var json_comments = new Array("

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 9:20 PM

Moderate | Flag for review

One of My Friend's Parents used to work as a CSR, and told me that whenever someone started to act as if they were the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company and shouted condescendingly, not listening to reason and requests to calm down she was authorized by her manager to just give up on the customer.
Moral of the Story: Before you act like you have a permanent hemorrhoid, imagine how much of a downer your day becomes when someone starts shouting at you, then multiply that by the sheer volume of calls CSRs get.

8 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

Suulia

January 22, 2010 11:28 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

What ever happened to \"treat others as you want to be treated?\"

If you treat me with respect and courtesy, I will do the same back to you, and I'll go above and beyond to make you happy. Courteous customers make my day, rude customers break it. If you treat me with disrespect, expect me to do my job by the book, and do nothing more for you.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 6:53 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Go ahead and swear at Cablevision. Say anything you want. I used to work there, and I know for a fact that they're not allowed to hang up on you. They get into deep trouble if they do.

They do have the right to ask a lead to take over the call if they can't handle it, but no one does. If they do, they might as well clock out, because they'll be shown the door soon. Because they can't hack it there.

$\"user-pic\"$

foodfeed

January 22, 2010 12:45 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

i'm glad i get to hang up on the ones that call me an f-ing c*nt

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 3:07 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

What the OP apparently doesn't realize is that she's taking out her frustration with a corporate entity on an actual person (if you want to debate that difference, you can head over to the election funding article). Some CSR's are pricks, and so are some customers. When she comes in saying \"I have a problem and rather than try to reason with you, I'm going to not tell you what it is and be awful to you\" she sounds like any other sanctimonious prick customer. Her grievances are real and some of her frustration justified, but that's where the difference ends between her and anyone else who treats a stranger like crap before they open their mouths so they can use them like an emotional punching bag and get what they want.

$\"user-pic\"$

Nate with shorter name

January 22, 2010 11:24 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

I have always felt that if I am dealing with someone who can help me I should be civil, but if I am dealing with someone who can only hinder me (like say telemarketers or script reading tech support) I go full jerk on them. My theory is that if I (and dozens of others) make their job horrible they will quit. If lots of them quit, it will be harder for the corporation to hire people. If it is hard to attract people to the job it should pay more. This costs the corporation more money and hopefully changes the corporations customer support practices.

$\"user-pic\"$

Aellus

January 22, 2010 1:48 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

The problem with that theory is that most people working a CSR job like that likely dont have any other job options, and can't afford to quit. You're probably making their day that much shittier, and getting yourself nowhere for it. A friend of mine is one of those people who is always yelling at CSR's, and he has no end of stories where the CSR \"cant get anything done\", \"wont help me\", etc. Meanwhile I'm always friendly and I've never really had a problem other than the amount of time it can take to straighten out an issue. Typically the CSR really can help you out, but if you even sound like a jackass they wont help.

$\"user-pic\"$

ecwis

January 21, 2010 10:58 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

It's always good to treat CSRs respectfully. I don't see why any CSR should go out of their way to fix a problem when the customer starts the conversation off with such an awful attitude.

$\"user-pic\"$

hotdogsunrise

January 22, 2010 10:23 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

I agree. It's not the CSR's fault. They didn't do anything. If I have issues with a company, I almost always say, \"I know this is not your fault. But I am frustrated and angry with what is going on.\" That always seems to make things better. Because I'm not mad at them! But I am mad in general.

$\"user-pic\"$

Kiz

January 22, 2010 4:26 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Yep. Treat the rep well and you'll go much further. Some \"higher ups\" point blank refuse to take transferred calls unless the rep transferring can outline the case. I know our complaints team has a policy of refusing to take calls unless the rep can tell them what the call is about. Shouting and swearing won't make that happen any faster. Contrary to popular belief, CSRs don't exist to be shouted or sworn at and they aren't \"in the wrong job\" if they don't like it.

Not meaning to be a \"blame the customer\" post, the whole porn thing is horrendous, but if you want to get your way as a consumer phoning a call centre being as nice as pie is sure the way to go.

Thank god I don't work those sort of phone jobs any more. Though we were allowed to hang up on people that shouted and swore. :D

$\"user-pic\"$

FangDoc

January 22, 2010 7:05 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

I think \"Nice as Pie\" was one of the movies on her bill.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 9:31 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I know, I know, don't yell at the CSR, but seriously, when you're getting stuck with charges for porn I'd be pretty pissed off too. You're stuck looking like some incredibly pathetic dirtbag who's addicted to porn but hates paying for it, and that's downright humiliating.

5 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 23, 2010 6:06 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

The guy \"addicted\" to porn (really...a few movies a month and he's an addict? Your standards are high) may have absolutely no idea that he's charging movies to another persons cable bill. There may not even be a guy (it could be a software glitch, or, god forbid, a woman).

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 11:51 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

So the implication is that anyone that purchases adult material is a incredibly pathetic dirtbag? With the amount of money that the porn industry earns, it would be a fallacy to assume only single, middle-aged guys in dirty undershirts are the only consumers.

No one strapped the OP in a chair and made her watch porn. The issue here is false charges, not the content.

$\"user-pic\"$

El_Red

January 21, 2010 11:15 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

This post should be tagged with ''I was a j@ckass to a CSR''. Even in her letter, Lesley makes me believe she was obnoxious to CSR. And we haven't heard CSR's side of the story...

