So I moved and cancelled my Comcast service, quite happy to be rid of them. The nice CSR on the phone told me that someone would be by to pick up my equipment; she named a time and date. She also told me I was due a refund of a bit over $100 in unused service and that it would be issued 3-4 weeks after the equipment was picked up.
All of this is perfectly normal and reasonable, so I agree. The day of the pickup comes and no one shows up.
Now, if you've ever had comcast service, you know that they specify a four to five hour range in which they say someone will come, so it's up to you to make yourself available. This is an inconvenience for most people, so having someone just not show up is pretty inconsiderate.
But mistakes happen. I call back, explain what happened, and a new CSR apologizes and reschedules a pickup a week later.
Again, no one shows up.
Now I'm kind of irritated. That's 8 hours of my life dedicated to sitting at home waiting for someone who may or may not show up to come. If there was going to be a problem, they could have called; basically, they forgot about me.
I call again and explain to the new CSR that I'm kind of upset about this, and would really like for this to be resolved, and I feel that there shouldn't be any delay in processing this refund, given that none of what has occured is my fault. She's polite and schedules a third equipment pickup, saying she'll see what she can do about expediting the refund process (I'm not hopeful about this, as I know refunds processed through a corporation this large are handled by a central branch and typically nothing can be expedited).
The third pickup comes when I'm not here. They pick up only half of the equipment.
I roll my eyes, and resign myself to waiting until they figure out that something went wrong. A month later, I get a letter saying that my account is delinquint in the amount of $386 (for two modems that the third pickup didn't get).
Now I'm pretty raging pissed, but I call and am polite to the CSR (having worked many similar jobs, including my current one, I'm sympathetic to the limitations on what they can do and how much it sucks to get yelled at for something that isn't your fault). In the middle of explaining all this, she interrupts me several times to say that there is nothing she can do and to try to tell me to have a nice day, at which point the conversation looks like this:
Me: Ma'am, can I speak to your superior? Her: No, I'm sorry, you can't. Me: ...why not? Her: They're not in the office, and they don't take calls, they schedule 24-48 hour callbacks. Me: Ok, can you schedule me for one of those? Her: Ok. Me: What's your superior's name? Her: I can't tell you that. Me: ...why not? Her: I have several, and I don't know which one is going to call you back. Me: Ok, can I have all their names? I'm basically-- Her: <interrupting> We don't release names, I'm sorry, thank you for choosing Com-- Me: <reinterrupting> Ok, but I need-- Her: <hangs up>
At this point, I am *astounded*. I have NEVER encountered a CSR this obnoxiously bad before. I give myself five minutes to calm down, then call back.
Her: Thank you for calling Comcast Client Services, this is Jeanine, how can I help you? Me: Hi Jeanine, please don't hang up on me again, I think that was very ru-- Her: <interrupting> There wasn't anything else I can tell you, and there still isn't. Me: Ok, but that doesn't excuse you from just hanging up on someone. Now what I was TRYING to ask before you hung up on me is if I can get a confirmation number for your superior calling me back. Her: We don't issue confirmation numbers for that. Me: Ok, can I get written confirmation of some kind, then? Her: No, we don't do that. Me: You don't have anything you can fax me? Her: No. Me: Jeanine, there has to be a physical record of this somewhere that you can send me-- Her: <interrupting> There is, but it contains information that we do not disclose to customers. Me: Ok, I understand that. Can you send me something that does NOT contain that information? Her: <raising her voice> We DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. Me: I'll take a handwritten note on Comcast letterhead, as long as it's signed. Can you fax something like that over? Her: WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. <hangs up>
I've never wanted to throttle someone so badly in my life.
But thankfully, I'm not an idiot. After some digging, I called their corporate offices and filed a complaint with a very sympathetic person in billing. I then called and filed a complaint with a very, VERY sympathetic person in HR.
