AT&T Store — Local services in Emeryville

An Experience That Reflects Everything Wrong with AT&T’s Customer Strategy

I began my day at the Apple Store on Bay Street, simply trying to upgrade my phone—an otherwise routine process that was abruptly halted because AT&T had placed a hold on my account, blocking me from completing the upgrade anywhere other than through them. A tactic, I later learned, rooted in their commission-driven structure to pressure customers into upgrading only through AT&T.

Left with no option, I walked over to the nearby AT&T store. What I encountered there was nothing short of chaotic dysfunction and sheer apathy. Customers were slumped across couches, many clearly having waited far too long to be seen. The atmosphere was stagnant—a warehouse of frustration, absent of leadership, direction, or basic respect for people’s time.

After waiting patiently, and for over an hour, I was finally approached by a representative named Daniel, who apologized profusely before informing me he had to take his lunch—understandable for any employee, yet emblematic of a broken scheduling system that leaves customers stranded mid-process.

Thirty minutes later, I was helped by Samantha, who managed to release the hold in less than five minutes. When I asked why the hold had been placed in the first place, she had no answer, further reinforcing the lack of communication and training within this store.

Back at Apple, my upgrade couldn’t proceed because my phone had been deactivated. I returned to AT&T—now five minutes later—expecting to be helped swiftly, especially since the issue was minor. Instead, Samantha, who was helping the same customer I had seen earlier, chose to completely ignore that I had just been there waiting for over 2 hours and there not because I wanted to be there but because of the hold AT&T (a company she represents) had placed on my account to manipulate my ability to upgrade. She placed me on a waiting list to wait AGAIN!

Thirty minutes into this wait, Daniel, who had just returned from lunch, immediately recognized me and was about to step in to help—until another employee, Andre, intercepted him and instructed him to check with Samantha before assisting anyone. So again, I waited.....

Daniel, to his credit, eventually helped me once allowed to do so, and resolved the issue in under two minutes. He was the only beacon of professionalism in the entire store, though I learned he doesn’t actually work at this location—he was brought in to help salvage the mess.

Samantha was rude, dismissive, and utterly unfit for a role that involves customer interaction. But the issue goes far beyond her:

AT&T has weaponized customer policies to restrict user freedom.

The store is managed with zero accountability or visible leadership.

Employees like Andre are blindly following poor examples instead of stepping up.

And AT&T continues to exploit uninformed customers, funneling them into locations like this one, where they're met with delays, disorganization, and disrespect.

Daniel deserves recognition, a raise, and a promotion. Samantha should be in a role far from public interaction. And AT&T? You should be ashamed.

Thumbs down for AT&T on Bay Street. This experience was an exhausting reminder of just how low customer care can fall when profit...

I never imagined a 5 minute trip to any store could make me want to leave a 1 star review. I came in to ask if I could get my Sim card cut and the manager seemed to want to pick a fight with me over it. I was surprised that was the case because I thought I remembered getting my Sim cut at an AT&T store, so when I remarked with surprise he kept on pushing.

Now, I don't care if they don't cut sims, and didn't have any hesitation regarding buying a new one, but the manager didn't seem to want to let it go. He claims that no one in any AT&T store has ever cut a Sim in the last 22 years that he's been working. I think, sure, maybe he's right maybe he's wrong, I don't know and don't care, so I try and just get him to move past it. I'm here to get a new Sim, I really don't care.

We sit down, and he brings it up again, and again is really aggressive about it. Whatever, I try not to let it be a big thing, and pay in cash because I want to get away from this guy. When he brings me back my change I try to compromise to kill any ill will this guy has between us and tell him that I could be remembering it wrong and maybe I just first heard the phrase 'cutting a sim' in an AT&T store or something. The guy's tone still doesn't change a bit, and he gets confrontational again with the whole "I don't know man, I mean I've only been working here 22 years".

Even if a customer is wrong about something would it hurt you to just do your job and sell something? I was there to give you money, not fight you.

In short, the service from the manager would best be...

The very good service is simply based on the young lady who served me in her incredible capacity to be customer service oriented and not on the following issue.

After purchasing an iphone and being talked into the insuranced policy which I rarely under most circumstances accept, I did. After three days my phone fell out of the holster and was lost approx. ten minutes. It must have fallen in the street upon entering my vehicle. So I put the claim in to Asurion for a replacement. That went perfectly until the end when they told me I had a $199.00 deductible. Well that still saves me three hundred dollars so this is not a complaint about the money even though it is probably the toughest time for a bill like that in my life. This is about a total lack of integrity, honesty, and acknowledgement and revealing of information. Because these ATT stores are vultures and they turn there employees into buzzards, they are forced to be allusive and criminal. Not revealing this information is against the law, and as a legal professional I am going to pursue a legal claim and let you all know here about these deceptive practices. Be careful and call them on it. This is why corp[oartions like ATT make billions in profits and the middle...