Hello,
My name is Stacie Huckeba I have been a customer of Comcast for over eight years.
I realize that it’s a dirty little secret and you don’t like to talk about it, but c’mon, between just you and me, you can admit it. Basically you have a monopoly on internet service, at least in terms of speed. It’s ok, I like money too. Nobody is happier than me when I deposit big fat checks. Sadly, I’m not quite as “connected” as you guys.
I’m a photographer and I think I’m really good, unfortunately, I live in a town with a plethora of talented photographers so I can’t just sit back and be lazy. I’ve sent emails to the Mayor, and Governor and even my Senators and Congressmen asking that they put in regulations to make sure I am the only photographer who can use professional and top of the line equipment in town. Weird, they don’t get back to me. One of you guys will have to tell me how you got them to do that for you. It would be so awesome to deposit those big fat checks knowing that I had no competition and could just be lazy, put out half-assed work and charge whatever I wanted because I was the only one in town who could deliver print ready work. God, I bet those feel so good going in the bank!
So, as much as I admire your business model, I am having some trouble. Back in November, I realized that I was utilizing Hulu and Netflix because of travel, work etc. far more than I was cable and I never had a land line to begin with. I mean can you even buy a phone that plugs into the wall anymore? I’m not sure.
I called to cancel my Triple Play Package and was talked into keeping it because I was really saving all this money by having it all. On a side note, I think it’s brilliant that the people who sell your services are all super easy to work with, you never have to hold for more than a second and you never have to get transferred. They can do everything through one representative fast and efficiently. They are also open seven days a week. While technical support and cancellation departments are a minimum hold time of twenty minutes, you get transferred sometimes 5, 6, even 7 times and each and every time, you have to start from the beginning with your name, address, account information and then tell the whole story as to why you called over and over again, making the whole process almost unbearable. And only having the option to talk to them during normal business hours is genius. I mean, how great would it be to have a person who booked all my shoots, (and there would be a lot, since no one else in town could do them) happily just raking in the money while I had another person who basically told all of my unhappy clients to get bent? God, you guys are so good!
Anyway, back to my problem. I realized over the holidays last year that I really was not using it and in late January, I called back and asked for my account to be downgraded from the Triple Play (I had the full package with the fastest download speed available. Again, your sales team is tops!) to just the internet at the Performance Starter for download speeds of up to 6 Mbps. I returned my cable box / DVR and other equipment in early February.
I was really having no trouble whatsoever with my service and actually had not really noticed a difference in my internet speeds whatsoever. In late April, I received a delivery from UPS from Comcast. When I opened it, there was a new cable box / DVR inside. I called about it and you know how this goes already. I spent literally over three hours on the phone in one of the most grueling, frustrating, infuriating series of transfers, hang ups, and different representative pass-offs, in history. It is a miracle I did not wind up curled in a corner talking to spiders. But alas, I had a photo shoot with Jason Ringenberg and some live chickens that day and had no choice but to get my head in the game. (I know you think I’m making that up, but I’m not. It really happened and I have the pictures to prove it.)
Jason and his chicken
The cliff notes of that three hour transfer are this. You guys never actually cancelled my services. I returned the equipment for no good reason, I could have happily been enjoying the Real Housewives in my spare time and didn’t even know it. After being told at least 6 times that I had called the wrong department (I only have one number for you guys and there is only one option for customer service so that always confuses me. I bet that is also in the business model and it too is quite brilliant). They finally conceded and issued me a credit for the four months that I had still been paying for what was supposed to have been cancelled all along.
You guys need to fix that part. Eventually, if a customer can hang on long enough and not dig out their own eyes with a spoon from frustration, you can usually get someone to go back through your records and find where you did what you said you did and remedy the situation. The customer wins that way. Not good for your plan. You need to make that part harder. Well, except that you did get to kind of keep all of my money. It’s not like you gave it back. So I guess it’s not a total wash for you.
So sure enough, once that was fixed I noticed real quick that the internet was way too slow and was not going to work for me, so I called back. You know how this goes too. I called back and within moments I had a representative on the line and he had me bumped up to the Blast package with download speeds up to 50 Mbps in just a few minutes. Easy breezy when you want to add on. It’s just so smart!
