Letter: I sent this to Comcast today

Hm, maybe we can use this as a template for PG&E;too?

Putting on my libertarian hat, I’d say that the surliness of both of those companies stems directly from the fact that they’re government-created government-sanctioned government-enforced monopolies with only a charade of government oversight. There are only two possible ways to fix them:

1. Allow competition (my preference)
2. If you absolutely oppose #1, then the only other solution is that they have to be government agencies with a directly-elected board, so that if you’re unhappy you can vote the bums out and elect new bums.

In the absence of one or the other of the above fixes, nothing will ever improve; in fact it seems to me that it only gets worse over time. There is no incentive for a government-enforced monopoly to operate in a manner which creates happy customers. It’s not like a department store where if you’re not happy you can walk across the street to the next store.

Ok, maybe there’s another option: 3. Top management’s compensation is set exclusively by a vote of the customers. Don’t hold your breath waiting for this one.

Comment 3 by Anneliese Agren  on  Nov 27  at  3:37pm  •  All my comments • 

What else can we use besides Comcast coastside?

I’m so fed up with their service, and customer service, that I’m ready to go without cable entirely. I’ll use DSL for internet and then read Coastsider.net all day long. ;)

Seriously though, what other providers bring internet and/or cable service Coastside? I could only find Earthlink for internet connectivity as an option. I don’t recall if DirecTV is over here?

Does anyone know how many Internet customers Comcast has on the coastside?

If there were enough interest, perhaps we could create our own coastal co-op broadband wireless network.

The technical difficulties are numerous and some of them beyond my understanding of RF, packet routing and network topology.

But those issues can be solved easily. The hard part would be financing the project and maintaining the network to provide a better service than Comcast.

I’ll share my letter.

Please use ALL of the email address’s below for your issues if you have them. I spent a bunch of time finding them so it would be nice to see them put to use.

I was told that this email was sent to more than ten internal distribution lists inside of Comcast.

Jeffevert@cable.comcast.com corporatecommunications@comcast.com AndrewCJohnson@cable.comcast.com tracy_baumgartner@cable.comcast.com

from Tim Payne timpayne@gmail.com to “Evert, Jeff” Jeff_evert@cable.comcast.com, cc corporatecommunications@comcast.com, AndrewCJohnson@cable.comcast.com, tracybaumgartner@cable.comcast.com, date Nov 7, 2007 4:52 PM subject Re: Restart Woah is me mailed-by gmail.com

Reply

Jeff,

Lets talk about today.

I was promised yesterday that I would have a tech here first thing in the morning. What happened? Why is it so difficult to get a service person to connect my cable? Why is it not being done right now ?

What is the email Address for the Comcast Cable VP of Operations?

Thank you Jeff.

All,

D’Arcy Rudnay Jennifer Khoury Jenni Moyer Andrew Johnson Tracy Baumgartner

A little time line. I like to call it Where in the world is my Cable. I have been a customer for at least 5 years at this residence. The below is a typical interaction with your company.

Two things I would like to comment on first. 1. Comcast Customer Service reps are Way Way Better than they were 1 year ago. I say this even though it seems that they may have been at the root of my (so far) 6 day ordeal. While quality of service has gone up its seems that systems training and interdepartmental communications is still a huge challenge. 2. Comcast Field reps never fail to amaze me at the level of incompetence they exhibit. They are always very nice but fail at actually solving any problem right the first time.

Day 1 Nov. 2th Pay Comcast for over due bill. I asked the CS person why my internet service was also disconnected with the video (admission: I was totally late paying for the video, sorry Comcast). She told me it shouldn’t have been disconnected and that it would be up first thing in the morning. I asked if the video will be done at the same time? “Of course” said the CS.

Day 2 Nov. 3rd Internet service is up !! Still no video. Call Comcast and get the promise that it will be up tomorrow. CS insists I don’t need to be around for the install.

Day 3 Nov. 4th No Video. Daughter is asking when Elmo is ??? Tivo to the rescue !!

Day 4 Nov. 5th Still no video. Really nice CS person today. CS says that they are sorry the tech didn’t stay to hook up the service and that she cant figure out why he didn’t stay to hook the service up when he realized I wasn’t home. Cs now promising me that she can get someone out here today. AWSOME!! I am feeling very Comcastic at the moment that CS person was really good. 1 minuet later Tech calls from this cell phone 555-7026 3:05 pm. Tech says that he is WAY over booked and that he just can’t see getting out to me today and that I should call back to CS and get a new appointment. WTF >>> I tell him that I just got off of the phone with CS and they said that a tech would turn my service on TODAY. He says “I really have way to much going on to get to you.” I then asked him “Why didn’t you hook my service up at the poll when you came over this morning and I wasn’t home?” Exact reply “Um … sir thank you for calling bye… click”.

Day 5 Nov. 6th Still no video.Call to CS and they tell me (after I really try to get someone out here today) that I can’t have someone come out till the following day.

Day 6 Nov. 7th Still no video. Call to CS. Nice lady promises me that it’s still early enough to get someone out to the house today and that she is going to make special effort to get Jeff Evert involved because” He worked on your case yesterday and knows whats going on”. Great !! This email shows up 3:05 PM 5 mins after the cut off for getting field repair to commit to more customers (supposedly).