As for compensation, ask politely and you'll receive :)
(at least that's my experience with CSRs in general)

$\"user-pic\"$

cmarie14

January 22, 2010 4:25 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Agreed. My credit card rate was raised this month due to a late payment last August. I called, spoke to the guy, asked him nicely to reinstate my original rate. He not only did, but he took the 6 month late charge off! (I never asked for that, but I was sure grateful for the $40!)

$\"user-pic\"$

PLAAND88

January 22, 2010 1:46 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

We're a simple bunch like that.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 9:35 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Your final statement (\"although I imagine it's not as effective at getting the job done\") makes me doubt the veracity of the entire article. Come on...who hasn't enjoyed any episodic arc of Blue Dragon Balls-Z?

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*

January 21, 2010 9:58 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

one word: tentacles.

$\"user-pic\"$

SaraFimm

January 22, 2010 3:12 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Lots and lots of tentacles.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 10:41 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

1 word: eww?

","

$\"user-pic\"$

slim150

January 21, 2010 9:39 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Someone (who has the culprit cablebox) hasn't heard of the internet yet.

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 10:39 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I think it's more like someone figured out they could get porn for free and went nuts.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

your new nemesis

January 21, 2010 9:39 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

So they confirmed that she had two cable boxes in her name and that (as i understood the summary) didn't raise a flag? They should have been kissing her ass and trying everything to make things right. Most of these boxes have serial numbers so they should have been able to figure out that the porn didn't come from the box in her apartment.
Caveat: What kind of credentials do you need to be a porn animator? How do you explain your job to people? Animated porn?

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 9:33 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Why is two suspicious? I have dealt with customers who have several. Sometimes, they just buy new ones and unplug the old ones, so we're left with a bunch of unresponsive serial numbers sitting on the account.

I worked in a comic studio that coloured adult comics. I told people we coloured... drumroll please, adult comics. What am I, ashamed of sex?

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 3:20 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Why should having two cable boxes raise a flag? Many customers have two cable boxes, or three, or four... most I've seen is twelve, I think. There's no reason it should raise a flag for the CSR.

Now, it SHOULD raise a flag to the customer, if she looks at her bill every month and she's getting charged for two boxes when she only has one.

$\"user-pic\"$

Difdi

January 22, 2010 5:42 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Agreed. Two boxes is not even slightly unusual; My parents have three. A former roomie of mine (who was obsessive-compulsive regarding TVs) at one point had six TVs each with its own box. I've had two myself at one point.

As for the two boxes appearing on the bill, it's possible that they didn't; Unless the OP clarifies, we can't know, but there's the possibility of one cable box being \"free\" with a promo deal the OP was unaware of, so only one box showed up on the bill (which wouldn't necessarily raise red flags for someone expecting to pay for one box). It could also have been on the bill as \"cable box lease\" or similar, and just be a total of all boxes without explicitly saying so.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

B

January 21, 2010 9:42 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I had that same roommate, except he wasn't invisible, also ate all my oreos, and never paid bills.

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

S

January 22, 2010 1:02 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

At least yours sounds semi-normal. Mine drank ketchup and stole lawn ornaments.

$\"user-pic\"$

Verucalise (Est.February2008)

January 22, 2010 9:34 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

I WANT MY GNOME BACK.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 12:12 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Teddy KGB?

","

$\"user-pic\"$

G.O.B.: Come on!

January 21, 2010 9:45 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Well she could offer them her level 100 Charizard.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

mythago

January 21, 2010 10:15 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I think you mean her level 100 Mudkip.

$\"user-pic\"$

RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com

January 22, 2010 10:36 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Do you liek mudkips?

","

$\"user-pic\"$

shepd

January 21, 2010 9:47 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Hmmm, I'd certainly think something of it if I were told my electronics were going to short out within 12 hours. I'd have them unplugged to prevent the fire that usually ensues from things like that, and, quite frankly, I'd want to know how they know it's going to short out in 12 hours, and furthermore, why the hell they game me something that clearly isn't UL/CSA approved! And, furthermore, I'd want at least one very good reason why my next call shouldn't be to the electrical authorities to get something so unsafe yanked from the shelves.

Of course, I'd have my answer: The tech is an absolute idiot and thinks \"won't work\" means \"short out\". You know, the same way an idiot would say their car crashed when what they really mean is the battery is flat.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

humphrmi

January 21, 2010 9:48 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I know this is shutting the barn doors after the horses escaped, but a word of advice to everyone else: if you have problems with your cable box, and a technician comes out to replace it, get a receipt for the cable box he takes away, with the serial number and date.

Last month I had trouble with my HD box; it had to be replaced twice. Both times the technician couldn't produce a receipt for me, so I kept the old boxes and took them in to the cable office myself, and got a receipt. He (the technician) understood why, and was fine with it. This is why.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

Brunette Bookworm

January 22, 2010 9:46 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

It still doesn't always prevent being charged for multiple boxes. When I got a new TV (finally and HD one!) I traded my cable box in for one with and HDMI output. I took it to the cable company, got a receipt and a new box, and still had to call two times to get the extra one off my bill. They could see I only had one, yet I was somehow getting charged for two. I don't understand how they can know I only had one, but charged for two....but that's another case.

