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Sorry, it's a bit long.
We live in a 12-unit condo building and a number of factors make it difficult to get good reception or to use a dish. So we signed up for Comcast's digital cable. The basic cable package didn't have very many interesting channels, so we upgraded two steps so we could get Animal Planet, the Independent Film Channel, Bravo, etc.
Well on and off since we got cable in 2003, the additional channels have been spotty at best. They look all pixelated or the sound is garbled, or they are completely black. When it first happened I called Comcast and they tried to fix the signal from their end, but no go. So they sent out a technician. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how nice the customer service reps were, they even credited our account for the time the cable wasn't working. It went downhill fast, though.
The technician came out and told us that the external line coming into our building didn't have enough capacity to accommodate all the condos who had cable. So he switched our cable so it was first in line, meaning we would get the best reception. Then he said that he would put in a work order to get a bigger external line to our building.
Apparently that never happened because a couple of months later we were having the same problems. Whenever someone else in our building would call to complain, their cable would get bumped to the front but nothing else ever got done. So in June 2004 I called for probably the fourth time and told them we were having the same problem again and could they please come out and correct it once and for all. This time I took a vacation day (which sucks because I only get a handful) and proceeded to sit around the house ALL DAY. I called customer service about 10 times and they told me they would contact the tech and call me back. They never called back and they claimed that the techs don't have cell phones so I couldn't call them direct (BULL SHIT). Finally, at 6:30p.m. they called and said no one was coming (no shit) and they would be out first thing in the morning. She swore to me that the tech would be there at 8:30 on the dot.
The next morning, when I called the customer service number to complain that the tech was two hours late, the rep told me that there was no way Comcast would promise someone would be there at a certain time, they ONLY give 3 hour windows. So she basically called me a liar, which was complete bullshit. I even asked her "are you suggesting I am lying?", and she gave me some condescending reply like I was too dumb to understand what the rep had said to me the night before.
Anyway, guess what?
The technician showed up at 1:30p.m. (FIVE hours later) and told us that we needed a higher capacity line going to our building and that he would put in a work order for it. What a surprise! I said, "we've been told that so many times now but it never happens. Who can I call to make sure it hap...?" at which point he interrupted me to take a call from his dispatch on his CELL PHONE and got in his truck and drove away. I thought he was just stepping away to take the call. If I'd known he was going to drive away I would've screamed until he hung up.
At this point I was so angry I sat down and wrote a letter to the Comcast corporate office. I soon received a call from a woman at the corporate office who apologized and said she'd take care of everything. For awhile our cable was a bit better and I actually thought someone had perhaps installed the larger line to our building.
But nooooooo, since late last fall our reception has sucked. Between the holidays and work and my mom being sick, I haven't had time to hound Comcast, nor do I think it should be my job to do so. The woman at corporate gave me her private line in case I had problems so I started calling her. She never actually picks up so I leave messages. I gave her my cell number and work number but she consistently calls our home number during the day, virtually guaranteeing that she wouldn't actually have to speak to me. Then she just stopped returning my calls altogether. When I talk to customer service they tell me they won't do anything for me unless I take another day off to have another technician come out and tell me the same fucking thing. I started emailing customer service so I'd have a written record of my complaint but they only responded once with a message so bizarre it seemed like it was a response to someone else's question.
It's like talking to a brick wall and we have no recourse other than to not have cable, which we are considering. I just don't understand why the onus is on the customer to fight for they product they purchased. Shouldn't Comcast be working to keep my business?
Like I said earlier. I hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhate Comcast.
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