The problem is that my internet never did get faster. In fact, it got slower. I used your Xfinity speed test off your website and sure enough, I was barely getting 3 Mbps. I know better than to bother you guys right away, so I set out and did all kinds of things to try and remedy the situation. Clearing my cookies, changing my browser, running diagnostics on my computer, sending refresh signals and of course the first and main thing your representatives always push to fix the problem. I unplugged and replugged the modem and router in a myriad of combinations.
Sadly, the call had to be made. You know how this went too, don’t you? I called, spent a half hour on the phone with 3 or 4 representatives and then got hung up on during a “transfer” (You know I get you, and so you know that I know that sometimes “transfer” is code for “click, bye bye”.) I’m tenacious though, so I called back and this time spent an hour on the phone going through the same thing. I actually finally got to a retention specialist who confided in me that really the people that you talk to on the phone don’t ever really know what is wrong because it could be 100 different things. It’s really just a guess. He suggested I get a technician to my house. “Great idea. Let’s do that”, I said. Well, of course he can’t do that. Nobody in the “the customer has a problem department” can do everything like they can in the “the customer wants to buy something department”. So back I went on hold and I should have known, I got hung up on. God, that is so funny how you do that! I absolutely love it!
But like I said, I’m kind of tenacious, so I called back yet a third time but I went right to asking for a person to come out, so this time it only took another half an hour. I mean, thirty minutes to schedule a tech coming out is pretty good timing for knowing exactly what you need and asking for it directly. I wish it was that way everywhere I called. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it took thirty minutes every time you wanted to order a pizza or make an appointment with your Veterinarian or whatever. I could just sit around on my ass all day if every call took thirty minutes. Hell, I wouldn’t even need to get dressed some days. I could just sit here in my underpants eating cheese all damn day listening to advertisements and bad music while I was on hold. Man, that would be the life! You guys get me, you really, really get me.
As luck would have it, the only appointment you guys have is not for six whole days! And while I have told you several times in this note that I am all for being a lazy, until you tell me your secret about how you got the government to shut down your competition, I have to work. Jason Ringenberg has that Farmer Jason record coming out for Christmas and he’s gonna need those chicken pictures. I can’t upload those bad boys without proper internet and six days doesn’t really cut it for me right now.
Lucky for me, my neighbors are cool and are letting me steal theirs to get this out, but I can’t be using up all their data plan sending chicken photos. They are musicians and can’t get the government to shut down all the other musicians in town either. And we live in Nashville, we have lots of musicians, so they really have to hustle to make ends meet. I can’t ask them to up their data plan to accommodate me and some chickens while I wait for a week for you to come out here. My neighbors are assholes like that.
Look, I feel like we are friends. We understand each other, so I’m asking you to do me a solid and just this once, maybe you can use your pull to get someone out here before then. I wouldn’t normally ask, but since you’ve got a few hundred bucks of mine that I don’t really owe you anyway, maybe just this time you could bump me up in the line.
And since we are kinda friends and all, I’m gonna do you a solid too. I think you guys are awesome and misunderstood so I’m gonna take this whole letter and post it on my blog. I only get a few thousand views on my blog when I post one, but maybe if a few people could see you the way I see you they would quit talking trash and recognize you for the brilliant and genius business moguls that you are.
Please, don’t thank me now, getting my internet back to speed before Thursday will be thanks enough (wink wink. No pressure). See what I did there. I might not be Comcast, but you aren’t the only ones with a plan!
Your friend,
Stacie
Ramblings 
I HATE comcast. I am familiar with all of these things you are talking about. People have no idea why you called, can take a week to get someone out (unless you want NEW service) and been hung up on multiple times while being transferred. Luckily I live in Baltimore, and Verizon Fios is available. SO MUCH BETTER than those a-holes at comcast. I will NEVER go back to comcast.
Went through all the same things you did. Only difference is that after almost 20 years of Comcast, Verizon came through my area. Not that they’re any better, but it sure felt good to send everything back to Comcast and cancel my service. Now, I get door to door sales guys trying to talk me into switching back! My stock answer . . . “You’re kidding, right?”. Like I said, no better, but it sure felt good to tell them to bug off.
