Comcast’s brilliant new way to retain subscribers: Refuse to let them cancel w/audio

[WoodysGirl]

TechCrunch brings us word of an amazing customer service call between a Comcast rep and former Engadget editor-in-chief Ryan Block, whose wife had been trying in vain to get Comcast to cancel their home service before Block took over the phone and decided to start recording the call.
The results are about as amazing as you’d expect. When Block informs the representative that he wants to cancel his service, the representative refuses to do so and instead asks him why in the world would he even think of canceling Comcast, which in the rep’s mind has a sterling reputation for customer care. So instead of promptly agreeing to cancel Block’s service, the rep aggressively peppered him with questions such as:

• “Why don’t you want the faster speed? Help me understand why you don’t want faster Internet.”
• “We are the No. 1 provider of Internet and TV service in the entire country. Why is it that you’re not wanting to have the No. 1 rated Internet service, the No. 1 rated TV service available?”
• “I’m just trying to figure out what it is about Comcast service that you don’t want to keep?”
• “For nine years, you’ve been a Comcast customer… all of a sudden you’re moving and you want to change?”
• “So you’re not interested in the fastest Internet in the country? Why not?”

Block brilliantly responded at one point that this particular phone call was actually an “amazing example” of why he didn’t want to stick with Comcast.

We’d be tempted to say that this is just a particularly overzealous customer service representative, but it’s actually the second such incident we’ve seen in the past couple of months involving a prominent tech writer finding it nearly impossible to cancel Comcast’s service.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/comcast-brilliant-way-retain-subscribers-refuse-let-them-123055966.html

Audio: https://soundcloud.com/ryan-block-10/comcastic-service

 

[BigStar]

Yikes, this is why competition is a good thing. In just about any other business they would have priced themselves out of the market. That customer service mantra seems way too confrontational for any business (even a quasi monopoly).

 

[Phoenix]

Wow. My next call would be to the Better Business Bureau. And then maybe the FCC even.

 

[DallasEast]

When the cable company’s customer service badgers you, you feel flustered.
When you feel flustered, you need an outlet.
When you need an outlet, you sign up for yodeling lessons.
When you try yodeling, you are forced into isolation.
When you are forced into isolation, you start living in a cave.
When you start living in a cave, bats become enraged.
And when bats become enraged, they attack Bigfoot while taking his nightly stroll.

Don’t Have Bats Attack Bigfoot While Taking His Nightly Stroll.

Get rid of Cable. And upgrade to DIRECTV.
Call 1-800-DIRECTV.​

 

[dargonking999]

When the cable company’s customer service badgers you, you feel flustered.
When you feel flustered, you need an outlet.
When you need an outlet, you sign up for yodeling lessons.
When you try yodeling, you are forced into isolation.
When you are forced into isolation, you start living in a cave.
When you start living in a cave, bats become enraged.
And when bats become enraged, they attack Bigfoot while taking his nightly stroll.

Don’t Have Bats Attack Bigfoot While Taking His Nightly Stroll.

Get rid of Cable. And upgrade to DIRECTV.
Call 1-800-DIRECTV.​

DirectTV is currently making this commercial as we ..erm..type

 

[DallasEast]

DirectTV is currently making this commercial as we ..erm..type

It would be my kinda luck if one of my nutty posts got exploited for millions of dollars.

 

[arglebargle]

No huge fan of Time Warner here, but we'll see if it gets appreciably worse when Comcast takes over.

 

[MonsterD]

Probably not even in the top 100,000 bad calls with them, I know I have had a couple close to this with Verizon.

 

[MonsterD]

oops didn't see other one, mods please delete.

 

[TheCowboy]

At the end..... "You're name is?" "Correct."

Now that's funny.

 

[joseephuss]

At the end..... "You're name is?" "Correct."

Now that's funny.

I thought the person that recorded and posted this may have blanked out the name on purpose. There is a slight pause in between. Although the rep was enough of a tool to answer in the manner that we hear. I don't know how the customer stayed on the line as long as he did. I would have hung up and got another rep. Still a pain, but I won't deal with a jerk like that.

 

[MonsterD]

I thought the person that recorded and posted this may have blanked out the name on purpose. There is a slight pause in between. Although the rep was enough of a tool to answer in the manner that we hear. I don't know how the customer stayed on the line as long as he did. I would have hung up and got another rep. Still a pain, but I won't deal with a jerk like that.

Yeah it was edited out by the customer, he was really nice in that regard, could have put it up as was recorded.

 

[TheCowboy]

I thought the person that recorded and posted this may have blanked out the name on purpose. There is a slight pause in between. Although the rep was enough of a tool to answer in the manner that we hear. I don't know how the customer stayed on the line as long as he did. I would have hung up and got another rep. Still a pain, but I won't deal with a jerk like that.

