Comcast slightly behind the times

[Xairbusdriver]

For the last few weeks, Comcast overlays our TV screen, an announcement that we were "eligible" for a free hardware upgrade that would allow better HD viewing. I finally figured out how to use the four 'directional' buttons on the remote to highlight the "Close this stupid semi-transparent screen and get back to watching Nature"! Still, it is distracting and pointless. I say 'pointless' because anything we do with Comcast always involves additional problems.

However, I got an email Monday saying they would be happy to send me the new hardware, at not cost and include a pre-paid return shipping label also. "OK, if you really think you can make things this simple and smooth, go for it"!

Naturally, I assumed something would go wrong. I figured they would not be able to determine that we actually have two boxes that "needed" to be replaced and they would send only one. Exactly correct! Apparently, their shipping/upgrade department cannot view the info available in the "My Devices" area. First, I selected 'Chat' so I could pretend the person was in the US of A and not listen to the foreign accent. Bad choice. After about ten minutes of the spinning "progress" cursor, I closed the page and started a search for a phone number.

I was connected to a real, if foreign, person very quickly! That was the good part. He then asked me to confirm my name and address. Simple, right. Nope! He claimed that I was not giving him the correct ZIP code. I have, erroneously used 38138 in the past, so I asked it he wanted that instead of the correct 38139. Nope! Neither was correct! "I can't help you if you cannot verify the ZIP code we have listed." I replied that I could not help correct his info if he could not identify the 35th US President, we both need to be safe, ya know! I decided this was a losing battle and bid him farewell.

Before regaining my patience, I decided to see if I could verify my own registration info at Comcast. Eventually I found a page that had a clue as to the probable ZIP code the young lad wanted. There, in living electrons was the town and ZIP code where we live! However, that is never, ever used for anything legal, casual, shipping, mailing, serious or even humorous!!! Postal areas have only marginal connections to municipal/governmental boundaries! Never have, never... well, I guess it's not safe to say "never", now...

Even the town, who annexed us some 12+ years ago, however, assumed that we would get their 'Welcome to Town' letter if they mailed it to the ZIP code assigned to the Post Office in town: 381017. Nope! They had no knowledge to the address on our street, Never been there, never would be there, try again City Hall! We even have to drive into the nearby town to vote in a city election! Even if there is no election for anything in that town!! But even the Election Board uses the mailing ZIP code and knows where we live and when which ballot to use! BTW, did you know that having a dead person on the election roll is not illegal? Having that 'person vote, IS illegal, of course... I digress.

I called another Comcast "Help" person who said he could not explain why they were using he incorrect ZIP code (and town), but he also did not have the power to change it. He was able to transfer me to another department that could. As for my original question about why Comcast sent only one replacement box, he said "in his experience" UPS often shipped multiple boxes separately, perhaps the second box woul magically appear on our doorstep in a few days... or not. Right!

The second "help" agent said Comcast has to use the name of the town were we live for their records, "The computer will not take any other address". I did not ask her to explain how the computer "knew" we lived in one town, even though we get our mail from another. After all, not even our City Fathers knew that! Even after talking with her "supervisor" (off line, of course), she said there was nothing that could be done. My last question to her was at explain how I would remember to give the wrong address to the 'tech' he next time I was asked to verify my CORRECT address. She had no answer but agreed that it would be difficult. Just another  exciting part of doing business with a huge, impersonal behemoth like Comcast. Oh the Joy!!!

There is more but I must stop, my Apple Watch is thumping my wrist warning that my heart rate is becoming too fast to measure...

[kimmer]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 2 2017, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I replied that I could not help correct his info if he could not identify the 35th US President, we both need to be safe, ya know!

