AT&T seeing executive shakedown?

Details are still shaky, but GigaOM is reporting that the futures of certain AT&T executives may also be dubious. In addition to a recently replaced CTO and recently departed USi CEO, apparently VPs are being offered exit packages or demotions (their choice!), possibly to trim some of the fat at the top of the pyramid before the US economy gets any crappier. We can't say for sure, but hey, those billions of dollars in 700MHz auction funds have to come from somewhere -- immediately, too, you don't want the FCC sending over hundreds of goons to kneecap thousands of employees. AT&T had no comment on matters both of downsizing and the FCC's mafia-like collection practices.

[Dave @ Mar 31st 2008 8:22PM]

For the record, this is the worst title ever, since when "shakedown" comes to mind most of us would interpret the title as ATT performing the act of extortion on its own executives, which makes no sense at all. Yes, there are other definitions of shakedown, but the word choice for the title could have been MUCH better.

For example: "ATT Doing Spring Cleaning of VPs"

[Brent @ Mar 31st 2008 9:00PM]

Nothing says shakedown like 'exit packages.' Here's a couple million dollars, now get lost.

[nerdtalker @ Mar 31st 2008 10:12PM]

Nothing says "grammar Nazi" like self congratulatory headline vocabulary nitpicking.

At the risk of sounding hypocritical, how ironic that you should see fit to criticize given the excessive length of your first sentence.

::shrug::

In all seriousness, AT&T needs to do some corporate fat-trimming, lest they wind up going the way of Motorola. Granted, I think we'd all love to see the death-star-esque, NSA-loving telecom have some rough times ahead of it, but you'd be kidding yourself if you didn't think the fed would reciprocate with some bailout money in return for those lovely Narus 6400 boxes AT&T so graciously installed in all their interconnects.

[Dave @ Mar 31st 2008 11:58PM]

@nerdtalker

I was offering constructive criticism to better the writing quality of this blog. If you look at my other posts, this is probably the first time I have ever "corrected" a staff member's writing. So, you can go ahead and eat my ass. Thanks.

Also, when you say NSA-loving ATT, you forgot to mention NSA-loving Sprint and NSA-Loving Verizon, who also cooperated. But really, great post.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 31st 2008 8:28PM]

I think he meant "shakeup".

[Ryan Block @ Mar 31st 2008 8:34PM]

Either works. According to New Oxford Dict:
shakedown
noun - informal
1. a radical change or restructuring, particularly in a hierarchical organization or group : after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a shakedown of the Russian press was inevitable.

[happy_penguin @ Mar 31st 2008 8:39PM]

Well then! I must bow to your superior linguistic skillz, sir! :D

[Dave @ Apr 1st 2008 12:01AM]

Look Block, didn't mean to shit on your post, just wanted to give some insight.

[Howl Pendragon @ Mar 31st 2008 8:41PM]

AT&T is lame anyways so I don't care what happens to them

[Mark @ Mar 31st 2008 8:43PM]

SWALLOW THIS AT&T!!!!111

[Z @ Mar 31st 2008 8:47PM]

i have to say i really couldn't care less....i live in canada...telus all da way!

[beanspants @ Mar 31st 2008 8:47PM]

I don't think you can tell quite yet. they got pretty decent bonuses this year, and every time that happens, a good number of upper mgmt (and regular mgmt) people take that big check and move on this time of year. if it happens late in the year, or early in the next
(before march), then something might be up.

[former phone company man @ Mar 31st 2008 8:48PM]

I used to work for them. Couldn't happen to a better bunch of people.

[YoJIMbo @ Mar 31st 2008 10:37PM]

For the love of... Graphics... Engadget, you really need to lighten up and use THIS at&t graphic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/girardi/1562746292/in/set-72157594585973409/

[Mark @ Mar 31st 2008 11:38PM]

haha. awesome.