Oh wow I missed that. Makes sense.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

When the cable company’s customer service badgers you, you feel flustered.
When you feel flustered, you need an outlet.
When you need an outlet, you sign up for yodeling lessons.
When you try yodeling, you are forced into isolation.
When you are forced into isolation, you start living in a cave.
When you start living in a cave, bats become enraged.
And when bats become enraged, they attack Bigfoot while taking his nightly stroll.

Don’t Have Bats Attack Bigfoot While Taking His Nightly Stroll.

Get rid of Cable. And upgrade to DIRECTV.
Call 1-800-DIRECTV.​

Did you leave something out?

Like....

You are out on nightly stroll and big foot is so pissed off he attacks you

Or

Big foot attacks your dog

Or


Big foot attacks your yodeling instructor


Where are the ramifications for you? Lol

 

[burmafrd]

sadly they have no real reason to clean this crap up. they make billions no matter what.

 

[DallasEast]

Did you leave something out?

Like....

You are out on nightly stroll and big foot is so pissed off he attacks you

Or

Big foot attacks your dog

Or


Big foot attacks your yodeling instructor


Where are the ramifications for you? Lol

lol! Those are pretty funny but those Directv commercial scripts are only 30 seconds long. Your extra scenarios would add another 10 or more seconds. My favorite script is the Don't Wake Up In A Roadside Ditch:

When your cable company keeps you on hold, you get angry.
When you get angry, you go blow off steam.
When you go blow off steam, accidents happen.
When accidents happen, you get an eye patch.
When you get an eye patch, people think your tough.
When people think your tough, people wanna see how tough.
And when people wanna see how tough, you wake up in a roadside ditch.

Don’t Wake Up In A Roadside Ditch.

Get rid of Cable and upgrade to DirectTV.
Call 1-800-DIRECTTV​

Classic.

 

[Teren_Kanan]

Cable Companies have us by the balls and there isn't a single thing we can do about it. Legal monopolies are great.
Fun isn't it?

Pay more for internet than any country in the world. 37th in internet speed. Good game gentleman.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

The Comcast rep was annoying and an idiot. The guy wanting to cancel was equally annoying and being a jerk on purpose. You could tell he was baiting and setting the rep up. A simple answer to why are you leaving such as 'it's too expensive or I found something cheaper' would have been enough. Maybe I missed something in the beginning before the recording took place. It just seemed like the guy was intentionally egging on the rep more and more only because he was recording. Are we allowed to record conversations without permission? I know when I call Comcast they say that 'this call may be recorded for training purposes.' I know they are recording me. I didn't know I was allowed to record them.

I will be calling Comcast on Friday to get them to lower their rate to Verizon's rate or to a new customer tease rate or I will be leaving for Verizon. I'm curious to see what the call will be like now.

As bad as Comcast is according to some, I have found the absolute worst to be those in the billing department for a hospital or doctor's office. They send bills for erroneous services and cop a real attitude. They even know they are wrong and won't even do anything to help. One time the doctor put a wrong code for a pap smear during an annual physical for my wife. I called the insurance company and they told me the office has to change the code. The billing lady was adamant that it was the correct code and she wasn't changing it. She told me to pay up or she would send it to a collection agency. I called the insurance company back and they told me to talk to the doctor in person. So, I went down and talked to the doctor in person and he apologized and changed it on the spot. I had a big smile on my face as I handed it back to the lady at the office.

 

[joseephuss]

The guys wife had already been on the phone for 10 minutes with the rep and getting nowhere before he took over and started recording the call. After that long most people would/should start being a jerk on purpose. I don't blame the customer at all. It was ridiculous. He did give a simple answer as to why he was cancelling his service. He said it was because that is what he wanted. That is simple enough and all they need. No one should have to put up with that mess.

 

[burmafrd]

The Comcast rep was annoying and an idiot. The guy wanting to cancel was equally annoying and being a jerk on purpose. You could tell he was baiting and setting the rep up. A simple answer to why are you leaving such as 'it's too expensive or I found something cheaper' would have been enough. Maybe I missed something in the beginning before the recording took place. It just seemed like the guy was intentionally egging on the rep more and more only because he was recording. Are we allowed to record conversations without permission? I know when I call Comcast they say that 'this call may be recorded for training purposes.' I know they are recording me. I didn't know I was allowed to record them.

I will be calling Comcast on Friday to get them to lower their rate to Verizon's rate or to a new customer tease rate or I will be leaving for Verizon. I'm curious to see what the call will be like now.

As bad as Comcast is according to some, I have found the absolute worst to be those in the billing department for a hospital or doctor's office. They send bills for erroneous services and cop a real attitude. They even know they are wrong and won't even do anything to help. One time the doctor put a wrong code for a pap smear during an annual physical for my wife. I called the insurance company and they told me the office has to change the code. The billing lady was adamant that it was the correct code and she wasn't changing it. She told me to pay up or she would send it to a collection agency. I called the insurance company back and they told me to talk to the doctor in person. So, I went down and talked to the doctor in person and he apologized and changed it on the spot. I had a big smile on my face as I handed it back to the lady at the office.

obviously you did not bother to read the whole story. Not surprising.