Jun

25

Today, I opened my cable bill and had a heart attack, as the bill had doubled. I use my cable for TV and as a backup fro my internet, with FIOS as my main internet source. For the past couple of years (since I hate to pay retail), I've been playing Comcast and Verizon off against each other in order to lower my bill. In my case, all of the little extras from Comcast went away today and I was faced with a whopper bill. I called the local rep, wasted 20 minutes with her and got nowhere, except for her comment, "That's your tough luck that your bill went up and if you want to use FIOS, go for it." I asked for her supervisor, who told me that since my bill was so cheap, they didn't really find profit in customers like me.

By then, I was fuming. I decided to pull a page out of my grandfather's playbook. I went online, and looked at the company officers of Comcast, looking for the name of the assistant to the president. My late grandfather told me long ago that there's no way a common person can talk to a president of a large company, as he has about 20 people to keep you away. I called the assistant to the president, explained my case, also telling about the rude treatment from the lower support staff. He said that they would get back with me later on today. Much to my surprise, the president of Comcast called me to apologize, take care of the over-billing, and throw in a couple of extras. He told me that he listened to the tapes of my earlier conversations with the support staff and was embarrassed by my treatment, and personally assured my rates would not go up, ever.

That was amazing, but the real lesson here is: If you have a problem that needs quick resolution, never try to talk to the CEO. They simply won't let you speak to him/her. Instead, talk to his personal assistant or executive secretary and politely state your case. They will listen and are readily accessible.. Remember, the assistant and executive secretary have the same power of the CEO in day to day operations of most organizations. They will also be glad to hear your problems.


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  1. The Rodent on June 26, 2010 4:32 pm

    You’re fortunate to have more than one option with similar or reasonable levels of performance. My current building has one vendor, and that vendor’s pricing is worked into my monthly payment. The service is terrible, and the market has not worked its magic.

    I may, for the sole purpose of trying something new, give what you are saying a try.

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