It’s no secret that I heart Comcast. I would consider my hate-then-love relationship with Comcast a good example of how companies can use social media to turn frustrated and furious customers into raving fans, and to deliver customer service in a whole new way.

I won’t lie. I’m impressed with what Comcast has done to turn their worse than horrible reputation for “customer service” around over the past few years. I am most impressed with Frank Eliason – you may know him as @comcastcares – and his all-star team including@ComcastBill, @ComcastSherri, @ComcastBonnie, and @ComcastScott.

In order to fully illustrate just how thorougly pissed off I was at Comcast when Frank introduced himself to me on Twitter, I’ll first share with you this blog post that I wrote on 8.30.06 after Comcast completely ruined my birthday. I think you’ll agree that this a prime example of what happens in this hyper-connected world we live in when companies provide poor customer service.

By the way I have already told you that my first attempt at blogging was heinous. This was probably the only decent post I ever wrote on that blog.

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Yes, I am still alive.

You can blame Comcast for the lack of posts yesterday. They completely ruined my day.

And yes, it was my birthday.

THANKS SO MUCH COMCAST.

Yesterday morning around 9:30 am my internet service went down. I rebooted my computer and unplugged my router and modem to reset them about 10 times.

Nothing.

I called Comcast and after waiting for 40 minutes to speak to a human being I got someone.

ME: I have no internet service and I have rebooted and reset my modem and router about 10 times.

Customer Service Rep: Ok.

CSR: I’m going to have you power down your computer.

ME: Ok, I’ve turned it off.

CSR: Ok, now I want you to unplug your modem and your router.

ME: Ok, but I’ve already done this like 10 times.

CSR: Ok.

ME: Everything is off.

CSR: We’ll just wait about 30 seconds…ok, now I want you to plug the power cord back in to your router.

ME: Done.

CSR: Now I want you to plug the power cord back in to your modem.

ME: Done.

CSR: Now power up your computer.

ME, several minutes later: Ok it’s all back on and I have no internet connection.

Repeat this sequence 6 times while I repeatedly climb under my desk and unplug and re-plug in the modem and router over and over. My back was killing me already and little did I know this was just the beginning.

CSR: I think it’s your router.

ME: Oh, so all I have to do is go get a new router?

CSR: Well, those are expensive, so I want to try one more thing first.

ME: No they’re not. It was like $45. Awesome I hope that’s it. I can just run down the street to Circuit City and get it and then I’ll be back online.

CSR: Let’s bypass the router to be sure that’s what it is.

ME: How do I do that?

CSR: Unplug the ethernet cord from the router and plug it directly in to the back of your computer.

ME: Ok done.

ME:

ME: It’s not working.

CSR: Are the lights flashing on the modem?

ME: Yes, they’re all on.

CSR: Is the cable light flashing or solid?

ME: It’s flashing.

CSR: We need to wait until it’s solid.

ME: It’s still flashing.

CSR: It’s ranging, wait just a minute…still ranging…is it solid yet?

ME: Still flashing.

CSR: It shouldn’t be taking this long.

ME: What does that mean?

CSR: The computer is telling me that the signal is strong. This shouldn’t be happening.

ME: Is the modem bad?

CSR: That must be what it is. You should have a solid cable light by now.

ME: It’s still flashing.

CSR: It must be the modem then.

ME: Ok where is the nearest Comcast place where I can exchange the modem?

CSR: We can send someone out there to replace the modem and test the connection.

ME, hopeful: Today?

CSR: Let’s see…the first available is tomorrow between 8:00 and 11:00.

ME: I work from home and I have to have an internet connection. I can’t wait. I need it today.

CSR: Ok then you can go to a Comcast store and exchange it.

ME: Where is the closest one to me?

CSR: Where do you live?

ME: Buckhead.

CSR: Let me see…oh. The closest place to you is in Marietta.

ME: Marietta? Are you kidding?? That’s the closest?

CSR: Yes.

ME: This is ridiculous. This is NOT how I wanted to spend my day!

CSR: I’m sorry.

ME: It’s not your fault.

ME: Ok what’s the address?

I then drove 45 minutes to the “closest” Comcast location, waited for 30 minutes in line, exchanged the modem, then drove 45 minutes home.

I plugged in the modem and IT DID NOT WORK.

No lights.

NOTHING.

Somehow resisting the temptation to rip my phone out of the wall I called Comcast and once again, waited half an hour to get a live person.

Yusef, in broken English: Hello this is Yusef, can I have your name please?

ME: ATLRecruiter.

Yusef: Hi Ms. Recruiter, how can I help you?

ME: I lost my internet connection this morning, and I spoke with someone who told me that my modem was bad. So, they sent me all the way to Marietta to exchange my modem, and I got home and plugged in the new one and it doesn’t work. No lights; nothing.

Yusef: Is the power light on?

ME: No, no lights are on. Nothing.

Yusef: What is the modem plugged in to?

ME: A power strip.

Yusef: Ok I want you to unplug it and plug it in another outlet.

ME: Why?

Yusef: To see if you can get power from another outlet.

ME, rolling my eyes: Ok…

ME: Ok I plugged it in to an outlet and still, no lights.

Yusef: Try it in another room.

ME: Ok this seems silly though. I know this power strip is working because it is powering the very phone that I am talking to you on.

Yusef: Ma’am, I’m telling you, many of my customers find that when they plug it in to another outlet in another room it will work.