That’s why I’m switching to At&t…for the satisfaction of telling these jerks buh-bye!
With att you’ll have a whole new group of the same old crap-selling jerks!
Two words: Dish Network. Best customer service around. Never going back to cable anything. I love it when they come to my door to try and hook me up. I keep the guy there for 15 minutes scorching him with my cable horror stories.
I don’t have cable TV. I have internet and their plans only allow something like 10 GB monthly. We would blow through that in two days.
So familiar! My daughter moved into a new apartment and even though it had an address, Comcast couldn’t hook them up because…….Comcast did not have that address listed in THEIR records. For a college kid to not have internet for more then 3 months while Comcast “tried” to figure out where they were was ridiculous. Meanwhile, they could get mail, so they must have had an existing address. I spoke to someone at Comcast who directed me to their FB page. Another time wasting joke!
LOVE THIS
After my landscaper cut my cable it took 5 unkept appointments and 10 days to get back on line.
I have talked to 7 people at work to see how Comcast has been for them… 0 to 7 horror stories, nothing good to say, nada.
Comcast is not going to listen to emails or blogs. If there is a viral email campaign maybe. There was a man in England in 1880 by the name of Charles Boycott. He was financially ostracized by his village for uncaring financial practices. It is a hardship to downgrade to Uverse or DSL or MyFi, nothing else will make a change. How about an email campaign to all of our friends asking them to switch until Comcast lowers their process and improved customer service?
Just reading this, I could feel my blood pressure going up. It’s no wonder people lose their minds from tactics like this. I wish I believed in Hell, so I would know Comcast execs would have a special place in it.
And yet they choose schools and movie theaters. 😉
This is precisely why I use a dsl phone line for Internet, and satellite service for TV.
There is one good way to end this bs… stop paying them after you cancel their so-called service (Hmmm…. now there’s a contradiction in terms) and call the better business Bureau. You REAL get their attention when they don’t get “their” money.
Comcast is allegedly buying Time Warner Cable to help it compete with satellite providers like DirecTV, wireless phone companies like AT&T and new streaming services like Netflix. Here’s a novel idea – try taking care of your current customers so they aren’t actively looking for ways to get the services you provide elsewhere so they can dump you.
And hey, monopoly regulators, where are you in this “merger”?
Well done, Stacie! Your “Open Letter” was a great read….and oh so true. I’ll stick with FiOS. At least they’re one of the lesser demons.
That’s certainly not what we found. Did you ever try to talk to somewhere there without them slamming you into FIOS?
Now AT&T is buying Direct TV…Anyone besides me see a train wreck in the works?
I cancelled Comcast two years ago, have att and love it. They are a lot better at customer service and fixing issues for us.
No they are not, ATT are just as bad and I have used Brighthouse, Comcast, ATT (depending on my location) and they are ALL just as bad as each other. I am currently borrowing my neighbors service or I could not connect today. My husband and I both work from home, we explained we needed someone out here pronto, but no…5 -7 biz days was their best offer! Ridiculous! It is ALL internet service companies because they are not regulated in the same way utility companies are such as electric and water (they cant say..um yeah…7 days we will be out there), and nowhere I have lived there have been more than three choices usually less, so they (whichever ones happen to have your territory) are able to monopolize business. We need to stand up for ourselves…internet is NOT just entertainment, this is how many of us are able to make our living.
Reblogged this on Andrew J. Patrick and commented:
If you replace this with Verizon, it would be essentially the same…
I totally agree. I can’t even open my e-mail. Got a teck out here and still had to call to get in, now it is doing the same thing. Did you know Comcast can’t get in Texas any more. They got fed up and kicked them out of the state. Go Texas! I have called this company the biggest waist of time and money.I have to use face book to log in, isn’t just bull sh t.
Funny coincidence Stacie… I had the same problem w/them in the 80’s and the 90’s when everything ran across poles and underground. Seven transfers and 4 disconnects later I’m down at the office talking to the same dizzy blonde w/no brain and big ta-ta’s that answered my inital call 2hrs prior.
