Comcast Demands An Explanation Before Agreeing To Cancel Your Account

[allheart55 Cindy E]

Ryan Block and his wife Veronica Belmont would like to cancel Comcast. Why? It’s none of our business.

 

And it’s none of Comcast’s business. Or so you’d think. Comcast seems to disagree. Listen as the Comcast retention guy refuses to cancel their account without an explanation, going as far as to suggest that if Ryan doesn’t want to provide said explanation, he can go to a Comcast store to cancel.

 

We’ve transcribed just a few highlights below, but if you have headphones and a punching bag handy, you might want to listen to the recording. It’s the only way you’ll get the full effect.

 

According to Mr. Block’s description on Soundcloud, the recording begins about 10 minutes into the call, after Veronica passed the phone to Ryan. We’d say “enjoy,” but it’s, well, not enjoyable.

 

Kind of reminds us of this. Everything old is new again.

 

R: We’d like to disconnect please…

C: Help me understand why you don’t want faster internet.

R: Help me understand why you can’t just disconnect us.

C: My job is to have a conversation with you about keeping your service, about finding out why it is you’re looking to cancel your service. If you don’t want to talk to me, you can definitely go into the Comcast store and cancel your service there. …

…

R: Can you cancel us by phone? The answer is yes, correct?

C: It sounds like you don’t want to go over this information with me. If you want to go over that information, that’s the easiest way to get your account disconnected.

R: I am declining to state why we are leaving Comcast because I don’t owe you an explanation. So, if you can proceed to the next question. If you have to fill out a form, that’s fine. Please proceed to the next question an we’ll attempt to answer that if possible.

C: Being that we’re the number 1 provider of TV and internet service in the entire country, why is it you don’t want the number 1 provider? …

…

R: I’m declining to state. Can you please go to the next question so we can cancel our service?

C: I’m just trying to figure out here what it is about Comcast service that you’re not liking. …

R: This phone call is an amazing representative example of why I don’t want to stay with Comcast. So, can you please cancel our service?

C: I’m trying to help you. You’re not letting me help you by declining answers, by doing all this.

R: You can help me by disconnecting our service.

C: How is that helping you?

R: Because that’s what I want.

C: Why is that what you want?

R: Because that’s what I want.

C: There has to be some sort of reason behind it…. We just want to find out what it is that’s causing a customer who has been with us a long time to leave. …

…

You’ve been a Comcast customer for 9 years. After a decade … clearly the service is working great for you. … All of a sudden you’re moving and something is making you want to change. What’s making you do that?

….

R: That’s none of your business. Your business is to disconnect us.

C: As a company that is a cable and internet provider primarily, that is our business. If we don’t know why our customers are leaving, how can we make this a better experience for you next time?

R: That’s a fantastic question and something that you can hire a firm to figure out. … Can you disconnect us by phone? Can you disconnect our service? Yes or no?

C: Why don’t you want those services? You’re not interested in the fastest internet in the country?

…

R: Are you capable of disconnecting our service?

…

C: It’s something we can do. …

R: I would appreciate you now doing that. Please proceed in disconnecting our service. …

C: What is it about this other provider that’s making it sound better?

R: I don’t know. It’s a totally arbitrary decision.

…

C: Why don’t want a good service? You don’t want something that works?

R: Is this a joke? Are you punking us right now?

C: I’m trying to get information. I’m trying to help our company be better. That’s my job.

R: I can guarantee you right now, you’re doing an incredibly good job at helping your company be worse.

C: I’m terribly sorry it feels to you like I’m trying to argue. I’m just trying to help you out and get some information. We’ll just bypass all this information. I’ll go ahead and disconnect this service. It’s really a shame to see you go to something that can’t give you what we can … No one else can guarantee their speed like we can. … I can save you more than $100 a month, get you internet 5x faster than anyone else can … What about those savings, those services are you not wanting?

R: Are you done? You literally just a moment ago said you’d go ahead and disconnect our service and that’s what we’re going to need to do.

C: We’re going through that process. I’m just asking some questions. …

R: Can you tell me how much longer it’s going to take?

C: It’s going to take a couple more minutes here. What about the service is making you want to change?

R: I’m good. I’m just going to wait until you can confirm that you’ve canceled the service.

C: Well you’re all set. You know what, it’s disconnected. I’m really sorry to see you go to someone who can’t give you what we can. But I’d like to thank you for being a great part of Comcast. Have a wonderful day.

 

http://consumerist.com/2014/07/14/comcast-demands-an-explanation-before-agreeing-to-cancel-your-account/

[allheart55 Cindy E]

UPDATE: Comcast has issued a statement regarding the demanding customer service rep and Block’s phone call, saying it’s “very embarrassed” by the employee’s behavior.

 

 

Now that everyone has heard just how clingy a Comcast customer service representative can be when demanding an explanation for a breakup, you might be wondering how Comcast is feeling. The answer is, pretty darn ridiculous.

A quick bit of background if you’re not caught up — a guy calls Comcast, asks to disconnect his service, and the customer service rep repeatedly refuses to do so without first getting an answer as to why, why this is happening. Basically, the “I will not let you break up with me” speech.

And Comcast is in the middle of a cringefest over the incident:

“We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally apologize,” the company said in a statement, via NPR News.

“The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives. We are investigating this situation and will take quick action. While the overwhelming majority of our employees work very hard to do the right thing every day, we are using this very unfortunate experience to reinforce how important it is to always treat our customers with the utmost respect.”

[Katrina]

Wow! I'm pretty happy with Comcast. I love the speeds that I get and all the channels on the tv. The one thing I would change, if I could, would be the price of the services I receive. They are really costly.