“Just wanted to let you know Tim we well have a tech out to your home on 11/8/07 from 8-8 you well not need to be home at all. And I am sorry about the other night when we were talking when you tried to play back that recording for me we were disconnected. If you have any questions please feel free to call 1-800-Comcast and any one here well be more then happy to help you.

Jeff Evert “

WTF >>> So I get another promise of yes we will fix it today then not to long after get another refusal to commit to repairing the service on the day of the service call. WOOP !! Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.

On Nov 7, 2007 3:05 PM, Evert, Jeff Jeff_evert@cable.comcast.com wrote: > > >

Just wanted to let you know Tim we well have a tech out to your home on 11/8/07 from 8-8 you well not need to be home at all. And I am sorry about the other night when we were talking when you tried to play back that recording for me we were disconnected. If you have any questions please feel free to call 1-800-Comcast and any one here well be more then happy to help you.

Jeff Evert

MHCC

Repair Supervisor

Ext: 82757

It was fixed the next day.

Tim

Anneliese,

Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) and Over The Air (OTA) have been available options on the coastside for decades. DirecTV is an example of a DBS available.

Earlier this evening, at 2030, I was watching, OTA, Charlie Rose’s interview of Sen. John McCain on 9.3 (9.3 KQEDW) then switched at 2130 to KBCW 44.1 (44.1 KBCWD) “Reaper” - not necessarily a political commentary. OTA offers the HDTV ‘fanatic’ the best possible picture and sound qualilty - AND OTA is free!

From a discussion on the subject on TOWN HALL and on an earlier thread, apparantely it is not an option for everyone on the coastside. I literally cut my cable off a couple of decades ago - I firmly embrace Leonard Woren’s “option 1. Allow [and encourage] competition (my preference)” when ever possible!

Ken Johnson

ken:

please explain ‘over the air’ and how to apply for it

bob look

Bob,

Over The Air (OTA) is Broadcast: see my prior two links above for full discussion.

Ken Johnson

ken

i don’t know how to access your prior two links

is ota like rabbit ears or a roof antenna? [if so, not too efficient here unless one lives on top of a very high hill]

bob

better late than never……………. comcast replied today to my letter of three days ago. i am to await a phone call from them. one can only imagine all the great things that will result from said phone call……….should it ever occur.

bob

Comment 11 by Anneliese Agren  on  Nov 28  at  6:02pm  •  All my comments • 

Tim, your letter is funny, “I am feeling very Comcastic at the moment!” :)

Bob, Good Luck!

Ken, Good information that I had no idea about. I just need more time to rig it all up. In the meantime, I guess I’m paying a convenience fee for Comcast services…one way to look at it, I guess. Competition would be nice.

comcast said they would call, but they chose to email me instead with the standard fluff-off. i replied:

in spite of record earnings and a ceo salary in excess of 27million comcast has not been able to improve reception on ‘local channels’ bah humbug!

Comcast Ecare Bay Area wrote:

I just wish more people would get this worked up over all of the rampant violations of the Coastal Act that are going on around here, particularly in developer-friendly HMB.

I have actually gone to the El Granada office to complain about nightly blackout or poor picture on cable channel 10 (KTEH PBS. The woman at the desk acted as though it was a big surprise that anything was wrong and said she would have the technician check it out that night by taping what was being received. First she implied it was probably our TV set or our connection until I insisted it also affects my friend’s service in Half Moon Bay. Of course, nothing has changed.

By the way if you think Comcast service is bad, how about the deterioration of Safeway quality since it lost its competition on the coast? June Legler

Comment 15 by Barry Parr  on  Nov 30  at  12:51am  •  All my comments • 

I got so tired of the poor reception of local broadcast channels, that I actually tried to contact one of the local channels to see if they could talk to Comcast.

Have you ever tried to talk to a TV station? I can’t even find a real person or a phone number inside the organization. They make Comcast seem friendly.

Kevin,

I agree and welcome to my world! Whether it is violations of the Coastal Act or CUSD ineffectiveness, the end result is a lesser life for our children.

Hopefully those who just vent will find a constructive use of their time: reading, OMG, the Yamagiwa decision or actually looking into the discrepancies between the PR from our CUSD School Board and the facts!

OTOH, we then get ‘newbies’ who don’t understand the use of Google, Wikipedia or W3c.

Ken Johnson

P. S, Barry, did you try the advertising department of the TV station - they have a vested interest?

Comment 17 by GraceAnn Stewart  on  Jan 29  at  10:44pm  •  All my comments • 

I am sorry for replying to this old post but I could not find a comment section in your updated letter.

My husband was watching that same football game and lost video/audio. I called Comcast and was told there was no outage. They said an outage had to be three or more calls. Well, you and I are one and two! I find it hard to believe that is it. They also said their schedule is booked for service so someone would have to call me the next day to schedule service. Of course the next day I got a call but the TV was working fine.

I asked for my bill to be credited so we’ll see what happens there. I never see any credits for outages!!

Hope you enjoy your dish. I am too cheap to make that move and I rarely watch TV so I’ll be living with it for now.

Sincerely, GraceAnn