Love it. Hate Comcast. You need to switch to your landline phone company and just watch tv on your computer.
Thanks for the tip to stay in my PJ’s and eat cheese while I call them to cancel our cable too. There’s nothing good on and I’m sick of paying for over paid sports players (covered under a non-profit status) that get their pay from the cable companies.
Im reading this while on the phone with comcast….ive talked to 3 people had to verify my identity 3x ….all because they aren’t allowed to “warm transfer you” …then i was cut off and am now calling again because I too am tenacious… I think I will call their President office to let them know how much i enjoyed calling 4x for an error that occurred on their end. They will be very proud of their customer service and how genus they truly are!
Awesome!
We had comcast for a short while when the kids lived at home and paid for it. Now it’s back to antenna on the house and I love it!! The price is right and we get lots if channels. If you’re a sports fanatic it probably won’t work for you or if you live someplace you can’t attach an antenna. We stream movies through AT&T Internet not fast but it works for our simple life. Did you know the regular stations have movies (old ones) and they have a live well network that is similar to a home garden channel. If enough people did it we might send a message to comcast unless of course they eliminate antenna to truly have a monopoly. It’s a shame when your connected (phone cable and internet) cost as much or more than your car payment.
Many many years ago, when we first moved into an apartment complex in Chicago, the former residents had not canceled their Comcast subscription. (This was before you needed digital boxes) We actually tried to be honest and called to have it switched to our name. After similar wait times and transfers to Ms. Stacy’s recent experience, we were told that we did not have cable tv. I argued that we not only HAD cable television, we had the 3 “pay” channels, HBO, Showtime and Cinamax. And that I was watching TV with my own eyes while I was on the phone with her. The woman on the other end of the line stated that HER COMPUTER said our line was not active, and assured me that I WAS MISTAKEN. The question that really stumped her was when I asked her if her computer told her the earth was flat, did that actually make the earth flat? So much for trying to do the right thing. Anyway, we had free cable for quite a while… don’t remember exactly how long, but I just chalked it up to Karma for all the times we paid OUR bill and had crappy or no service at all.
I just experienced the same thing you did. I cancelled my Triple Play and just opted for 25 mbps internet. The speed got extremely slower than usual. During one of my calls to Comcast to resolve the slow speed, sales got me to buy Double Play because it was cheaper than just having internet subscription alone ~ $66 for 1 vs $60 for 2! Fine, it’s saving me money so it’s ok but it didn’t fix the internet speed issue. Comcast scheduled for a technician to come out last Sunday between 8am-10am. The technician arrived at 2:30pm after several phones calls to customer service! Issue still not resolved because supposedly the problem was with the cable line outside needing replacement. So new schedule was made and confirmed for Wednesday, today, and i took time off from work. This time they were a no show! I was on the phone with customer service for 2 hours and had to repeat answers to the same questions multiple times. I was told they were coming. Call tickets were escalated and every time, I was told a tech would call for an update within half an hour. Not only tech didn’t show up, I also didn’t receive a single courtesy call. The worst customer service I experienced in my lifetime. Total disregard to customers. BTW, your letter is hilarious – made me laugh for the first time today.
I am nearly 70. I have never had cable. There is so much to watch on the free channels I do receive. I don’t know why anyone needs over 100 channels. If a program is really good, I can go to the library and get the entire season of it. Life is good (AND VERY SIMPLE.) F**K .
CABLE
Thank you for your letter Stacie. Unfortunately, I’m a Comcast customer because satellite companies won’t put a dish up where I live and FiOS isn’t available yet. Within our first month of becoming customers, they managed to over charge us by $80, for installation fees that our technicians and customer services reps stated we WOULD NOT be charged. Upon disputing the charges, they credited our account….only to recharge the same amount for the following month…and this went on for months before we just gave up. And oh, those “installation fees” they charged us — it took 3 f*cking visits from different technicians and several box replacements before we received the cable package we had originally requested which resulted in 20 days of paying for something that we never received (we never saw that money either)…..how do you NOT have this process perfected by now? IDIOTS. The amount they charge is horrendous too.
