Interactive Post: Fix my cable bill! (Comcast)

[Mike Lowe]

[Mike Lowe]

Strange...not showing up...

[Axxon]

Nope.

[lynchjm24]

I dropped off cable boxes to Comcast on September 11th. It took 4 appointments for their people to come to my house to disconnect cable service. I kept the cable and phone. They continue to bill you for cable until they turn it off.

It took 7 phone calls to get the bill corrected. I had one woman tell me that I was wrong, my bill was correct (they billed me for cable through December) because I should be expecting a bill for the phone and internet. Ignoring that I had paid for that every month and it was the cable billing that had given me a $600 balance.

Comcast is the absolute worst company I've ever had to deal with. Just miserable, and if I had an option for the internet I'd never speak their name again.

[DanGarion]

How can we fix your bill if you can't even figure out how to post it? :)

[Mike Lowe]

How can we fix your bill if you can't even figure out how to post it? :)

Yeah no kidding, maybe that's the problem I should be focusing on here! ;-)

[gottimd]

I cannot wait til FIOS comes to my area, I will switch immediately.

My comcast promotional offer recently ended and they said on the first call that I made that my monthly bill will go to $170 a month. The guy was nice but said I should call back on the 23rd, when new promotional offers come out since there were none available for me. The next time I called, an older lady said there was nothing she could do, and that I can't downgrade only upgrade in the bundles, which made no sense but I wasn't about to argue because that wouldn't change the situation. So I tried the internet help desk for Comcast and the person said I should call my local office about lowering my bill and I told them about my first two attempts and they told me to call the VA office.

So now on my third call, I tried the Reston, VA number that the internet help desk gave me for Comcast and it didn't even work. I then waited 2 more days and called the Comcast office again and I got some young girl and asked about lowering my bill and she said "sure, your bill is now....."

WTF?!?!?! What kind of ship are they running over there? I hate comcast and dread ever having to deal with them. I wish the company would just dissolve.

[lynchjm24]

Call and tell them you are switching to DirecTV or Dish. A lot of times they will let you go back to your old pricing bundle.

EDIT: If they answer the phone that is.

[Mike Lowe]

Oh the phone right now...told them very politely I was switching to Dish because I was so unhappy with the treatment I was receiving (different bills, being told different things, etc.) and I "received" the following:

for 6 months my bill will go from $131.00 down to $95.00 which includes tax etc. They also threw in HBO for free for 6 months as a "one time courtesy" even though that's like the 2nd or 3rd time I've had it for free.

They gave me their "lowest deal" which was around $100/mo and I said I had to "talk it over with my wife", which equated to running a couple of plays of NCAA football with her on mute, and I came back and said that we still didn't want that deal (knowing I could probably call her bluff) and sure enough she went even lower.

I hate Comcast, but between them and Sprint it's easy to get what you want if you heckle enough I guess (I got a Blackberry Curve 8330 or 8300 I think for $0 from Sprint over the summer).

At the end of the day, I'm sure I'm still paying too much for internet and cable even with the two HD boxes and DVR but it's so fun to get "deals!"

[lighthousekeeper]

Oh the phone right now...told them very politely I was switching to Dish because I was so unhappy with the treatment I was receiving (different bills, being told different things, etc.) and I "received" the following:

for 6 months my bill will go from $131.00 down to $95.00 which includes tax etc. They also threw in HBO for free for 6 months as a "one time courtesy" even though that's like the 2nd or 3rd time I've had it for free.

They gave me their "lowest deal" which was around $100/mo and I said I had to "talk it over with my wife", which equated to running a couple of plays of NCAA football with her on mute, and I came back and said that we still didn't want that deal (knowing I could probably call her bluff) and sure enough she went even lower.

I hate Comcast, but between them and Sprint it's easy to get what you want if you heckle enough I guess (I got a Blackberry Curve 8330 or 8300 I think for $0 from Sprint over the summer).

At the end of the day, I'm sure I'm still paying too much for internet and cable even with the two HD boxes and DVR but it's so fun to get "deals!"

ha! so you think you won!?! i tried this tactic last year - and i left the phone conversation thinking I had saved some dough. sure enough my bill was lower for 1 month, but after that, comcast double billed me for several months, which i'm convinced was out of spite. i'm afraid to call them now because they will just increase my bill if i piss them off further.

this is the same feeling i have when dealing with cops or any other entity that has 100% of the power/control. i'm completely at their mercy and just need to genuflect and pray that they show mercy on my pitiful soul.

