Comcast Is Investigating a Customer Service Call From Hell

SixFootDuo said:
"Very Embarrassed" My ass. Maybe because they were caught.

I know, I've basically had the same discussion with these people over the phone and in person a time or two.

Just recently, last November my GF and I finally got Google Fiber. So after the install and a day or two later we decide to go down to Comcast to return their box. So we get there, walk in and have to wait around a bit until finally we get to go up to the counter. I hand the box over to the customer service guy and ask him to disconnect or service. He asks why. I'm very proud to tell him that we now have Google Fiber. He then goes into this mini self controlled rant about how Google Fiber is really not a great service, that's it's new with a lot of problems and that customers are not even getting close to the speeds they were promised. And then he says most people don't even need that speed. etc etc. Then for a cherry on top he says, people have been coming back to Comcast from Google Fiber because they just do not like the service or customer service.

I compose myself and tell and then say - your asking me to stay with Comcast that's not only less than 10% of the speed I get with Google Fiber but more expensive? Sorry, that doesn't make sense to me. I then went on to say, with all due respect ( there were people near us so I was trying to be quiet ) that Ive been on the internet for 21 years. I know how to get the full bandwidth out of Google Fiber and that it's actually faster than 1gb, that it's around 1.1 to 1.3 gigabit speeds. not just 1gb. And that was that. We left.

I will say, early on when we had issues, for example when I was downloading at say 40 - 60meg a second, the TV was get a lot of artifacts on the screen maybe ever 5 seconds until the download was over. We called the 24 hour number, yes, Google offers 24/7 support and actually got to speak with an engineer about the issue. He told us they were rolling out an update shortly that would limit DL speeds when the TV was on but he stressed it would only be a short reductions. One I've not even noticed.

I just installed BF4 to play the new expansion and the install was over 30GB. It took about 7 mins to download
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the fuck man. I am so jealous.

Why can't google step up and roll it out everywhere? they've got to have more money than god
 
chockomonkey said:
the fuck man. I am so jealous.

Why can't google step up and roll it out everywhere? they've got to have more money than god
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I'd imagine there are enough political obstacles to fill out a hollowed out sun. Comcast didn't stumble into a near monopoly by luck, they've spent decades greasing palms, opening doors for them while locking them shut for competitors. Google's new on the scene, takes time.
 
We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally ask if there was anything we could bundle for him."[\quote]

Fixed that for them.
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I believe Comcast is "very embarrassed" only because of WHO recorded this (only pointed out once in this thread).. tech journalists Ryan Block & Veronica Belmont..

ac18582ad1c5a1b6_VR.jpg

spiffy curtains

If Joe Shmoe and his wife Betty had done this, it wouldn't have gotten as much attention.
 
I just went through almost the same type of call a couple weeks ago.

I decided to cut the cable tv and phone service, but keep the internet (until I can find a faster service in my area). They kept giving me the run around and tried real hard to not give me what I wanted. They kept adding services, for a lower price, but I stood my ground.

When I finally told them to just come get the equipment I was sent to the "downgrade disco team". I had a little argument about the prices I was seeing on their website compared to the prices they were giving me on the phone. When I told them, again, "if you can't meet the prices I am seeing on the website, you can come get the equipment", they finally decided to meet my demand.

That took me about an hour of crap. In the end I upped my internet speed to the 50Mbps tier, cut the tv and phone, and cut the bill $120. The only way I can be happier is if I can find an alternative internet provider (at&t sucks, btw), and get comcrap completely out of my house and life.
 
I would have hung up after about 2 minutes of that and called back to get a different rep. The fact that he stayed on for so long makes me think it was mainly just to make this recording.

Not saying the Comcast rep wasn't totally idiotic, but still.
 
MavericK96 said:
I would have hung up after about 2 minutes of that and called back to get a different rep. The fact that he stayed on for so long makes me think it was mainly just to make this recording.

Not saying the Comcast rep wasn't totally idiotic, but still.
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Well I'm glad they made the recording and brought attention to how the calls REALLY go in comparison to how companies perceive they go. Block should have flat out said "I don't owe you any explanation as to why I'm leaving, I am, now disconnect me." and that should have been enough had he not wanted to discuss net neutrality issues with some pea-brained jackass.
 
TechSys said:
I just went through almost the same type of call a couple weeks ago.