$\"user-pic\"$

catastrophegirl chooses not to fly

January 21, 2010 10:14 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

ooh, good tip. thanks.
i haven't had to have one replaced yet but i may someday want to upgrade my second satellite receiver to dvr if i get a roommate and i wouldn't have thought of that

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

Luca

January 21, 2010 10:00 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Mediacom is a pretty awful company all around.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

PsiCop

January 21, 2010 10:01 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Whoever \"fixed\" the \"short\" that mysteriously cropped up in that first 12 hours, is probably at fault here. I would not have \"thought nothing of that,\" I'd have asked for an explanation, and I'd also have placed a follow-up call -- to a different CSR -- prior to it getting \"fixed\" to find out what was really going on.

Sounds really fishy to me.

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 24, 2010 2:40 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

My bet is that one of the technicians that replaced the first or second box kept it or gave it to a friend instead of returning it. You should always keep track of the number of boxes on your account and get a receipt when you turn one in.

Having spent a significant amount time handling ppv/adult movie billing disputes, I can tell you that 90% of the time, the charges are legitimate and someone in the house is ordering the movies. The other 10% of the time, it's fraud that's facilitated by an employee.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 24, 2010 4:42 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

there is also the scenario where neighbors both have RF remote controls and they are set to the same frequency. I was happening all the time when multi room boxes were first introduced.

$\"user-pic\"$

Rectilinear Propagation

January 22, 2010 12:24 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I agree. You have to wonder if the OP was set up.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

mythago

January 21, 2010 10:13 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Can we please get an INVISIBLE ROOMMATE lolcat pic? Maybe Tax Cat could pose?

","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become

January 21, 2010 10:20 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Yeah, yelling at the CSR and not giving them any information about your problem isn't going to get you to their supervisor any more swiftly. 9 times out of 10 the supervisor (or resolutions specialist, whichever they may be) isn't going to take the call unless they know WTF is going on.

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 12:30 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

At a previous job, when you asked to speak with a supervisor, you got transferred to the supervisor's voice mail, and the supervisor would call back. I would explain that to the customer, and also gave the info they needed.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

scoosdad

January 21, 2010 10:40 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Good luck getting credit for the movies she paid for. By doing so that's practically an admission of guilt, in the eyes of the cable company.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 10:41 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I second this. I take calls a few times a week for customer service and when someone starts to show disrespect towards me I no longer wish to help them. If they continue I simply disconnect the call. If the person is friendly and respectful, I typically go out of my way to help them.

A good tip for anyone having to call a company for help, be friendly to the person your talking to if you actually expect to be helped. Treat others as you wish to be treated.

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

jimmyhl

January 24, 2010 1:50 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

At some level we all know that a nasty attitude won't help matters, but some CSR's are so plainly obstructionist and unable to even comprehend what the service issue is that frustration will be inevitable. I recall my own tale-of-woe from when I foolishly got a Cricket cell phone (don't even ask why) and the day after I signed up and pre-paid, I had no phone service at all. I used my landline to contact Cricket's CS and the rep kept telling me that I had no service because Cricket is a pre-paid service. Telling her that I had paid just he day before made no difference to her at all. She kept insisting that Cricket was a pre-paid service. That was all she could say. I just cold flipped out on her. I took the phone, the contract, the packaging material and went back to store, told them to cancel the contract, assess whatever penalty I had to pay and forget the whole thing had ever happened. The guy cooled me off and made the adjustment at the store, gave me some free minutes and acknowledged in a round-about way that Cricket's CSR's were completely useless. If I had stayed on the line and had been as nice as nice can be with the CSR I would still be trying get her to understand that having a paid-up account and not being able to use the phone amounted to an issue for which Cricket was responsible.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 8:50 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Then Maybe as a experienced Rep you can understand why one person who's called several times may be upset. It isnt about kissing the reps arse its about keeping customers. If reps did their jobs like they cared most callers would never need to call in over and over.

$\"user-pic\"$

El_Red

January 22, 2010 9:36 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

So that justifies being rude? And did you think that you might be insulting the ''one CSR that cares''? How do you justify treating humans like crap? Verbal abuse is unacceptable in any situation. An angry client, can always went by using magic words : ''I know this is not your fault but this situation/problem/errors is @#%?$# me.''

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 21, 2010 10:50 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Seriously people. I know the customer was in a bad place. I completely agree with the ops issue and all charges should have immediately been fixed. I know she went through a lot to get a resolution. It should have never happened. I'm completely in the ops side on the billing issue. That said, there us never, ever, ever an excuse to cuss at a csr. Never. I would have immediately hung up on you. And telling them from the get go that it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation probably hurt your cause. That kind of behavior is inexcusable, and I don't blame the csr one bit for being \"sassy\".

","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

johnva

January 21, 2010 11:30 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

This could be a plus to having a CableCard instead of a cable box: since it's one-way only, there's no possible way that you could reasonably be accused of ordering porn or other PPV garbage.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 12:20 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

No matter how angry you are, be civil to the CSR. If you can manage it (and if the CSR isn't a complete jackass), try to actually be friendly. You'd be amazed at the favors CSRs can pull out of nowhere if you talk to them as an equal and not as an angry customer, even if you have every right to be angry.

-Amen!!

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 12:26 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

IMNSHO, since this happened multiple times, you should have asked for a case # and referred to the previous case numbers. Also, the TV box number should be listed on the bottom and back of the cable box. It should be easy to check with the numbers listed on the cable bill. To me, it sounds like the first box wasn't removed from the bill.

I'm surprised you didn't just request a cancellation because of the continued billing issues. This would have gotten you to a higher level agent who probably could look more into your account than the first level agent.

