Dear Comcast, Google Fiber Is Looking Better All the Time
You are doing a GREAT JOB selling Google Fiber!
After the Nashville Flood, I have worked hard to rebuild my life and pay off my flood debts. I started a new business and thankfully, it is meeting my needs but I decided to take on a tenant to help me rebuild my nest egg.
My soon-to-be tenant was a Comcast user, and he arranged to have his service transferred here THE BEGINNING OF APRIL before he moved in the middle of the month. I was on hand the week of APRIL 13 to meet the Comcast technician when he came out.
The technician quickly informed me that he could not do the installation because the line would have to be connected over some tree tops. He said a cable would have to be laid. He called Comcast and explained the problem and I heard him say it would be scheduled for APRIL 24. I asked him to hand me the phone while Comcast was still on the line, and I explained to the Comcast representative that my upcoming tenant was a computer programmer with a big computer setup, that he needed to have his computers and television set up as quickly as possible, and that we had already waited a couple of weeks for his service to be transferred. The representative said we would be moved up if another appointment became available before APRIL 24. The new tenant also called Comcast and was told the same thing -- the line would be installed APRIL 24 but we would get the next available opening.
On APRIL 25, about 10 days after my brand-new tenant moved in, I called Comcast at Customer service: 1 (800) 934-6489 to find out why nothing had been done on the 24th as promised. After experiencing a long wait time ("hold times are longer than usual" the recording says every time I call), a disconnection, and annoying prompts that don't address my issues, I was told our appointment was scheduled for MAY 4. I explained that that was almost a month after we had requested the service be transferred as well as a couple of weeks after we had been promised installation. I pointed out my tenant was using up the bandwidth on my limited AT&T account and hurting my own business as I experienced long delays waiting for pages to load now. I asked that our situation be escalated, and I was told a supervisor would be calling me. I never heard from anyone. My tenant called and got the same basic response. I had to call back a few days later, go through more delays, repeat the story, and was told that since I was not the account holder, Comcast would not be able to give me any more information.
My tenant contacted Comcast and was told they would get the line installed the next week. My tenant said no one would be available on on one day: SATURDAY APRIL 30, but that any other day would be good. We were neither available on Saturday, but my tenant learned a Comcast truck was seen in the driveway on -- SATURDAY -- the one day Comcast was told NOT to come. Comcast did not install a line, leave a message or follow up that Saturday, but it was almost May 4 when we were scheduled for installation, so we decided to wait. But on MAY 5, I had to call Comcast again and ask them were they were the week they said they were coming out, and where they were on MAY 4 when we had our THIRD standing appointment for installation.
After another lengthy wait I spoke to someone who said she would connect me to the technical department. Instead I was disconnected, so I had to call back and start over, telling the same story since no one will simply transfer you at Comcast -- you have to tell everyone the long story because they are all under the impression that they can "help" by making you jump through the same hoops the last operator made you jump through.
Eventually I was connected with the technical department. The tenant and I were both on hand for this conversation where all the account information was provided and we were once again told this installation would be taken care of immediately. Sure enough, a Comcast truck pulled in a few days later, but the representative had not sent an installation person out -- no-- we were back at square one with a new representative who said he was told we simply wanted to find out about having Comcast service installed. We explained to this representative all the issues we had been having and he said he would tell his supervisor, and the supervisor would call us back within 2 days to work everything out for us. No one from Comcast ever called. That's not all. This rep said that a cable would not have to be dug and he didn't know why the first guy said it would!
So on MONDAY, MAY 9, I called Comcast back. Of course I had to hold for a representative, and of course I was told they could not give me any information, but I explained I did not want any information -- what I wanted was for this ridiculous debacle of inefficiency to be over and to get the supervisor we have been promised THREE TIMES would call us to call my tenant and get his Comcast installed so I could run my own business without waiting for pages to load. I was assured that a supervisor would call my tenant within 24 - 48 hours, and that was more than three days ago.
I am spending yet another afternoon and evening on FRIDAY, MAY 13 trying to get through to Comcast. The lines have been busy, we got a FAX modem, and the first time a human being actually answered, the line was disconnected.
As I told one of the representatives, Comcast, you cannot afford to be this arrogant and inefficient. Not only is your reputation already a by-word for terrible customer service, but there are other cable options. And if THAT is not enough to shake some sense into whoever is in charge of your customer department, there is a new kid on the block.And even though we tried to transfer Comcast to my address over a month ago, it is looking like Google Fiber will be here before you are...
Comments