What I can’t figure out either is how they charge SO much for just internet service at the lowest speed. My poor friend can’t even afford cable on her own, and just for internet she’s paying $60 a month at 5 Mbps (supposedly)… I can’t figure that out when some public places offer free WiFi? Maybe I just don’t understand the “system” enough…
I hate Comcast , I have been promised my account would get straightened out about every other month for over a year , I have 3 E mails confirming everything is worked out ( pricing ) then the next month its wrong again. Not enough space here or time to explain my frustration. I will find someone else to go to ( soon ).I HOPE THEY CLOSE DOWN . Just a bunch of liars.
OMG! Not enough icloud space for all the Comcast shit-go-round!
Last time I called Comcast I was transferred to 1-800-DENTIST.
We are lucky & live in an area with WOW – who has GREAT customer service. However, a new neighbor behind us just had comcast installed about 2 weeks ago. Coincidentally while the guy was here OUR cable went out. I nicely asked the gentleman if he had been anywhere near our line or had touched it at all & he stated, no he hadn’t & that the lines are 4 feet apart. Since we have such great service with WOW, a tech was here within 3 hours. He pulled down the line where Comcast had literally CUT our cable line off the pole. Criminal as well as horrible. Something needs to be done. Btw, since they’re merging with time warner (or whoever) they have to drop customers so they won’t be considered a monopoly. They’ll be leaving 7 states (michigan being one of them). I had also heard though that they’ll be buying charter one cable. It’ll be a completely separate entity (sure….). Such an effing scam.
From a 16 year employee of the broadband services last owned by Wide open west you are lucky to have not seen the beast yet. By the way, WOW is run by ex comcast employees. All providers have their issues, but most are satisfied enough to not say anything knowing the hassle they will be put though. i know first hand how bad WOW can be as a trainer and a senior lead in the service/installation group. Don’t believe the doctored reports about them showing in JDE or Consumer Reports of their sparkling service. It is amazing how good those reports look when you simply delete the complaints and bad scores. Google the complaints and you can read for yourself. They are not a sound company financially or operationally. They also use the same equipment, policies, and provide less service per dollar as comcast. When your special runs out you will pay more than comcast. By no means am i defending comcast. I just hate to see people have wool pulled over their eyes by a facade. Just to made it clear how poor they can be along with comcast, a third of my service area has the option for Comcast, Wide Open West, Satellite, AT&T U-verse, Mediacom, and Fibercast/Springfield. Yes, they have 6 choices that all equally share those customers in those areas. if any one of them was so much better how would another continue to provide service in the same areas? We took lots of pride in our work as Knology forcing Comcast, AT&T, and satellite providers in this area to step up and stop saying take it or leave it until WOW bought us out and every person below management is miserable there if they are still employed. Over 50% of the employees were laid off or ways were found to terminate them. This county has given up them as the company to be like and is now just another money grabber functioning identical to comcast. It is like watching a football game with the same playbook and coaches. We can complain, but really what good will it do when the shut down of any of these companies would cripple this country for months moving connections to another to do the same thing putting on their best face to say, “We have a great culture!”.
I received the letter from Time Warner Cable regarding their merger a few days ago. This is my reply. (Spent the majority of the morning with a SuddenLink supervisor trying to get my account and connections straightened out. He was certainly concerned and worked hard to get it all straight and I gave him both ears full of complaints and experiences with his company…the whole 9 yards as they say. If you really are fed up with your service do something about it…I am…I’m posting here, sending a reply to Mr. Marcus of Time Warner, and forwarding the email with comments to the FCC in Washington D.C. It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort, so get off your lazy duffs and follow!)
My Reply to Mr. Marcus
Mr. Marcus – Thanks for the update on your merger with Time Warner Cable.
This is just what the American Public needs – another nearly essential, greedy corporation trying to grow bigger, and bigger by any means possible.
I have one question for you today, and it’s this: Do any of you head honchos, or board members, or managers give a damn at all for the individuals you serve? Do any of you care about the lousy product and service you give?
My situation, and concern for the people of this country drives me to write to you to let you know once again (I’m sure I’m not the first to write or complain), that we deserve better, much better!
