Yesterday we had no internet service. That's akin to no life line, but we managed until the tech showed up this afternoon to reconnect us to the wide, wide world of internet again. I must say the experience dealing with Comcast was less than pleasant.
When Paul got home yesterday and discovered there was no internet, he did what all married men do....call the wife! I didn't have my magic wand with me, and it wasn't at home, so he had to call Comcast. Needless to say....it didn't go well, because the automated system automatically increases the callers blood pressure, which makes all systems related kick into angry overdrive.
After much button pushing, yelling into the phone, etc., we had a tech scheduled to arrive here today between 1 and 5. At midnight last night, my cell phone rang. Now I doubt anyone hears their phone ring at midnight and thinks, "Hmm, that must be Comcast calling to confirm the tech's arrival tomorrow between 1pm and 5pm." NO! The average person hears their phone ring at midnight and wonders what is wrong with one of the kids, or did that ailing relative die, or........something other than COMCAST calling.
I answered the phone to hear the automated system, with instructions to press 1 for something, 2 for something else, and 3 for something else. I hung up the phone. At 6:30 this morning, the phone rang. What now? I wondered if Julie got stuck in a snow drift. NOPE, it's Comcast again! Same automated system, so I punched all the right numbers, and low and behold a living person came on the line. I'm sure she regretted the connection, because I told her what I thought of calls from their automated system at midnight, and again at 6:30, and I had already confirmed the appt three times, not to mention that Paul had confirmed it as well!
Thirty minutes later the phone rang. Yep, you guessed it....the automated system wanting me to confirm the appt. I called back, punched in the many, many buttons, and connected to a person who spoke broken English at best. I told her that they needed to work on their automated system, and make sure it wasn't calling customers at midnight. She said, "Ma'am, I am noting on your account that you do not want the automated system to call you in the wee hours of the morning." I wish I wasn't quoting that word for word, but I am. THEN, then she had the nerve to tell me that I could have signed onto my account at www.comcast.net and confirmed the appointment there. I hung up!
Thirty minutes later.....sure enough, the automated system, and each time you are asked if you would like to complete a brief survey after the call. Oh my! They do not want to hear what I would say. I called again, and once again, I pressed one (if your first born is blond and lives in the USA). I pressed two, (if your middle child has blue eyes), and I pressed three when asked if I had ever considered blowing up an automated phone system, and then I heard........Your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you feel you have reached this message in error, please hang up and try your call again. KABOOM!
I called back, and after all the button pushing, and frustration, I connected with a live being, and of course, she spoke very broken English as well. I told her that I had already confirmed the appt more than once, and how about 7 times, and surely they had that in their system now, and would she please make sure the tech didn't show up before 1pm, because I would not be home. Of course, it was all noted in my account.
At 11:30 I rec'd a phone call from the Comcast tech, and he would be at my house in ten minutes. Noted on my account, huh? In which language, and which account? I told him I wasn't home, would not be home until 1pm. He graciously said he would come back. Lucky for him, he was a nice guy! He reconnected us, replaced the broken equipment, and went on his way. Happy Thanksgiving, and all that jazz.
Oh wouldn't you know it. Comcast just called wanting to know how I would rate my experience with the service provided. I can't answer that by pushing buttons. I just can't!
I'm thinking about calling the automated system back and seeing if I can wreak havoc with it.
