By: Beth K.

Beth K. — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:51:31 +0000

44 Minutes and no help from Comcast online chat; consistent bad service. I hate Comcast but have to pay for them since my condo building entered into a building contract whether I use them or not.

It’s always a different nightmare. Nothing ever works and I always know way more than the chat people. American companies have fallen to new lows. No training, no management, no quality controls. How do they sleep at night? If I, or any of my staff, ever provided products and services like these I think I’d just go ahead and have a heart attack and die.

See entire chat below with my name, e-mail address and home address deleted.

user Beth_ has entered room

BETH(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:01:49 GMT-0500 (CST))>

messages not getting saved in Inbox; only 76 total

analyst Marie has entered room

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:03 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Hello Beth_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Marie. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:14 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Nice to have you on chat, Beth. How are you doing today?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:02:34 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Fine

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:52 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I am glad to know that you’re doing fine, Beth. I understand you are having problems with your emails.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:03:45 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Very small number of e-mails in my inbox are getting saved. Worked fine for past five years. Now isn’t working.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:04:22 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I understand the importance of your emails and I know how frustrating it is not to be able to save our emails.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:04:36 GMT-0500 (CST))>
user Beth_ has entered room

BETH(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:01:49 GMT-0500 (CST))>

messages not getting saved in Inbox; only 76 total

analyst Marie has entered room

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:03 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Hello Beth_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Marie. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:14 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Nice to have you on chat, Beth. How are you doing today?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:02:34 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Fine

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:02:52 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I am glad to know that you’re doing fine, Beth. I understand you are having problems with your emails.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:03:45 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Very small number of e-mails in my inbox are getting saved. Worked fine for past five years. Now isn’t working.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:04:22 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I understand the importance of your emails and I know how frustrating it is not to be able to save our emails.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:04:36 GMT-0500 (CST))>

No worries, Beth. You reached the right person. I can definitely help you with your concerns.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:05:20 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Please allow me to pull up your account information so that we can resolve it in the most efficient way possible. I will be verifying security information to protect your account privacy. Is that okay with you?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:06:10 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I have to go answer the front door; can you wait a minute?

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:06:30 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Sure!

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:07:44 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I’m back. Thanks

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:08:03 GMT-0500 (CST))>

You’re welcome! May I have the name and address on the account as well as the account number or the last 4 of the SSN on the account please.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:08:26 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:08:40 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Chicago Illinois 60611

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:09:02 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I have no idea what the account number is. Obviously, all the information I had to enter to get on this chat doesn’t get to you?

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:09:43 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Thank you for that information, Beth. Please give me two minutes to pull up your account.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:10:56 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Oh, I would like to inform you that Comcast has an Online Storage Feature where you can save your personal files like photos, mp3 and pdf files. And because it’s online, you access it anywhere you want as long as you have Internet connection. You can store up to a maximum of 10 MB and even have the option to share them with your friends. It’s like having an extra hard drive that you can access anywhere you want, for free. If you want to take advantage of this feature, just click on this link for the steps: http://www.comcast.net/storage/

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:12:07 GMT-0500 (CST))>

1) It doesn’t work for Apple computers and 2) so the system no longer saves inbox e-mails? 3) It saves sent e-mails just fine.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:12:56 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I see. Beth, may I please know how you access your emails.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:13:40 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Firefox; same as always

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:14:42 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Thank you for that information, Beth. So you access your emails though Smartzone?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:15:30 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Yes; Smartzone is the system that Comcast uses. Not optional.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:16:28 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Thank you for that information, Beth.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:17:55 GMT-0500 (CST))>

May I know when has this been happening?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:18:18 GMT-0500 (CST))>

The past two weeks

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:19:14 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I see.Beth, are you logged in to your account now?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:19:42 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Yes

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:21:33 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Could you please go to Preference.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:22:47 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:22:52 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Then click on email tab.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:23:20 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:24:01 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Can you see the option to store the emails on a particular period?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:24:24 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:24:48 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Inbox (read) never

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:25:36 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Schedule Email Deletion section

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:26:38 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Yes, Beth.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:26:58 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Please set it to Never.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:27:14 GMT-0500 (CST))>

It’s set on Never just like the Sent Email is set on Never.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:27:26 GMT-0500 (CST))>

It’s always been set on Never. No changes.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:27:47 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Okay. I will be sending you a test message and let’s see if you will receive it in your inbox.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:29:11 GMT-0500 (CST))>

That won’t help my problem. The problem is that the inbox doesn’t save very many messages. Just 65 today; 3% of the 10GB allowed.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:28:58 GMT-0500 (CST))>

May I please know the email address that you are having problems with.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:29:21 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Is there anyone there you can ask if they know how to fix this problem?

