The Cable Company...a personal memoir...
AT&T came by a couple weeks ago and offered me U-verse (or the name sounds like that), which is their new internet access service. They also offered to upgrade equipment on the TV, and phone if we bought a package deal. We could even save money! I told them I had good luck with the cable company (COX Communications) and that I was probably not interested.
I called COX and told them what I was offered, and asked them to upgrade our equipment and extend a price break. They quickly agreed. So they set up what was to be one free installation. We would get a new DVR for the TV, and a new router, which would put us on Cox Home Network,(that is their wireless internet service). They even worked out a price cut. Everything sounded good.
Next, what unfolded and might still be unfolding is unbelievable! The installer came out, installed the DVR, and said that was all that he had on his work order. He knocked our router out of its configuration, so we had no internet access.
This was only the beginning...of my spending my entire Labor Day weekend on hold with COX, and/or waiting for technicians to show up (three separate appointments). No one could fix the internet. I spent literally hours of my weekend on the phone, or waiting for techs to show up.
What I learned is that no one at COX can communicate with anyone else. Technicians cannot communicate with an in house rep. if I want to verify something. Supervisors only handle one aspect of a problem (billing is separate from, tech help, which is separate from scheduling, and no one knows each other either, apparently). For instance I was told I would have no installation charges at all, then I was told I would be charged. (separate sides of the issue (charge/credits) are handled by different supervisors...what?? You're kidding, right? Nope.) I never did get the In Home Network. We finally reconfigured the router ourselves with the help of a computer geek friend. (I mean geek in the most positive way.) But now COX shows on their records that I DO have In Home Network anyhow (trust me, I don't). At the start I got the names and extensions of the people who initially set up the "upgrade". However, no one can contact them either! The name and extension "don't help" them find anyone. So why did they give me that information? I think I know why.
The fact is no one at the cable company working in "customer service" (they should call it something else, it's not "service") has any accountability, or ownership in what happens to customers! They can do whatever they like. No one knows what the hell is going on!
For all I know the first tech did have the router install on his work order but decided to leave after he screwed up my router configuration. The other tech who tried unsuccessfully to install In Home NW, and promised to get me a call from a supervisor, ( I never got one) just turned in his work order as "finished". So now COX thinks I have In Home Network. Great...
I am now waiting on my bill. I can only hope that I have not racked up huge expenses on this disaster. The original rep told me there would be no charges. As I noted, that seems to be a worthless promise. I'll post what happens with the bill. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Another tech called to come out and give the router install another try (however, this time they showed it as a "warranty call"...ugh)...for an In Home NW install that never happened. Since we had fixed our old router ourselves, we told him that we wanted to cancel. I wonder what he turned in to his supervisor? Maybe he said that he ran new cable over the whole house, and added ten new TVs...and to charge us accordingly... :-) crazy...
The hell of it is more and more customer service is getting run this way. No ownership, and no accountability...which makes it nearly impossible to get a problem solved. I considered sending a letter to COX, but who would care? Any suggestions?
I called COX and told them what I was offered, and asked them to upgrade our equipment and extend a price break. They quickly agreed. So they set up what was to be one free installation. We would get a new DVR for the TV, and a new router, which would put us on Cox Home Network,(that is their wireless internet service). They even worked out a price cut. Everything sounded good.
Next, what unfolded and might still be unfolding is unbelievable! The installer came out, installed the DVR, and said that was all that he had on his work order. He knocked our router out of its configuration, so we had no internet access.
This was only the beginning...of my spending my entire Labor Day weekend on hold with COX, and/or waiting for technicians to show up (three separate appointments). No one could fix the internet. I spent literally hours of my weekend on the phone, or waiting for techs to show up.
What I learned is that no one at COX can communicate with anyone else. Technicians cannot communicate with an in house rep. if I want to verify something. Supervisors only handle one aspect of a problem (billing is separate from, tech help, which is separate from scheduling, and no one knows each other either, apparently). For instance I was told I would have no installation charges at all, then I was told I would be charged. (separate sides of the issue (charge/credits) are handled by different supervisors...what?? You're kidding, right? Nope.) I never did get the In Home Network. We finally reconfigured the router ourselves with the help of a computer geek friend. (I mean geek in the most positive way.) But now COX shows on their records that I DO have In Home Network anyhow (trust me, I don't). At the start I got the names and extensions of the people who initially set up the "upgrade". However, no one can contact them either! The name and extension "don't help" them find anyone. So why did they give me that information? I think I know why.
The fact is no one at the cable company working in "customer service" (they should call it something else, it's not "service") has any accountability, or ownership in what happens to customers! They can do whatever they like. No one knows what the hell is going on!
For all I know the first tech did have the router install on his work order but decided to leave after he screwed up my router configuration. The other tech who tried unsuccessfully to install In Home NW, and promised to get me a call from a supervisor, ( I never got one) just turned in his work order as "finished". So now COX thinks I have In Home Network. Great...
I am now waiting on my bill. I can only hope that I have not racked up huge expenses on this disaster. The original rep told me there would be no charges. As I noted, that seems to be a worthless promise. I'll post what happens with the bill. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Another tech called to come out and give the router install another try (however, this time they showed it as a "warranty call"...ugh)...for an In Home NW install that never happened. Since we had fixed our old router ourselves, we told him that we wanted to cancel. I wonder what he turned in to his supervisor? Maybe he said that he ran new cable over the whole house, and added ten new TVs...and to charge us accordingly... :-) crazy...
The hell of it is more and more customer service is getting run this way. No ownership, and no accountability...which makes it nearly impossible to get a problem solved. I considered sending a letter to COX, but who would care? Any suggestions?
posted by Jim at 4:22 PM
6 Comments:
What city are you in, Jim?
I work for Cox in Roanoke, VA but will try to get someone with some accountability in your region to read your post at the very least. There are many, in every Cox system, who care deeply about every customer experience, employees who will take concrete action to prevent and/or rectify mishaps such as you outlined here.
I'm sure a letter to the company, as you suggested, would also have positive results.
Sincerely,
Will, a Cox employee
I really appreciate your comment and concern. However, I am not hopeful at this point.
I'm in Oklahoma.
Maybe they run things better in Virginia, but I am pretty certain there will not be a person who will be able to spearhead this situation. It is how the business platform is set up here, apparently.
And, don't misunderstand me. I would love to find out I am wrong about that! :-)
If you know someone who can help, consider leaving contact info here in the comments. Thanks again.
Please contact christine.martin@
cox.com. She is with Cox Oklahoma and is eager to help.
- Will
Hmmm. Interesting. OK, I'll do that.
Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.
I sent an email to your friend...thanks again...and...
I am curious...how did you happen to stumble on my post? I always figured no one reads anything I post on here, (except my brother and and a friend of mine). So I feel fairly free to rant.
And your in Virginia! So we don't know each other...what are the odds?
Well, don't let an audience put a muzzle on your free speech! :)
The plethora of search engine crawlers shine light in even the darkest corners of the Internet.
I use Google Alerts to assist my mingling in this well-attended, phantasmal cocktail party.
Good luck with your home networking. Please let us know how it goes.
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