Comcast Cable Company - San Francisco, CA

[jazzbo]

I don't normally like to share customer service experiences because they can be so subjective. Occasionally, a company performs so poorly that I find it is important to tell others, so that perhaps that company will understand that even though they hold a monopoly on their service, the power still belongs to the people. When the people stand up and demand proper treatment, companies have to change their practices. I believe this, firmly. I'm going to share a review that I'm posting in as many places as possible, so that others know of my story. I've had rabbit ears on my television for the last 8 years. I don't mind missing cable television or the likes. I have a VCR that I record shows that I like to watch. There aren't too many, but I'm not a person that believes that television is evil. I like Globe Trekker, Frontline, PBS in general, Amazing Race, 30 Rock, Scrubs, and seriously, I like watching The Bachelor. More importantly, I like football, and without cable, I get one good channel of football, (FOX), and one snowy channel, (CBS). I can live with that. I miss MNF because it's only on cable, but if I like the game I'll go to a bar and watch it, and I can no longer record games when I'm out because the VCR doesn't work with the new digital converter box I was forced to get. Plus, my DSL hasn't been working lately. So, I saw this Triple Play promotion for Comcast Cable. Including my $20/month Netflix subscription, which I would henceforth cancel as unnecessary, it would cost me $20/month more for Cable modem, phone, and television w/ DVR, then for my current phone, DSL, and Netflix. So, I said, okay, for football season, I'll do that. I can spend Sundays going for a run, having brunch w/ my lady, visiting friends, etc., then come home to my two DVRed games or highlight shows, and watch a 3 1/2 hour game in 1 hour. Plus, sometimes I'll get home late from work or school and flick on the TV, and there's only crap on. With a DVR and On Demand, I can watch less television, (w/o commercials), and only watch stuff I like, instead of being subjected to stuff I don't like, like the late night talk shows, etc. I think I'll go ahead and do it.

Here's the story:

I ordered the Tri Play, w/ installation set for Sat, Sept. 6, 10-2pm.

At 2:45pm I called Comcast. Nobody had called me. I asked them the status, and they said that they were really running late. They said that they would be there closer to 5pm. I said fine, I'll be patient, but I need to run to the store, it's two blocks away, take my cell phone number, and if they arrive I'll run back, but I won't be gone for longer than 20 minutes.

15 minutes later I come home, and find a message on my home phone voicemail: "Hi this is Dave w/ Comcast, sorry we missed you, call 1-800-COMCAST to rescheduel". So, I called back. It was now about 3:00pm. I asked why they hadn't called my cell phone number like I asked. I told them that they needed to turn that van around and get back to my house.

At 6:30pm, having heard nothing, I called back. I talked to a supervisor, who said that they were running late, (yes, this much is obvious), and that they would be there around 8pm. I noted that this was 10 hours after the beginning of their 10-2pm window they quoted me before. I noted that it was a beautiful day in SF, and I was spending it in my apartment waiting for them. I asked the supervisor, in no uncertain terms, clearly, concisely, and three times, to insure that no matter what, the installation would be done today. That before they punched out for the day, my house would be done. She said, "Absolutely."

At 10:00pm I called back. I spoke to supervisor Jesmine, Operator ID# LE4. She apologized. She said that it was now too late and that there was nothing she could do. She offered, after I, in utter exhaustion and frustration, asked why I should stay with them, she offered to waive the $89 installation fee. I first off all needed clarification on how much the fee was. I read the fine print in the promo, and it didn't mention an $89 installation fee. It didn't mention any fee. I told her that waiving that fee would be the least they would do. She agreed to have someone come to my house at 6pm on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and no later. I gave her my cell phone number and told her that if that installation person so much as catches a red light that they didn't anticipate, they will call me and give me an exact update.

Monday morning, the self-reported manager of the San Francisco office calls my house. My wife answers. She, working hard at home and not wanting to be bothered by their ineptitude, tells them that I'm the one to deal with. She gives him my phone number and tells him that while I'm out right now, if he calls immediately he can catch me. This was at 10:30am. He never called my cell phone. Once. Ever.

