berkeleying Comcast.

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

Thanks for the heads up. I have noticed Comcast branded modems pop up quite frequently on CL with absurdly high asking prices, which usually EXACTLY match Comcast's non-returned equipment charge.

It looks like the specific modem I've been using also has an additional complication- because it has voice capability, Comcast apparently will NOT allow the use of customer- owned units, no matter where you bought them or what their background was. Apparently, this is due to liability associated with 911 calls placed through the modem. This still applies even if you only want to subscribe to internet service.

Darn, looks like it's back to square one. I really like this one, esp. after reading some of the problems/short lifespans people have complained about with other modems.

In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:

Don't be a dick to the escalations agent (supervisor). When I worked for Verizon, I handled escalations. If a customer was being a dick to me, the last thing I would do is go out of my way to help. I'd stick to the procedures in place, the same ones that you get when you talked to the first guy. If you were nice, and you calmly explained the situation, I'd bend over backwards to satisfy you. I really hated the people that would have bad attitudes when there wasn't anything Verizon could do about their service (bad routers, crashed computers, viruses).

There are a lot of people that call up and want a supervisor straight off. Don't do that. Troubleshoot with the first guy, then ask for one. Once you have an active escalations ticket, you get a phone number straight into escalations.

it was a denial of service attack... som punks set up some scripts to bog down the servers

,, . they did the same thing last sunday too

Derick Freese wrote: Don't be a dick to the .... agent. .....If you were nice, and you calmly explained the situation, I'd bend over backwards to satisfy you. I really hated the people that would have bad attitudes.... ....Troubleshoot with the first guy......

Edited, because being a shiny happy person does nothing but delay resolution, whether you're the customer or the c/s rep.

One interesting Comcast note is that they seem to have immediate recognition when local internet service is interrupted because there are diagnostics in-place that provide real time info. A c/s rep, however, essentially told me they wait for incoming customer complaints to identify areas with cable TV service interruptions.

That's not a good way to instill consumer confidence, people.

JThw8 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid: I've been wanting to hate Comcast for years. But their service keeps getting better.

If you want to hate Comcast just work for them :) I was with them for 5 years. I still have their service, as you said it keeps getting better and there are no alternatives in my area, but as an employee, it suxxored.

Must be a regional thing- we've had the same guy over to our house to install or fix new stuff, and he's really good, and seems to enjoy working for Comcast. I was stunned. Good tech.

I'll be honest, last night notwithstanding, I've been very impressed with Comcast's customer service. For one thing, I'm almost always talking to somebody who sounds like they are in Atlanta, not Mumbai. For another, I've never actually had to talk to anybody past the first person. I can't tell you how good that is compared to AT&T. Unfortunately they've had two "scheduled outages" where they were working on the wires or something around my area without telling me, and last night, which caused some big problems at school. I've never had that experience with AT&T.

alfadriver wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

alfadriver wrote: In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid: I've been wanting to hate Comcast for years. But their service keeps getting better.

If you want to hate Comcast just work for them :) I was with them for 5 years. I still have their service, as you said it keeps getting better and there are no alternatives in my area, but as an employee, it suxxored.

Must be a regional thing- we've had the same guy over to our house to install or fix new stuff, and he's really good, and seems to enjoy working for Comcast. I was stunned. Good tech.

The field techs seem to be alot happier than the cubicle farmers. I had the distinct displeasure of a corporate position which was terrible.

But on average (at least when I was there) the turnover rate company wide was 6 months, that's not a good number.

Derick Freese wrote: In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid: Don't be a dick to the escalations agent (supervisor). When I worked for Verizon, I handled escalations. If a customer was being a dick to me, the last thing I would do is go out of my way to help. I'd stick to the procedures in place, the same ones that you get when you talked to the first guy. If you were nice, and you calmly explained the situation, I'd bend over backwards to satisfy you. I really hated the people that would have bad attitudes when there wasn't anything Verizon could do about their service (bad routers, crashed computers, viruses). There are a lot of people that call up and want a supervisor straight off. Don't do that. Troubleshoot with the first guy, then ask for one. Once you have an active escalations ticket, you get a phone number straight into escalations.

I totally understand where you are coming from, but my point is, if you don't feel that you are getting anywhere with the c/s rep, ask for a supervisor.

I myself had to call the company for a customer and the rep told me they could not do what I asked for (which I have done several times) and then I asked for a supervisor, when I got the sup on the phone he told me the same thing the rep said. I let it go, but I called back again and got a rep that knew what they were doing, if they hadn't I would have asked for a sup again.

Maybe I didn't post it correctly, but I meant to be a jerk to the service rep to talk to a sup if they don't want to let you talk to one. I have heard that complaint several times from customers.

Customers get very frustrated with Customer Service. That is the #1 problem I hear from customers right now.

Maybe I'm wrong for saying to be a jerk, but it seems my most irate customers get a service tech to their house faster. Then I have to listen to them piss and moan in my ear for an hour.