[allheart55 Cindy E]

I also have Comcast and it's true, they are high. My daughter has FiOs and she doesn't have anywhere near the upload/download speeds that I do and only about half the premium channels. She's paying nearly $75.00 more per month than I am. I'll be staying with Comcast, I'm satisfied.

[AWS]

I read about this at Broadband Reports. While this guy took it over the top the reps are supposed to try and retain customers. One anonymous ex-employee said they could lose their job is they lose too many customers in any given month.

 

I went through something similar years ago when I cancelled my AOL account.

 

As far as Comcast goes I have nothing but praise for them. This site and all my sites are on Comcast Metro-E fiber.

[User Friendly]

I think Comcast has much better customer service than fios does. I switched to fios and ended up going back to Comcast.

[allheart55 Cindy E]

I agree, I think Comcast has excellent Customer Service. :)

[Rich-M]

That cancellation call went viral everywhere and it is so hard to believe its real or that anyone can be that stupid as to keep up like that.

[IceMan37]

I had Comcast before. Now it's TWC. Before that I had ATT, and before that it was excite_@_ home. What I am saying is that I have been the customer of the same service though all the changes, and yes for some time ATT had the cable service for over 10 years.

 

Out of all of them Comcast was the best.

[allheart55 Cindy E]

Comcast Memo: Rep From “Painful” Retention Call Was Doing “What We Trained Him To Do"

 

 

A week after the posting of the neediest customer-retention call in Comcast history, the fallout continues, with the company’s Chief Operating Officer telling Comcast employees in a memo leaked to Consumerist that the incident was “painful to listen to,” but that the rep “did a lot of what we trained him…to do.”

 

The below letter from Comcast COO Dave Watson was posted today to the Team Comcast employees’ site for all to read, and apparently to pass on to Consumerist.

 

In the message, Watson admits that “we are embarrassed by the tone of the call and the lack of sensitivity to the customer’s desire to discontinue service,” while also taking the opportunity to position the incident as a teachable moment.

“While I regret that this incident occurred, the experience that this customer had is not representative of the good work that our employees are doing,” he writes. “That said, it was painful to listen to this call, and I am not surprised that we have been criticized for it.”

 

Watson concedes that working the Retention line, where customers are trying to say farewell, isn’t an easy job.

“Respecting our customers is fundamental, and we fell short in this instance,” he writes. “I know these Retention calls are tough, and I have tremendous admiration for our Retention professionals, who make it easy for customers to choose to stay with Comcast.”

 

Refreshingly, the COO seems to be putting some of the blame on the company instead of the employee.

“The agent on this call did a lot of what we trained him and paid him — and thousands of other Retention agents — to do,” continues Watson. “He tried to save a customer, and that’s important, but the act of saving a customer must always be handled with the utmost respect.”

 

As a result, the company is at least paying lip-service to the idea of better training for employees (whether they make good on these promises is still to be seen).

 

“This situation has caused us to reexamine how we do some things to make sure that each and every one of us — from leadership to the front line — understands the balance between selling and listening,” he admits. “When the company has moments like these, we use them as an opportunity to get better, and that’s what we’re going to do. We will review our training programs, we will refresh our manager on coaching for quality, and we will take a look at our incentives to ensure we are rewarding employees for the right behaviors. We can, and will, do better.”

 

Below is the full text of the memo posted by Watson.

 

A Message From Dave Watson,

July 21, 2014

You probably know that there has been a fair amount of media attention about a recording of a phone call between one of our Customer Account Executives (CAEs) and a Comcast customer. The call went viral on social media and generated news headlines. We have apologized to the customer privately and publicly on Comcast Voices, making it clear that we are embarrassed by the tone of the call and the lack of sensitivity to the customer’s desire to discontinue service.

I’d like to give you my thoughts on the situation.

First, let me say that while I regret that this incident occurred, the experience that this customer had is not representative of the good work that our employees are doing. We have tens of thousands of incredibly talented and passionate people interacting with our customers every day, who are respectful, courteous and resourceful.

That said, it was painful to listen to this call, and I am not surprised that we have been criticized for it. Respecting our customers is fundamental, and we fell short in this instance. I know these Retention calls are tough, and I have tremendous admiration for our Retention professionals, who make it easy for customers to choose to stay with Comcast. We have a Retention queue because we believe in our products, and because we offer a great value when customers have the right facts to choose the package that works best for them. If a customer is not fully aware of what the product offers, we ask the Retention agent to educate the customer and work with them to find the right solution.

The agent on this call did a lot of what we trained him and paid him — and thousands of other Retention agents — to do. He tried to save a customer, and that’s important, but the act of saving a customer must always be handled with the utmost respect. This situation has caused us to reexamine how we do some things to make sure that each and every one of us — from leadership to the front line — understands the balance between selling and listening. And that a great sales organization always listens to the customer, first and foremost.

When the company has moments like these, we use them as an opportunity to get better, and that’s what we’re going to do. We will review our training programs, we will refresh our manager on coaching for quality, and we will take a look at our incentives to ensure we are rewarding employees for the right behaviors. We can, and will, do better.

Thank you for your support, and many thanks to the thousands of exceptional employees all around the country who work so hard to deliver a great customer experience every day. I am confident that together we will continue to improve the experience, one customer at a time.

Dave Watson

Chief Operating Officer, Comcast Cable

[Rich-M]

I have to agree that Comcast has good customer service and one of the things I like about the Business Plan, is that I am always first in line fro service if need be no matter how many residences called first, and there is no real difference in the plan cost. Verizon really shafts their business customers and gives them the same rotten service everyone else gets.