tech install for a DSl line today. He um, couldn't get sync, told the customer they didn't need the filters. And then told the customer to call AT&T tech support to have them (me) fix it. For $149.00 according to the bill. Yeah, this is going to be fun. This is craft work, we are the best at it. On the other hand, none of us (telco) have any business doing home theater work. Let firedog and Geek squad screw that up. | |
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 koma3504AdvocatePremium
join:2004-06-22
North Richland Hills, TX
2 edits | Well let's see I especially liked this part of this article
»www.techdirt.com/articles/200808···17.shtml
By the way, at this point, I've had the "hold voice" repeatedly pitch me on upgrading my service, mentioning that if I do, I can get access to "AT&T's award-winning customer service." I am getting curious as to exactly what "award" this is.
And then this
Finally, tech support! I give the guy my account info (again!) and he logs into my modem and he diagnoses: your connection is slow. I could have told him that. Wait, actually, I did tell him that. He doesn't know what to do, but says that tech support will call me back later. I thought he was tech support, but whatever.
This could be true.
I have now come to the conclusion that AT&T's "call transfer" system is actually a big roulette wheel that will dump you on any random person with a phone
My eighth customer support person tells me that the WiFi access on my account was canceled twice. Once last September and once in January. Why twice when I don't think I ever canceled it even once? He has no clue
NA the roulette wheel just to get the phone service/DSL is enough for me.
Everyone would probally be better off to just come here and ask.
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† Koma †
If YOu Don't Think It's Possable!! It's Acually A Reality!!The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay!!
Ya Don't Know The signal Till Ya Ride It!!
Voice Break's There's Trouble!!!! | |
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| | duh Yeah I try to talk to the auto system..and it doesn't understand me...DUH
it has issues..my cell phone understands better than that att auto system does..go figure... | |
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AZ1
join:2007-07-19
On The Road | Sometimes, It's Me! 30+ years as an IT/telco/medical equipment road warrior. I fix, configure, wire and install it all. I work for whom I want when I want, and there is no shortage of stuff to do.
I pick up tickets sometimes from AT&T through onforce.com. I only take them when it's quick, easy and nearby something I'm already doing. They do not want skilled guys, only parts swappers. Sometimes, I'll ask them if they want me to swap the part they sent, or if they really want me to fix the problem. The answer is always to swap the part and hit the road.
Most of the time, though, these calls are taken by clueless non-native-English-speaking young guys "supported" by other clueless guys in India or Singapore.
On a somewhat related note, for a time I took service calls from Vonage. Now that was some fun! "You mean I have to have internet in order for my phone to work?" Yeesh!
Remember that the vast majority out there has no idea about how this stuff works. AT&T will have all the business they can handle.
Regards,
AZ | |
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| | Maybe... Maybe this would work for hapless tech ignorant customers, or people who like to have stuff done for them, but no one would touch my stuff but me thanks.
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LETS GO METS! | |
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 Samus82Radly
join:2002-01-29
Alsip, IL | contractors? I am a prem tech and i was trained to be a connectech. So was about 4 other of about 16 in our garage. I wonder if they will get around to training everyone? | |
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Neilkn
join:2000-03-26
Yorba Linda, CA | Incompetence I wonder if they'll be more competent than their DSL repair people? For the past month plus, since they installed U-verse in my neighborhood, my 3.0 $29/month DSL Pro service has been running at 500 kbps and dropping as much as 55% of the incoming packets. They've been scheduled to come twice to check my lines ... tomorrow's the third scheduled repair. I wonder if 3 times will be a charm and they'll actually show up instead of keeping me waiting for 4 hours and not even bothering to call to say they can't make it.
They are charging more for this service to do nothing ... does anyone really think they can handle it when they can't handle the business they have now? | |
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