Bill Jr's dashboard

When I call to schedule a move (CTV and Internet) for next week, I'm told that COMCAST cannot SCHEDULE a move until the current account at the new location is closed. They also cannot even estimate, once the move is schedule, how long it will take to establish service at the new house. Since I need to have internet with minimal delay, I'm forced to cancel COMCAST and go with DSL (Bellsouth can actually schedule service!). As a sidebar, even though COMCAST.com says promotional rates will transer in the local area, Customer Service (?) says it will not, that I will loose my current promotion. So last year I dropped Bellsouth and DISH, and now COMCAST Customer Service is driving me back to these providers.

Hi Bill Jr,

I apologize sincerely for all your troubles.

Allow me to reach out to my contacts to get this resolved for you. If you don't mind, will you send me your account address or phone number so that we may address this for you?

Thanks in advance for allowing me to assist!

Mark C.
Comcast Corp.
We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com

My Comcast cable goes out every 3 weeks - like clockwork. I get the following message:
ONE MOMENT PLEASE, THE CHANNEL WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY
This has been going on since January 2008. It is now May 2008.

When I go into the Main Menu -> Cable Setup -> Display, it shows Disconnected - Not Connected. I tried to explain this to Comcast and was told my cable is out because the box was physically disconnected and I needed to re-connect the box. What ?!?! If the box was disconnected, how am I able to go inside the Cable Main Menu and read this to them ?? This proved that Comcast knows NOTHING about their equipment or how it's works.

I have called Comcast easily over a dozen times and what do/did I get:
1) Hung-up on.
2) Techs no-call, no-show.
3) Lied to - Repeatedly by Comcast about the scheduled day/time when the tech was "suppose" to arrive. This part is really really bad and apparently legendary. Countless times I was told that a tech will to arrive between 8 & noon or between 1 & 5PM and like an idiot, I waited - and waited - and waited - and waited. Called Comcast, like every hour to check on my scheduled appointment: no clue, I mean totally clueless - hugh waste of time. I was told they have no control over dispatches. And yet, you have to contact them to schedule a dispatch. What the HELL !?!?
4) Techs, if and/or when they do show up, have absolutely no clue on what is the problem and apparently why they were dispatched - I guess they are told to just show up.
5) And most importantly, tech not fixing the problem as my cable went out Tuesday, May 06 and is still out.

The few and I do mean few techs that did show up told me the following:
the problem is with the signal - the problem is not with the signal - the problem is outside - the problem is inside - when this happens, to call Comcast and have them send an INT signal to the boxes. This is like wiping out and re-sending the cable box configs. Any Favorite Cable Channels settings are gone. But you have to beg and plead with Comcast to do this and this is a TEMPORARY FIX. A few weeks later, cable goes out.

Another tech told me directly to -my -face to call Comcast and cancel the service as this would get their attention to fix the problem. I could not believe a Comcast tech was telling me to do this.

At others times I was told that the tech would come out and replace both HD cable boxes. Techs, again the few that did show up, were empty-handed - no replacement cable boxes. Techs did not know what I was talking about when I asked where were the new boxes. Comcast told me that they were sending out a tech to replace the boxes. Their reply was they were not sent to replace anything - and then asked, once again, "what is the problem ??" It is as if for the past 5 months, I have been talking to an empty phone in an empty room. Again, tech shows up with no clue on the reason they were dispatched - they just show up - and even that's a maybe - they may show up or they may not. No one knows.

I chatted via their chatroom last night about this 5-month-old trouble to Francis. This one stated that their Engineering Department is aware of the "issue" and are working on it right now. Sure they are !!!! When asked was exactly was the "issue", she replied I needed to contact some local office, as she " could not " tell me directly. I again pressed about this mysterious " issue ", only to be told information about it cannot be given out. Huh ??? I replied that it sounds like they already knew there was some kind of trouble and failed to notify the customer. Also, this " issue " is only affecting me. I live in a building with 90+ units, yet this " issue " is only affecting me - only ME. This was sounding like some kind of BS, big time.

I have been in the customer support field over 10 years with many different companies and have NEVER seen such BAD service. It is as if they are deaf, dumb and blind to the ability of providing SERVICE to their CUSTOMER. Isn't that what they are suppose to do ?? Customer Service means giving Service to the Customer.

Where is the follow-up call to the customer to confirm that they are back up and working ?? Where is the call to the customer to let them know the tech is running a little late ?? Or cannot make the scheduled appointment ?? Why do I, the customer have to call the provider to find out what is going on ?? Common courtesy dictates a call TO the customer would be nice, instead of a pissed-off call FROM the customer.

What is needed is another cable provider in Chicago. I will take ANYONE/ANYTHING over Comcast, I wish I could get satellite service, but I live in a condo that faces East. For satellite service, like Direct TV, I need to have an unobstructed view of the southwest sky.

Apparently I am left with no choice but to cancel service as the cable goes out at will with no fix and no cares/concerns from Comcast. None at all.

I pray to God in Heaven to please let Verizon FIOS, RCN, WOW-Wide Open West, or ANYONE get in my area and provide cable television service - and FAST !!!