And, please, BE NICE TO THE CSRs. They do not make the policy. Honey works better than vinegar in these situations.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

S

January 22, 2010 1:24 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

What about the CSRs that start and continue the conversation by acting like a complete ass?

$\"user-pic\"$

El_Red

January 22, 2010 9:33 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Say ''Thank you/Goodbye''. Hang up. And dial the number again.
Rude people are everywhere, it is normal you might get one as a CSR.
Don't waste your precious time arguing. Hang up. Call back. You'll get another human on the line.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 1:41 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

That sounds like good advice if the wait for a human is fairly short. Depending upon the average hold time, struggling with a difficult CSR may be less bothersome than hanging up and going through another long wait.

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

PLAAND88

January 22, 2010 1:45 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

As a frontline retail grunt I've got to admit that I'm a little horrified that this (and stories like it) made the front page of the Consumerist. I mean it's an outrageous situation and the OP went through alot but I can't really pinpoint where any of the CSRs she dealt with went wrong, she was issued a courtesy credit. She apparently dropped the issue on the second call when her account was moved to one dollar purchasing and finally, she approached the third CSR in a rage, demanded that she break SOP, gave her no credit for fixing the problem and faulted the CSR for getting offended when sworn at.

The OP is someone who myself and my coworkers would describe as a nightmare customer. Several reasonable steps were taken along the way to make her happy and when the problem was resolved and the previous charges credited (By someone she treated with absolutely no respect) instead of being happy, relieved or satisfied she wanted more.

By posting these kinds of stories without proper context and commentary you're promoting poor consumer behavior, we're people too and this only encourages people to treat us like shit to get what they want.

7 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

Rectilinear Propagation

January 22, 2010 12:53 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I'm a little horrified that this (and stories like it) made the front page of the Consumerist

Don't all new stories start off on the front page?

By posting these kinds of stories without proper context and commentary

Was the list under the quote from the OP not there when you posted this? No matter how angry you are, be civil to the CSR. - How does that encourage people to be rude to CSRs?

The OP does a pretty good job of outing themselves as a jerk and from the comments it looks like everyone recognizes that.

$\"user-pic\"$

PLAAND88

January 23, 2010 11:27 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

By front page I mean featured as opposed to first page.

I agree that the OP does a good job of making an ass of herself but a footnote isn't really proper context, in fact there's hardly any editorial context to this and while that's mostly fine - for the most part consumer complaints don't need it - in this case it comes across as condoning and encouraging this kind of behavior.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 8:27 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

\"Several reasonable steps were taken along the way to make her happy\"

Except they didn't, you know, FIX the ISSUE, which was a second box on her account. If I was the CSR who took her first call, I'd look to see where those charges came from. I'd say something like 'well, ma'am, those PPV movies were ordered from your second box...\". She'd say \"I don't have two boxes\". I'd then remove the second box and reverse the charges. And there you go, issue actually resolved.
Instead, the CSR's issue a 'one time credit' just to get her off the phone, then gossip on their break about the &#@^$ who ordered porn and refused to pay for it.

And people wonder why customers get upset at CSRs sometimes.

$\"user-pic\"$

PLAAND88

January 23, 2010 11:54 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

How were they, without her saying so, supposed to know the second cable box was out of the ordinary? I have at this moment four satellite receivers in my house registered to one account. I would say that having multiple receivers is probably the norm. It seems to me that having a second receiver is a pretty out of the box solution to a usually simple (Someone not me ordered this porn) problem and setting up a password would be an effective solution in my eyes as both a CSR and a consumer.

I really think it's a stretch to blame the CSRs here though I would be willing to go as far as say the second employee she spoke to didn't treat this with due diligence but she doesn't give enough information and that she dropped the issue after being dropped to $1 purchasing instead of demanding escalation (something she had no problem doing in the third call) tells me she was if not satisfied, then at least placated by that.

I'm not saying her problem wasn't a real one, I'm not even saying she was wrong to be angry but as a manager if these were my people I would only have faulted them on two maybe three points.

- Not asking for help when they couldn't identify the source of the problem.

- Not escalating the complaint to me (Regardless of SOP) at her request, for two reasons; I'd rather I get yelled at than my people and Getting their first request granted has, in my experience a 50/50 chance of defusing these people.

- Actually serving a belligerent customer. I don't know about elsewhere but where I work both company policy and the law allow me to refuse service to abusive customers. For the record: I have and will continue to serve customers who yell at me pretty intensely but swearing at me or one of my people is a deal breaker.

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 2:07 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

But how on earth were the CSRs to know that she didn't just have two cable boxes? And it's not like the number of boxes the customer has is something that just naturally drops into the conversation. If any of the CSRs were going above and beyond they might have told the customer the serial number of the box where the porn was ordered.

But here's the thing: There are so, so many customers that call in and claim they didn't order porn. It's a pretty common thing. Does that mean that all those people really didn't order porn? Well, look... there's still a certain amount of shame involved in watching porn. And people aren't always honest when their significant other finds porn charges on the bill and wants to know how they got there. And lots of people don't realize that teenagers can figure out how to order porn, too. Why these people don't just go on the internet, I don't know. But it does frequently happen that when someone calls in claiming they didn't order porn, the fact is that they actually did but are embarrassed about it. Usually these people call in once to get the charges removed, and then they never have a porn charge again. However, there are those repeat callers who have porn on their bill every few months who try to get it taken off by screaming at the rep; I'm talking about people who are deliberately scamming the company, and they know the easiest way is to make the CSR uncomfortable and want to get this person off the phone as quickly as possibly by just giving a credit.