Jeanine was also very silly. The last letter they sent me (the one with her direct line on it) originated from their local center, not a central corporate office; it's less than 15 miles from here. I did myself a favor and stopped by, filing a complaint with her superior (who was, in fact, in the office) and got the issue resolved in person. Her superior assured me (especially after I mentioned that I had their central HR office number) that disciplinary action would be taken.
I sincerely hope this woman loses her job; I hope her next one is working at a McDonald's, where I can go and give her crap on a daily basis.
posted
I find it hard to believe anyone who would tell me that there is not a superior in the call office. I have never seen or dealt with a corporation that does not have a superior available to handle situations. I give you kudos for standing your ground. We have started to accept poor customer service and there is not reason for us not to expect excellent customer service.
Posts: 224 | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I always just drop off the Comcast equipment at the local Comcast office. Saves a lot of time and frustration.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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quote:I always just drop off the Comcast equipment at the local Comcast office. Saves a lot of time and frustration.
Had I a car, or were there a pickup center nearby, I would have done so.
The latest rep I talked to (after Jeanine), informed me that they can simply issue a Fed Ex call tag and have the items PICKED UP BY FED EX. For the love of Pete, how is that not easier than ANY of the aforementioned options?!
posted
Just wait till they send you to a collection agency... Like they did to me... after they told me I didn't have to do anything with my outdated equipment.
(I decided it wasn't worth the hassel and just gave them their $100 or so...)
posted
As a worker of comcast, let me first say that I am pretty astounded at the call myself, and you do have my sympathies in not only the call, but the whole situation in general. I'd tell you some BS story about how everyone at comcast is a good representation of the company, but truth is, shit happens. I can only express my word that representatives like that are dealt with quickly.
quote: Her: They're not in the office, and they don't take calls, they schedule 24-48 hour callbacks.
Say what? Now, I know its possible that they might be in a meeting, and forgot to assign someone to be floor support. Happens in my area once in while. Honestly, this is the part that ruined the call.
quote: Me: What's your superior's name? Her: I can't tell you that.
Bogus. Granted, comcast is full of levels of power, but there is always one direct supervisor, then other supervisors. And even then, someone on floor support.
quote: Her: <interrupting> We don't release names, I'm sorry, thank you for choosing Com-- Me: <reinterrupting> Ok, but I need-- Her: <hangs up>
That is beyond astonishing. I don't think I can even say anything more about that.
As far as any confirmation, or note or anything like that, there wouldn't be, but she still handed that pretty poorly. If anything she should have given you her extension to her voicemail.
I wish there was anything more I could really say. Hopefully, the people you talked to afterward were easy enough to deal with, and you found some level of resolution. Again, let me reinforce what I said before: these situations with CR reps do get dealt with pretty quicky, and its easy for comcast to react to these situations.
Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote: I wish there was anything more I could really say. Hopefully, the people you talked to afterward were easy enough to deal with, and you found some level of resolution. Again, let me reinforce what I said before: these situations with CR reps do get dealt with pretty quicky, and its easy for comcast to react to these situations.
My other interactions with Comcast Customer Care, while not always helpful, have always been at least professional and friendly. I'm glad to hear that Comcast takes action against people who behave like this. Hopefully they take reciprocal action for people who do a better job than their job requires - I try to let the company know when I've had a really, really excellent CSR, beyond telling the CSR "Thanks, you were really helpful."
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
All I can say is get RCN. I spoke with them today on the phone to set up my new service and they were easy to get ahold of and very, very courteous. We'll see how the actually installation goes.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
That was pretty rude, I am very suprised somebody like that works the phones. I had some high speed internet problems in my area and I called comcast and they established the problem was on their end not mine.
I breathed a sigh of relief and setup an appointment. I live and breath the internet, (I know, I have a problem.) So the next available appointment was the next day in the afternoon. I had to ditch work early to lounge around at home from 1-5 so I could meet the repairman at the door. Nobody was showing up so I call at 4:15 and ask if the repairman is coming.