[ZeroCorpse @ Mar 31st 2008 11:18PM]

In my opinion, they should fire their entire "level one" telephone support team-- That's all the rude, patronizing people in India who read off of scripts and lie by saying their name is "Mike" or "Heather" when you know it's not.

I have nothing against other cultures or countries. I just think it's disgusting that I'm being handed to people in another country who clearly DO NOT LIKE US so they can act superior, read from scripts, basically call me stupid when I go off-script, and then leave me on hold for half an hour while they talk to someone above them who might actually knows what they're doing.

We all hear people complain about Mexicans coming to America and taking jobs, but I'd MUCH RATHER see that happen than see all the customer support jobs being shipped off to India and Pakistan. At least the people from Mexico are nice to fellow Americans and keeping the money in our economy. The Indians and Pakistanis that I've dealt with in AT&T's level one support team all seem to think little of their jobs and their American customers, and most have a HORRIBLE attitude.

I don't care about the executives. Just fire the outsourced workers and supply some jobs here in America. If an Indian wants a job with an American company that is doing business with American customers, then let them come here and get it. Stop sending all our jobs overseas to people who don't even pretend to tolerate us.

That being said, I wish all the people of India and Pakistan well, and hope that your own markets improve and your lives are good. I don't dislike you personally-- I just dislike that you're doing a job that I or some other American could be doing, and you seem to be doing it with a lot of disdain for the customers you're serving.

I don't blame you. A lot of Americans are xenophobic jerks, and what they say probably makes you cranky and fuels your dislike of Americans, and then you talk to me and treat me like dirt, thus REALLY trying my patience and tolerance for other cultures because I perceive your rudeness to be a cultural thing, instead of a reaction to the aforementioned xenophobic customers. It's a vicious cycle, and it's one that could be avoided if AT&T just left their call centers on American soil and staffed them with Americans of all different backgrounds.

I've probably said too much, but after spending the past three weeks calling AT&T to fix some DSL problems, and getting a lot of BAD service and RUDE call center people at Level One, before finally getting my problems fixed by Level Two people, I have a sour taste in my mouth and bad memories.

Just try to get a straight answer out of Level One. Jeez, at one point one of them said, "I suggest you do not retaliate at this time" when I asked a simple question ("Why did the tech who visited my house say the DSL would be at least 4Mbps right away?" when the call center person said "It won't be high speed until it has been there for a month.")

Rudeness and misunderstandings are all you get from Level One outsourced support. AT&T needs to stop blowing money on spectrums and start spending money on call centers that treat people decently.

(And no, I'm not some "rah rah America" right-wing bigot. I just think some cultural and language problems can lead to serious problems in the customer service field, and they're better avoided. As I've worked customer service for 20 years, I think I know what I'm talking about.)

[elcapitan79 @ Apr 1st 2008 2:13AM]

I dislike AT&T as well but this article is very interesting.

AT&T CEO Says Hard To Find Skilled U.S. Workers
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207000056

This teaser, ""If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down," he said."
says it all.

Read it, and rethink your questioning of outsourcing jobs to India.

I do understand your frustration, but I am not sure it is purely based on outsourcing. I believe the problem is the quality of those in call centers. Its damn tough.

[Dave @ Apr 2nd 2008 4:41PM]

yes, obviously he does not understand how globalization works.

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 1st 2008 10:18AM]

What’s wrong with a company trimming some fat off the top instead of the bottom? Recognizing that you are burdened with an inordinate amount of entitlement junkies with fancy titles that contribute nothing but daily “management munchausen by proxy” and then taking action in a hypercompetitive environment to correct it is a good thing!

Definitions of: “management munchausen by proxy” - (1) against the advice of a team or through action or inaction causes more harm than good which then requires more energy and manpower to fix than it would have the original task at hand. (2) maintaining a low profile, just surviving, not rocking the boat, not taking on too much while watching the calendar and clock waiting for the early retirement golden parachute to open...