Comcast At Bottom of Customer-Service Rankings

[onehandle]

Source: Philadelphia Magazine

For the second straight year, Comcast has placed dead-last among 278 companies in the annual Temkin Customer Service Ratings. The rankings are done using an online survey of 10,0000 customers in January 2015.

RTTNews.com reports: "Customer service of all the major cable companies, including Comcast, has been widely criticized for their weak service performance. Temkin's Customer Service Ratings 2015 has backed the fact by rating Comcast at the bottom of the list for the second straight year, with Time Warner and Charter Communications also coming in the bottom five."

Read more: http://www.phillymag.com/business/2015/05/27/comcast-at-bottom-of-customer-service-rankings

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The two phrases I expect to hear dozens of times when I call Comcast:

'Please hold' and 'Let me transfer you'

It's fun hearing the transmission quality of the call get worse, and worse, and worse as the call is shuffled across cable lines under God knows how many oceans.

'Fun'

[rurallib]

1. hard to believe they could be worse than DISH

They must really be bad.
No doubt they probably low ball the employee pay. That is always a good way to improve customer service.

[Fuddnik]

5. No doubt about Dish.

I've never wanted to reach through a phone and strangle someone, so bad, in my life.

They flat out called me a liar, when I canceled my premium channels, and wanted a refund when they kept charging me.

When I canceled after that, they sent me the wrong size boxes to send their equipment back. When I called to tell them, they told me it was my responsibility to get it back, and I would be liable for damages. I promptly took their receivers and DVRs out to the driveway, and slammed them hard, several times, then forced them into the boxes, aided by a lot of packing tape, and sent them back.

Never heard another word.

[rurallib]

10. thanks for the story - I am waiting for my return box as I write

finally had enough of them. What a bunch of assholes.

[corkhead]

29. Tell the credit card company whose card Dish has on file that you lost it and need a new number

Last edited Wed May 27, 2015, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

when they don't send you the box, they will attempt to charge your credit card $250 for their obsolete shit. I knew that was coming so I got a new credit card number. After their failed attempt to charge me for the equipment and their subsequent perpetual harassment they finally sent me a box with a shipping label. I sent them ALL their shit. See #13 below.

[corkhead]

13. I have a similar story ending with me using their shipping label to send them a box

that was about 4'x4', with all of their shit in it, including the dish itself, bees nests and all.

[Fuddnik]

28. !

They deserved it.

[Auggie]

27. Or AT&T U-verse

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Just curious about how this would be breaking news.

Comcast has had a rotten rep since last century.

[Fozzledick]

23. They've usually come in second to last after Charter.

This time they've finally made it all the way to the bottom.

[davidpdx]

3. No surprise there

Comcrapstic..............

[Blue_Adept]

4. I continue to be an outlier

As every time that I've used customer service, I've had quick responses and good results, including help in lowering my bill in smart ways.

[onehandle]

6. Oh, the retention department is easy to get to.

Pretty sure they are right down the road from me here in Philly.

Recently when they were just about to jack up my rate at the end of the contract deal I called them:

'Hello, I want to cancel my service.'

CSR: 'Why are you canceling?'

'No reason. Just canceling.'

CSR: 'Are you moving. We can transfer your service.'

'Just canceling, thanks.'

CSR: 'How about if we continue your current rate?'

'I don't want a contract.'

CSR: 'Ok, with no contract.'

'Ok, thanks.'


Always 'negotiate' by attempting to cancel and do not tell them why. They will fold. Trust me.

They also threw in a cable box and the minimum channel package. We had Internet only and they want to be able to tell their advertisers that they have one more set of eyeballs locked on the boob tube.

This was a few months ago. I haven't bothered to hook it up yet.

[NV Whino]

12. I got Comcast for six months on a special they had

Got it for Internet only. About two months into the contract they realized I didn't have a cable box. They called to tell me they were sending a cable box. I said, don't bother, I'm not using the TV. Nope had to have it. I argued for about five minutes and gave up. They sent the box, which remained packed. Four months later, when the deal expired and their rates went through the ceiling, I cancelled the service. After a lengthy conversation about canceling and why I couldn't have just Internet for a lesser fee, they said, "Well, you'll have to send back the cable box." No problem. Come and get it.

