Thursday, April 8, 2010

Comcast Customer Service? FAIL!

No politics...but I thought I'd share a chat conversation I had with Comcast... Good for a laugh if it wasn't so frustrating...

The setup: I ordered some equipment, and I noticed that they were sending the confirmation and shipping tracking emails to my work email. I prefer to get those at my personal email address. So, I emailed customer service asking them to make sure my personal email was active.

They replied saying that in order to change owners on the account, I had to completely cancel my Comcast account and re-start it. Otherwise, if I just needed to change the email address, I could contact them via chat. So, that's what I did:

ME: My email address may be wrong in the system for account notifications.

REP1: Hello Patrick, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is (REDACTED). Please give me one moment to review your information.
REP1: It's good to have you on chat. How are you today?

ME: frustrated

REP1: Oh, I am so sorry that you are feeling this way, Patrick. I see here that you have a concern or problem with your online login. I understand the trouble that this has caused you, and I want you to know how sorry I am for the inconvenience. As your service representative today, I want you to know that your satisfaction is of my topmost priority and I assure you that we can resolve this issue together on this chat.
REP1: Don't worry, I can help you with this now.

REP1: To ensure the integrity of your account information, kindly verify to me the last 4 digits of your SSN, please?
ME: 4 digits of my SSN=XXXX

ME: not a trouble with my online login

REP1: Oh, I am so sorry. It's about the email address then. Let me give you the primary email address now.
REP1: Patrick, may I know what email address are you using?

ME: it should be (CORRECT EMAIL)
ME: I am getting emails at (WRONG EMAIL)...that is wrong

REP1: Alright, I understand. Patrick, here at Comcast, information security is a major priority for us. To protect your personal information from unauthorized access, we recently changed the way you access your online account, and this is by using your Comcast email address.

ME: ok...my comcast address is (COMCAST EMAIL)

REP1: Patrick, kindly answer ther security question on your account, (REDACTED)

ME: (REDACTED)

REP1: Perfect! I checked here and the primary username is (COMCAST EMAIL).
REP1: Kindly use that whenever you want to login online.

ME: ok...why are you sending me emails at (WRONG EMAIL)?

REP1: Kindly disregard that, Patrick. It may have been sent wrongly.

ME: i know...but I want those notifications to be sent to the correct address

REP1: I can confirm that on your account here, the recognized email is only (COMCAST EMAIL).

ME: this is why I am frustrated...

REP1: Let me check here why this has happened.

ME: I know my comcast address
ME: but I get marketing emails to (CORRECT EMAIL)
ME: and shipment notification emails to (WRONG EMAIL)
ME: I WANT them to come to (CORRECT EMAIL)...that is the only one I regularly check

REP1: Again, I am so sorry for this. This is the first time that I have encountered this and I find this really weird.

ME: otherwise I am going to miss information

REP1: Yes, I understand. I am checking here now for this, Patrick.

ME: ok

REP1: Again, I am so so sorry for this.
REP1: Thank you for your patience. I really appreciate it.
REP1: Patrick, will it be alright if I transfer you now to our Email Department so that they can change the settings for this and make sure that your emails are directed exclusively to your Comcast.net email?
REP1: This will not take long.

ME: ok

REP1: Thank you so much.
REP1: I will transfer you now.
REP1: Kindly stay online.
REP1: Please wait, while the problem is escalated to another analyst


REP2: Hello Patrick_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is (REDACTED). Please give me one moment to review your information.
REP2: How are you doing today, Patrick ? Please allow me to assist you with your concern, and i do apologize for whatever concern that you have with your Comcast services.

ME: are you in the Email Department?

REP2: yes Patrick

ME: ok

REP2: I understand that you have problems regarding your email access, am i correct Patrick?

ME: no

REP2: I see. I am sorry to hear that, and i do apologize for the inconvenience this had caused you, Patrick.

ME: Can you see my chat transcript or am I going to have to go through this AGAIN...

REP2: I will be more than happy to assist you with your concern. Please give me a minute to pull up your account and look into it for resolutions. Rest assured i will assist and resolve your concern at the end of our chat for you to enjoy your Comcast services.
REP2: Patrick,before anything else, may I have the last 4 digts of your Social/SSN please for verification, to protect your privacy by ensuring that we do not discuss account information or make changes to your account without your knowledge and consent.

ME: (REDACTED)

REP2: Can you provide me as well your account number?

ME: i don't have my account number...

REP2: No problem with that Patrickif you don't have it handy at the moment.Can you provide me instead your phone number?

ME: (REDACTED)

REP2: Thank you for all these information you had given me,Patrick

(LONG DELAY)

ME: hello?

(LONG DELAY)

ME: is anyone there?

REP2: May i ask for the error message ?

ME: it's not an error message.
ME: I am getting shipping notification emails from Comcast to my email address (WRONG EMAIL)
ME: They need to go to my primary address, (COMCAST EMAIL)
ME: The person on before said all emails from Comcast should be going to (COMCAST EMAIL). I am telling you they aren't and I want it fixed.
ME: I can't believe how hard it is for you to understand it. I have to three different people now

REP2: I see. I am sorry to hear that, and i do apologize for the inconvenience this had caused you, PAtrick.
REP2: I will be more than happy to assist you with your concern. Please give me a minute to pull up your account and look into it for resolutions. Rest assured i will assist and resolve your concern at the end of our chat for you to enjoy your Comcast services.

REP2: Patrick,before anything else, may I have the last 4 digits of your Social/SSN please for verification, to protect your privacy by ensuring that we do not discuss account information or make changes to your account without your knowledge and consent.
REP2: Can you provide me as well your account number?

ME: I DON'T HAVE MY ACCOUNT NUMBER...

