Foundation Discounts

For anyone with a foundation discount:

Please check your statements carefully, as it has been discovered that
there is a billing glitch.

In the most previous billing period, it was noticed that some customers
with foundation accounts were not receiving the full discount. My
organization receives a substantial discount, and we had several line
items in our invoices as "National Account Discount". Each line item
did not exceed 10%, but adding up the line items would correctly equal
our total percentage discount.

However, during the most recent billing statement, it was discovered
that only one line item has carried over, so we only received a 10%
discount.

I work for a very large corporation, and there are currently a lot of
clients who have taken advantage of the discount. Please check your
statement carefully. Cingular is aware of the problem associated with
us, and is looking to see how far the scope of the problem really is.

As a computer programmer, I realize that it is most likely a semantic
error, which would be easy to overlook if the programmers weren't told
to take into account this exact situation.

FYI

TH

---

› See More: Foundation Discounts

In article <[email protected]>,
Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:

> For anyone with a foundation discount:
>
> Please check your statements carefully, as it has been discovered that
> there is a billing glitch.
>
> In the most previous billing period, it was noticed that some customers
> with foundation accounts were not receiving the full discount. My
> organization receives a substantial discount, and we had several line
> items in our invoices as "National Account Discount". Each line item
> did not exceed 10%, but adding up the line items would correctly equal
> our total percentage discount.
>
> However, during the most recent billing statement, it was discovered
> that only one line item has carried over, so we only received a 10%
> discount.

Typical Cellular "whoops" charge.

We just got billed full retail for a SX66 that was to be discounted...
Still have not got anywhere to get the real price.. )-;


I dont think Cingular is setup with the 'Business' in mind and the NBO
center and Foundation accounts are getting the back burner!!!

Scott<=

"Tropical Haven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> For anyone with a foundation discount:
>
> Please check your statements carefully, as it has been discovered that
> there is a billing glitch.
>
> In the most previous billing period, it was noticed that some customers
> with foundation accounts were not receiving the full discount. My
> organization receives a substantial discount, and we had several line
> items in our invoices as "National Account Discount". Each line item did
> not exceed 10%, but adding up the line items would correctly equal our
> total percentage discount.
>
> However, during the most recent billing statement, it was discovered that
> only one line item has carried over, so we only received a 10% discount.
>
> I work for a very large corporation, and there are currently a lot of
> clients who have taken advantage of the discount. Please check your
> statement carefully. Cingular is aware of the problem associated with us,
> and is looking to see how far the scope of the problem really is.
>
> As a computer programmer, I realize that it is most likely a semantic
> error, which would be easy to overlook if the programmers weren't told to
> take into account this exact situation.
>
> FYI
>
> TH
>

Scott Townsend wrote:
> We just got billed full retail for a SX66 that was to be discounted...
> Still have not got anywhere to get the real price.. )-;
>
>
> I dont think Cingular is setup with the 'Business' in mind and the NBO
> center and Foundation accounts are getting the back burner!!!
>
> Scott<=


I'm not so sure, I don't think Cingular would want to piss off the
business relations that AT&T Wireless built up...

But, I think it is more the back burner than it should be. But, again,
as a computer programmer, I understand some of the things that could be
setbacks.

TH

We have a 'go to' contact, that is worth his weight in dirt. We used to
get 5 start Service with one of our first Foundation/Business reps, now its
all waiting and waiting... No responses or feedback on things we ask for.

Seems like every time we call the NBO line to get a new Phone, Activate, or
Migrate we spent typically 2-3 hours on the phone. 1/2 the people we talk to
don't even know what a FAN # is... two to three call transfers we get
someone....

If their coverage wasn't as good as it is in our area I'd be looking to
other providers...

