Up to this morning, I really thought I'd be able to get some real work done on this blog over the next couple of weeks. We're moving out of the hotel and into the apartment tomorrow (finally), and I had planned to catch up on a lot of the housekeeping around here once I have regular access to things like a desk, a desk chair, my books, and the ability to throw everyone else out of the room I'm working in. Then I called Comcast to set up service.
Tried to call Comcast, I should say.
I called their 1-800-Comcast number on the 3rd, followed the automated prompts, and was routed to a call center that couldn't do anything except give me a local 800 number to call. I called the local call center number I was given, and was routed to a call center that couldn't do anything except give me a local 800 number to call.
Pause. Pull phone from head, look at number dialed.
"Ummm... isn't that your number?"
"Oh, we're an overflow call center. When they get overloaded, the calls come to us. Maybe you should try to call back in half an hour or so."
I repeated that process several times on the 3rd. I did it some more on the 4th. And again today. Finally, I called the rental office for the apartment we're moving into, and they were able to give me an actual local number. I called that every ten minutes for two and a half hours - getting busy signals every time - before finally getting someone who could walk me though service. Once it's installed, I'll be paying slightly more than I was in Honolulu, and will be getting slightly less. Once it's installed.
The first available installation date? Thursday, July 26th. Three weeks from today. I'm told that due to the local changeover from Time Warner to Comcast, there's a freeze on installing new cable modems from the 6th to the 13th, and again from the 13th to the 20th, which is why the 26th is the next available date. I called corporate headquarters, spoke to someone there (after 20 minutes on hold), and was told that someone will call me "later this afternoon."
Anyone (who doesn't want to see me dead) think I should hold my breath?
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I spent a Saturday a couple of weeks ago waiting for a Comcast technician whom the phone representative assured me would get there as soon as possible but definitely within the 8-11 am timeslot. He finally showed up at 7:15 pm. I had to be home during that entire interval.