Time Warner Tests Speedier Cable Service

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It looks like Time Warner is taking a page out of the old Dominos Pizza delivery playbook. If the tech doesn't arrive at your house in the one hour timeframe the company promised, you get a $20 credit.

Under the new system, about 98% of the time the technician will arrive within a scheduled one-hour time window, according to Time Warner, and the company will give the customer an estimate of how long the work will take. The company will give customers a $20 credit on their bill if the technician doesn't show up within the prearranged one-hour time window, according to Pelzer.
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Still won't ever get cable, but it is nice they've changed their "Between 9am and 4pm" model.
 
Even if he shows up on time, it doesn't mean he will have the tools or knowledge to get the work done.

A few years ago we tried to get cable internet from comcast, we called them up (on a monday) and they said they would send someone out on friday.
Friday comes around, and the install tech shows up on time, but says he can't do the work because a line has to be run from the pole across the street to the pole on our side of the street. He tells us that they will send someone out on monday who can do the work.
Nobody even shows up on monday, so we call and complain and they tell us the earliest they can send someone out is friday. So that friday another install tech shows up, realizes the problem, and again says that he can't do the work, and that someone would be out on monday.
Same thing happens that monday too (no tech shows up, can't send one out till friday...)
So that friday a third tech shows up (this is now 3 weeks since we ordered cable). This tech, (who was from out of state on contract) sees the problem and again tells us that he can't do the work. So I start complaining about the 3 week delay, and he tells me that he isn't technically supposed to do pole work (they have a separate tech for that) but he says he knows how to do it and will do it anyway because we waited so long. He calls up the office, has someone deliver the special cable they needed, and gets the work done.
 
sir-gold said:
Even if he shows up on time, it doesn't mean he will have the tools or knowledge to get the work done.

A few years ago we tried to get cable internet from comcast, we called them up (on a monday) and they said they would send someone out on friday.
Friday comes around, and the install tech shows up on time, but says he can't do the work because a line has to be run from the pole across the street to the pole on our side of the street. He tells us that they will send someone out on monday who can do the work.
Nobody even shows up on monday, so we call and complain and they tell us the earliest they can send someone out is friday. So that friday another install tech shows up, realizes the problem, and again says that he can't do the work, and that someone would be out on monday.
Same thing happens that monday too (no tech shows up, can't send one out till friday...)
So that friday a third tech shows up (this is now 3 weeks since we ordered cable). This tech, (who was from out of state on contract) sees the problem and again tells us that he can't do the work. So I start complaining about the 3 week delay, and he tells me that he isn't technically supposed to do pole work (they have a separate tech for that) but he says he knows how to do it and will do it anyway because we waited so long. He calls up the office, has someone deliver the special cable they needed, and gets the work done.
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Bwaahahhahahahaha! Why That's.....Comcastic!:D
 
I use TWC and despite their terrible upload rates, I haven't been too unhappy. I used their tech service who did show up within a (then) 2-hour window and completed the job. His boss also showed up to make sure if I had any questions they were answered (i think it was more to review the tech).

All in all, 7/10. It's not FiOS or Google, but hey, it's something.
 
I just got a free upgrade from them not much of a speed increase but my bill didn't go up. Only been with them since sept 2010.
 
I have no quams with TWC. Been using them for over a decade. I pay less than $45/month for their turbo service and while the upload is poop, the download is more than sufficient and I rarely ever have downtime. Like less than 10 minutes/year. Their techs are good in this area too, however most I've had are contracted out. Luckily I don't really ever call them except when changing service plans.
 
I don't have Comcast, but when I ordered my cable service from Cox, I was told something ridiculous like "the tech will be out between 12pm and 5pm." Really, having to basically cancel an entire day because the cable guy has a 5+ hour window to show up to your house is stupid. To top it off, the guy actually showed up at 11am to do the installation. In my case that was awesome, but if I had been out doing something I would have been mad. I mean, you have a damn 5 hour window. How hard is it to actually show up within that time frame?
 
sir-gold said:
Even if he shows up on time, it doesn't mean he will have the tools or knowledge to get the work done.

A few years ago we tried to get cable internet from comcast, we called them up (on a monday) and they said they would send someone out on friday.
Friday comes around, and the install tech shows up on time, but says he can't do the work because a line has to be run from the pole across the street to the pole on our side of the street. He tells us that they will send someone out on monday who can do the work.
Nobody even shows up on monday, so we call and complain and they tell us the earliest they can send someone out is friday. So that friday another install tech shows up, realizes the problem, and again says that he can't do the work, and that someone would be out on monday.
Same thing happens that monday too (no tech shows up, can't send one out till friday...)
So that friday a third tech shows up (this is now 3 weeks since we ordered cable). This tech, (who was from out of state on contract) sees the problem and again tells us that he can't do the work. So I start complaining about the 3 week delay, and he tells me that he isn't technically supposed to do pole work (they have a separate tech for that) but he says he knows how to do it and will do it anyway because we waited so long. He calls up the office, has someone deliver the special cable they needed, and gets the work done.
Click to expand...

