Complaint Review: Comcast Cable Corporation

Firstly, let it be said that any consumer relations problems experienced with Comcast Cable telephonic representatives cannot be laid directly on the shoulders of those employees.

Throughout my extensive experience in speaking with every echelon within the company--from the General Manager to the poor slob at the help desk--it is very clear that the lack of effective training and organizational familiarity are the two main factors related to the problems extant between the corporation and end users of their service.

Four out of five Comcast consumer representatives with whom I've spoken over the years have little insight and knowledge of the product with which they are dealing and
are apparently not encouraged to maintain an up-to-date profile of current company activities.

One need not go any further than the initial "live" person contact made within the Comcast structure to be made aware of this sad fact.

Within the administrative realm of the company, department heads and company executives are grossly lacking in the leadership and decision-making skills which would go far to alleviate many of the complaints related to Comcast service and content which currently exist.

A hint of the company's lack of competent standards and practices may be found in the following.

* The funding, propagation and encourgement of the pornography industry, as recently outlined in an hour-long ABC news report.

* The reliance, perpetuation and encouragement of consumer fraud by airing "pay per inquiry" 800-number advertisements (infomercial style content) which focus on misrepresented and sub-standard wares for personal, home and office use.

Most on-air (non-cable) broadcast facilities maintain standards of acceptance related to advertisers. In the case of Comcast, Inc. no such standards have either been devised or followed.

* Continual and habitual lack of response by administrative types within the company in response to legitimate and significant consumer complaints relative to the issues facing the firm.

One only has to go to Comcast's website and attempt to discover where the customer feedback form is located on their site . Once it is found (usually on an accidental basis by the casual visitor), it then becomes a question as to when one may be contacted by anyone from the company relative to the feedback. I can only suggest that one's breath should not be held since the response will never come.

During a very lengthy conversation with the previous General Manager of Comcast conducted last year, during which the gentleman was gracious enough to listen to a number of issues I had with the firm, the conversation ended with the attempted sale of their, then, newly instituted digital cable and "video on demand" services. Apparently, the topics of consumer relations and advertising failings within the company had completely gone over his head.

There is a wealth of issues that one could go on about, but the bottom line is that you, as the end user are paying for this service. It, therefore, becomes your responsibility to maintain the "heat" on Comcast to provide the service and responsible content that you are seeking.

Don't speak to the front line help desk forces--they are not trained to deal with any significant issues. Contact and re-contact the administrators of this less than admirable firm and make your opinions known on a personal level. The success of Comcast is based upon their subscribers. You do have an impact!!

Don
Forest Hill, Maryland
U.S.A.