They said the repairman could easily show up at around 5:00, and I should wait til then. I wait, and nobody shows up, so I call at 5:00 and they tell me to call in 1 hour as the work order will likely be updated by then by the repairman. I wait til 6:30, call back, and the lady helping me said she had no idea why the repairman did not show up. She said she was VERY sorry I was stood up. She setup the next available appointment and said she was accrediting $20 to my next bill. That was enough to placate me I suppose and the repairman came the next day.
As a Postscript, the repairman couldnt fix the problem, called up his buddy who came 2 hours later and got everything working. My advice, don't live in an old neighborhood. They hate new technologies.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
In my limited experience, Comcast was too eager to please. I signed up for one of those "free modum" offers. The sales company was slow to send the hardware. So the local Comcast office provided me with an identical modum so I could get up and running. They let me replace it with the "offer" modum when it finally arrived. Howevere, when I applied for the refund it was denied (after almost a year) because the serial number of the modum I had did not match the number of the one they provided. I was never able to resolve the situation. So, you live and learn.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Sounds like a pain in the butt. I've been finding more and more recently, that customer service is going down hill. I don't know if companies are finding it harder to hire and train good people, or if they just don't care enough.
Maybe with so many call centers going to overseas locations, the few call centers left in the US are paying less, attracting less helpful people, or people who aren't motivated to do well because they have such low salary.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Cox Cable won't give me high-speed Internet until I pay them money they claim I owe them. The total? $4. Which I have supposedly owed them for more than a year. But they give me no options for methods of payment. I am apparently supposed to use my mental teleporting capabilities to teleport $4 to their corporate office.
Oh yeah, and I don't even know whose name the cable I have now is in...I haven't gotten a bill since I moved in. I live in fear that one day I will come home, and the cable will be turned off.
posted
My step-dad's been having some really bad back problems that might be caused by something in his brain. I'd rather not think about the possibilities at the moment...
Posts: 450 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MightyCow: Maybe with so many call centers going to overseas locations, the few call centers left in the US are paying less, attracting less helpful people, or people who aren't motivated to do well because they have such low salary.
This isn't necessarily true. Many call centers pay their employees very well and have good benefits packages (I work for one). The reason that there is a high turnover rate in the Customer Service industry has to do more with the fact that it is EXTREMELY stressful. Imagine knowing that when you go to work today you will spend 8 hours on the phone, well 7 1/2 because you do get two 15 minute breaks. If your center says that you should be taking say 1 call every 6 minutes, that means you should be taking approximately 75-80 calls per day. While the majority of calls are pleasant or have legitimate questions let's say 1/3 of the calls are repeat callers attempting to find a rep who will do something that they are not allowed to do (either because it is against company policy or because it is against the LAW in some cases) and/or are made up of people who are upset about something. That's 25-26 calls where you are expected to not only calm and assist an irate customer, but often have to deal with rudeness and bad language which I believe to be unparalleled. Customer service in a store is one thing, customers (usually) won't yell and scream and curse like they will on the phone, being in a public place seems to calm them down. I've had customers use bad language that I'd never heard before, they've blamed me personally for poor service that they've received in the past (and while it is my responsibility to deal with any mistakes etc that a previous rep has made it doesn't make things any easier to be treated like dirt) and then often act shocked when we ask them not to use that type of language (yes I did tell my customers that).
Now, all of the above aside, there is no excuse for the type of call that started this post and I hope the representative does have disciplinary action taken against her.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Oddly, there are plenty of call centers left in the US, and furthermore, there are plenty of call centers in India willing to hire westerners for what's a pretty decent salary for a westerner (slightly decreased from a pretty decent salary here or in England, but the cost of living decrease more than makes up for it).
I worked three months in a call center; the pay wasn't anything spectacular (though it wasn't dirt cheap, either), but the benefits were incredible (not very useful to me, but several people stayed there despite a spouse earning enough to support the whole family, because the insurance was very good and very cheap).
Definitely the biggest issue was stress due to a combination of the incoming calls and the procedures in place to (attempt to) improve efficiency.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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