So I'm sorry for the OP, but through no fault of her own she was in a situation that made her look guilty. And yelling/cursing only made her look worse. She made herself fit the profile, you might say.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 4:11 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

But how on earth were the CSRs to know that she didn't just have two cable boxes?

1) Check the network to see where the second box is. I don't know how Cable networks go, but with a ethernet network, it's possible to check the switches and see what segment the offending device is on. I assume the cable network is similar- it needs to communicate in both directions with the boxes, so it should be possible to trace the connection. If the second box in not on the same segment as the first box, then it's not in her house.

2) Send a tech to visually verify.

3) Take the customers word: \"I informed her I am living in a one bedroom with one TV and have no need for two, and she could gladly send someone out to look for the other. She found which one was active in my apartment and took the other one off of the bill.\"

So I'm sorry for the OP, but through no fault of her own she was in a situation that made her look guilty.

Thus the reason for \"innocent until proven guilty\"- sometimes someone who \"looks\" guilty isn't. If you automatically treat everyone who looks guilty AS guilty, then when you make a mistake, you really need to apologize. With a company, said apology usually comes in a form like \"a discount on my next few bills\", which is what she wanted, but didn't get.

And yelling/cursing only made her look worse. She made herself fit the profile, you might say.

'Sometimes scammers yell and curse, so, even though we've already verified this lady has a legitimate issue (which was our fault), we'll treat her like a scammer and not apologize'??

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 10:33 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

The problem is that it doesn't sound like the OP went at this in a way that would resolve it properly.

More than likely, she called to dispute a billing charge. So she got a billing rep. When someone says 'I didn't order these', it usually means 'I didn't order them, but I have a husband/son/boyfriend/roommate/had a party/had a housesitter/ordered them but didn't want to pay for them and now I'm calling to complain.'

After the third call complaining about billing issues, there's probably a note on her account saying 'CUSTOMER HAS REPEATEDLY CALLED IN FOR CREDITS - ALREADY CREDITED, DO NOT GIVE MORE!'.

I'm not trying to blame the customer here, but CSRs are NOT techs and do not generally follow the same line of questioning that techs do. They don't look at individual boxes, because that almost NEVER has any bearing on account information and billing. If the charges are on her account, that's all that matters to them.

$\"user-pic\"$

cableguy

January 22, 2010 11:05 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

If Mediacom uses the same billing system as every other cable company, the CSR has no way to tell which box reported the PPV charge. There is a log that's kept inside the cable box itself that they can walk the customer through accessing, but it doesn't always keep the charges for long. The only real way to verify where the charges came from is to have the engineering group look up the box on the addressable controller itself.

Yes, this should be easier than it is; unfortunately it isn't.

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 2:57 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Exactly. When you have a customer who is never satisfied, no matter how many hoops you jump through in an attempt to satisfy them, it doesn't exactly make you eager to help them out.

The OP, ridiculously, thinks she's being reasonable by getting angry at a CSR that had no part in creating her problem, and who did everything in her power to fix the problem. \"It's just one little swear, she should expect that sort of thing by now, she's human cattle, after all!\"

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 2:22 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Do not mistreat the person on the phone. If you are a dick, they will 'accidentally' hang up on you. If you are nice, they will do anything they can to fix your problem. I know these things, having been both an inbound and an outbound phone guy, including for that company that makes that phone that starts with that lower case letter.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

Droog

January 22, 2010 2:28 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

As someone who did phone tech support for computer peripheral products for many years. NEVER EVER use a curse word, it is reason for us to shut you off... We know you have been on hold for 4 hours and hung up on multiple times, and our phone tree has no idea what you are saying, we have no say in the matter, those things frustrate us also, we know you are frustrated, but using any curse word is reason to hang up on you. The same frustration you deal with, is the same us poor saps having to deal with consumer calls, don't give us a reason to hang up on you. Our goal should be... OK Now how can I help you.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

shoop008

January 22, 2010 2:42 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Does anybody know if it's possible for the cable company to know that a receiver is going to short out? Seems to me that this was probably a contracted installer who told the cable company he installed two cable boxes in her apartment, and then took the second one to watch some pron for free.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 2:51 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Anytime you have bogus charges on your account and no way to account for it, it's a good idea to ask for the serial number of the cable box where the service is being bought.

Also, and I know others have already mentioned this but it's good to repeat - you only hurt yourself when you yell and curse at a CSR. And in fact, it's an FCC violation to curse at a telecom employee over state lines (yes, even \"shit\").

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 3:04 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Also, to the OP: when I was taking frontline calls, I would also try to explain to the customer that I could probably fix their issue if they were to explain it to me. This is not an attempt to brush you off... the reason we do this is because many times, the only management we can get you (our supervisors) know absolutely nothing about how to fix your problem. Management's job in those scenarios is to listen to rant at them for however long you want to rant, and then when you're done then send you back to the CSR you were speaking to, and the CSR will fix your problem like they wanted to in the first place.

Of course, it's a bit silly how many customers opt to rant for 30 minutes rather than use those thirty minutes to have their problem resolved, and it's even worse when said customer complain to the CSR that they have had to \"spend 30 minutes on this call getting this resolved!!\" Like it's the CSR's fault that they wanted to waste those 30 minutes yelling.