Scott<-
"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Scott Townsend wrote:
>> > We just got billed full retail for a SX66 that was to be discounted...
>> > Still have not got anywhere to get the real price.. )-;
>> >
>> >
>> > I dont think Cingular is setup with the 'Business' in mind and the NBO
>> > center and Foundation accounts are getting the back burner!!!
>> >
>> > Scott<=
>>
>>
>> I'm not so sure, I don't think Cingular would want to piss off the
>> business relations that AT&T Wireless built up...
>>
>> But, I think it is more the back burner than it should be. But, again,
>> as a computer programmer, I understand some of the things that could be
>> setbacks.
>
> Maybe that's why my corporation has a "go to" person assigned to us.
>
> Of course, that "go to" person has changed already once or twice,
> so...maybe Cingular really doesn't have a clue.
>

In article <[email protected]>,
"Scott Townsend" <[email protected]> wrote:

> We just got billed full retail for a SX66 that was to be discounted...
> Still have not got anywhere to get the real price.. )-;
>
>
> I dont think Cingular is setup with the 'Business' in mind and the NBO
> center and Foundation accounts are getting the back burner!!!
>
> Scott<=
>
> "Tropical Haven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > For anyone with a foundation discount:
> >
> > Please check your statements carefully, as it has been discovered that
> > there is a billing glitch.
> >
> > In the most previous billing period, it was noticed that some customers
> > with foundation accounts were not receiving the full discount. My
> > organization receives a substantial discount, and we had several line
> > items in our invoices as "National Account Discount". Each line item did
> > not exceed 10%, but adding up the line items would correctly equal our
> > total percentage discount.
> >
> > However, during the most recent billing statement, it was discovered that
> > only one line item has carried over, so we only received a 10% discount.
> >
> > I work for a very large corporation, and there are currently a lot of
> > clients who have taken advantage of the discount. Please check your
> > statement carefully. Cingular is aware of the problem associated with us,
> > and is looking to see how far the scope of the problem really is.

There's a new invention that would allow an HONEST company to
automatically correct the problem and credit its customers. It's called
a computer.

A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.




> >
> > As a computer programmer, I realize that it is most likely a semantic
> > error, which would be easy to overlook if the programmers weren't told to
> > take into account this exact situation.
> >
> > FYI
> >
> > TH
> >

> There's a new invention that would allow an HONEST company to
> automatically correct the problem and credit its customers. It's called
> a computer.
>
> A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.

So, tell me...if the computer automatically does everything, why do we
need humans working the corporations? Obviously computers are only as
smart ast their programmers, and programmers are not perfect.

If you think you can do better, I'm sure Cingular is taking applications.

TH

In article <[email protected]>,
Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:

> > There's a new invention that would allow an HONEST company to
> > automatically correct the problem and credit its customers. It's called
> > a computer.
> >
> > A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.

So tell me why isnt Cingular doing it right and quickly programming a
100% refund????


>
> So, tell me...if the computer automatically does everything, why do we
> need humans working the corporations? Obviously computers are only as
> smart ast their programmers, and programmers are not perfect.
>
> If you think you can do better, I'm sure Cingular is taking applications.

Apparently not. Some managers would rather cut costs or meet artificial
deadlines than get things right.
I work with computers and programming, and see the devesitation the
Dilbert paradigm brings.

But then Cingular is perfect in your eyes.

Jack Zwick wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>>There's a new invention that would allow an HONEST company to
>>>automatically correct the problem and credit its customers. It's called
>>>a computer.
>>>
>>>A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.
>>
>
> So tell me why isnt Cingular doing it right and quickly programming a
> 100% refund????

Where does the problem lie? Does it lie with Foundation X customers who
have TDMA; Foundation X customers who have GSM; all Foundation X
customers; Foundation X customers on national-type plans; Foundation
customers in markets A, F, G, and H, but not in markets B, C, D, D, or
I; or any other type of variables. Maybe it lies with all Foundation
customers in a market, or only Foundation customers who have discounts
greater than 10%.

My point is that Cingular isn't automatically going to know where the
glitch happened. It obviously has affected a group of people who have
some kind of flag on thier account, but what is that flag? It may be
hard to determine on a Foundation that has a national account for both
TDMA and GSM, with more than 58,000 employess nationally as of 1996, not
to mention natural business expansion and acquisitions that have taken
place in the past nine years.