I move the box, which I had never opened, out to the driveway and left it for pick up. End of Comcast.

[George II]

16. I like the idea about leaving the cable box in the driveway....

.....many years ago I lived in Manhattan in an 8th floor apartment. When I cancelled (got fed up with it going out), I was told someone would pick up the cable box at such-and-such time on a certain day. The technician never showed up, even though I stayed home waiting. I set up a second "appointment", another no-show.

So, I told I spent too much time waiting for them, they should let me know when the person would be showing up, wait on the sidewalk and I'd drop it down to them!!!

[NV Whino]

18. I like that idea!

[Blue_Adept]

15. I wasn't even talking about retention

Just issues in general. But no surprise on the retention part.

[EL34x4]

7. I was going to post the same thing

When I moved into my house, I signed up for the Comcast triple play. When the contract was up, I went into their office to cancel all the stuff I didn't use (including the useless land-line phone I had long since unplugged).

The rep asked me a couple of times if I was sure I didn't want to keep the phone. A little pushy but no more than to be expected in trying to keep my business, but still friendly. In the end, I got rid of the phone, all the pay movie channels, actually upped my internet speed and cut my bill in half.

I've got no complaints with Comcast. Their internet is the best out there. I can stream in HD on two TVs and my laptop all at the same time with no lag.

They'll almost always work with you to lower your bill if you wheel and deal with them face to face. I joke that I don't think there's two Comcast subscribers out there paying the same price for the same service.

[LynneSin]

8. My experience with Comcast Customer Service

About 2-3 months ago I had issues with my account and was worried I might get hacked and wanted to change my password. No problem except somehow my comcast email got all screwed up - I prefer using Microsoft Outlook for my email.

Mind you the only reason I have Comcast internet - there are absolutely NO OTHER INTERNET OPTIONS available to me. NONE. I can't even get FIOS. Literally I live in a city where Comcast is a Monopoly and thus can charge some pretty crazy rates. Luckily I complained enough and found that there is a cheaper internet price of $30/month for those of us without Cable TV but really it's only good for people who are single. If I had a family this internet would be stretched at it's limited.

So I'm on the phone with Customer Service and the somewhat helped my problem although at this point I'm still not able to use Microsoft Outlook for my email. I'll survive, I'm not really using email as much as I use to these days so I'll let that slide.

But at least FOUR TIMES during that phone call the guy would stop what he was doing with helping me and then push the fact that I was not taking advantage of Comcast Triple Play package (I got rid of Cable TV two years ago - never looked back). The first time I said 'Yes I know, I canceled TV two years ago because I rarely watch TV and never used it.' You'd think that be enough but then they went on the hard press sales. I'd get another 5 minutes of helping with my issue and then he'd stop again and push me as to why I didn't have Comcast Triple Play. It got to be annoying as hell. He would say how cheap it was. When I asked if my bill would continue to be the $60 month I am paying now he was like 'No but it would only be $125'. I said 'No Thank you - not interested'. Then more fixing my problem and then came the ringer - 'How unfair is it to your family that you do not allow them to have Cable TV?' That's it - I lost it. I asked the guy who were the members of my family breaking into my house and watching my TV and complaining? I also asked that I was not interested in any more sales pitches and if he would not help me with my issue to please give me to his manager so I could please resolve the problem without any more sales pitches since I was simply not interested in Cable TV. You'd think that would have shut the guy up as he continued to fix the problem but five minutes later - 'But when you have family wouldn't you want Cable TV for them?' I hung up sent an email of complaint to Comcast and just used their damn phone app/website for my email.

Oh and when I emailed Comcast Customer service to complain - their Reply - an offer for their Triple Play Service.

So in a nutshell if you are not spending hundreds of dollars each month on their services you are dead to them. And they have a monopoly so this is bullshit but what can I do.

