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Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

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Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#141

Post by coder23 »

67726e wrote: post #121
ceejayoz wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I don't have a supervisor" is a surprisingly common response.

So call their bluff. Unless you're dealing with the support for some small/fly-by-night company, phone support is going to have someone overseeing them. If they absolutely refuse to connect you, hang up and get a new agent and ask to speak to the supervisor from there. Make sure to provide the supervisor with the calling agents details.

All of them have a supervisor or superiors of some sort. But in some companies they do not touch the phone, they overseer the process. I can tell you from personal experience that if the customer support doesn't solve the problem then there isn't a next "level" of support called the supervisor, but only more formal options to communicate remain; think complaint department, mail, lawyers.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#142

Post by viraptor »

pistle wrote: post #77

Aaaaah! Get meta!!! We can all appreciate the value of having this recording be available as a learning opportunity for consumers. If you have the sense to know you are being strung along, become the questioner and outflank the rep every time. Them: "I'm just trying to understand..." You: "I find Comcast's customer service to be poor. Let's see if you can help with that. Can you tell me if you are empowered to quickl…

> If you have the sense to know you are being strung along, become the questioner and outflank the rep every time.

Seems similar to the anti-callcentre flowchart: http://egbg.home.xs4all.nl/counterscript.html

I've yet to use it, but it's bookmarked for some fun day...

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#143

Post by kabdib »

clockwerx wrote: post #116
Sarkie wrote: post #106

I had an issue like this with Three in the UK, everyone in the office who was listening for 25 minutes of my lunch to the conversation. -Hi, I'd like to cancel. -Cool, we are upgrading your account so you don't need to. -Umm, just cancel it please. -Today only, you get 5GB for free -I don't care, I want to cancel. -Why? -Because I don't need your service anymore. -But what about the free data!? -I don't need you, I a…

I begin to suspect going nuclear is the only option. "Hi, I'd like to cancel my service" "But what about X?" "Ombudsman and or Lawyers. Cancel. You have been instructed, the next time I say this will be in court/writing/etc".

They'll just transfer you to legal. Worst case, they tag your account and do this every time you call, and you're in limbo for months. Ugh.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#144

Post by bshimmin »

duiker101 wrote: post #87
bshimmin wrote: post #30

I'm amazed at how calm he remains during this. I would've called the guy - regardless of whether he's "just doing his job" - every name under the sun and probably threatened to pay him a visit in person... That said, I guess if I were recording it to share on the Internet later, I might've been able to control myself slightly more than usual.

This guys have it rough. I used to call them a lot and I can't recall a single instance where I saw someone raising their voice had a better outcome. The only had a more stressful call. The operator pushes it a lot but consider this: he is probably paid like shit and he probably get commission on how many customers he can retain. Maybe if he loses too many he can even lose his job. Knowing this and knowing that their…

You must be a saint.

I don't really care much for the commissions, or the livelihoods, of people who knowingly take jobs that make other people's lives worse. I know in some locales call-centre jobs are the best (in terms of compensation) they can get, and I'm sorry that that's the state of affairs the world is in, but if they're willing to make my life miserable to make theirs a bit better, they can put up with being shouted at from time to time.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#145

Post by chris_wot »

duiker101 wrote: post #87
bshimmin wrote: post #30

I'm amazed at how calm he remains during this. I would've called the guy - regardless of whether he's "just doing his job" - every name under the sun and probably threatened to pay him a visit in person... That said, I guess if I were recording it to share on the Internet later, I might've been able to control myself slightly more than usual.

This guys have it rough. I used to call them a lot and I can't recall a single instance where I saw someone raising their voice had a better outcome. The only had a more stressful call. The operator pushes it a lot but consider this: he is probably paid like shit and he probably get commission on how many customers he can retain. Maybe if he loses too many he can even lose his job. Knowing this and knowing that their…

Get. A. Better. Job.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#146

Post by mikeash »

lucaspiller wrote: post #40

Any ideas why he actually wants to cancel? If it's for a lower price surely Comcast would match that? I've done that with mobile operators here in the UK, phoning up to switch to PAYG because of a new deal that comes up then the "retentions" agent offering me the same deal on a contract for half the price. Edit: My point is although it is none of their business why he wants to cancel, it's probably less effort, and h…

