Thursday, November 15, 2007
They have a quality assurance person.
A person from quality assurance called me today. Apparantly the guys who left midway through the installation reported my area as needing a maintenance visit, so we was calling to check the quality of the maintenance visit. I told him to my knowledge, no maintenance guy had came, and I needed INSTALLATION, not MAINTENANCE. This guys either hadn't read my file or didn't have access to it. I told them I was no longer interested in using their services, all I wanted was reimbursement for my time and the wires removed from my house. He just said sorry.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Should've known better....
My last bad Comcast experience actually led to a Better Business Bureau complaint, and a complaint to corporate headquarters. They sent me a card with a red rose on the front that said "sorry." Nice touch, Comcast.
When we first purchased our high definition TV, we needed a high definition box, and we also decided to get DVR service. I was stood up for three appointments. Come to find out, the hold up was that the box I needed wasn't in stock. How hard is it to tell someone that up front? Apparently pretty hard if you're Comcast.
So this time I've learned my lesson. I'm a satellite girl for good now.
When we first purchased our high definition TV, we needed a high definition box, and we also decided to get DVR service. I was stood up for three appointments. Come to find out, the hold up was that the box I needed wasn't in stock. How hard is it to tell someone that up front? Apparently pretty hard if you're Comcast.
So this time I've learned my lesson. I'm a satellite girl for good now.
Comcast has lost my business forever
Last night, a Comcast CSR confirmed for me that I had an appointment tomorrow (Thursday) from 8-11 a.m. I just called 404-comcast to confirm.
Guess what? Anthony, my CSR last night, entered that I would like an appointment on Thursday from 8-11 a.m. into his notes, but failed to actually set the appointment. So now, CSR Nicolette (second day on the job) tells me that no other appointments are available until November 25.
CSR Nicolette also tells me that the techs who showed up yesterday have entered into the system that they showed up and "missed me." How nice that at Comcast, you can just enter complete and total b.s. into your notes and no one seems to check it. If I were a supervisor, I'd so some occasional quality audits and check up on my techs. It would be pretty easy to figure out that they are lying by looking at how many times I called in yesterday.
So, I told CSR Nicolette that I'm done, but I'd like the following: 1) my order to be cancelled 2) the wires to be removed from my house and yard 3) a reimbursement from Comcast for my missed time at work and 4) an explanation from someone at their company as to why these things keep happening. I asked her if there is a vice president of customer service I could contact. She put me on hold for about three minutes and then came back and said "I don't think we have one." Boy, if that isn't ironic. Anyway, I wished her good luck with her career. Hope she likes abuse.
Also, just for kicks and giggles I'm starting a one-person campaign to get Cobb County to add other cable providers. It's time for the consumers to stop getting kicked around.
Guess what? Anthony, my CSR last night, entered that I would like an appointment on Thursday from 8-11 a.m. into his notes, but failed to actually set the appointment. So now, CSR Nicolette (second day on the job) tells me that no other appointments are available until November 25.
CSR Nicolette also tells me that the techs who showed up yesterday have entered into the system that they showed up and "missed me." How nice that at Comcast, you can just enter complete and total b.s. into your notes and no one seems to check it. If I were a supervisor, I'd so some occasional quality audits and check up on my techs. It would be pretty easy to figure out that they are lying by looking at how many times I called in yesterday.
So, I told CSR Nicolette that I'm done, but I'd like the following: 1) my order to be cancelled 2) the wires to be removed from my house and yard 3) a reimbursement from Comcast for my missed time at work and 4) an explanation from someone at their company as to why these things keep happening. I asked her if there is a vice president of customer service I could contact. She put me on hold for about three minutes and then came back and said "I don't think we have one." Boy, if that isn't ironic. Anyway, I wished her good luck with her career. Hope she likes abuse.
Also, just for kicks and giggles I'm starting a one-person campaign to get Cobb County to add other cable providers. It's time for the consumers to stop getting kicked around.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Open Letter to Comcast
Dear Mr. Stephen B. Burke,
As Chief Operating Officer at Comcast, I am writing to point out to you that Comcast isn't operating very well, at least from this customer's perspective. After trying everything humanly possible through all open customer service channels available to me, I am turning to the Internet in hopes that protecting your reputation will bring someone to action at your huge bureaucratic monstrosity of a company.
As a public relations and marketing practitioner, I can't begin to tell you how much protecting your reputation is going to mean to you in the new media era. All the press releases, advertising and community giving in the world will not be able to cover up the fact that your customer service (at least in the Atlanta area) sucks. Where we used to just talk about it to our neighbors, now and in the future, we'll rant about you on Myspace and Facebook, and upload videos about how much you suck on YouTube. When someone does a Google search on Comcast, they'll find customers ranting about how bad you are, instead of the items you want us to find on comcast.com. One day, we'll all march on Washington and demand total deregulation, so that we no longer have to wait at home for no one to show up and help us, and you'll lose that last bastion of marketplace protection you enjoy. Basically in the future, your customers will control your reputation, not your hired PR agencies. So what you should learn very soon is that you need to keep your customers happy, or it could cost you many more customers, and much more money, down the road.
