Hello. I'm Scott Robbin. I enjoy making things to use, and see.

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21 Oct 09 

Goodbye AT&T, I’m out

I am no longer an AT&T customer. My iPhone is now useful.

iPhone receiption on AT&T vs. T-mobile

I consider myself lucky: I was let out of my contract after a several-month long dispute over AT&T’s quality of service (or lack thereof). Look above; that picture shows what I saw every day: zero to one bars of service within a 1-mile radius of my office. Anyone who’s been on the phone with me me has earned the purple-heart-of-patience award for tolerating my dropped calls (sometimes as many as 2-3 times per chat). And this phone is my only phone, the one I depend on to run my business.

I expect I’m not the only one with this problem. I’ve spoken with you too; your reception sucks.

How did I do it?

I don’t mean for this to be a how-to for those who wish to sneak out of their contract. Mine was a legitimate problem of poor service. If yours is too, here’s what you can do:

  • Call AT&T (1-800-331-0500 or 611 from your wireless phone).
  • Ask them to open a support ticket. It’s important that you start documenting your problem.
  • Remind them that they have the data to confirm this issue: call start/end times and dropped call logs. (Updated: Thanks, Paul)
  • Wait at least a month. Let them try and resolve the problem—it’s only fair.
  • If they can’t resolve your problem, demand compensation or to be released from your contract.

Seems like common sense, eh? It is.

An open support ticket is the key; it’s your documentation that there’s a problem, and proof that it hasn’t been resolved in a sufficient period of time.

Remember: it’s reasonable to expect that your service works; reasonable to ask someone to repair it if broken; and reasonable to leave if it can’t be fixed.

Good luck.

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15 Apr 07 

Chicago Technology Meetups

Kristen Nicole and a Llama
(Pictured above: Kristen Nicole of 606tech.com and a Llama)

This past Thursday, I attended my first Tech Cocktail, a quarterly Chicago technology meetup, organized by Frank Gruber and Eric Olson. I have to say, as someone new to these type of events, it was great and incredibly worthwhile. What finer way to spend a Thursday night than to drink free draft beer from a glow-in-the-dark mug, while engaging in uber-dweeb conversations with some of Chicago’s brightest technology minds?

Just last month, Sandy and I attended the Chicago Beta meetup at Goose Island Brewery. Organized monthly, Chicago Beta provides a forum for local startups to present themselves in a 60-second pitch to fellow startup peers. As good luck would have it, Tappity won the pitch award, which included an upcoming interview on BusinessPOV.com and 2 free classes at Digital Bootcamp.

Now, I’ve always been told that "networking" is the key to becoming a successful business person. To some, that means being a social whore, slathering the world with their business cards, and hoping to find a person or organization who will propel them to riches, or in some cases a mouth full of gold-capped teeth. But to me, and what has become apparent over the last few weeks, is that networking has less to do with the success of your business and more joy of connecting to people with like minds. Through TC4, Chicago Beta and SXSW, I’ve met some great friends, who are sharing in the same experiences that I am, trying to create websites from nothing, and learning the ropes of establishing a small business. Chicago provides a wonderful, non-competitive environment for technology, and it’s apparent when you attend one of these meetups.

For those who live in Chicago, I highly recommend attending one of the meetups listed above. For those who live elsewhere, take a moment to learn about meetups in your area — it’ll be well worth your collective whiles.

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