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

tman01

January 22, 2010 3:30 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

There is also a less common problem that can occur, if a dishonest evil haxor gets physical access to your cable box and writes down the mac address off the box they can spoof the mac on a different box thus producing a duplicate able to stick your account with all the midget porn their hearts desire.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

SBinVA

January 22, 2010 8:45 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

From the original post:

\"She found that there were two cable boxes listed in my name.\"

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 10:12 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

duplicating the MAC address causes it to show up as 1 box.

$\"user-pic\"$

SBinVA

January 22, 2010 12:24 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Correct.

Her account showed 2 separate boxes on her account, it is implied the pay per view porn was associated to the box not actually in her house.

2 boxes = 2 MAC addresses

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 5:28 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Who rents porn now days? There is this thing called the internet with 5 mins clips.. I mean come on guys thats all we need lol... I have never seen an porno from start to end lol.. who has?

3 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 9:23 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

People who have spouses who check their online activities?

Seriously dude, it happens. You would not believe how many people I get on the phone who are ADAMANT that their spouses 'would never, ever EVER order anything as sick/disgusting/degrading as an adult movie' when they call in to dispute movie charges on their bills. Sadly to say, it is almost 100% women who are frothing in rage at this. I've seen maybe...ONE case where a man called in and was upset.

$\"user-pic\"$

January 25, 2010 5:58 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Delete your history. My BF's history is set to \"do not save.\" I think it's hysterical. I really have no idea why, but I don't really care. I actually changed my comp to the same thing, and I don't know why...

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 23, 2010 3:26 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Ha, I have had one call of a male customer calling in to find out what the charges are about, but when I told him that the charges were for porn he was basically like, \"Oh, that asshole!\" and that was the end of the conversation. :D

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 5:37 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

I work as a rep at Comcast.

As far as this customer goes she doesn't seem too bad for the first two calls, then must have had a bad day for the last call.

Personally I will never hang up on anyone. SOP states that we cannot hang up on anyone at all. But if they become abusive or we are uncomfortable we are always able to transfer them to a lead.

The only thing I have to say is NEVER abuse the rep you are talking to. I don't care how pissed you are. If you insult, rant, or yell at the rep who is helping you, you instantly loose any respect the rep has for you. If you're a dick we follow the book. If you are nice we can try to bend the rules.

Does anyone honestly think swearing at me and shouting \" I'll switch to dish\" has any effect on me.

This is a life lesson that applies everywhere. Be nice and you will be treated well. Act like an ass and you will be treated like sh**t.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

bwcbwc

January 22, 2010 6:42 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Change your locks. You may have a trespasser.

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

rdm

January 22, 2010 8:31 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

If your account had a purchasing limit of $1, how did this happen?

Did the person who bought the porn use your secret code?

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

cableguy

January 22, 2010 11:09 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

The purchases were likely made between the time her billing cycle ended and the time the limit was lowered. Also, purchases are not immediately reported to the cable company; they're usually collected on a nightly basis, so if the box thinks it's allowed to purchase $X in PPV, then it will allow those purchases and store them until they're collected. (Each purchase is not authenticated with the cable system.) The PPV limits are generally updated right away then they're changed, but there was some time between when the bill cycle ended and when she received her bill and called in.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

SBinVA

January 22, 2010 8:39 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Given OP is a student, and presumably young, perhaps the chastising being received here will provide one of many needed life lessons.

Never shoot the messenger, you can express dissatisfaction in a calm and respectful manner. Simply start the call with \"I am upset about an ongoing issue that is neither your nor my fault, I'm calling today to work with you to resolve it.\"

I too hold great disdain for my cable company and it's customer service practices. However, this case seems to be a clear-cut billing / system error, which, once investigated and the error found, provided a clear path for resolution by refunding the inappropriate fees, removing the incorrect cable box from the account, and apologizing for the mistake.

Being a jackass to the person on the phone who is working *FOR YOU* to resolve the issue will undoubtedly add unneeded time and callbacks before a proper diagnosis is made. This behavior will also most certainly remove any possibility of the CSR offering a \"for your troubles\" credit to you bill.

There is a human being on the other end of that call, treat them like one and they will be more motivated to resolve your problem and retain your business.

As for what happened, I would suggest they start looking for that rogue box at one of the tech's houses or acquaintances' houses, sounds like someone's offering free cable to their friends!

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 4:38 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

While the OP would have probably gotten further without cursing and being irate, I can COMPLETELY understand where she's coming from.

I have had a lot of trouble with my cable internet connection in the past, and after the 5th or 6th time of having a tech come to my house and \"fixing\" the problem (if I could put some kind of massive quotes around that word, I would), I would be seeing red. There are few things more irritating than paying for a service you can't actually use, but I think paying for something you didn't order in the first place comes close.

I feel bad for CSR's that get caught with a customer who has yet to have an ongoing issue resolved. Not only do they have to figure out wtf is going on, but they get to deal with the aftermath of the shitstorm caused by uninterested/lazy employees.

$\"user-pic\"$

cambiata

January 22, 2010 2:16 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

\"As for what happened, I would suggest they start looking for that rogue box at one of the tech's houses or acquaintances' houses, sounds like someone's offering free cable to their friends!\"

Not necessarily. I know at Verizon it can occur that even if a box was activated at a different customer's house (after being deactivated from the original customer and then refurbished), there is sometimes a glitch that causes the box to continue to be billed to the first customer.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 8:44 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

The biggest problem for the OP is her rage on the phone. If she did this in the store and swore at somebody she would be asked to leave. The minute you drop a curse word it means you are unable to handle yourself in a reasonable manner. Nobody will deal with unreasonable customers. I have been in sales for 20 years and have told customers I will bend over backwards for them to get things done and corrected if there are problems, until they attack me personally or swear at me. The CSR is not the one who caused your issue. There was either a mistake or a hack so send a rational letter or email to the company and tell them what you want and when you expect it to be fixed. Tell them you will not pay for any of these movies, and tell them it is not a valid debt. If you start with the premise it is not yours they need to prove the debt. If it can not be resolved you simply cancel your account. End of story.