[Mike Lowe]

ha! so you think you won!?! i tried this tactic last year - and i left the phone conversation thinking I had saved some dough. sure enough my bill was lower for 1 month, but after that, comcast double billed me for several months, which i'm convinced was out of spite. i'm afraid to call them now because they will just increase my bill if i piss them off further.

this is the same feeling i have when dealing with cops or any other entity that has 100% of the power/control. i'm completely at their mercy and just need to genuflect and pray that they show mercy on my pitiful soul.


And you paid a double bill? Maybe that's how they can afford to give discounts to folks like me, who will call them every month if I have to.

[larrymcg421]

I don't need to see it to imagine how fucked up it probably is.

The only way to fix your Comcast bill is to do what Lou Brown did to Dorn's contract.

Well that might not fix it, but it's a good start.

[DanGarion]

Honestly it's funny seeing posts like this. You guys hate companies so much, but you still stay with them. It's funny how much people seem to hate cable companies, but they stay with them.

People say it's a rip off, they say it's too expensive, but in the long run they end up keeping the service. Evidentially it's not too expensive and it isn't a rip off. When I used to be on the support side I would talk to so many customers that were fed up with the fact that they where having service issues, and we were offering to send a technician out to fix their problem for free. Oh and 99% of the time a customer threatening to cancel never does, because in the end they want the service.

It's not too expensive if you keep the service, they got you right where they want you...

Anyway, I'm just talking, but I'd love to see how much I could bitch at you guys about the business or job you do. :)

[Radii]

Honestly it's funny seeing posts like this. You guys hate companies so much, but you still stay with them. It's funny how much people seem to hate cable companies, but they stay with them.

I can't seem to find it now, but wasn't it a cable company(I thought Comcast) last year that had its customer service manual published online, and the performance of all service staff was measured on keeping calls as short as possible, and trying to upsell extra services? I think most utility companies have earned their bad reputations all on their own. I assume you work for a cable company since you mention them specifically. In my personal experience I have gotten significantly better service from DirectTV than Comcast or Charter, but in the end they are all utility companies that are extrodinarily frustrating to deal with.

Oh and 99% of the time a customer threatening to cancel never does, because in the end they want the service.

This pisses me off a lot. I never threaten to take my business elsewhere unless I actually intend to do so. I do think this is to blame for some of the shitty service that is out there.

[lighthousekeeper]

Honestly it's funny seeing posts like this. You guys hate companies so much, but you still stay with them. It's funny how much people seem to hate cable companies, but they stay with them.

Is there an alternative to Comcast for high speed internet? I wasn't aware of one, but if there is please let me know and I will switch right away. I thought they were the only game in town, but I don't follow those things too closely to know for sure.

[Radii]

Is there an alternative to Comcast for high speed internet? I wasn't aware of one, but if there is please let me know and I will switch right away. I thought they were the only game in town, but I don't follow those things too closely to know for sure.

DSL?

Some areas are serviced by multiple cable companies as well.

[DanGarion]

Is there an alternative to Comcast for high speed internet? I wasn't aware of one, but if there is please let me know and I will switch right away. I thought they were the only game in town, but I don't follow those things too closely to know for sure.
DSL, Verizon FiOS, ATT U-Verse.

[DanGarion]

I can't seem to find it now, but wasn't it a cable company(I thought Comcast) last year that had its customer service manual published online, and the performance of all service staff was measured on keeping calls as short as possible, and trying to upsell extra services? I think most utility companies have earned their bad reputations all on their own. I assume you work for a cable company since you mention them specifically. In my personal experience I have gotten significantly better service from DirectTV than Comcast or Charter, but in the end they are all utility companies that are extrodinarily frustrating to deal with.

This pisses me off a lot. I never threaten to take my business elsewhere unless I actually intend to do so. I do think this is to blame for some of the shitty service that is out there.
I thought everyone knew I was resident Cable person on this board. It probably was Comcast. And honestly I don't see anything wrong with a company basing part of performance on upsells and length of call, those are important factors for any business. Now when a company bases all performance on that or places them as priority then there is a problem. From my experiences in the industry for 11 years many customers tend to have exaggerated expectations on customer service.