It doesn't help them out by saying "The customer service is poor." They know their customer service is poor. Comcast is legendary for having poor service. They are one of the most hated companies in the US and consistently have the lowest customer satisfaction ratings among ISPs. They're not blind and deaf, and they're well aware of where they stand. That they haven't improved means they're either unable to, or (IMO more likely) they've determined that good customer service isn't important to their bottom line.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#147

Post by MichaelApproved »

Nursie wrote: post #107

I've had lots of trouble with ISPs before. About a decade ago Bulldog Broadband were the first to offer 8Mb service in London, and at a reasonable price, and they oversold so massively their staff couldn't cope. After a month of no service I called to cancel, and after 45 minutes on hold I gave up. I tried again. And again. Eventually I got through to someone who processed the cancellation. I got an email saying "To…

I don't understand why you put up with them charging you so many times. After the second fraudulent charge, I'd just deal with my credit card company directly. Call them up and have the charges reversed. You get your money back and they get punished by their card company for the fraudulent charge.

If more people did this, instead of waiting on hold for hours to fight with customer service for your own money back, the ISP would likely lose their merchant account for their fraudulent activity.

Edit: one other note when cancelling, make sure to take down the date, time and operator name & number during your interactions and note what was said. When I've had trouble with managing accounts, referencing that information strengthened my case dramatically.

I have a Google Doc that I keep for all these notes. While I'm on hold, I open up the doc and get it ready. Be clear that you're taking notes and they'll take the conversation more seriously too.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#148

Post by chris_wot »

danielweber wrote: post #127
scott_s wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that's fair to the caller. He was polite, and was clear in what he wanted. Had the Comcast agent said "Okay, I understand that you don't want to tell me that, let's move on" the call would have moved on and not ended up on the internet. He wanted his service cancelled, and did not want to engage in a conversation about it. How else could the caller have possibly handled it? Also, the caller was not a "c…

How else could the caller have possibly handled it? This is obvious: by answering the question. I'll repeat that he was under no obligation to answer that question. My mother-in-law does the same thing this guy does: stands her ground and refuses to answer any questions. It's completely her right to engage in that manner, but she neither asks for nor gets any sympathy for how long she has to stay on the phone with pe…

If you had read the article properly, you would have seen that he did answer that question. The call went for 18 minutes, he answered the question at the start if the call: he states this.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#149

Post by jason_slack »

I'm in the Bay Area. I recently switched from a Comcast business circuit down to a residential circuit. The Comcast Loyalty Rep was fierce. Insisting I owed them 60 days notice, even though I was in a month to month contract. Told me he had to have me sign paperwork to cancel that was going to take up to a week to e-mail to me. I put up a fight, insisted on a supervisor, whom conveniently was in a Chicago office for another week.

So what did I do? I called 3 other times in a row, got 3 different people, asked to speak to a supervisor. Each said I would have a call back within 24 - 48 business hours.

I did. They called.

I explained all about the paperwork and supervisor out of town and it was literally all made up. All of it.

EDIT: My better side is resisting not calling out the guy who gave me the hassle by posting his name and e-mail.

EDIT 2: I forgot to mention that the rep tried to tell me that the "Terms Of Service" I signed the contract with wasn't valid anymore because it was to old. I asked well I didn't get any new paperwork to agree to the new Terms Of Service. His reply was that paying my bill every month was agreement enough, I didn't need to be told about changes. Doesn't make any sense.

Re: Tech Blogger Tries To Cancel Comcast Service, Hilarity Ensues

#150

Post by pbhjpbhj »

meritt wrote: post #124
farmdawgnation wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just don't get caught lying on a recording about being a military member. That's a felony. ;)

No, it's not. I assume you're incorrectly referring to the Stolen Valor Act (of 2013, as the earlier one was struck down for violating the First Amendment). That law specifically handles cases in which someone claims they are a recipient of an award related to combat AND does so with the intent to receive money, property or a tangible benefit. Simply lying about military service to a Comcast Support Technician is not…

It rather depend where you are. [Yes the assumption here is North America / USA, not sure on Comcast's reach?]

In the UK under Seamen’s and Soldiers’ False Characters Act 1906 Section 1, due to a technicality (excision of restricting terms) any [im]personation of HM Forces' seamen or soldiers is illegal.¹

It's been superseded by the Fraud Act 2006 which is more strict in needing a fraud to be committed viz "he false representation is made dishonestly and with the intention of making a gain".

1 - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw7/6/5#commentary-c578...

2 - http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/docs/lc308_Statute_Law_R... at page 39 (PDF page 43)

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