","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 8:56 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

His cable box bought Hentai. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hentai
But still he should have asked how many cable boxes were in his name. that and somebody got free porn with the other box.

","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

dolemite

January 22, 2010 9:35 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Charizard porn?

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 23, 2010 9:22 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

it does exist.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

Loias calls you out if you can't RTFA

January 22, 2010 10:00 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

The writer's attitude probably made the situation a lot worse. Use honey next time.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 10:14 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

As frustrating and maddening as it can be, it's imperative to start fresh with each CSR one deals with in situations such as these, treating each one as though they may fix the problem cause you never know...I have been on the front lines both over the phone and across a small counter with customers, I am the type by my very nature to go above and beyond as standard procedure.

I can tell you that when I had folks who came in loaded for bear with guns ablazing and treated me with disrespect I would clam-up, treat them with absolute stone faced politeness, but would not deviate in any way from a strict interpretation of company policy; even when I had broad latitude (read: absolute carte blanch) to do so. In fact, I have had the same customer come back later in a sane and reasonable mindset and after accepting a simple apology have gone out of my way to help them out..

You get more flies with honey than vinegar.

I agree that the OP made a big mistake when she paid any of the pron related charges, I would have paid my bill after subtracting the disputed charges and making notation on the check memo and pay stub as such.

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 2:41 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

While I understand the meaning behind the saying, over last summer I had to deal with fruit flies.

You can in fact catch as much flies with a mix of apple or wine vinegar, soap and water as you can with a wine/soap/water mixture.

Just sayin'...

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 11:06 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Well, let's cuss at the CSR and then get offended when they get angry. Demand to speak to a manager, but not want to say why and then be confused about the refusal. And if being told your bill could not be adjusted was 'rude' how do you deal with other everyday denials?

I can understand being frustrated with the cable company, I've had epic battles with Comcast, but it should never escalate in a way that is totally counter productive.

The magic words: \"Cancel my account\" have produced remarkable results in a very short period. The customer retention department has broader powers than the average CSR and have refunded me months of bills for bad or non-service that several CSRs told me I was stuck with, upgraded cable boxes, onsite repair visits on a human timeframe, premium channel discounts, etc.

However be prepared to actually walk away if necessary, only use this power infrequently, and for the greater good and have good reason to wield it.

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

NarcolepticGirl

January 22, 2010 11:43 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

\"She found that there were two cable boxes listed in my name. I informed her I am living in a one bedroom with one TV and have no need for two, and she could gladly send someone out to look for the other. She found which one was active in my apartment and took the other one off of the bill.\"

I just want to know how this happened and who had a cablebox in her name... how she didn't see that on the bill and and if she knew the person.

2 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 12:11 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

Most likely one of her old boxen was given to someone else, but not taken off her account.

$\"user-pic\"$

NarcolepticGirl

January 22, 2010 12:50 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

in the same apartment complex?
she moved in there with her old one and then they took it out and gave it to another person in the same building and gave her a different one?

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 9:40 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

If their system works anything like the one I work with...

Each box has a serial number and a code. That code is added to the account, which is specific to a specific ADDRESS, not a specific PERSON. When a repair tech is sent out and removes a box, it is their responsibility to input the order to have the serial number from that box from the account.

More than likely, the tech neglected to do this [or the work order was incorrect], and brought the box back to the warehouse, where it probably tested fine, and was sent out as a replacement for another account. New box owner orders porn, which appears on the account the box was previously located at.

Simple fix? Remove box from old account and terminate services. You better believe that the new owner will call in to tech support. Get them to confirm SN, and it's that easy.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 11:44 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Sorry, but how is the fact that they were adult movies even relevant? A false charge is a false charge. \"Oh, no! Someone I don't even know thinks I may enjoy pornographic material!\"

Lines like, \"I informed her I am living in a one bedroom with one TV and have no need for two, and she could gladly send someone out to look for the other,\" aren't going to get you anywhere. Insisting to speak to a supervisor without any explanation implies that the CSR is incapable of helping you without giving them a chance. You're demeaning their position, which isn't going to be motivating. Some things may require escalation, but you'll never know what a CSR on your side can do unless you're reasonable.

I'm glad the OP had this resolved, and hopefully she'll have a better strategy the next time she has an issue.

","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

Thorn

January 22, 2010 12:12 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I worked for Time Warner supporting their road runner service (of course they have you take calls for phones, sales, and everything else too) and I was much less likely to help people who started off by giving me attitude. On the flip side if someone was down to earth, level headed, and polite I would go out of my way to help them.

The thing people do not understand is, while we all know your TV viewing is important to you if it is out for whatever reason (pole down, fallen branch, storm etc) it is not MY fault. As a representative of the company it is my responsibility to help you it is not my responsibility to absorb your rudeness, profanity, and disrespect.

I read this post and the person had a fair gripe, it should have been fixed. She handled it wrong with the CSR she is talking about \"Hi I am not giving you anymore than my name\" First of all you HAVE to, CSRs are not allowed to discuss YOUR account with anyone but you. This is to protect you, your identity, and your privacy. It is required. Saying you won't provide it will not help you.