On Face Book there is a listing on the left hand side for SuddenLink Problems…that’s my local cable/phone/internet provider. Most of the people on the site are or were customer of Comcast, but many are customers of other providers, and SuddenLink just happens to be one. I’m really glad for and proud of the people who started it, and especially proud of the lady who wrote her letter, Ramblings, to Comcast. It will give you a clear understanding of how we feel.
Today I am sad to say I’m a subscriber of only internet service from my provider, because a senior citizen trying to live on less than $1000.00 per month simply cannot afford the rates that are charged. I tried going the cheapest route with only basic, but what’s not in Spanish is garbage. Unfortunately I don’t speak Spanish, and even if I did I don’t think I’d be interested in their programming.
So that’s my say for now regarding your ‘merger’, and just so you know, this will be posted on SuddenLink Problems. I also intend to forward it to the FCC in Washington, D.C.
Have a blessed day.
Barbara B. Pickett
I don’t have comcast (we use a small local company that is dirt cheap and answers phone calls when you call, surprise!), but the people behind us use them. A storm knocked down their cable line and Comcast’s remedy was to run a line from the pole in my yard, down along the ground across half my property, and into their house. Since I wasn’t “their customer” they couldn’t help me the first three times I called… but I tell you what, you call and ask for a technician with the reason “someone is stealing cable off the splitter on the pole” and they will be there is less than 24 hours! 😉
Comcast sucks but they are the only game in town unless you can get a satellite dish. They are notorious for shutting everything off when you call to tell them you are moving in the future. And then you have to spend hours on the phone to get them to turn it back on. You have to wait until you are completely moved out before calling them to shut it off. Horrible. Always getting everything wrong.
Wow. An open letter to Comcast about how big of an idiot you are. First of all, Comcast certainly does not have a monopoly on internet services. They do have a patent on their equipment, just like every company on everything they own in America. Secondly, I’ve had satellite internet, it is just as fast, just a lot more expensive. If you want to be cheap, that’s fine. I too choose Comcast because it is cheaper. And I have never had the first problem with them.
Alright next problem: you want to cancel your services? Easy. Take your stuff down to the Comcast building and tell them you want to cancel your services. Fill out a form. Done. I’ve done it twice. Monkeys could do it. If you’re such a big idiot that you got talked into paying more for more services when you called to cancel services, that, again, is totally on you.
Next: Hey, you finally figured out to take your stuff to Comcast! Oops, you decided to keep paying for services after you cancelled them. You must be the biggest idiot on the planet. If I knew I could get you to pay me to do absolutely nothing (and I’m liking my chances here), I would take advantage of you too.
I have also found that the old saying is true, sugar DOES attract more flies than vinegar. So while you take the bitch route and end up having all your calls transferred and hung up on and paying 300% markup prices for your stuff (yeah, the people that work there write notes on your customer profile, and every time you are hateful you get more negative remarks, and it just gets harder and harder to get stuff done–the opposite is true as well), I’ve had their services for two years and am still paying the introductory rate. And when I had it installed for free the second time I had it, they came out the same day.
When you are nice to people–especially people who deal with hateful people all day–they actually help you out.
Really Amelia? I find it difficult you are nice to anyone based on your vitriolic comments. You must understand that you can disagree and either not reply to this post or disagree respectfully. BTW, Comcast IS A MONOPOLY. I live in Chicago and where I am located my options are COMCAST and at&t…and they are about the same..same service…same prices. A competitive marketplace would mean there would be at least two or three other better choices with better service and better prices which would in turn cause Comcast to be a better company.
In addition, Stacie, this is the USA. The customer has a right to complain when poor service is given. Again, you could have just not replied to this post.
Really, Melissa. When did Chicago ban satelite service?
Satellite has a very low allowed GB allowance. I need much more than that. Believe me, I looked into EVERY possibility.
This: http://m.startribune.com/?id=267236681
Yea Amelia – you are in the minority here.