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Priceless response. Gotta remember it. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Here's my you don't exist story. I decided to sign up with the USPS contract person for mail delivery at my house, with the hope of closing my PO Box and saving a few bucks in fees and gas, plus time standing in the ever longer lines at the post office. Mailbox is in place, I'm receiving junk mail, but not my forwarded first class mail. Since I’m enjoying the cold/flu that is going around, I figured I'd go online to USPS and make sure the address change was in place. Imagine my surprise (not really), when their web site told me that my house doesn't exist.   I've lived here for almost 11 years, I pay taxes on this house, I turn lights and off at this house, I snore in this house, etc.—my house exists; but according to USPS this is an empty lot. Maybe I live in a magic house like Harry Potter's uncle?

Anyhow, after clicking the 'that address doesn't exist but if you think it does, click this button' more than 6 times, the USPS finally decided to accept my claim. However, they've yet to update their database, so as I go to sites to update my mailing address (yesterday when I could talk I actually called 3 places), guess what I'm told? Yup! "The USPS states that this address does not exist, therefore we cannot change your mailing address."    Most of the sites allow me to try again and then override the USPS claim, but it's a pain. Some companies are now on my "call when I’m healthy and have a voice" list.  

I'm honestly ready to head down to the PO and get this fixed. Of course, I'll be spreading my germs, but at this point I'm almost don't care.

[kimmer]

I just tried to update my address with Social Security. Don't do it folks. I'm probably going to have to make an appt and drive 162 miles round trip (and it will take all day) to get this done. I can't talk so can't call, so I tried the online site. They refuse to set up an account for me because ... guess, go ahead ... yup ...  'that address doesn't exist'. I'd laugh if I had a voice.

[Xairbusdriver]

At least Comcast agrees that our house exists, at least for mailing purposes. However, they don't even need that since we have the bill paid by CC!

I suspect that their 'contracted' service people have something like a franchise that secures certain towns for heir exclusive use. They, therefore, have to know which contractor to call if repair/installation is required. I doubt that the phone agents even know, much less care about that. They are probably also (non-employee) 'contractors' anyway.

I also discovered that my "Preferred contact phone" number was probably the one I was assigned several years ago when we subscribed to a faster interweb connection. The package included phone service which we did not need nor want. The contractor was told that and was asked not to change any phone connections in the telephone box outside. Of course, he did that anyway, he works for Comcast, not me, after all. I just swapped the RJ-11 plugs back to the AT&T lines and never looked back. I did manage to change hat number in my info at Comcast. My only hope is hat Comcast has been trying to contact me on that disabled connection and/or that they have shared those numbers with as many contact scams as possible! They'll never be ringing any phone here, but it will tie up their computers/phones for a very short while!

[Highmac]

This thread reminds me of the fun we had getting our new hub delivered when we moved house.... It appeared in Gunug's thread about a notorious BT "snafu".

To save time for those interested, I'll simply quote my post:

 

QUOTE

Ah, the wonders of BT... Hope you read the comments on the end of that report. They are a good indication of the esteem in which the company's management - sorry "management" - is held by customers.

Classic example of their efficiency - sorry "efficiency" (I'll stop that now before it gets boring...) - was when we moved house. Although we were staying with BT on the same deal, new address means new contract. That, in turn, meant we got a later-model router (or "hub"). Fine so far. Now, I have to hold up my hands and admit to starting this weird chain of events. I ticked one box on the online application that I should not have, resulting in asking for the router to be sent to the address we were vacating

OK, should be easy to sort with a simple phone call. No, apparently not. Once the order has been accepted, it cannot be changed, we were told, and we would have to arrange to collect it (three-hour round trip). That, we said, was ridiculous. A second attempt, to speak to a more senior person, won a promise that it would be sorted. A succession of online checks continued to show the old address and resulted in a similar succession of phone calls. At one point, my better half (who is, truly, much better at organising than I am), told the person on the other end she'd already had to make a dozen phone calls about this. "No" came the reply. "You've made eight", but agreed it should never have got to that stage. Caz recognised the voice as someone who had made the promise three phone calls earlier, but decided this was not the moment to mention it.