[hughee99]

33. Based on their customer service ratings, even if you ARE spending hundreds of dollars

each month, you're still dead to them. I'm in the same boat as you with my cable internet being the only game in down, and the customer service experience has been pretty much the same.

[allan01]

9. well. gee. !!!!! i wonder why?

their product sucks

[iandhr]

11. In other news water is wet.

[George II]

14. I had comcast for about nine years, they were the worst of the worst!

Now we have Cox, which is a little better and getting better, but there's something about cable television companies that seems to attract the worst managment in the country!

I always joke (and one cable company actually made fun of this about their competition) about when my internet service goes down, I call their technical support people. While waiting interminably, I have to listen to a recording over and over again "all representatives are busy, for quicker service you can access our website at www.yaddayadda.com". If I COULD access their website I'd have internet service and wouldn't need to call them in the first place!

[valerief]

17. A good friend tells me about her Comcast horror stories. The only worse customer service she gets is

from her air conditioner service who break things when they "fix" other things.

There was a password app Comcast provided that gave her a malware/adware problem--Rocket something. When she got rid of the password app, she got rid of the malware.

When they come out to visit to fix a problem (after a gazillion pass-along calls), they slap her with unexpected charges--even AFTER she's asked what the cost will be for the visit.

[fasttense]

19. I had a supervisor at ComCast call me names because I wanted a refund

for when my cable went out for 3 days for no apparent reason. He then hung up on me. So, I saw that Dish was having a special. I called Dish and they said they had to charge me a nonrefundable $75 just to talk to them. I said they were crazy and hung up. Do you know they still charged me $75. So my choices are sucky rude ComCast or thieving scammer Dish. I went with the rude guys.

I still call up and fight with them.

[Hawaii Hiker]

20. Remember the guy who tried to cancel his Comcast last year

http://time.com/2985964/comcast-cancel-ryan-block/

[Novara]

21. Duh - they charged me for a service they don't even have

They tried to charge me for a service they didn't offer (but they billed me for it) and when I called about it they said they'd refund half the cost. It's a service you don't even offer! How it ended up billed is a mystery. I contacted my local news consumer advocate people and threatened to expose them on TV. That's what it took for them to remove the charge. They're the worst.

[LiberalEsto]

22. I call them Comcrap

We switched to Verizon Fios more than a year ago.

Trying to return the Comcrap router/cable boxes is sheer hell.
Their hours are limited, they have hardly any service staff working, and the lines are unbelievably long.

They must think in their tiny little heads that this obstacle course will deter some people from giving up Comcrap, but they are dead wrong. It only made me more determined.

[csziggy]

24. Over 40 years ago Comcast made sure I'd never be a customer of theirs

I lived in an apartment in a converted house and usually got great reception on my TV - but only at night when the Comcast cable system was off. There was a Comcast box on a pole outside my window that apparently leaked signal. Until 1 or 2 AM the interference from the Comcast cable system kept me from picking up anything other than the local CBS station. From then until 6 AM when Comcast came back on, I could pick up Atlanta and would watch TBS in the middle of the night.

When I called Comcast to complain, they were completely unsympathetic. They told me if I subscribed, I could get better reception - but they did not supply cable to the house I was living in and would NOT supply cable to that house, even though their cables passed right outside. When I continued to complain about the interference, their representative told me, "Well, since you are not a customer, we just don't care." And then they hung up on me.

As a result, I have NEVER subscribed to Comcast even though for decades they were the only cable system in town. I spent money on antennas and a lot of money on videos but never one cent on Comcast.

Over the years since I've subscribed to DirecTV, DISH and now PrismTV. But even if Comcast came out to where we are, I would tell them to fuck off and would never subscribe to their service - even if it meant no TV or internet!

[Paper Roses]

25. Agree, CS is horrible. Comcast is a dirty word! n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. I must be under some kind of enchantment or something.

I've never had any problems with Comcast. Obviously a lot of people do, though; so I'm hoping the Comcast Fairy continues to be nice to me.

[d_legendary1]

30. When you run a monopoly on cable

you normally don't give a damn about customers. Or equipment. Or anything for that matter.