Thank you, Amelia!! I also commented here a month or so ago. As a cable industry employee (not Comcast, another of the big 4), I find this post (& 97% of the comments hilarious). Folks, pay TV providers (ALL pay TV providers, cable, satelite, FIOS, uverse, & the ‘mom & pop locals’) are for-profit businesses. They have invested billions in infrastructure, development, & yes, marketing. Every last one of these business hears the same complaints, it’s one of the most hated industries in exsistance. No company is faultless, but cable is no worse then any other. So many people with ‘screwed up’ billing – usually this is more ‘I want a different rate, ‘Install? No one told me’ ‘No one in THIS house would order those movies’. I’ve pulled those calls, heard people say ‘I’ll just call back & say you didn’t tell me’
Internet down? Need it for your business? Step up, get the business service, with guaranteed one-hour on-site service. Oh, yeah, but then you’d have to pay for it.
Want a lower rate (‘cuz why should YOU pay the actual rate)? Feel free to keep switching back and forth for ‘new customer’ offers. Or better yet, whine about how you’re such a good customer, you should pay less. How’d that work for you at the grocery store? Oh, and when your service is interupted because you’ve paid twice in the last 6 months, that isn’t the service not working, it’s the service not being free. Also, you’re right, we probably WILL lose business by tightening our collection timeline & not restoring service without payment. Oh, wait, that was the goal. Call it a filter…
I could go on for hours, but why bother…..
Have you and Ms. Amelia actually read the posts in here? If so, you might find it’s customer service that seems to be the root of the problem. Companies in general (with a few exceptions) are all about the bottom line and trying to actually talk to someone, besides a recording with press 1 for English, or what my bill is, is a joke. When you finally do get someone on the line they either don’t have a clue and/or you cannot understand them (outsourced customer service rep in some other country)…again, with a few exceptions. Customers have a right to express their frustrations and concerns any way they choose and this blog is a nice place to do it. If nothing else it makes you realize you’re not alone. Instead of sarcastic, non-constructive remarks, why don’t you come up with a few solutions for these nice folks.
A big ditto and an Amen to your post marmalade!!!!!
I know your pain. Our service went out. After a couple of hour-plus phone calls with their inept suggestions, they agreed to come out a week later. So my husband took off work to be at home for the 4 hour window. Instead of calling on the house phone (which is the number he gave them), they called on his cell phone. Unfortunately, he didn’t take it to the bathroom with him and missed the service person scheduled
to come. He immediately tried to call them back (45 min. call). They told him that it would be another week before someone could come back! When they finally came they found that someone had disconnected us at the pole. So if you ever want to get back at an enemy or ex, just disconnect them at the pole if they have Comcast! Within a few weeks, we became happy ATT Uverse customers.
Stacie, good for you. Comcast/Charter/Verizon hate nothing as much as a customer that cancels their service. What I can’t stand is the constant “upsell” from these people while new customers pay anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 of what we were paying, after 10 years of being a loyal customer. Our Verizon bill, FIOS triple play and business lines included, topped 500 dollars, we called it quits when they called and offered us three months of “free” movie channels, then after 90 days, we could add them to our account at “low price” of whatever per month. I told them we would be interested in the movie channels if they would give them to us as a reward for being such good customers. They told us they couldn’t do that. So we canceled our account, booked internet only with Xfinity, and haven’t missed “the cable” since. Digital antennas, internet integrated DVD player, and Amazon Prime is all we are needing. Of course, we got a mailing for $59.99 Verizon triple play in the mail last week. Yeah. We’re about to do that. SSDD for all of the rest of these companies, too. We use DirecTV at our house in KDH and love them after cancelling our Charter cable account. Charter stories are a whole other kettle of fish…
Isn’t Comcast big enough? Tell the FCC why the #ComcastTWC merger is a BAD idea: http://bit.ly/stopcomcast via @freepress
Like everyone else, I have my own Comcast horror story but this list is long already. Just want to say at the end of MY story, I ended up with the cell phone number of the guy in charge of the repair crew for my area AND a phone call from their corporate office.
And what was the outcome of that??? Any resolutions to your problems? If so, please share.