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:30:07 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I have sent you a test message.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:30:41 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I received your test e-mail. What is the purpose of sending me a test e-mail?

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:31:01 GMT-0500 (CST))>

To see if it will be stored in your inbox, Beth.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:32:18 GMT-0500 (CST))>

For how long? No point. Is there anyone there that knows what’s wrong? I’m getting very frustrated with this process.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:33:18 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Beth, just to inform you, you only have 10GB of storage in Smartzone, including your Inbox, Sent Mail, Drafts, and any other folders you may have.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:34:05 GMT-0500 (CST))>

AS I wrote above, my Comcast SmartZone systems says,

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:34:14 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Email: 3% of 10GB

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:34:35 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Is there anyone there who knows what’s wrong? Ask them right now.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:36:13 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I am already exhausting my resources here on my end, Beth. I am sorry that you have not stored your other emails in your inbox.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:37:06 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I have stored them; same as always. It’s just not working anymore. That’s why I contacted you/Comcast chat. Not for fun.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:38:58 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I am really sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused you, Beth.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:40:11 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Beth, please check on your other folders if you have your emails there.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:41:05 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I don’t have ‘other folders’; this is my primary Comcast email account.

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:42:23 GMT-0500 (CST))>

May I know if you have an email client like Outlook on your computer?

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:43:18 GMT-0500 (CST))>

No. Remember, I use Firefox

Marie(Sun Mar 14 2010 13:44:55 GMT-0500 (CST))>

I see. Beth, could you please log out and log back in again after an hour to check on your emails.

Beth_(Sun Mar 14 2010 12:45:52 GMT-0500 (CST))>

Bye; I’ll call Comcast now.

By: sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:03:13 +0000

Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. Cheers! Sandra. R.

By: goodberry

goodberry — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:40:10 +0000

I’ve had similar weird conversations with Comcast’s live chat.

Comcast: I understand you have a concern if your address is serviceable for Comcast High Speed Internet.
Comcast: Is that correct?
Guest_:yes
Comcast: :>Thank you for confirming that.
Comcast: >You must be very excited.
Guest_:>???
Comcast: Thank you for staying online. I have the information we need.

My personal theory is that the entity at the other end of the chat is an automated “intelligent” bot, not a human being. Either that ot they are extremely bored at the office over there and their supervisor is asleep.

By: Rachielle

Rachielle — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:16:14 +0000

hilarious! thats probably the most action she’s gotten in a long time, lol. very funny stuff

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:56:33 +0000

@Kyle: Very true, it could have been much, much worse. I’d rage if a whole block of IP’s were suddenly taken away without warning. We’ve been lucky with this Comcast account (lemme find some wood to knock on) and this incident is the biggest problem that has come up… so far.
Even so, I’m not a fan of Comcast’s attitude on P2P throttling (and lying about it), anti- net-neutrality practices and a whole slew of other shady dealings. The real trick is finding a provider that doesn’t do things like this, especially in a market where provider monopolies are quietly encouraged and the consumers have little to no alternative.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:27:58 +0000

Jeff, be happy this was what it was. Comcast decided to sell my IP block without checking/notifying/asking for permission – just sold it. After determing their issue (they couldn’t figure out what was going on) I had to forfeit those IPs (which I have owned for a little over two years) because the bigger company “demanded them” – thus had to reconfigure servers, network etc. Comcast….ugh.

By: liam

liam — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:05:25 +0000

Wow, what an Ego boost, I’d love to be told I’m really good, funny, and a master every time I talk to support. Interesting read, thanks.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Comcast is all about the Google, and the "web two-point-oh" buzz. They even have a Twitter account that's regularly updated. If you hadn't heard about it, Michael Arrington at TechCrunch had a run-in with Comcast on Twitter and has some interesting observations.

By: Jamie Calder

Jamie Calder — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:34:23 +0000

Master of all masters? I really google it, too.

By: John

John — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:41:57 +0000

Oh master of all web design… that’s hilarious. Thanks for the good read.

Comments on: Comcast Support Chat gone wrong

By: Beth K.

By: sandrar

By: goodberry

By: Rachielle

By: Jeff

By: Kyle

By: liam

By: Jeff

By: Jamie Calder

By: John