Comcast 'Call From Hell' Makes Waves - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 07-16-2014, 11:59 PM

http://www.newser.com/story/190994/c...kes-waves.html

Comcast 'Call From Hell' Makes Waves

Ryan Block tries to disconnect his service, painfully

(Newser) – It's the customer service call heard 'round the world: Eight minutes of audio has been played more than 1.7 million times since Ryan Block made it available (via Soundcloud, posted on Twitter) last night. The crux: The AOL product manager was calling Comcast to disconnect his service in favor of West Coast broadband provider Astound.

He didn't start recording until about 10 minutes into the call, noting "the representative had gotten so condescending and unhelpful I felt compelled to record the speakerphone conversation on my other phone." At Gawker, Andy Cush calls it a "Kafkaesque nightmare" that kicks off with the unidentified rep asking, "Why is it that you don't want the faster speed? Help me understand why you don't want faster Internet." Eight "mind-numbing," repetitive minutes follow in which the rep keeps demanding explanations. Says Block at one point: "I don't owe you an explanation ... so please proceed to the next question." The rep doesn't.

At Consumerist, Mary Beth Quirk calls it "the 'I will not let you break up with me' speech." Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzick sees Block's struggle as illustrating "the necessity of killing Comcast's pending deal to absorb Time Warner Cable, a combination ... that would make Comcast even less responsive to its customers' needs than it is now. This call should be part of the evidence package placed before [the FCC and the Dept. of Justice], and before Congress too." Comcast, for its part, tweeted at Block, "We are sorry & embarrassed by what happened. We're determined to be better. We clearly have more work to do."

Listen, if you dare, here.

Family Ties Forever! · 07-17-2014, 02:40 AM

Wow. That Comcast representative is nuts. He kept asking the same question. He should have done what the customer asked the first time. He should have respected the customer's decision to cancel his service. To go on and on for several minutes like that is definitely poor quality on the part of the employee.

Family Ties Forever! · 08-03-2014, 06:08 AM

I hope I never get a representative like that. Talk about frustrating.

Mr. Television · 08-03-2014, 07:05 AM

They're all alike. I had trouble with a rep when I wanted to disconnect Direct Tv and go back to Comcast. They kept asking why. Unbelievable.

retrofan05 · 08-03-2014, 03:08 PM

I'm thinking about disconnecting cable and just going to Netflix and online streaming, just because I rarely watch anything on TV anymore. I think to avoid having to have a big exchange, I'll just tell them I'm moving out of the country or something. LOL

Family Ties Forever! · 08-17-2014, 11:33 PM

link

Comcast left me on hold for 3+ hours -- until it closed
Customers' videos of poor service racking up millions of views
Author: By Chris Isidore
Posted: Aug 15, 2014 12:55 PM CDT Updated: Aug 17, 2014 9:02 AM CDT

New York (CNNMoney) - Viral recordings of Comcast customer service snafus are becoming a highly watched mini-series. Among the most recent: A video showing a Chicago photographer on hold for more than 3 hours trying to cancel his service, only to be told in a separate call that the office that handles disconnects was closed for the day.

Aaron Spain's video on You Tube has 1.4 million views in the three days since it was posted. In the video, Spain holds up the phone to show the original call passing the 3 hour and 25 minute mark. "That's how long I've been on hold, and they're closed," he said. "I'm pissed." Spain said he was able to cancel the service -- in just 17 minutes -- when he called back the next day. He said once the video went viral, a Comcast executive called him to apologize. "It seemed genuine," Spain said.

"Under no circumstances is this the experience we want our customers to have," said a Comcast spokesperson. "Our goal is to be respectful of our customers' time and fix any issues the first time. We take this very seriously."
Last week Tim Davis, another unhappy Comcast customer. posted a recording of his battles to get an improper charge from a service call dropped from his bill. He was told in the complaining call that the only way to have the charge removed was to have a recording of someone at Comcast telling him that there would be no charge to fix the problem.

He called the bluff, playing back a tape of the earlier customer service representative assuring him there would be no charge, and got the charge dropped. The incident was reported by The Washington Post. The video has about 770,000 views. Last month, Ryan Block, a former editor of Endgadget, and his wife Veronica Belmont, posted a recording of an abusive Comcast customer service representative who refused to cancel their service despite repeated requests to do so. There are more than 500,000 views of the various YouTube postings of his call.

Comcast issued statements apologizing for both the Davis and Block-Belmont calls. "This is not the type of experience we want our customers to have. We have spoken with the customer and apologized to him," said Comcast about Davis' video.

Copyright 2014 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.

Dude111 · 08-18-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Family Ties Forever!

I hope I never get a representative like that. Talk about frustrating.

Yes....They wont let ya go easily!!

comedyfreak · 08-18-2014, 08:51 AM

A few years ago when I finally got fed up with Comcast, I took all the equipment down to the comcast office and turned it all in and canceled my service, hassle free.

Regulus · 08-18-2014, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

A few years ago when I finally got fed up with Comcast, I took all the equipment down to the comcast office and turned it all in and canceled my service, hassle free.

Ditto here, except mine was Bright House, and for the same reasons as above.

TVFactFan · 08-18-2014, 08:12 PM

when you get a rep like that you just say the same thing I said to the electric company

"DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE F*CK I JUST SAID???