Anyway, come the day of installation and the router had still not arrived. We had been told earlier that the installation engineers did not carry spare routers and the engineer was due about 11am. Fortunately, the post arrived about 10am - the router had been redirected by the Post Office

The engineer arrived on time, having carried out preparatory work on the street cabinet. As soon as the door opened, he asked what phone number we had been given and we showed him the letter. "Thought as much - they gave me the wrong number and I've just had fun working out which cable went where." We made the usual offer of a cuppa and told him about the near-miss router. "Oh, you needn't have worried," he said. "We always have a couple of spares on the van 'cos that's always happening..."

Credit where it is due: Not only did the engineer arrive on time, but did a very tidy job of taking the wiring round some very awkward corners.

I'm looking forward to more examples of "customer service"

[Xairbusdriver]

Chapter II

Turns out the “instructions”, although written in English (with ’Spanish’ on the other side, how convenient!) were not examined by anyone who knew what they should actually say. The “Welcome Card” (with the 'code') was not a physical object, it was just something that would be displayed on the screen “about 25 minutes after the things are hooked up”. Another convenience for the customer who is not bothered by time constraints like a job, child care or house fire. Still not sure what I was supposed to do with any 'code', if it was going to appear on the screen, was I supposed to compare it to something? Write it down and post it on FaceTwit? Include it on my tax return?

The agent at the Comcast Office had a small problem with me explaining what I needed. I finally realized I should just let her do the talking/asking and we did, eventually get things resolved. After all I’ve learned a few things after 50+ years of marriage! She even wrote out the 20+ digit ‘activation code’ for me. I managed not to lose the paper on which he code was written. On the other hand, I have still not been asked to enter it anywhere during the set up process!

At one point, she kept asking me “What else is in the (shipping) box?” I then emptied every thing on her counter, including the bubble-wrap, and lifted the box for her to see. I also mentioned that I didn’t have anything “up my sleeves”! At that, she asked me to turn around to she could be sure! I must say, the rest of our conversation was much more pleasant!! I even left smiling, not how I usually leave after a conversation with Comcast.

I actually pity most Comcast employees. It must be frustrating to work for one of the most hated companies in the World. I am always proud to say I worked for FedEx.

I gotta go, need to schedule new tires on my #2 Granddaughters car. I had the privilege of changing the flat one early this morning… I’m thinking of changing my middle initial from “A.” to “AAA”! I think that's "RAA" over there...

[krissel]

Got some hearty laughs from your stories.

Good luck Kimmer with mail forwarding. Last winter I had mine sent to my Dad's house since that's where I am most often but they only do it for 6 months without an extension. I did just that but apparently they ignored it. I have officially changed most of my mail-to addresses with companies but not everyone.

So I had to roll my eyes when I got an invitation to the end-of-the-year luncheon from the school where I worked. It was scheduled for mid-June and the invite arrived mid-August.  

[Highmac]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Feb 3 2017, 08:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I’m thinking of changing my middle initial from “A.” to “AAA”! I think that's "RAA" over there...

We have the AA (Automobile Association) and the RAC (Royal Automobile Club).

However, I doubt the Queen needs to be a member of either

[Xairbusdriver]

Thanks for he correction. Over here, "AA" is more appropriate to a '12-step group'! And "RAC" is a place to rent stuff when you can't manage you income properly and can't resist having things you may not really need: Rent-A-Center. Often located near cash checking, pawn and tittle loan shops!

We actually added both Grands to our American Automobile Association memberships. Apparently, Grand Dad offers quicker service! It was amusing the first time I changed a flat for one of these young ladies. I was showing her how to remove the lug nuts and asked her to remove one. Naturally, she couldn't use just her hands & arms but I reminded her that I didn't try hat, either. Just step on the wrench handle to get it started, then you can use arm muscles. Unfortunately, she could stand on the wrench, with both feet, and still not have enough weight to do the job! She could probably get the thing started by jmping on the handle, but that can be damaging to shins/ankles/legs when ones foot slips off the handle! :ouch: I told her she needed to eat more! Or care all her school books while changing a tire!