According to a leaked AT&T memo, the company is preparing to force all new smartphone contract to feature a goods plan, which usually nearly doubles the monthly price. Here’s how AT&T is presenting it internally:

Why we are making that change?
We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their Smartphones. A predictable bill is a key factor in customer satisfaction, so effective September 6, 2009 Smartphone customers will need to subscribe to a details plan, as the huge majority of customers already do. input plans let customers fully utilize their device, without the anguish of bill shock.

How we will ensure an extraordinary customer experience?
The sales representative is the customer’s expert resource in helping choose the right device for their needs. When a customer does not want a info plan, we will position other devices in our industry leading portfolio for the customer to choose from, as many devices do not require a details plan.

While it is normal to assume that Smartphones should be used with a decent notes plan, I think that the customer should be able to decide. Smartphones are arguably awesome PDAs or SMS devices, without requiring a info plan. To avoid “bill shocks” (like this) and build customers happy, what about creating a convenient way of showing the current bill in quasi real-time? Oh wait, that might actually compose customers consume less… Let’s be honest: info plans are great for AT&T’s bottom-line, just say so.

Permalink: AT&T to force new Smartphone customers to get a input plan? from Ubergizmo | Hot: Wii, PS3 and Natal Motion Sensing

[Source] dhiram