REP2: please disregard.
REP2: Yes, please disregard.
REP2: I do apologize

ME: You are about to win...I am about to give up
ME: I thought it was simple...I have now spent 30 minutes on this

(LONG DELAY)

ME: Hello?

REP2: I do apologize Patrick. Customers may experience connectivity issues accessing and login into the Comcast.net page. Microsoft has pushed a new code update that is causing this to occur. We are instructing customers to clear their browser cookies to resolve this issue. NSD has posted these instructions to the outage board. The clearing of the browser cookies has fixed 80% of the problems being reported by users. The remaining 20% are currently being investigated for resolution

ME: THIS IS NOT CONNECTIVITY!
ME: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BROWSERS!
ME: Are you even reading what I am typing?
ME: I have no problem logging in to comcast.net

REP2: Patrick, i fully understand your sentiments, but please try to optimize your browser first.

ME: I don't even use Internet Explorer
ME: I use Firefox

REP2: After that, i have to refresh your account by resetting your password
REP2: please pull up a browser.
on top of your browser, please click on TOOLS
scroll dwon, click on INTERNET OPTIONS
click on DELETE FILES, click OK
click on DELETE COOKIES, check delete all offline content.
then click OK
finally, click on OK on the bottom of the page
please do these for five times.

ME: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY BROWSER. WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU ARE THE ONE SENDING THE EMAIL TO THE WRONG ACCOUNT!
ME: You are not reading what I am typing
ME: I don't even use Internet Explorer

(LONG DELAY)

REP2: Okay then Patrick, i will be resetting your password now

ME: NOOOOOOOO"!

REP2: would this be okay with you?

ME: DO NOT RESET MY PASSWORD!
ME: DO NOT RESET MY PASSWORD
ME: DO NOT RESET MY PASSWORD

REP2: OKay

ME: I am not going to do the steps you outlined, because it has nothing to do with the problem I am reporting.
ME: You win...I give up.
ME: You won't listen to the description of the problem
ME: before giving a solution

REP2: that is why i was asking you earlier for the error message.

ME: There is no error message
ME: It is an email that comcast sent me

REP2: Okay?

ME: This has been the single worst customer service experience I have had.

REP2: what was the email?

ME: It was a shipping notification for some equipment. It was sent to the wrong address

REP2: Oh i see.
REP2: Im sorry for the misunderstanding

ME: I explained this now 5 times

REP2: you mean the shipping address?

ME: I think I will post this chat transcript to my blog so everyone can have a good chuckle
ME: no, the wrong email address

REP2: As i have said earlier Patrick, i do apologize fir this.

ME: not the shipment itself, but the emailed shipping notification and confirmation
ME: I don't accept your apology

REP2: OKay.

ME: I am tired of Comcast treating me like a complete moron.
ME: I know the difference between an email sent and a web connectivity error

REP2: Okay Patrick
REP2: I have noted here the corrections, and we will be sending all your emails for shipping notifications to your comcast email account now, which is (COMCAST EMAIL)
REP2: I do apologize if the emails were sent to your other account

ME: Are you able to test that? Or do I have to take your word for it?

REP2: I had it noted here in your account for the emails be reset to your comcast email account regarding the shipping details

ME: Ok... you did nothing but note it.

REP2: yes Patrick, since we have another department who sends out emails.

ME: I thought that is who you were.
ME: Fine...You win, I give up...
ME: What a waste of time...
ME: You fixed nothing...

REP2: I am not the one in charge for sending out emails to customers, so that is why i have it noted for the email representative to process the sending out of emails to your comcast email account regarding your shipping details

ME: ok

REP2: I am fixing everything for you Patrick

ME: fine... Who do I call if the problem still occurs?

REP2: as much as i want to do the email for your comcast account, but i do not have access to send out emails to customers since i am on chat support for technical support

ME: who should I be contacting...

REP2: You may call 1-800-COMCAST for follow up

ME: Do you have a case number and/or an operator number that I can reference?

(LONG DELAY)

ME: Hello?

REP2: Here is the chat /op ID: (REDACTED)

ME: Ok...

2 comments:

~katie~ said...

Yikes, painful to read...can't imagine how much more painful to go through it!

Here's another (ahem!) fun customer service story for you. A couple of months ago, I ordered one item from amazon. A few days later in the mail I receive two of the same item. However, invoice states only one item packed/shipped/paid for. I call amazon and tell them "I got 2 of the same item but invoice states only 1 item shipped. I only ordered and paid for 1. How do I send this other one back?" After a few explanations to the customer service rep about what happened, it was finally understood. They assured me I would not have to pay shipping to return it (yea!). They send me an email link of what to do for a return. I print off the instructions & return shipping label. The reason code that they had me print off and put in the box stated this..."Reason for return: I got 2 of this item, but I just ordered one." Fair enough. I package item back up and send it back. About a week later, I receive a form email from amazon stating that they "thank me for my return" and "your credit card has now been refunded for the item" ~ (referring to the original one ordered). Ug. I call amazon customer service again and explain from square one....."I ordered and paid for 1 item. I received 2 of that item. I called last week and asked how to ship 1 back. I shipped it back with the correct reason code for return. Now my credit card has been refunded for the original 1 item I paid for. Can you reverse the refund?" After a few explanations again before they finally understood what I was trying to tell them, they told me that the refund had already been processed that morning, but that they would go ahead and charge my credit card again for the original 1 item. "Thanks, that would be great." Yea, things were finally squared away! 3 online transactions, 2 phone calls, and, finally, just 1 item paid for and enjoyed by me.

Brooke said...

Sorry Pat but that totally made me laugh out loud. I have a good story about Xcel and their customer service if you'd ever like to hear that one...