Regulus · 08-18-2014, 08:27 PM

KurtfromPitts · 08-20-2014, 10:50 AM

As of this post I'm having a problem with Comcast. Haven't gotten a picture on my cable since Thursday.

07-16-2014, 11:59 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Comcast 'Call From Hell' Makes Waves http://www.newser.com/story/190994/c...kes-waves.html Comcast 'Call From Hell' Makes Waves Ryan Block tries to disconnect his service, painfully (Newser) – It's the customer service call heard 'round the world: Eight minutes of audio has been played more than 1.7 million times since Ryan Block made it available (via Soundcloud, posted on Twitter) last night. The crux: The AOL product manager was calling Comcast to disconnect his service in favor of West Coast broadband provider Astound. He didn't start recording until about 10 minutes into the call, noting "the representative had gotten so condescending and unhelpful I felt compelled to record the speakerphone conversation on my other phone." At Gawker, Andy Cush calls it a "Kafkaesque nightmare" that kicks off with the unidentified rep asking, "Why is it that you don't want the faster speed? Help me understand why you don't want faster Internet." Eight "mind-numbing," repetitive minutes follow in which the rep keeps demanding explanations. Says Block at one point: "I don't owe you an explanation ... so please proceed to the next question." The rep doesn't. At Consumerist, Mary Beth Quirk calls it "the 'I will not let you break up with me' speech." Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzick sees Block's struggle as illustrating "the necessity of killing Comcast's pending deal to absorb Time Warner Cable, a combination ... that would make Comcast even less responsive to its customers' needs than it is now. This call should be part of the evidence package placed before [the FCC and the Dept. of Justice], and before Congress too." Comcast, for its part, tweeted at Block, "We are sorry & embarrassed by what happened. We're determined to be better. We clearly have more work to do." Listen, if you dare, here.

07-17-2014, 02:40 AM	#2
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	Wow. That Comcast representative is nuts. He kept asking the same question. He should have done what the customer asked the first time. He should have respected the customer's decision to cancel his service. To go on and on for several minutes like that is definitely poor quality on the part of the employee.
	__________________ Jenny

08-03-2014, 07:05 AM	#4
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	They're all alike. I had trouble with a rep when I wanted to disconnect Direct Tv and go back to Comcast. They kept asking why. Unbelievable.
	__________________ Sonny

08-17-2014, 11:33 PM	#6
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	link Comcast left me on hold for 3+ hours -- until it closed Customers' videos of poor service racking up millions of views Author: By Chris Isidore Posted: Aug 15, 2014 12:55 PM CDT Updated: Aug 17, 2014 9:02 AM CDT New York (CNNMoney) - Viral recordings of Comcast customer service snafus are becoming a highly watched mini-series. Among the most recent: A video showing a Chicago photographer on hold for more than 3 hours trying to cancel his service, only to be told in a separate call that the office that handles disconnects was closed for the day. Aaron Spain's video on You Tube has 1.4 million views in the three days since it was posted. In the video, Spain holds up the phone to show the original call passing the 3 hour and 25 minute mark. "That's how long I've been on hold, and they're closed," he said. "I'm pissed." Spain said he was able to cancel the service -- in just 17 minutes -- when he called back the next day. He said once the video went viral, a Comcast executive called him to apologize. "It seemed genuine," Spain said. "Under no circumstances is this the experience we want our customers to have," said a Comcast spokesperson. "Our goal is to be respectful of our customers' time and fix any issues the first time. We take this very seriously." Last week Tim Davis, another unhappy Comcast customer. posted a recording of his battles to get an improper charge from a service call dropped from his bill. He was told in the complaining call that the only way to have the charge removed was to have a recording of someone at Comcast telling him that there would be no charge to fix the problem. He called the bluff, playing back a tape of the earlier customer service representative assuring him there would be no charge, and got the charge dropped. The incident was reported by The Washington Post. The video has about 770,000 views. Last month, Ryan Block, a former editor of Endgadget, and his wife Veronica Belmont, posted a recording of an abusive Comcast customer service representative who refused to cancel their service despite repeated requests to do so. There are more than 500,000 views of the various YouTube postings of his call. Comcast issued statements apologizing for both the Davis and Block-Belmont calls. "This is not the type of experience we want our customers to have. We have spoken with the customer and apologized to him," said Comcast about Davis' video. Copyright 2014 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.
	Last edited by Family Ties Forever!; 08-18-2014 at 12:25 AM.

08-18-2014, 08:51 AM	#8
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	A few years ago when I finally got fed up with Comcast, I took all the equipment down to the comcast office and turned it all in and canceled my service, hassle free.
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

08-03-2014, 06:08 AM	#3
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	I hope I never get a representative like that. Talk about frustrating.

08-03-2014, 03:08 PM	#5
retrofan05 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,111	I'm thinking about disconnecting cable and just going to Netflix and online streaming, just because I rarely watch anything on TV anymore. I think to avoid having to have a big exchange, I'll just tell them I'm moving out of the country or something. LOL

08-18-2014, 08:12 PM	#10
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,018	when you get a rep like that you just say the same thing I said to the electric company "DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE F*CK I JUST SAID???

08-18-2014, 08:27 PM	#11
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374

08-20-2014, 10:50 AM	#12
KurtfromPitts Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 10, 2006 Location: Carnegie PA Posts: 1,532	As of this post I'm having a problem with Comcast. Haven't gotten a picture on my cable since Thursday.