I'm sure while earning your undergraduate degree at Colgate, before going on to get your MBA at the prestigious Harvard School of Business, you probably heard this old adage: the customer is always right. Well, I know that they sometimes aren't, but I think what this old saying is probably trying to convey is this: respect your customer, because they are the ones that pay your bills and allow you to put nutritious food on your table for those hungry five kids of yours.
Here's my latest Comcast story, Stephen: After quitting Comcast two years ago (will go into that later), my husband and I have decided to "ditch the dish" and rejoin the Comcast family. We want to give you a lot of money, say around $145 a month. And that's just the first year when you're giving me a bundling discount. Here's a list of the services I've ordered: Digital Voice, Cable Modem for Internet Access, Digital high definition package with extra channels and HBO. And, I want your DVR, plus I'm renting two boxes from you as well as a modem. I think as far as a residential customer profile is concerned, that you could not ask for more. With me, you're defeating the dish providers and conquering Ma Bell. It's the kind of stuff a good business plan depends on.
So here we are on Tuesday, November 13. Techs are supposed to be at my house from 11-2. I rush home by 10:45 a.m., just to make sure I don't miss them. At 1:45 p.m., someone from Comcast calls me to tell me my tech is running late. No problem, I say. I'm here. I find it refreshing that someone calls me to say they are late, unlike my last Comcastic experience. At 3:05, my techs show up.
The techs seem like nice guys. Clean cut and soft spoken, they ask me to show them the areas I need hooked up. I give them a tour. In their crisp gray Comcast shirts, they walk through my house and inspect it. Then they go outside and begin running a new wire from the cable box in my front yard to the back of my house.
Here's where it gets interesting. As soon as they begin working on my cable, one of my neighbors comes outside and asks them if they have accidentally cut his cable. They tell him no. Then, they come in my house and say "looks like the cable is out in your area, so we can't complete your installation. Call 800-comcast to reschedule." Then they leave, wires still hanging from my house and snaking across my front yard (see photos for proof, Stephen).
I go to see my neighbor. He says that his cable was off, but now it is back on. Less than 10 minutes has ticked off the clock at this point, so I'm stil hopeful. I call 404-comcast to tell them to send back the techs. because they can finish my installation now. My CSR sends a "where's my tech?" e-mail and tells me to wait for a call from dispatch. I ask her how long, she says no more than 30 minutes. Ok, I say. And then I wait.
So Stephen, after 45 minutes, I'm beginning to lose my temper. I call back again. This time Phillip is my CSR, and I have to say, I'm not happy with his repoir. It's not our fault, he says, you'll just have to reschedule. He offers me November 23 between 11-2. No can do, I tell him. I want someone today, because all of my old service is schedule to be terminated tomorrow. Plus, I have been sitting here ALL DAY instead of working at my job. Sorry he says, but he doesn't sound sincere. I ask for a supervisor, but after waiting for 15 minutes, I hang up and call again.
This time I get Cathy. Not sure if it is with a C or a K, so I'm going to say C. She's better. At least seems sincere, but also seems helpless to assist me. Cathy explains to me that the only thing she can do is send another "where's my tech?" e-mail asking dispatch to call me again. They can't call dispatch directly. I tell her to go ahead, and to please note that I'm still waiting on a call from the first "where's my tech?" e-mail. And here's a sidenote, Stephen. How sad is it that you have such an issue with technicians missing appointments that a system called "where's my tech?" has had to be created within Comcast? After Cathy sends my e-mail, she transfers me to a supervisor. Very nice lady, but at this point I'm irate and I don't catch her name. I can tell she deals with angry people all the time. She again tells me that unless I want to reschedule for late November, I'm pretty much at the mercy of the mysterious dispatch department to call me back.
So here I sit Stephen, at 8:03 p.m. I've literally been at this now for more than nine hours, and still no cable, no digital voice, no high-speed internet, no On Demand. Nothing but frazzled nerves and lots of misguided energy that I'm now pouring into this blog. My latest update (from my call, still haven't heard from dispatch) is that Anthony at 404-COMCAST says that someone will be here either tonight or Thursday morning between 8-11 a.m. God only knows what I will write in this blog if no one shows up then.
As Chief Operating Officer at Comcast, I am writing to point out to you that Comcast isn't operating very well, at least from this customer's perspective. After trying everything humanly possible through all open customer service channels available to me, I am turning to the Internet in hopes that protecting your reputation will bring someone to action at your huge bureaucratic monstrosity of a company.