[Cal33]

32. Isn't cable supposed to die out in the not-too-distant future?

[d_legendary1]

35. As long as those internet speeds are out of this world

its gonna be around for a long time.

[melm00se]

31. Seth's experience

should tell you all you need to know about Comcast

you can read about it here

[valerief]

36. What a sucky story. nt

[the_sly_pig]

34. *cough* MONOPOLY *cough*

Thus, comcrap doesn't care.....

[Bigredhunk]

37. other rankings

http://temkinratings.com/temkin-ratings/temkin-customer-service-ratings-2015/

Other ratings (with some personal thoughts):

251) DISH NETWORK (been with them a long time, equipment great, service ok, price sucks -- all TV providers charge too much)
243) VERIZON WIRELESS (been with them a couple years after 10 years at US CELLULAR -- they're all the same to me)
225t) MEDICARE (surprised this low)
225t) MEDICAID (surprised this low)
212) DIRECTV
185) LG (appliances) (just bought a new washing machine of theirs, hoping it works a long time)
172) GOOGLE
150) WALMART
143t) MCDONALDS
143t) FEDEX
143t) SAMSUNG (appliances)
134t) SUBWAY
134t) LITTLE CAESAR'S
122t) KMART (surprised this high)
122t) BEST BUY (surprised this high)
122t) USPS (idk, I think they do a good job -- maybe it's a liberal thing)
110t) WENDY'S
110t) UPS (I think they do a good job)
97t) BJ'S WHOLESALE CLUB
97t) TARGET (used to love them -- they've gone downhill over the past couple of years -- SuperTargets carry fewer food items)
97t) DOLLAR TREE
97t) KOHL'S (people love it, I haven't been in a long time, so maybe I'm missing something)
97t) APPLE (software)
80t) STAPLES (surprised this high)
80t) MACY'S
80t) DOMINO'S
80t) PIZZA HUT
80t) ARBY'S (Daily Show, Ha!)
80t) CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL (surprised this low
80t) TACO BELL
72t) HARDEES
64) DOLLAR GENERAL
64) T.J. MAXX
58t) FAMILY DOLLAR
58t) PANDA EXPRESS
58t) STARBUCKS (love Starbucks -- surprised this low)
45t) HY-VEE (hate this chain, which is the main chain in Iowa -- worker's nice, prices and such suck -- surprised this high)
45t) APPLE RETAIL STORE
45t) PAPA JOHN'S (ACA stuff aside, this pizza sucks -- surprised this high)
40t) SONIC DRIVE-IN (I've only been to one in Davenport, IA 2 or 3 times, it's always been awful -- surprised this high)
40t) DAIRY QUEEN (drive-thru near me is always packed, I rarely go there)
40t) DUNKIN' DONUTS (idk, their coffee drinks suck, they taste like from a gas station -- donuts not special -- surprised this high)
40t) APPLE (computers)
35) WALGREENS
33) BARNES & NOBLE
23) SAM'S CLUB (only a few spots lower than COSTCO, which has it all on this place -- surprised this high)
18) WHOLE FOODS
13t) HOME DEPOT
13t) JCPENNEY (surprised this high)
13t) COSTCO (my favorite store, surprised it's not even higher)
13t) EBAY
12) BED BATH & BEYOND (I should go here more, it's a good place)
11) AMAZON.COM (we get a lot of stuff here)
9) PANERA BREAD
3t) TRADER JOE'S (love this place -- funny that it's tied with ALDI, as both stores are owned by same people)
3t) ALDI
2) CHICK-FIL-A (politics aside, I've only been to one in Davenport, IA 2 or 3 times, and I've always been very disappointed)

[melm00se]

38. notice that the lowest

12 of 18 rankings are Internet, TV and Utility services

[IronLionZion]

39. They need more competition

they manage to be a monopoly in many neighborhoods and have little incentive to keep customers happy.

I've moved around a lot and try to pick another option if available.

They really need to regulate the last mile cable providers to encourage competition.