Demanding to talk to a manager right away also will not help you, the CSRs calls are recorded and their job is to resolve issues. If not they would just hire a room full of managers. Then you would call and demand to speak to a VP. So since the CSR is trained to deal with the issue, and attempt to resolve it for you while \"talking you down\" without taking up the time of the manager/supervisor that is what they are doing when they \"refuse\" to acquiesce to your demands. Not giving you a hard time.

Oh and just because YOU do not find foul language offensive, or that particular word that does not mean others will not. Who are YOU to judge the CSR for not wanting you to swear at her, your statement sounds as if you EXPECT people to be treating the CSR poorly. That says to me right there on some level you view her as beneath you or that this is her role in your mind. You could not be further from the truth.

In closing sorry you had a problem, but you handled this call for support the wrong way and you dumped a person who didn't deserve it. If you had handled it the right way I am sure they would have credited your account for the hassle you went through. What are you giving her for the hassle you put her through?

","","","","","","","","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

grapedog

January 22, 2010 2:55 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

CSR FAIL/COMPANY FAIL - Having worked Tech Support at a cable/internet company ::cough::TWC::cough:: the first thing the very first CSR should have done is determine where the porn was coming from.

Do you live with anyone else? No.
How many TV's do you own? One
Why do you have two cable boxes registered to your account for one TV? I shouldn't...

There was a chance for a one call resolution IF the CSR has actually done his job correctly. The consumer getting angry didn't help matters, but if any of the CSR's she had talked to had actually DONE THEIR JOB... This wouldn't have been an issue...

1 replies

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 9:43 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

See, the problem is she was talking to a CSR. Customer service. She should have been talking to a TSR. Tech support.

CSRs are great for a lot of things, but getting a customer service rep on the phone for a tech issue is just bound to completely FUBAR a situation and aggravate the customer beyond belief. I agree there was a total CSR fail here, but it still doesn't excuse a lot of what the OP did.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

ws82

January 22, 2010 4:08 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

\"No matter how angry you are, be civil to the CSR. If you can manage it (and if the CSR isn't a complete jackass), try to actually be friendly. You'd be amazed at the favors CSRs can pull out of nowhere if you talk to them as an equal and not as an angry customer, even if you have every right to be angry.\"

This is so very, very true, I work as a CSR for a computer company I won't name here. If a customer starts yelling from the start, I try to get rid of them any way possible. If a customer is just having a bad experience and is being cool about it, I try to bend over backwards to help out.

When the call first comes in, I don't know what is going on, I don't know the history of the problem, there are certain protocols I have to follow before I can fix something, plain and simple. Most base-level phone techs (for any product) just don't have the power to do anything as far as refunds or exchanges, before we can even get you to the department that can do that kind of stuff we have to take certain steps. Screaming and cussing will not help you one bit.

","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 22, 2010 6:24 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I threatened to cancel multiple times

OK, I think I see your problem here. Threats are like fresh mail-order salmon -- if you don't deliver on them quickly, they go bad. And if you have to make the same threat more than once, you're definitely doing it wrong. If the response to a threat to cancel isn't a concession to your liking, then you should cancel immediately, then, and there, or else they have no reason to take anything you say seriously. And if you're not prepared to follow through, then you probably oughtn't make the threat.

","","

$\"user-pic\"$

BarbiCat

January 22, 2010 9:27 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

If you can't spend five seconds to give me your name, account number, and outline your issue for me? Hell no, you can't speak to a supervisor. Goes double if you basically threaten me at the beginning of a call by saying it 'won't be friendly'. How mature of you, customers.

I wish people would realize how many customers phone reps get, each day, who start a call screaming that they 'DEMAND A SUPERVISOR! NOW!'. These are usually the people who then say things like 'And just to warn you, I'm pissed off!', and 'Why do you NEED to know that information?'.

While I'm not a big fan of swearing on the phone, I can understand that some people do it [usually in more tech-related situations, but still] and it's not an automatic black mark. Swear AT me, though, and you better believe I'm justified in terminating the call.

","","","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

JiminyChristmas

January 22, 2010 11:46 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

This is one of those unstoppable force vs. unmovable object situations. The problem with never being rude is that it requires infinite patience - which none of us have.

","","","","","","","","","","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 25, 2010 7:07 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

that's why when I'm really pissed off, I always tell them right away that I'm not angry with them, I am angry with the company, and to please excuse any unseemly language or otherwise questionable statements, as I have no malice towards them (unless they themselves fuck me over which is pretty much never the case).

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 26, 2010 1:21 AM

Moderate |Flag for review

Yanno, I don't really care if she shot the messenger. She should have been given 100% of the money refunded, and then after that, she should cancel the cable service and buy a Roku box.

","

$\"user-pic\"$

January 28, 2010 12:17 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I didn't know that there was actual Pokemon porn on the TV. (A joke to those who know me.)

","

$\"user-pic\"$

February 6, 2010 1:53 PM

Moderate |Flag for review

I was a Mediacom cable tv and internet customer for many years in Western Kentucky. There were no alternatives for internet unfortunately.

They are a bunch of incompetent retards. Most of the time they don't even know service is out until they get several calls from irate customers, and even then they don't always believe it .

It usually takes screaming, yelling and filing complaints with the BBB to get them to do anything and even then it's a crap shoot.

I don't know how Mediacom stays in business. Horrible company.

");