Comcast refusing to disconnect cable service for Engadget editor - call was recorded

[Phokus]

http://bgr.com/2014/07/15/why-is-comcast-so-bad-4/

If i could punch someone through the phone, this person would be it.

 

[nageov3t]

"hi, I'm calling to cancel my service."
"we're sorry to hear that, why are you canceling?"
"I'm moving to Iceland."

has been my experience every time I've had to cancel cable and didn't want to jump through hoops.

 

[DesiPower]

Can I get a part time job there so that I can troll real people just for fun...

 

[deadlyapp]

"hi, I'm calling to cancel my service."
"we're sorry to hear that, why are you canceling?"
"I'm moving to Iceland."

has been my experience every time I've had to cancel cable and didn't want to jump through hoops.

I usually use some form of "i'm moving into another household where the cable is managed by another user"

 

[DesiPower]

I usually use some form of "i'm moving into another household where the cable is managed by another user"

You must atleast have your own internet there. Why share, it will get slower. We insist that you have it else we will disconnect you balls too along with your cable.

 

[halik]

They have terrible upsell people, just stupid.

I was calling last week during outage and the guy started ramble on "number one service, blah blah can get you a better deal", so I tell him I'm not interested in paying any more money for any kind of service and he says it won't be any more money. So he starts rambling again on bullshit sales spiel ("400 channels, best service ") and I stop him and tell him there's no way I can get that without paying more money. His response "well it's only little more money", at which point i told him I'm hanging up.



Honestly the most annoying part is the bullshit sales lines they keep shoving in to waste my time:

ME: I'm looking to pay at most $60 a mo for basic cable and fastest internet

COMCAST: I understand you wanna save your hard earned money, you hard work is very important to us and
were doing the best service for your hard earned money blah blah blah (2 minute spiel), so I've found a triple play package for you.

ME: How much is it?

COMCAST: You get some much value blah blah blah (another 2 min spiel)

ME: How much?

COMCAST : $160/mo

ME: You're a moron; *click*

 

[cronos]

Holy crap.

 

[Markbnj]

As much as I dislike Comcast this is probably just an example of an overly aggressive rep.

 

[LTC8K6]

Keep in mind that his wife had already been trying to get the guy to disconnect the service for a few minutes...this attempt to cancel took a lot longer than the 8:14 time of the recording.

 

[LTC8K6]

As much as I dislike Comcast this is probably just an example of an overly aggressive rep.

It's an example of how they train their reps, I'm afraid.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I hope he did this in AZ, its against the law to record people w/o their knowledge. The Terms on the inbound call may be good enough though.

 

[deadlyapp]

It's an example of how they train their reps, I'm afraid.

You have metrics - you're supposed to retain a certain number of customers. The "best" reps are those that are aggressive and can retain. Once you find that you have good success being aggressive like this you continue to do it.

This guy will get a slap on the wrist and will be allowed to keep doing it because he's successful.

When I worked retail we were the same way with credit card applications. We had associates who were aggressive and sometimes slightly shady, and they were rewarded for this. Every so often a customer would complain that they felt that they had been badgered into it (usually when they were denied for credit), and we'd have a brief talk with the associate, but never any real punishment.

 

[Krazy4Real]

LOL! That's so terrible.

 

[NoCreativity]

As much as I dislike Comcast this is probably just an example of an overly aggressive rep.

From my experience it isn't. I talked in a similar loop a couple months ago about a billing discrepancy. I could have gone on as long as this guy but I gave up after about five minutes of the same crap.

And I got the same type of response when I cancelled years ago at a different location.

 

[momeNt]

I hope he did this in AZ, its against the law to record people w/o their knowledge. The Terms on the inbound call may be good enough though.

The call was already being recorded on their end most likely. Doesn't the consent work both ways?

 

[nageov3t]

The call was already being recorded on their end most likely. Doesn't the consent work both ways?

it depends on the state.

but Arizona is a one-party consent state, where as long as at least one side of the call knows it's being recorded, it's legal.

in other states, both participants need to be aware... one-party consent is more commonplace, though (http://www.vegress.com/index.php/can-i-record-calls-in-my-state)

 

[PliotronX]

You have metrics - you're supposed to retain a certain number of customers. The "best" reps are those that are aggressive and can retain. Once you find that you have good success being aggressive like this you continue to do it.

This guy will get a slap on the wrist and will be allowed to keep doing it because he's successful.

When I worked retail we were the same way with credit card applications. We had associates who were aggressive and sometimes slightly shady, and they were rewarded for this. Every so often a customer would complain that they felt that they had been badgered into it (usually when they were denied for credit), and we'd have a brief talk with the associate, but never any real punishment.

True! When I worked at Target, the pressure to sell credit cards was unbelievable. The card is a PoS so I didn't believe in foisting it onto people and some of them would go out of their way to thank me for a great shopping experience and not hounding them to sign up for shit they don't need. Since my ideal of the shopping experience differed from the greed of the corporation, I was just an expendable peon. Imagine me, a nerd with a genuine interest in electronics, technology, and helping people taken out of electronics and replaced by an airhead blonde who didn't know a NiMH battery from her butthole but had a way with selling cards is somehow considered the optimal experience for shoppers and the perception Target wishes to behold. I couldn't take much of the checkout lanes before GTFO. Everyone should work a year of retail for the humbling experience, but it takes a special kind of crazy to enjoy it enough to stay like the managers for 20+ years.

 

[Brovane]

You have metrics - you're supposed to retain a certain number of customers. The "best" reps are those that are aggressive and can retain. Once you find that you have good success being aggressive like this you continue to do it.

This guy will get a slap on the wrist and will be allowed to keep doing it because he's successful.

When I worked retail we were the same way with credit card applications. We had associates who were aggressive and sometimes slightly shady, and they were rewarded for this. Every so often a customer would complain that they felt that they had been badgered into it (usually when they were denied for credit), and we'd have a brief talk with the associate, but never any real punishment.

I suspect that probably the employee will be fired. At this point with all the negative press from this, Comcast will want to come out and say the rep is fired. So even though "unoffically" this type of behavior is encouraged the employee is expendable.

 

[z1ggy]

Why does it matter? Comcast practically has a monopoly on the service they provide in some areas. They make it pretty clear that they don't give two shits about their customers. They are in the business of maximizing stock prices and company profit.

 

[halik]

It's an example of how they train their reps, I'm afraid.

Pretty much, they all interjected the same lines into the conversation.

 

[Tweak155]

Wow I hate Comcast... but I love their $20/mo service I have right now haha.

 

[momeNt]

Both Comcast and the Government know how to abuse the sheeple.

 

[el-Capitan]

Both Comcast and the Government know how to abuse the sheeple.

Oh yeah, bad bad government. More control to the corporations, they'll regulate themselves just like the cable companies and ISPs do.

Oh wait...

 

[GagHalfrunt]

As much as I dislike Comcast this is probably just an example of an overly aggressive rep.

I doubt it, that sort of thing doesn't happen in a vacuum. Either the reps are trained to behave that way or at the very least the supervisors know it's happening and tacitly approve it. Somebody that off the deep end could not keep his job if it's really against policy.

 

[Train]

Oh yeah, bad bad government. More control to the corporations, they'll regulate themselves just like the cable companies and ISPs do.

Oh wait...

Most cable companies enjoy govt granted monopolies, at least in most areas.