If you have any idea what that flag is, please do not hesitate to
contact Cingular's NBO office.

>>So, tell me...if the computer automatically does everything, why do we
>>need humans working the corporations? Obviously computers are only as
>>smart ast their programmers, and programmers are not perfect.
>>
>>If you think you can do better, I'm sure Cingular is taking applications.
>
>
> Apparently not. Some managers would rather cut costs or meet artificial
> deadlines than get things right.
> I work with computers and programming, and see the devesitation the
> Dilbert paradigm brings.

The Dilbert paradigm? Is there a text book or other official
documentation from a reputable professor that I could obtain to learn more?

> But then Cingular is perfect in your eyes.

Only as perfect as the people who run and use it. Often it is not the
computer that is fault, but the user.

> A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.

An honest company won't know there is a problem until the customer
complains, or POLITELY notifies the company.

th

In article <[email protected]>,
Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:

> > A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.
>
> An honest company won't know there is a problem until the customer
> complains, or POLITELY notifies the company.

But Cingular knows, and is not fixing the problem. Customers STILL must
complain to get a refund.

In article <[email protected]>,
Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> Jack Zwick wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>There's a new invention that would allow an HONEST company to
> >>>automatically correct the problem and credit its customers. It's called
> >>>a computer.
> >>>
> >>>A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.
> >>
> >
> > So tell me why isnt Cingular doing it right and quickly programming a
> > 100% refund????
>
> Where does the problem lie? Does it lie with Foundation X customers who
> have TDMA; Foundation X customers who have GSM; all Foundation X
> customers; Foundation X customers on national-type plans; Foundation
> customers in markets A, F, G, and H, but not in markets B, C, D, D, or
> I; or any other type of variables. Maybe it lies with all Foundation
> customers in a market, or only Foundation customers who have discounts
> greater than 10%.
>
> My point is that Cingular isn't automatically going to know where the
> glitch happened. It obviously has affected a group of people who have
> some kind of flag on thier account, but what is that flag? It may be
> hard to determine on a Foundation that has a national account for both
> TDMA and GSM, with more than 58,000 employess nationally as of 1996, not
> to mention natural business expansion and acquisitions that have taken
> place in the past nine years.
>
> If you have any idea what that flag is, please do not hesitate to
> contact Cingular's NBO office.

I don't see Cingular issuing a Press Release apologizing for the glitch
and promising to make everyone whole, even if it takes a while.

No if it weren't for USENET it would still be a secret to EVERYONE, and
still TODAY === ONLY === those whole take the time and effort to
complain get credited.

"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and
complain.
> >
> > An honest company won't know there is a problem until the customer
> > complains, or POLITELY notifies the company.
>
> But Cingular knows, and is not fixing the problem. Customers STILL must
> complain to get a refund.

How do you know they aren't fixing the problem?

"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>
> I don't see Cingular issuing a Press Release apologizing for the glitch
> and promising to make everyone whole, even if it takes a while.

I didn't see any company issue a Press Release apologizing for a billing
glitch. Why are you singling out Cingular to be so responsible?

>
> No if it weren't for USENET it would still be a secret to EVERYONE,

Not true- those that are responsible enough to review their bill knew about
it before Usenet.

> and
> still TODAY === ONLY === those whole take the time and effort to
> complain get credited.

You don't have a Foundation account, so why all the noise? Your need to cry
about crap like this is very juvenile and shows a lack of education and
real-life knowledge.

Jack Zwick wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Tropical Haven <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>>A shabby dishonest company will only credit those who call and complain.
>>
>>An honest company won't know there is a problem until the customer
>>complains, or POLITELY notifies the company.
>
>
> But Cingular knows, and is not fixing the problem. Customers STILL must
> complain to get a refund.

Cingular is aware of the problem. Who says they're not at least
*tyring* to fix it?