[samifan24]

Comcast wants me to either upgrade to a newer package (the one we use is an older plan) and lose current channels or pay $8 to "upgrade" to the sports package in order to receive the MLB Network. Comcast is evil.

[lighthousekeeper]

And honestly I don't see anything wrong with a company basing part of performance on upsells and length of call, those are important factors for any business.

wrong. some companies simply prosper by providing superior products at competitive prices, but then again not everyone has the luxury of a quasi monopoly to fall back on. *shurg*

[DanGarion]

wrong. some companies simply prosper by providing superior products at competitive prices, but then again not everyone has the luxury of a quasi monopoly to fall back on. *shurg*

what profession are you in? And how is your performance rated?

[gstelmack]

what profession are you in? And how is your performance rated?

The problem is the metrics you described lend themselves to customers leaving as fast as they can rather than retaining customers. Short calls / upsells to what folks don't need leads to unsatisfied customers. They are short-sighted goals. Lots of businesses make those kinds of mistakes on a daily basis.

[ISiddiqui]

Comcast wants me to either upgrade to a newer package (the one we use is an older plan) and lose current channels or pay $8 to "upgrade" to the sports package in order to receive the MLB Network. Comcast is evil.

I don't see any problems with MLB Network being on the Sports Tier. I assume it's like NFL Network, where they are charging a higher rate than other cable networks with its potential ratings. Rather than pass it on to everyone, they put it on the Sports Tier.

[samifan24]

I don't see any problems with MLB Network being on the Sports Tier. I assume it's like NFL Network, where they are charging a higher rate than other cable networks with its potential ratings. Rather than pass it on to everyone, they put it on the Sports Tier.

But that's the thing. It isn't on the Sports Tier. It's on the "Preferred Package" which is what I have, albeit an older version. In order to get the MLB Network for free, which I should be doing right now, Comcast wants me to either a) upgrade to the new "Preferred" lineup, which means eliminating some existing channels, including Fox Soccer and Turner Classic Movies, both of which we watch regularly in our house, or b) pay $8 for the sports tier and they will add MLB Network onto that. It's not much of a choice if you ask me.

[ISiddiqui]

Ah... well, they don't really have to let you be grandfathered into your old package either ;).

[lighthousekeeper]

what profession are you in?
software development

And how is your performance rated?
not sure what you mean.

[DanGarion]

The problem is the metrics you described lend themselves to customers leaving as fast as they can rather than retaining customers. Short calls / upsells to what folks don't need leads to unsatisfied customers. They are short-sighted goals. Lots of businesses make those kinds of mistakes on a daily basis.

Exactly they do, but I also said a company shouldn't base their metrics on only those, and I said those shouldn't even be the most important. But anyone that thinks the speed you do your job and selling services shouldn't be included as part of your performance must not understand how companies run.

[DanGarion]

software development


not sure what you mean.

You don't know how your boss rates your performance? :confused:

[lighthousekeeper]

You don't know how your boss rates your performance? :confused:

no i don't...wait a sec - what does this have to do with how shitty comcast is?

[DanGarion]

no i don't...wait a sec - what does this have to do with how shitty comcast is?

You were the one that said I was wrong.

[CU Tiger]

I remember a study we did back when I worked for a national security company (a little different than the cable company, situation but not much) Basically new customers were asked a short survey that went something like Would you rather A) pay 29/month as you do now, B) receive guaranteed service within 1 hour of all calls at no charge, and a free month of service anytime there is a legitimate problem for 99/month C) Pay 4.99/month and no upfront that hold times will be very long, customer service will suffer and service calls will take a week minimum. This was all hypothetical but the customers were not told that until after the fact, and some outrageous % (in the 90s) said C on day of install. These same customers converted to an 83-84% clip of option B when surveyed on the day of a service need. Basically everyone says they would pay m,ore for better service when there is a problem, but no one WILL pay more for better service up front. That said, cable companies have managed to get it both ways(they are not fully to blame the tv industry charges a pretty hefty fee) in that they grossly over charge and under perform and it is expected. I can promise you, we made a rather small empire in the security game when I struck out on my own by no contracts. Promising customer service and telling them look if we dont perform you can leave and go somewhere else. Cable is scared to do the same, because the big boys no longer have service minded people in their operations department.