As a public relations and marketing practitioner, I can't begin to tell you how much protecting your reputation is going to mean to you in the new media era. All the press releases, advertising and community giving in the world will not be able to cover up the fact that your customer service (at least in the Atlanta area) sucks. Where we used to just talk about it to our neighbors, now and in the future, we'll rant about you on Myspace and Facebook, and upload videos about how much you suck on YouTube. When someone does a Google search on Comcast, they'll find customers ranting about how bad you are, instead of the items you want us to find on comcast.com. One day, we'll all march on Washington and demand total deregulation, so that we no longer have to wait at home for no one to show up and help us, and you'll lose that last bastion of marketplace protection you enjoy. Basically in the future, your customers will control your reputation, not your hired PR agencies. So what you should learn very soon is that you need to keep your customers happy, or it could cost you many more customers, and much more money, down the road.
I'm sure while earning your undergraduate degree at Colgate, before going on to get your MBA at the prestigious Harvard School of Business, you probably heard this old adage: the customer is always right. Well, I know that they sometimes aren't, but I think what this old saying is probably trying to convey is this: respect your customer, because they are the ones that pay your bills and allow you to put nutritious food on your table for those hungry five kids of yours.
Here's my latest Comcast story, Stephen: After quitting Comcast two years ago (will go into that later), my husband and I have decided to "ditch the dish" and rejoin the Comcast family. We want to give you a lot of money, say around $145 a month. And that's just the first year when you're giving me a bundling discount. Here's a list of the services I've ordered: Digital Voice, Cable Modem for Internet Access, Digital high definition package with extra channels and HBO. And, I want your DVR, plus I'm renting two boxes from you as well as a modem. I think as far as a residential customer profile is concerned, that you could not ask for more. With me, you're defeating the dish providers and conquering Ma Bell. It's the kind of stuff a good business plan depends on.
So here we are on Tuesday, November 13. Techs are supposed to be at my house from 11-2. I rush home by 10:45 a.m., just to make sure I don't miss them. At 1:45 p.m., someone from Comcast calls me to tell me my tech is running late. No problem, I say. I'm here. I find it refreshing that someone calls me to say they are late, unlike my last Comcastic experience. At 3:05, my techs show up.
The techs seem like nice guys. Clean cut and soft spoken, they ask me to show them the areas I need hooked up. I give them a tour. In their crisp gray Comcast shirts, they walk through my house and inspect it. Then they go outside and begin running a new wire from the cable box in my front yard to the back of my house.
Here's where it gets interesting. As soon as they begin working on my cable, one of my neighbors comes outside and asks them if they have accidentally cut his cable. They tell him no. Then, they come in my house and say "looks like the cable is out in your area, so we can't complete your installation. Call 800-comcast to reschedule." Then they leave, wires still hanging from my house and snaking across my front yard (see photos for proof, Stephen).
I go to see my neighbor. He says that his cable was off, but now it is back on. Less than 10 minutes has ticked off the clock at this point, so I'm stil hopeful. I call 404-comcast to tell them to send back the techs. because they can finish my installation now. My CSR sends a "where's my tech?" e-mail and tells me to wait for a call from dispatch. I ask her how long, she says no more than 30 minutes. Ok, I say. And then I wait.
So Stephen, after 45 minutes, I'm beginning to lose my temper. I call back again. This time Phillip is my CSR, and I have to say, I'm not happy with his repoir. It's not our fault, he says, you'll just have to reschedule. He offers me November 23 between 11-2. No can do, I tell him. I want someone today, because all of my old service is schedule to be terminated tomorrow. Plus, I have been sitting here ALL DAY instead of working at my job. Sorry he says, but he doesn't sound sincere. I ask for a supervisor, but after waiting for 15 minutes, I hang up and call again.
This time I get Cathy. Not sure if it is with a C or a K, so I'm going to say C. She's better. At least seems sincere, but also seems helpless to assist me. Cathy explains to me that the only thing she can do is send another "where's my tech?" e-mail asking dispatch to call me again. They can't call dispatch directly. I tell her to go ahead, and to please note that I'm still waiting on a call from the first "where's my tech?" e-mail. And here's a sidenote, Stephen. How sad is it that you have such an issue with technicians missing appointments that a system called "where's my tech?" has had to be created within Comcast? After Cathy sends my e-mail, she transfers me to a supervisor. Very nice lady, but at this point I'm irate and I don't catch her name. I can tell she deals with angry people all the time. She again tells me that unless I want to reschedule for late November, I'm pretty much at the mercy of the mysterious dispatch department to call me back.
So here I sit Stephen, at 8:03 p.m. I've literally been at this now for more than nine hours, and still no cable, no digital voice, no high-speed internet, no On Demand. Nothing but frazzled nerves and lots of misguided energy that I'm now pouring into this blog. My latest update (from my call, still haven't heard from dispatch) is that Anthony at 404-COMCAST says that someone will be here either tonight or Thursday morning between 8-11 a.m. God only knows what I will write in this blog if no one shows up then.
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