Comcast Customer Service Call From Heck-Business As Usual

[WhatInThe]

Last weeks news of the 18 minute phone call to cancel Comcast service is business as usual for Comcast Customer Service.

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/...ast-Rep-Was-the-Rule-Not-the-Exception-129756

Financial incentives used to pressure the customer service agent to put pressure on the customer not to cancel is apparently business as usual for Comcast. But this is the problem with many businesses, so called customer service is nothing but a sales pitch(if they are trying to keep your business it's a sales pitch, if they try to sell you something extra or optional during the call it's a sales pitch)

Too many jobs especially in customer service have so called financial incentives to hit the customer hard with a sales pitch. Some employees ask and move on if the answer is no. Others take NO personally or view NO and the customer as an obstacle to their personal goals/financial desires. Some employees like a commission or bonus based system because they think they can game the company and/or customer to get credit. This is the reason many drug stores and supermarkets hit you hard for their club cards. Other stores do it for their company credit card.

Upper management designs these compensation schemes and the associated metrics/numbers. Management makes these schemes policy and train their employees with a script. Some companies allow no deviation from a script or procedure. Other companies make not using the script or company procedure a reason to fire/discipline an employee when numerical goals are not met.

The Comcast employee was either scared for his job, ambitious or ignorant-probably all the above. Comcast management is the big fail here because they tolerate it. For every time the crap hits the fan there are other customers that submit to this treatment out of fatigue. This tactic is trying to turn the call into a negotiation. This is why you stick with no, no thank you, not at this time, send me it in writing etc. The second you even mention product and/or price it's now a negotiation or sales opportunity for the person on the other end of the phone.

Avoid negotiation when you have specific purpose for your call or transaction with a company.

 

[Ina]

Thanks WhatinThe,
Just last Friday, my hubby was having trouble with Comcast 's scheduling, an after being transferred several times, he end up with the sales division. After 20 minutes of trying to make them understand that he didn't wish to purchase more of their services he eventually ended up hang the phone up. He ranted for two days about it.
I showed him your post, and he said that explained a lot, and it went just as your post described. :doh:

 

[Mrs. Robinson]

LOL-last year my daughter spent an hour on the phone with Comcast with no resolution to the problem. The next evening she refused to do it again,so her hubby stepped in. He still spent an hour on the phone (in fact I think it was an hour and a half,but by the end of the call,he and the rep were old buddies and,in fact,exchanged names and became Facebook friends LOL (You would have to know my son in law...)

 

[WhatInThe]

If you click on the Reddit link(I think the 5th post down by a Comcast employee describing the "office") in the original article you see it is indeed business as usual at Comcast customer service.

http://www.reddit.com/user/txmadison?count=25&after=t1_ciy41yr

It confirms what I already suspected. What Comcast is doing along with others is yanking the employee's chain by making the goals so hard to get they feel it necessary to use high pressure used car lot tactics. No one is forcing them to do anything.They also make it "seem" like the employee is getting extra when in fact extra is their de facto minimum standard. The sales script they are using should be "a" tool, not the only tool to retain customers/sell product.

The "standard" or minimum is so out of sync with reasonable effort but that's what exactly Comcast and others don't want-"reasonable" or rationale-just do without thinking. Sales managers in particular have no problem doing what it takes including pressuring their employees to pressure the customer. It is their regular pay/compensation package precisely designed to elicit that type of behavior or high pressure tactics. Other types of jobs have also have insane productivity quotas thinly disguised obtainable and/or with in range of a "bonus". An excellent example of the mindset of a high pressure sales manager or executive is in the movie "Suckers" about the used car business-note the attitude and how the character Reggie handles all car lot business and customer service issues.

The Consumerist posted a memo which again is pretty typical executive mindset excusing their policy but not the employee.

http://consumerist.com/2014/07/21/c...oing-what-we-trained-him-to-do/#more-10173581

The executive in question more or less justifies/rationalizes this employees behavior.

Many employees posted how the system is gamed and how they game the customers. This is actually common in corporations/ big companies. In big companies crap only rolls in one direction-down hill. Both lower management and employees don't want that crap stopping at their door. A lot of this come from problems like the management, employee and/or customer not knowing the difference between company policy, the law and ethics which are ALL DIFFERENT things. These companies actually like this because they figure what ever information & options they give their employees and/or the customer it will seeeem legal & ethical there fore legitimate company policy.

A lot of this arrogance comes from Comcast being a monopoly in many areas or they only have one competitor just as bad. This is one more reason not approve any more mergers involving Comcast.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

We have Comcast also, and it is a royal pain anytime we have to deal with them about anything ! In fact, the other day we even got some kind of a customer service "survey" from them, and the first thing they started asking me was where i worked, and how much money I made ! I didn't even think about answering any of that information; I just said "no thanks, I am NOT interested in taking the survey". and (plunk) hung up the phone . That stuff is nine of their business ! !

Then, this weekend, the comcast truck came blasting down our little back street, must have been doing at least 40 mph, and rocketing over the speed bumps. So, my husband tried to call and tell them, and must have got the sales dept, and not the customer service that he was trying to get. I think he tried for at least an hour to find a way to actually talk to a human there, and finally just gave up on the whole thing.

Comcast is definitely pushy when they want to be, and hard to reach when that serves their purpose.

 

[Bettyann]

I guess problems with Comcast service is universal! Whenever in a group, someone mentions: I have to call Comcast...the rest of us groan in unison!
To give them a bit of credit -- calling their tech division is not as slow and taxing an ordeal as is Customer service!!
A friend of mine recently moved to an new apt bldg. and called to have service connected. After not getting anywhere, he went in person to dwntn Denver and spoke to them...TWICE... still nothing. He would hear (we are getting on it, should be only a few more days.) Time #3 trip to main office: "Oh well, it looks like they are going to have to rewire your whole bldg." But that didn't keep them from giving him all the meaningless promises of 'a few days.'
Having to contact Comcast can only be compared to a dental apt, but with the dentist, at least you hopefully can look forward to immediate relief... sometimes...and its all iffy.

 

[WhatInThe]

They're back... Comcast sends customer bill address to A-hole after they tried to cancel Comcast service.

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/comcas...brown-tries-cancel-cable/?mbid=synd_yahootech

It's obvious at this point that Comcast is going to try to do what ever it wants and can get away with. Management obviously doesn't care or stuff like this would've been nipped in the bud after the phone call fiasco. And I don't want to hear 'under pressure' and all the other rationalizations. QUIT, if you cannot do your job honestly and ethically get the heck out.