title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Lessons Learned.

I keep learning lessons--hard lessons.  It seems I kind of take things for granted and don't notice problems until it is too late.

I contacted Comcast in February, when my yearly promotion ran out.  I was "told" that my new promotion would be lower in price, with the same channels.  YAY!!!  

I got the bill for March and it was $20.00 higher than the one in January.  I assumed it was just a correction.  Then I got my April bill--again $20.00 higher at $163.00.  I panicked!!!

I called them Friday, they said there was a problem that they would correct.  "Don't worry.  This will be taken care of."  They always say that.  I checked on-line to see my corrected bill on Saturday.  Still the same.  So I called.  The agent I talked to said she couldn't access my account because the last four digits of my Social Security did not match my account number.  Wait.  What?

I actually started bawling and hung up.

I called back Monday morning and was finally transferred to the Retention Department to a woman that knew what was wrong.  "Don't worry.  This will be taken care of."

I had been given a new account number in January--as were all their customers.  Although they had my name, address, phone number, blood type, the gender I identify with, because of security, they could/would not access my account to make changes.  I would have to go to the local Comcast center--brick and mortar--to show my ID and get my Social corrected.  She did confess it was someone there at her office who had made the typo in my Social.

Off I went to the local store--thank goodness, only 10 miles away.  I told the guy, he took my Driver's License and Social Security card and had the correction made in 20 seconds.

Back home and called the Retention Department to get the promotion and my bill lowered.

Thankfully this time, I got a woman with a Southern accent, but almost as difficult to understand her as the woman with the East Indian accent.

Anyway--I could not get the promised promotion I had in February, I could get the same price=$109.00, but at a lower tier and lost a few channels--a couple of my favorite channels, I might add.  This promotion is good for 1 year and I can call back next year to see if I can get another promotion with a higher tier, at the same price and get my favorite channels back.  ARGGH!!
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I have been on a Budget Plan with my gas and electric company ever since I moved in here.  For the last year, I have paid $42.00 a month for gas.  I noticed my last bill had a higher amount, but not too worry, I sent in my budget plan amount of $42.00.  This months bill was quite a bit higher and there was a note on the bill that if I didn't pay the bill in full, my gas would be shut off.  Wait.  What?

I called.  Unbeknownst to be, my budget plan had been dropped 8 months ago!!!

The woman said, "There probably was a notice on your bill then, but it would have been in small print and you might have missed it."

"Can I get back on the Budget Plan?"

"Certainly."

"Good, can I do that now?"

"Sign up for the budget plan is in May.  You can do it next month."

"Next month?"

"Yes, and your account has to be paid in full before you can sign up for the plan."

I owe them over $100.00 to pay in full.  ARGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I just want you to know, I did not cry one tear from frustration yesterday.  I was calm, controlled, overly polite and thanked each customer service agent profusely for their help.

Then, I spent the afternoon, cleaning the kitchen and mopping the floor, using up any left-over frustrated energy!

Now--I have to deal with my car/house insurance agent because that bill goes up $3.00 each and every damn month!!

8 comments:

  1. It is very frustrating dealing with customer service reps, especially when you can barely understand them! It's good that you stayed calm and collected! I try to do a online chat if I can. We have switched cable companies every two years, back and forth between Comcast and AT&T and last year we got disgusted with both of them and switched to WOW. Hopefully we will stay happy with them!

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  2. I can SO identify. And I DO cry. A lot!

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  3. I hate those cable companies! I hate that they make us jump through hoops every year for the "retention" prices. I hate that we have to spend so much time dealing with them. I hate that they make us pay for bundled channels we don't watch just to get a few that we do. AT&T is trying their best to get people in our area to switch but---you guessed it---I hate the idea of going through all the trouble when you know in a year they'd start playing the same games with the retention price "breaks".

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  4. I must admit that my first reaction to this post is that I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets frustrated to the point of tears when I have to call the cable company. I know exactly how you feel. You're a real hero in my eyes for handling all of these SNAFUs with such aplomb when it simply guts you to even pick up the phone at such times, and confront all these yahoos, each of which knows less than the last one. I ask TG to make the calls when I can't stomach it. He's the unflappable one.

    The other night, the night of the Cubs first game of the season, I clicked on my MLBTV app and eagerly awaited the sight of live baseball. But, even though we paid $87.50 for the privilege of seeing every Cubs game this season, my password wasn't "correct." Except, oh yes it was. After trying EVERYTHING I called MLBTV and with intensity, said they'd better get it sorted out, or else, because they had my money and I wanted my Cubs. The lady couldn't have been nicer. "I've got until one o'clock in the morning to help you and I want you to see your game," she said. And she was as good as her word, and soon enough the situation was ironed out. I didn't cry but I might have raised my voice. Haaahahaha xoxo

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  5. I gave up cable over ten years ago. We just have antennae tv. Whatever comes in comes in. I have to admit I get very frustrated watching tv due to the bazillion commercials. So I just go to the library and check out the tv shows and movies I want to watch. I have an ongoing list of movies and shows and I can order them when I'm ready to see them. to I'm not really a sports fan so that no problem. I read the newspaper twice a week to stay informed or get on the net for breaking news. Its not so bad.

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  6. comcast is the devil. i have called over similar problems - my bill goes up and i notice i am paying for channels i don't watch/don't want. when i call...they tell me on the previous call, i signed up for those channels. i, of course did not, they say i did...we go round and round. they say "well you've had them for a month, you have to pay for them." i say "but how would i know that...i did not sign up for them"??

    this usually goes on for months before i straighten things out - at this point i am afraid to call them about anything!!!

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  7. I'm in a hate with Comcast too! I don't understand why we have to pay for channels we don't care a fig about, and then don't get the ones we want. ughhhh

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