The problem was THEY cut my line in my yard, and since I work from home, internet is necessary. Essentially, they were costing me money. After going in circles with appointments and no one showing up, when I got in touch with the repair crew lead, my problem was quickly resolved. Then with the phone call from corporate, after threatening to send them an invoice for all the money I’d lost because of THEIR screw-up, I didn’t have a cable/phone/internet bill the next month. I found that if you persistently keep asking for other people talk to, you’ll eventually get someone who can help (which the dude working from MEXICO for their service call center could not). Also, they tried to tell me there was NO PHONE in their repair service center. NO PHONE AT ALL!!! I called bullshit and got a cell phone number 🙂
I hear you…you sound like the same type of persistent cuss as me…I finally gave up everything except internet, and am not only a survivor, but a happier camper. Course I’d like having cable, but can’t justify the cost for what I get.
LOVE the letter!!!!
I hate Comcast too … BUT … where I live, they seem to also be the only game in town. Well, except for AT&T and the apartment complex where I reside forbids residents from using AT&T … for anything. And of course they didn’t tell me this until the day I was here to sign the lease. But I mostly like where I live and the rent is reasonable, even counting the overpriced Comcast bill.
So, your apartment complex prohibits you using your company issued AT&T cell phone on their property? 😉
More seriously though, it’s likely that the complex got massive heartburn over multiple vendors drilling and spilling all over the complex and hence, overreacted.
I’ll not even go into Crumcost installers drilling through curtains, speakers, chairs, pets, etc. Let alone RCN installers (frequently switching back and forth or even doing double duty) doing the same.
Fortunately, Verizon doesn’t do that. They use their own, in house, non-installation department, slapping in a half arsed wireless point and wishing one the best.
Don’t know which comment you’re replying to wzrd1…knowing that would help.
I am interested in knowing why some of the new movies on “on demand” have been listed for purchase for a long time now and not for rent. Why are some movies not listed for rent? I.E. Gone Girl, has been for sale for at least weeks, with no rental available. In addition, this week, most of the movies worth watching are for sale, not for rent. Who would want to buy a movie, unless it was worth watching again and cannot make this determination until you have watched it. Overall, the selection of new movies each Tuesday has been less than favorable
I literally cannot begin to describe how horrible my experience and treatment has been with Comcast as a provider. I have not even had them 2 months and to get treated so poorly and no one cares is the worst feeling you could ever have for thousands of customers feeling this way and getting treated like this is UNFAIR!! This is absolutely the worst customer service Ive EVER experienced in my life and want to cancel and nothing to do with Comcast from this moment on!!!! I called 8 times since 10am this morning it is now 2pm in FL and just got off the phone with the rudest lady in the entire system. My service has been horrific since I joined with comcast and I want to cancel it goes in and out shuts off all the time and getting a hold of someone is the worst experience you could ever have. I will never ever again have comcast or recommend then to anyone. I am also getting asked to pay a termination fee after having the service for a MONTH and its being so shitty the entire time!!! Is that a joke????? Over $200 because your service all around is horrific absolutely NOT! I have received 3 bills and a termination notice all within a month of having them. I have called now 9 times alone just today and no one answers or hangs up on you and then you get someone who talks so bad to you and all I wanted to do by this point is cancel and eve then cancelling I have to get mistreated???? What kind of company is this that this is ok?? To charge someone over $230 quoted for the worst service in my life is unheard of so much that I wanted to contact the BBB and the news and file as many complaints as I can and im 30 years old just bought a house and have a job but I have nothing else better to do then complain or stay on hold. I was pretty much in tears so mad with how ive been treated I am not paying that and want my last bill and to never hear from comcast again.
Stacie…this may be the most important reply you will have to this most recent rant…I’m sure your complaint is totally legitimate, but…when you are so angry and frustrated that you misspell words, don’t use punctuation, and your words seem to read just as jumble…then you’re not getting your complaint, position, problem or thoughts heard in the way they should be. My sister is always telling me to act dumb as a stump, let “them” believe they are smarter than anyone you’ve ever met…and you’ll get what you want more quickly…course I’ve not completely learned to use that tactic in every case yet, but when you do remember, it does work…at least some of the time. 😱 Beside that I know you to be a bright young lady, and it pains me to read what amounts to gobbledygook. Other advice…document every single thing and refuse to pay…re-read the contract also. God bless.