WITHOLDING MAILED PAYMENTS AFTER DUE DATE TO COLLECT LATE FEES CHARGES, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE PROMISE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENT ON NEXT BILLING... NEVER HAPPENENED!
a very unscrupulous practice!

My husband tried to call me 3times from (Jackson Correctional Institution, MALONE FL.) Each time the Automated service Disconnected each phone call. Stating: They are Disconnecting the phone calls because of Third party use! (THERE WAS NO SUCH USAGE)! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MRS.BELINDA BROWN! (This happened December 11th around:5ish

I talk in my speeches about the fact that the only sustainable competitive advantage is outstanding customer service (or as I call it Crazy Customer Service). This past week, I had one of the worst customer service experiences ever at the hands of the cable monopoly that brands itself Comcast.

At a second home we just purchased, I drove 2 hours to meet the Comcast cable person. Unlike real businesses, these utilities give you a three hour window in which they will show up. (in this case 1-4 pm). I hate waiting for anyone, but I understand you have to make sacrifices if you want to get the services (internet, cable and phone) of a monopolistic giant like Comcast. I dutifully waited my 3 hours after driving 2 hours (total elapsed time for Comcast so far 5 hours). At 4:00 PM, I called and they said they would be 15 more minutes, but not to worry, they had an ontime guarantee (they would credit my account with $20). After not showing up over the next 2 hours, I called again at 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:30. At 5:30, they said they would be there every time in 15 minutes. Finally they set the time at 6:30. I left at 6:00 PM to walk down the street to make another phone call, since there is no cell service at my house. At 6:07 I get a call saying the cable guy was there and left (since I was not home) and did I want to RESCHEDULE! I had waited 5 hours plus a 4 hour drive (round trip) and now I would get no cable today. Somehow, the cable person sneaked on my property and left within a few minutes. Needless to say I was furious.I had waited 5 hours for them and he couldn't wait out of respect 5 minutes? This certainly is customer cruelty.

When I called to complain, they offered a free installation ($59) for my 9 hour wait the next time I wanted them out there. Ridiculous. In fact, the supervisor took no responsibility for this and said "that's just the way it is". If one of my bills was late, do think I could say that's the way it is?

Imagine if I said to one of my clients that I was to give a speech to at 9:00 AM that I would show up to speak between 8 AM and 11 AM and that the audience should just wait? Imagine if you did that to one of your clients? I understand that Comcast does these 3 hour slots so they can better utilize their service people in the field since they do not know how long it will take to do a call. But better utilization should never be at the expense of the customer. They may have utilized the service person well that day but they burn through 9 hours of my time. Where is the respect for the customer?

Over the long run, I hope to believe that this hurts Comcast's business when more customers like me get tired of waiting and waiting and waiting. Although, the market does not strictly determine these things since in this part of the country, there are no other choices for the bundle of services Comcast provides.

Press 1 - If you would like me to pay your INSANELY over-priced cable bill even though the cable went out TEN TIMES this month and your "high volume" kept you from answering the phone.

Press 2 - If you want me to come to the Comcast store. I can be there some time between 8 am and 10 pm on Monday, Tuesday or Friday. Please make sure you are sitting around doing nothing ALL DAY so I can come at the last possible second and tell you that NOTHING IS WRONG!

Press 3 - If you would like to speak to an extremely irritable and unknowledgable operator who sounds "surprised" that no one will be able to come to your house in the next SIX months because the cable SUCKS and everyone needs their box fixed.

Press 4 - If you want me to bring my box back when I switch to Verizon FIOS cable instead of throwing it into the reservoir.

Press 5 - TO BITE ME, COMCAST!

All other calls, please remain on the line. Your call will be answered in approximately 247 minutes.

Every state, city and municipality should drop their contracts with Comcast . This company does not provide good customer service, nor does it care. For three days I tried to reach a warm body on 800-COMCAST to no avail. The recording I got said they could not take my call because they were experiencing a high volume of calls. I got so frustrated I got in my car and drove to a local satellite Comcast office. I told one of the employees there how I could not find their phone number. Her reply: "Oh, we don't publish our satellite office numbers...Comcast doesn't want customers calling these offices." The bottom line here is because Comcast has a monopoly they will not change. THEY SIMPLY DON'T CARE! Moreover, if Comcast's CEO were to read any of these negative reviews, I sincerely doubt he or she would care either.