I decided to cut the cable tv and phone service, but keep the internet (until I can find a faster service in my area). They kept giving me the run around and tried real hard to not give me what I wanted. They kept adding services, for a lower price, but I stood my ground.

When I finally told them to just come get the equipment I was sent to the "downgrade disco team". I had a little argument about the prices I was seeing on their website compared to the prices they were giving me on the phone. When I told them, again, "if you can't meet the prices I am seeing on the website, you can come get the equipment", they finally decided to meet my demand.

That took me about an hour of crap. In the end I upped my internet speed to the 50Mbps tier, cut the tv and phone, and cut the bill $120. The only way I can be happier is if I can find an alternative internet provider (at&t sucks, btw), and get comcrap completely out of my house and life.
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What's interesting when I canceled Dish Network, I didn't get any pushback. It was literally " sorry to hear that, the final bill will be, and I've put the order in to get you the return boxes. Is there anything else I can do for you? "

I still had two months on contract. But only cost me $35 (17.50 * 2).

I always record my CSR calls or chat logs. On contracted services, I've been good about asking if a change will alter (extend) the length of my contract. Had situations where I'm told no, and then it does, and suddenly I have a huge circle jerk to get it corrected months down the line.
 
Just as we suspected, the Comcast rep that badgered a customer damn near to death was probably doing what he was told. The Consumerist has the scoop from actual Comcast employees.

“That rep, (may God have mercy on his soul) was doing exactly as he was told to do,” writes former Comcast call center employee and Consumerist reader M. “Comcast reps make about $12/hour, but they get bonuses for every account that they save.”
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Same as when I worked for Frontier Internet Tech Support, company wanted you to fix the customers problems then sell them the anti-virus-malware-firewall bundle and any other services you could. They paid a good commission for signing up new customers, but all I wanted to do was tech support and not sales.
 
I work tech support for a large ISP and I have worked customer service for a large bank - including as supervisor at both.

While more extreme then anything I have personally dealt with all call centers are like this. All of them everywhere.

The sad thing is that after talking to a person like the retention guy a week, month, or year later then need to talk to tech support and even though we'd be fired for being like that people will start right off swinging hard with the beat you down stick.

Last night I started a call with I am sorry your internet isnt working (which I truly am, I hate it when mine goes down) to which was replied with no hesitations "no your not" and a few F words. The call went better after I told the lady I'd like to help but I cant if she is going to be like that.

What the comcast guy did is reprehensible, just keep in mind call center agents get just a bad beating as they sometimes give out.

Dont forget all the little old ladies that will argue till they are blue in the face and going for the oxygen that they dont have a modem, never had a modem and dont need a modem, now get my internet working.

The last one I had like that decided to go look for it when I told her if she doesn't have a modem I cant help her.

It is very rare for me to not have my customer relaxed, happy and joking by the end of the call - fixed or waiting for a tech visit, some people just arnt nice and cant be happy -- keep in mind when you call, as much as the agent will try not to let the last call stay with them, they may well have been talking to the spirit of Hitler and it can be hard to let go of that in the 0 second between calls.

Of course there are the call where you have to literally bit your hand hard enough to leave a mark for weeks to keep a straight face and not laugh. Like the lady (when I was at BofA debit card claim) who had gone to the emergency room at the local hospital and they "tricked her into getting an enema" and she didnt want to pay for it. Or the guy who sent his girlfriend to sears with his card for a makeover and they "made her look like a hussy, and I dont want to pay for it."

Ya the comcast guy was evil, even though management cant or wont admit it they corporation has the agent doing that with a do whatever it takes to keep them attitude.
 
I think just for the hell of it I'm going to call Comcast sometime (I don't have them anymore) and tell them I'm calling to cancel my service. I'll assure them I DO have it, when they say I don't, and then tell them I want to cancel.... I wonder how that would go.
 
I hate Comcast with a passion and would love to see them be crushed. However I couldn't help listening to this that the customer was just as big of an asshole as the Comcast guy.

Stating that they shouldn't be asking customers why they cancel but should just hire an outside firm to figure it out. That if fucking retarded. The best way for a company to know is to just ask. Yes the guy should have stopped but there is nothing wrong with the practice of asking. At my work we just ask. "If you don't mind me asking for our records, why exactly did you decide to cancel your service today" if they don't want to answer then we mark down no answer and are done.
 
Sometimes in these recordings the customer is definitely the asshat, but don't think that was the case here. It's not like he dropped the "hire a company" card after the first time he was asked. He had already declined to answer 3 or 4 times and clearly was getting frustrated the guy wouldn't move along.