ME: It’s not working.

Yusef: Did you try it in another room?

ME: Yes.

Yusef: Which room?

ME: My bedroom.

Yusef: Try it in another room. The kitchen. Try it in the kitchen.

ME, wondering what I have done to deserve this: Ok.

ME: It’s still not working.

Yusef: How about the bathroom? Try it in the bathroom.

ME: Yusef, NO. I am not trying it in the bathroom.

Yusef: Ma’am. I am telling you, many of my customers, when they plug it in to another outlet in another room it works.

ME: Yusef, it doesn’t work. It is obviously defective. I am not trying it in any other rooms. I guess this means I have to drive all the way back to Marietta to exchange it.

ME: O. M. G. I seriously cannot believe this.

Yusef: Ma’am, I’m telling you, many of my customers, when they plug it in to another outlet…

ME: Yusef. I heard you. But even if it does work in my bathroom, what good will that do me when my computer is located in my office??

Yusef: Ma’am.

Yusef: Well.

Yusef: That is a very good point.

ME, FUMING: Ok, I guess I’m going back to Marietta to exchange this thing.

Me: Wait, Yusef, is there a Comcast any closer to me than the one in Marietta? I’m in Buckhead.

Yusef: Let me see…

ME: Can you give me the list of locations?

Yusef: Marietta, Alpharetta, Chamblee…

ME, cutting him off: Chamblee?? THERE IS ONE IN CHAMBLEE? That is right down the street.

ME: I seriously cannot believe they sent me 20 miles away when I could have gone two miles down the street.

ME: What is the address?

Yusef: It’s on Malone Drive.

ME: Where is that? Do you have directions?

Yusef: Yes, they’re right here. Turn left heading south on GA 141/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, take access road…

ME: Yusef, I would be heading north on Peachtree. Do you have directions going north, not south?

Yusef: This is all that I have ma’am. Turn left heading south on GA 141/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, take access road, turn right on Malone and it’s right there.

ME: Yusef, I have absolutely no idea where that is.

Yusef: I can do Mapquest for you.

ME: Oh good. Do you need my address?

Yusef: No, I have it right here.

Yusef gave me the directions.

ME: I seriously cannot believe that your brilliant colleague sent me all the way to Marietta when there is one right down the street from me.

Yusef: I’m sorry ma’am.

ME: Thanks for your help Yusef. Have a good day.

Yusef: You have a good day too ma’am.

ME: Thanks, but I think the chances for that happening are pretty much dead at this point.

I went to the Chamblee Comcast store and waited in line again for 45 minutes to talk to someone.

While waiting in line again I noticed a woman dressed in a really strange get-up. She had on a black, kind of dressy knit top, light blue warm up pants with navy and red stripes down the side, white high-heeled sandals, and she had a green, gold, and orange, really thick headband in her bleach-blond permed hair.

I could not help but think that my hair stylist John The Hair God would die if he saw that hair. His very favorite thing to do is corrective color and I think it would be extremely difficult for him to resist the temptation to kidnap her and correct her hair.

I’m not sure which was more entertaining; her outfit and disastrous hair, or the super skinny guy wearing the ladies’ red fuzzy slippers. With a perfectly straight face.

Finally. My turn. I exchanged the modem and asked the guy to plug the new one in to the wall to be sure it works. It lit up immediately.

When I got home I plugged in the modem and powered up my computer.

It works!! I have internet access!

I have email!

Yippee!!

For about 10 minutes.

Then, nothing.

At that point I was on the verge of spontaneously combusting.

I called Comcast and miraculously only had to wait 15 minutes to get someone.

CSR: Thank you for calling Comcast, how can I help you?

I explained my entire day to her in detail.

CSR: Oh.

CSR: Well.

CSR: Then.

CSR:

CSR: You are really not going to like what I have to tell you.

ME:

ME:

ME: WHAT.

CSR: There is an outage in your area.

ME:

ME:

CSR: It doesn’t matter what modem you use, you’re not going to get service.

ME:

ME, whimpering like a distraught five-year-old: But it worked for like 10 minutes…

CSR: It’s an intermittent signal. Our DC039 server is down. It’s been down since 9:30 this morning.

ME: You have GOT. to. be. kidding. me.

CSR: I wish I were.

ME: I CANNOT believe that not one of the people I talked to today told me that!

CSR: Me either.

CSR: I am so sorry.

ME:

ME: This is unbelievable. It is after 5:00 and I have now wasted my entire day.

CSR: I am so sorry.

ME: Are they working on it?

CSR: Yes. They’re working on it.

ME: Any idea when it will be fixed?

CSR: No.

ME:

ME: Can I get a phone call when it’s back up?

CSR: Sure! I can call you. I’m here until 11:00.

CSR: I’ll call you around 8:00 with an update.

ME: Do you have my number?

CSR: Yes.

ME: Ok, thank you.

CSR: I will call you later or when it’s back up.

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No phone call.

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So, the next morning I tried rebooting, and still nothing. I unplugged the router and modem and waited a while and then powered everything up again.

Finally.

Internet.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

How I have missed you!

And I want a do-over for my birthday. Tomorrow when I wake up I am going to pretend like it’s my birthday.

All day.

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In Part II I will share with you what happened when Frank stumbled upon this blog post (I am sure he was so thrilled to find it) and what he and his team have done to turn me in to a raving fan and highly enthusiastic Comcast customer.

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