I agree that this kind of thing is intolerable. This sounds like an RG11 situation for the drop. RG11 is something that most installers don't carry. It's usually something that is only had from the guys that work strictly on the main lines. Much like fiber optic cables, it's all about expense. RG11 has a much higher dollar value than the standard RG6.
 
This reminds me of just how good FIOS has been to me so far. It's been a considerable chunk above advertised speed since day 1, and I've never had any trouble since save for a TV box that had the HDMI port die, which meant I had to survive off component for a few days. Plus FIOS is just a superior service in general, the TV quality is noticeably better and the internet is just miles ahead of everything else.

Holy fuck I swear I was calling Cablevision constantly, the internet connection went to shit all the time.
 
I use TWC. Actually had an internet outage last night. Call a few of my neighbors and their internet is out as well. Call TWC and they don't show an outage. Then they say the earliest they could be out is next Thursday. I'm like "lol...I pay for wideband and you expect me to be down for a week? How about you shave $50 off my bill?" and suddenly an appointment for early today opens up. So I took it. About an hour later my internet came back up.

Their service is good, when it works. But god help you if you have issues.
 
Most technical problems with cable based internet has to do with defective equipment, bad coax (RG59 or animal chew or bad connectors), and splitters (modem NOT connected through the first split ONLY, the use of cheap "gold" splitters, or splitters that have gone bad).

Defective equipment:
What can I say? It's all made in China by the lowest bidder and (like everything else) is considered to be disposable (no matter what the cost).

Coax:
DO NOT use RG59! Always use RG6. Squirrels just love to chew on drops (line from pole to house). Premolded prefabricated connectors are NOT any good....use crimped-on connectors.

Splitters:
DO NOT use the cheap "gold" splitters from the grocery store/drug store/Radio Shack. They are usually rated at 5-600Mhz or 5-900Mhz and are NOT adequate. The modem should be connected to the first splitter ONLY. Sometimes, a good splitter can go bad (for various reasons).

The fact that a modem goes online does NOT mean that everything is ok. It's all about the power levels coming into and going out of the modem (over the coax). Sometimes, it's a problem from the main lines. Sometimes, an amplifier is required. Sometimes, problems are created by the home electrical system. Like so many other things in life....it has more to do with 'the way' something is done.
 
prndll said:
Most technical problems with cable based internet has to do with defective equipment, bad coax (RG59 or animal chew or bad connectors), and splitters (modem NOT connected through the first split ONLY, the use of cheap "gold" splitters, or splitters that have gone bad).
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In my experience, 90% of problems are peoples own home wiring, 5% provisioning/activation, 4% equipment problem and the rest plant or infrastructure issues.

One hour timeframes is going to suck for those guys. We have to do 2 jobs in a 2 hour window, sometimes it's not bad, but a lot of times corners get cut.
 
Actually showing up for appointments in the least of their problems.

Terrible equipment, Terrible service, Terrible prices, no thanks.

I'm sure people love them to death but in my area I think they suck donkey butt.
 
pffft! 20 dollar credit my bleep. I had a tech come out the other day to install my cable card for my HDHomerun Prime to cut about 35 bucks off from my total bill a month. (Which is brilliant btw once everything is set up correctly!) I know I could have done it myself, but wanted to turn in all of my PVR boxes at the same time. Not only did he not know how to install the cable card, but he forgot the tuning adapter while running an hour late. Next appt was a day later and he was even late for that by about an hour and a half.

All in all, I guess I should have known about the credit beforehand and then call them up to redeem it. However I like this methodology. Time is money, and many of us have to take time off from work just to get this crap done.
 
They've had this service around me for quite a while. All you have to do is call in and they'll credit your account. I've had good luck with techs though when I needed one.
 
TheWeazmeister said:
My 30/5 is great ymmv but I am not complaining.
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Same here. 30/5 plan is great IMO. Always get the full speed they advertise and there are no caps. I use on average 1.3TB of bandwidth per month. 2 Months ago I used 2.3TB total even in 1 month. They bill be $64 a month for that and I think that's a fair price.
 
Damn, read the headline totally expecting TW to be raising their internet speeds, not the time it takes a tech to get out there.

TW is about to get massacred in Kansas City as soon as Google Fiber finishes rolling out. This is too little, too late. I haven't had too much problem with TW, but I will be getting Google Fiber when it comes through my neighborhood next year.
 
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