Wanting to cancel that Comcast cable service? It might be better to just keep the service going as the incessant questioning from the sales representative recorded by one tech journalist revealed it is much harder to cancel than previously thought.
The conversation has sparked a debate at how companies deal with their customers, especially when they want to leave.
Tech journalist Ryan Block and wife, Veronica Belmont, recorded their conversation with a Comcast representative when they wanted to cancel the service via telephone. The conversation has been posted on SoundCloud and is eight minutes long. Listeners can hear the representative badgering the pair, being aggressive and asking inappropriate questions as to why they were ending their cable service.
The entirety of the conversation lasted around 10 minutes, and when Block told Comcast that he didn't want to give a reason for his departure, the representative pushed harder.
"Why don't you want faster speed?" the rep persisted. Block patiently responded by asking if was indeed possible to cancel service over the phone. The customer service representative dismissed the question and continued asking why he wanted to leave the company.
"Being that we are the No. 1-provider of Internet and TV service in the entire country, why is it that you aren't wanting to have the No. 1 Internet service, No. 1 TV service available?" the representative asked. "I'm just trying to figure out what it is about Comcast service that you aren't liking, that you aren't wanting to keep. What is it about that service?"
This went on for minutes, before Block chimed in and told the representative that he would no longer talk and wait for the cancellation order to process. This is when the representative appears to give up.
"I'm really sorry to see you go to someone who can't give you what we can, but I'd like to thank you very much for being a great part of Comcast. Have a wonderful day," he tells Block.
Comcast, for its part, has apologized and is looking into the matter, which has left a stain on its reputation.
"We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally apologize," said Comcast in a statement. "The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives. We are investigating this situation and will take quick action."
