Recently I started up a little business of sorts where I go around and fix up peoples' computers that have become either too slow or have other problems. Often the internet connection is down, and after running through the normal procedure of router and modem resets, occasionally I will have to call Comcast to fix the problem. I've noticed what most people already know: Customer service sucks these days. Rather than go into detail about my specific situation, I'd like to point you to some links of some very funny Customer Service calls, and tech support incidents.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13447232/
NBC and CNBC's coverage of Vincent Ferrari's recorded conversation with AOL trying to cancel his account. Unfortunately, you have to use IE to view it (I know what an abomination), but please watch it anyways: it's worth it!

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/comcast-tech-falls-asleep-on-guys-couch-182440.php
Comcast technician falls asleep on this guys couch after calling customer service for an hour.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail152.html
StrongBad's take on poor customer service.

Feel free to post your own customer service woes as well as commenting on these hilarious, yes atrocious incidents.

how about this one, with Comcast, we had problems off and on, and so did all our neighbors on it. When they came to look at it, they blamed it on a connector in our house. Can you believe this shit? My dad knows what he is doing when it comes to wiring things.

I don't even bother with tech support. When one of the computers at school needed servicing by Dell, I asked one of the other operators to call instead of me, because I knew I would just end up telling the tech that I and anyone else in the room I was in knew more about technology than his entire department put together (which really isn't that hard, and I'm sure it's also true of all of you).

Did either of you watch the first video. It's hilarious, and it culminates with the customer service person asking to speak to his father (Vincent is 30).

One time i spent half an hour arguing with an Earthlink tech about how many digits were in a PHP distro version... the difference between 5 and 5.1 is apparently lost to him...

Another time, I had to deal with TDS... the guy seriously sounded stoned... "Is the modem plugged in? Are you sure? Yes, ok, check the modem connections. Yes, i know you've done it three times, check again... is the phone line connected properly to the DSL modem? oh, i see... well, check the other end. Fine? well, check the modem end again"

Wasted 15 minutes of my life with that idiot... ah well... he tried...

standard stuff they have to ask. Here is something about stupidity that really drives me crazy. Not customer service, just other things that annoy consumers. Right now, down our street, the only option for broadband is either Comcast or sataliete. We are about 1/2 mile from a fiber box on out corner that with a little upgrade, would provide DSL down our street. Now my dad works for SBC/ATT/whatever name they have, so naturally, we would like to have DSL at our house. There are a number of other people here who also would like to ditch Comcast for DSL. Why is ATT then dragging their feet? A number of people in an area want DSL and would drop the competitor in a heartbeat, and all it takes is a simple updrade to a fiber box? If I were them, it would be here in a heartbeat.

That may or may not be illegal, them having a monopoly on your 'hood... I'd check local law, and if it is, another company can legally come in.

it is ATT not wanting to move in, Comcast hasn't stopped anyone from setting up. and the governements opinion is that we can still get dial-up, so there is no internet monopoly.

Also, to clarify, ATT uses a phone line where Comcast is cable.

They only have a "monopoly" because the competitors aren't willing to offer any competition. It's not like they're pushing them out or anything; the DSL company doesn't want to go there (for whatever stupid reason they can think of).

Mmm, true. Can't you get satellite internet then?

oh yeah, pay about the same, get a slower download, and a WAY slower upload, I'll stick with the cable, thank you very much.

Ah, didn't know that. We just get DSL here in the city and call it a day.

I have DSL, but unfortunately we are near the end of the service line so connections can be somewhat spotty. Normal up/down speed is 200/40 KB/s. Recently, however, I learned that normal up/down speed for the DSL we have is supposed to be 1.5MB/s/400KB/s!!! The situation definitely needs to be rectified...

Are you kidding?! Our $20/month DSL is 3mbps/768...

The rule with monopolies is that they're acceptable for services such as telephone, power, etc... because if there was competition, you'd have 20 companies each with their own set of power lines, and it'd be chaos... so monopolies are allowed, but government regulated... (come on people, dont they teach Civics up there? )

Recently there's been a campaign to allow more cable companies into Milwaukee to lower prices thru competition. In the meanwhile I'll stick with my pirated cable.

True, there is "competition" in the phone though, but for example here, only AT+T (SBC) has cabeling, and whoever wants to can put in there own switch in the Central Office and start their own company.

My school doesn't even have a tech department



My $44.99 cable connection (RoadRunner) is *supposedly* 6mbps, although it changes drastically; I've clocked it at 8mbps once

The only problem is that my upload speed is pathetic

My comcast broadband connection is supposedly 2mb/s, but I usually only get around 768kb/s. On top of that, my computer goes through a crappy linksys wireless b (slow model) router so I only get around 300kb/s. Still, it beats dialup

Yup, 300 really isn't the end of the world.