Okay, so I have accepted the fact that most of us are pretty much limited to just a couple of choices when it comes to getting a cable and internet company…sometimes just one. I know there are options for just internet service, but it usually ends up making financial sense to bundle, right? So you end up going with one of the few choices we have. Plus, we’re used to it so it’s easier and we need our TV and internet to survive…at least I do.
I have a request for any ambitious entrepreneur out there looking to start a new business. If you can come up with a cable/internet service that provides the following, I’m pretty sure that you would garner a huge customer base from the existing service providers. Here are my requests:
- Make sure your services actually work; that is, we actually have television and internet access all the time. This should be the norm, not the exception. I shouldn’t have to worry about weather or placement of equipment or whether my neighbor is interfering with a signal.
- Make it affordable. Please price your services reasonably. I understand an initial investment of the company and the services provided. I don’t, however, understand how the monthly regular services could equal a car payment, which is something that you eventually OWN and have equity in.
- Address the problems. If you get 830 calls a day for the same thing, should I really have to call you to let you know there’s a problem? If you know there’s a problem with service, a product, or an operating system, just go ahead and address it before it affects everybody.
Please, please, please…let’s talk about customer service.
I’m somebody that will put up with a lot if you treat me nicely (fairly). The more irritated I get or the more times it takes me to resolve a problem, the more I am willing to jump ship at the very first opportunity (and complain to everybody I know). Is it too much to ask that, when I need to contact you, I should be able to:
- Speak to somebody in my own language (especially if it’s one of the top two languages that account for 99% of the calls). When I say this, I mean somebody that actually understands and speaks the same language, not somebody that makes me repeat something 18 times to get it right. It also means that I shouldn’t have to guess what it is they are trying to tell me, making me feel stupid in the process. It would be a bonus if they weren’t rude, too.
- I should be able to speak to one person to get something fixed. When I call and go through five minutes of prompted questions, which I answer, I would assume I’d actually get connected to the person that can fix my problem. Doesn’t usually happen.
- I should only have to provide my information once in any given phone call. When you clearly identify me by my phone number, which you confirm, I’m pretty confident you have the rest of the information there. Why, when I need to speak to six different people ON THE SAME PHONE CALL, do I need to repeat my name, phone number, full address, email address, and last 4 of my Social Security number to each and every person? Auughhh
- Can you please develop a system that actually keeps the notes that are discussed on how a problem was resolved? Somehow, every single time I think I manage to get something fixed, it’s not and I have to call back, at which time I find that the details have miraculously disappeared! Then I get to go through the whole process described above again.
- I have one last request. Let’s be open about the pricing. I’m not sure how my bill changes every single month, even if only slightly. Nothing has changed! The package is the same, taxes are the same, I didn’t rent any movies, and nothing else happened. Why is my bill different? I’m sure most of us just pay it because it’s not worth the hour-long phone call to get it adjusted. Also, when my plan is up, don’t just double my monthly payment. Give me the courtesy of renewing my package at a reasonable rate before just taking advantage of me. I’m pretty sure it’s possible to send me options with my bill for the month or two before it’s up. I’d be happy to check a box and return it to save us all time and money. Instead, my bill suddenly doubles and I get to spend another 90 minutes on the phone with 4 or 5 people to set up a new package. I know, it’s my fault that I didn’t mark this momentous occasion on my calendar, but I’d appreciate it if you could help me out with the information that you have readily available in advance.
So just because you CAN do these things to us because we have no other option doesn’t mean you SHOULD. When another choice comes along, and I’m hoping it will, these things will make a huge difference in how many customers each company gets…or keeps.
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I agree! Maybe us consumers should protest and/or boycott the cable/internet company that takes advantage of their consumers. Unfortunately they know we really upon their services on a daily basis. You are right, we need options out there, especially for the Internet.
Oh and thanks for reminding me to mark that “momentous occasion” on my calendar to avoid the shock, cost and time involved with negotiating a new bundle!
Thanks! I hate not having choices. I have four more months of phone calls to make because they cannot honor my agreement without a monthly reminder, so almost a day’s worth of my time! UGH
Good luck to us!