If you do a quick Google search for Comcast reviews, you’ll probably find many customers or sites reporting their frustration and disappointment towards the company. You’ll find this disdain across several social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Albeit telecom providers usually have a negative reputation in general, it was different for Comcast. The rage people felt was unrivaled, so much so that people theorize that when the company rebranded to Xfinity in 2010, this was Comcast’s way of mitigating some of the negativity.
So, why is Comcast one of the most disliked providers out there? What started this all?
What Is Comcast?
Before we delve into Comcast’s history, let’s first talk about what Comcast is. As mentioned, Comcast is a telecom provider that offers various services, including high-speed internet, TV & streaming, mobile service, home security, and home phone services. Comcast, as a company, has been around for a very long time now. In fact, the company has been offering internet service since the 90s, with a focus on Olympics coverage, sports programming, and broadcast exclusives.
Comcast introduced Xfinity in 2010 as it was merging with NBC to avoid confusing consumers. Now that we have a better understanding of what Comcast is, let’s deep dive into its history and why so many people dislike this company.
Comcast’s Problematic History
One thing Comcast is known for is its terrible customer service. What makes things worse for the company is that it had a public incident in the past, when a customer service call went viral in 2014, and people could hear how poorly the representative acted. The copy of the call was so widespread—reaching 6 million plays—that major outlets such as Time and NPR even reported on it.
In the call, we can hear customer Ryan Block try to cancel his service, and what’s supposedly a quick process and conversation took 20 minutes. You see, the Comcast customer support agent refused to cancel Block’s service, and he became more and more agitated while Block remained calm. The representative kept asking desperate questions such as “So you’re not interested in the fastest internet in the country?” which is definitely cringe-worthy.
After the call went viral, Comcast tried to save face by releasing several statements, with the first statement saying that the company was embarrassed by what happened. However, the follow-up statements by Comcast Cable’s chief operating officer, Dave Watson, said that the representative did what Comcast paid him for. So unsurprisingly, this gave Comcast a horrible image and worsened the customer’s frustrations towards the company.
Comcast Still Receives Support
Despite everything, Comcast has still received a fair amount of support and mediocre ratings during surveys. During one of the customer satisfaction surveys by J.D. Power, Comcast still received a higher rating than other providers like Suddenlink, Cox Communications, and Spectrum. Naturally, the company received meager ratings in terms of customer service and billion, but the service, as a whole, got a pretty average rating.
Even though Comcast is definitely below more renowned provides like Verizon and DISH, we also can’t say that it’s the worst telecom company out there.
Has Things Improved for Comcast?
In any case, are things getting better for Comcast? For one thing, it’s clear that Comcast is trying to make an effort to be better. In 2017, the company reported that their “on-time arrival rate for technicians” has increased to 97%, while their success rate for solving issues also increased. However, we can’t say that the angry mob from 2014-2016 stayed during those time periods. Until today, we can still see countless negative reviews and rants about Comcast and its service.
Common Complaints
Some of the most common complaints include the following:
- Extra charges in the billing cycle
- Long holding time
- Poor internet service
- It can be difficult to talk to a human representative
Conclusion
It’s truly a shame that a company that started so strongly has now come to this. At this point, it’s rare to find a positive Comcast review online, and most review sites like TrustPilot and Sitejabber are drowning in 1-star ratings. If you’re looking for a telecom provider in 2021, needless to say, it may be best if you skip Comcast and try alternatives instead.