I get home that night and call them at 6:30pm. They have no record of an installation for the next day. I talk to Christina, a supervisor, Operator ID# YAO. She tells me that no new installation date has been rescheduled. Nobody can come out on Tuesday for two reasons; 1) all appointments for that time are booked, and 2) because I'm carrying over my phone number 5 business days' wait time is required. I explain that I had waited 5 business days, and that first that was obvious by the fact that I was scheduled for last Saturday. She said another 5 days was necessary every time you reschedule. After my asking her what Comcast would do to resolve this, she offered an $80 credit, which she said, "includes the set up fee." She said that the setup fee was $60. I asked how two different supervisors can have such different opinions regarding the price of the installation, the amount that would be waived, and installation scheduling and procedures. I was told that I could leave a voicemail for her manager, but he wasn't there, and I couldn't have his direct number. Then she proceeded to talk about the notes on my account, which reflected perhaps 10% of the situation described here. She said that she showed I called 4 times on Sat the 6th, once on Sun the 7th, and 4 times that day, Mon the 8th. I asked her what it showed I said on Sunday as I was out wine tasting for a friend's bday, had never called, & was curious as to what I said. Then I also noted that this was my only call for that day, Mon. She then clarified that she meant that my acct was opened. Nice distinction lady. When I told her to shut down the order, she sounded relieved to be rid of me as a new cust.

The manager of the Morgan Hill Call Center is Garland Hawkins. I left a voicemail demanding that he call me today. I left my cell phone w/ times I was available. We'll see if he calls. Update to follow, although I have a feeling I'll be just fine w/ my rabbit ears, as I have been for the last 8 years. And DSL, works well enough not to get bent over by Comcast.

[MJ5150]

So what happened? Did Garland ever call you?

-Mike

[MakiSupaStar]

I'm in. Awaiting update. I hate dealing with this type of stuff. Stick to your guns bro.

[Jeff Martinez]

I'm curious to know what happened.

As someone who spent a few years ion the call center for Comcast, I can say that I am appalled at the level of service described here. I care, because this is the company that provides me with the means to relieve GAS.

A quick note on one small part of the situation. When porting a telephone number from one provider to another, we are at the mercy of the original provider's pre-set guidelines. Any reschedule will, unfortunately, re-start the porting process, so a 5-day wait (from some providers) is unavoidable. I know that this was only secondary to the main problem here, but this is actually what I work with on a daily basis now, so I thought I would shed some light.

[guy n. cognito]

I had comcast for 6 years and never had any sort of problems. One time, they even called me to tell me that my signal was weak, then came out and replaced some internal wiring.....for free. The only reason I don't have them now is that they didn't serve my new neighborhood when we were ready to have TV installed.

You have learned an important lesson....never leave the house when a serviceman is coming.

[DudeistMonk]

When I moved comcast came and installed a broken box (which I had to drive down to get replaced)...They screwed up my show time service, and I every time I thought they where calling me about 1 of my 2 issues it turned out to be them wanting me to take a customer service survey....man did I yell at a lot of surveyors.

[Pilgrim]

It's strange how once a process like this starts to go bad, it just gets worse and worse. It's like some strange influence dooms the whole thing.

[jazzbo]

I had really forgot about all this. Repression is a wonderful thing. I had just posted it as a link in somebody else's thread about Comcast.

Anyway, the manager simply never called me. I was really upset about this whole thing. It just feels so frustrating to not get correct answers and to feel powerless, especially over something as stupid as cable television. When the manager never called, I simply dropped it. Everybody loved hearing the story though. You should read some of the other Yelp reviews, (a website I normally loathe).

About a month later I saw a promo for Dish TV through AT&T and decided to give it a try. It's promo was about $10/month less. They came and installed. It's funny, at first I was actually watching more TV. I had 100 channels! I'm used to 5! Then, the novelty wore off and I really love it. With how much I love football, it's perfect with the DVR. I really do go for a run every Sunday morning, then will have brunch with the Mrs., (either at home or one of the 1,000 great brunch places in the SF Bay Area), then go for a walk, or to a museum, or to a friend's, or something, then can watch the highlights and a full football game I recorded in less than 2 hours. It's FANtastic. Dish TV did make one error though. They brought the HD DVR box, and I don't have HD. This means that my DVR holds up to something like 350 hours of programming in SD. They gave us HBO and STARZ free for 3 months, and I've been recording a lot of movies to watch in the future.

My DVR is so boring though, it's filled with NFL shows, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, House Hunters International, (we're in the market), The Universe, the Daily Show and Colbert Report, Globe Trekker, and every humanitarian special PBS has aired in the last 2 months.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by jazzbo

I had really forgot about all this. Repression is a wonderful thing. I had just posted it as a link in somebody else's thread about Comcast.

I only bumped it since you said you would provide us an update, so I was wondering if the guy ever did call.

-Mike