Once upon a time customers were treated like valuable commodities.  This past week I’ve learned something.  These days . . . . some companies feel customers are too much trouble.

Comcast and I spend the last 5 days going in circles.  My telephone and internet connection suddenly disappeared Wednesday evening.  6 phone calls, 2 trips to the Comcast office for replacement equipment, 5 days, and 2 missed appointments later we are back in action.  Why it took 6 call, 2 trips to the Comcast office for replacement equipment, 5 days, and 2 missed appointments is beyond me.  One of the funny aspects of this adventure was the repair tech not showing up because when he called my home number all he got was voice mail.  Somehow the fact that my phone wasn’t working was lost in the paperwork (along with the cell number I gave to at least 3 people). On the upside every time I spoke with someone locally, whether is was at the office or the repair dispatcher in Sacramento (it was a 916 area code anyway) I was treated well and things moved forward.  When I dealt with the Customer Support people elsewhere  – not so much.  I was either treated like a drooling fool that shouldn’t worry his head about things he didn’t understand, or I was treated like a stubborn pimple that just wouldn’t go away.  I don’t like being treated either way.  I doubt they would either.

I wish companies that were “too large to fail”, were allowed to suffer the consequences of treating their customers so poorly.