Maybe he should have hung up or maybe ask for a manager. That's about all I could see him doing differently.
 
I don't really see the big deal. A CSR snapped. The shit they have to put up with day in and day out, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more.
 
lmao wow that was brutal LOL.

But sadly the CSR is probably forced to do this, perhaps he's taking it the next level just to prove how stupid the concept is.
 
That's why they need laws against crap like this, that companies CSR agent are not allowed to have quota's and shit, in order to protect the consumer
 
I am surprised the Comcast Employee did not ask for a disconnect fee...similar to Cox's fee they charged for me installing my own modem.
 
I kinda feel like doing someone a solid and making a cancellation bluff, then abort mission so they collect their bonus.
 
The guy asking to have his service disconnected sounded like a ninny. He LET that Comcast guy keep on and on. I'd have had a very different conversation...
 
Pied said:
The guy asking to have his service disconnected sounded like a ninny. He LET that Comcast guy keep on and on. I'd have had a very different conversation...
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Agreed. The caller was obviously recording the conversation and had an agenda.

My call would have been much shorter or I'd have hung up.
 
They could have just sent a signed cancellation letter in the mail and get over with it. Then sue the company if they fail to honor that.
 
"Comcast Is Investigating a Customer Service Call From Hell"
No they're not. The service rep did exactly what every other comcast service rep does. Do everything possible to get the customer to stay on. Including refuse to put through the disconnect order until you have a lawyer write them and threaten to sue. Then they bill you months later even after you've disconnected. Gov't approved utilities like this really need to be regulated by a board of citizens who are currently customers, say, 12 people and one gets removed and replaced every month so no one person ever gets in a position to become 'owned' by the utility.
 
nightfly said:
"Comcast Is Investigating a Customer Service Call From Hell"
No they're not. The service rep did exactly what every other comcast service rep does. Do everything possible to get the customer to stay on. Including refuse to put through the disconnect order until you have a lawyer write them and threaten to sue. Then they bill you months later even after you've disconnected. Gov't approved utilities like this really need to be regulated by a board of citizens who are currently customers, say, 12 people and one gets removed and replaced every month so no one person ever gets in a position to become 'owned' by the utility.
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In theory that sounds great, issue is that in that short of a time frame in "office" they wouldn't get anything done and the new people wouldn't barely have time to learn what the previous ones did, learn all the regulations and then start learning what is going on currently and in the near future.
 
jmilcher said:
Agreed. The caller was obviously recording the conversation and had an agenda.

My call would have been much shorter or I'd have hung up.
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Recording service calls (and informing the rep) is a great way for calls to be pleasant and productive. You don't need a nerfarious plan to record a conversation.
 
Chas said:
Fuck me!

I had to stop listening after about a minute.
I'd have just hung up and called back in to get someone else because that cocksucker would have had me wanting to kill something. Several times...
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I have no patience for this kind of terrible service. Unfortunately there is a lack of competition where I live. It's either Comcast fast cable or shitty slow DSL.
 
MavericK96 said:
I would have hung up after about 2 minutes of that and called back to get a different rep. The fact that he stayed on for so long makes me think it was mainly just to make this recording.

Not saying the Comcast rep wasn't totally idiotic, but still.
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So you would opt to sit through 5 minutes of voice menus, another 20 minutes on hold to get the script monkey who redirects you to retentions, and another retentions person who WILL run you through at least 8 minutes of scripted points even if they do so less stupidly? The recording was not the entire phone call and it was stated as such.
 
zerodamage said:
I have no patience for this kind of terrible service. Unfortunately there is a lack of competition where I live. It's either Comcast fast cable or shitty slow DSL.
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For me, all I have is Comcast for both TV and Internet.. well, I do have DirecTV as a TV option but Comcast is my only internet option sans dialup. I really hate how they can monopolize like this. If I lived three hours south, I'd have access to Verizon and TWC in addition to Comcast.

However, don't get me eff'in started on TWC. I should have been recording my phone calls with them a year ago. They claim I owe them $444, and have sent me to collections, for my apartment in Cleveland, OH. I have never lived in Ohio nor visited Cleveland. I don't even live in an area where TWC does business. For the life of me, I cannot get them to work with me on this.

The US cable TV/internet system is the most fucked up business model, for the consumer, I have ever seen. I truly fucking hate it.
 
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