Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.Comcast sucks.

Sorry, had to vent a little bit.

My cable tv, internet and phone are out. AGAIN. Comcast’s call center representatives are asses. Ok, I’ll retract that and state a few I’ve talked to have been pleasant. I realize they can only do so much from their little cubicles on the other side of the United States, but above everything else, they should not argue with the customer. Ever.

After holding for 30 minutes, I had a gem of a representative last night who did just that, and also slipped in an insult or two along the way, insinuating I have no idea what the problem could be when I told him scheduling a technician to come inside my house would be a waste of everyone’s time.

Gritting my teeth, I held onto my patience with a grip that could have asphyxiated a person had it been real. I attempted to explain to the guy this was not a new situation and if he took a few moments to review my account, he would see that, offering further details of my situation back in April in an effort to help him understand. This rep insisted there were proper steps to follow and he would do nothing else for me if I refused to have a technician scheduled.

At that point, I think I almost gave myself lockjaw. I growled… yes, growled… that I speak to a supervisor because the situation was becoming ridiculous. He placed me on hold for about three minutes, which I used to do some meditative breathing, and came back on the line with an, “I’m sorry, there isn’t a supervisor immediately available.” Call me cynical, but I highly doubt he even bothered to look for one.

After requesting he place my complaint into the notes section of my account, receiving a “trouble ticket” and essentially hanging up on him, I found the mobile number of the repair technician who came to my house and worked on the telephone pole in the alley. Of course, he didn’t answer, but I left a message imploring that he do something and call me back. The “reason” they gave me last time is apparently there’s a bad line under the main street and DC won’t give Comcast permission to dig it up for repair for at least another five years. Now, I almost want to call, “Bullshit!” but I do know how difficult getting a permit for certain things in DC can be. Regardless, Comcast should have been honest about the problems in the area before I became a customer. Yeah, yeah, I know that’s me being too fucking idealistic. That’s me, though.

The ultra shitty thing is, the other cable provider for DC doesn’t service my area and Verizon Fios isn’t available at all. Comcast pretty much has a monopoly over the cable industry here. I could get satellite, but the installation costs more than I can spare right now.

Next step… attempt to cancel the contract I signed for two years without penalty because they haven’t provided consistent service from day one. Wish me luck.

Current Mood: Angry & Confrontational

Why do so many who live a life of privilege assume they’re entitled to more, and that they are above following certain rules?

I was at the lab again today for more blood work (yes, I’m ok, just getting my iron levels checked to ensure I’m not anemic). There were several signs posted both outside on the door and in various places of the waiting room forbidding the use of cell phones. There was an older man sitting a couple seats away from me, dressed in a suit and with a stethescope resting on his lap. The waiting area was small enough that I could hear parts of his conversation with the woman next to him, I assume a colleague or his wife, about dialing in on a conference call for a patient of his. He proceeded to do so… with his phone on speaker mode.

Almost immediately after the recording for the conference line started, the clerk behind the desk stood up and said, “Excuse me, sir, but cell phone use is not allowed in here.”

The man said, quite annoyed, “I’m a doctor and this is an urgent call.”

Clerk, still professional in her demanor: “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to step out in the hallway.”

The doctor stands up and walks to the counter, he lowers his voice and mumbles something that doesn’t make its way clearly to my ears. However, the clerk still responds in a tone loud enough that I can hear, “I’m sorry, but it’s company policy so you must step out into the hallway.”

At this point, I’m watching and listening intently - along with the five others in the room.

The doctor says, “Fine, then I will use one of your phones,” and starts to walk around and behind the desk. This whole time, his phone is still on speaker mode.

The clerk at this point is becoming annoyed, and rightfully so in my opinion. She raises her voice noticeably to stop him from proceeding completely around the desk and says, “The best I can do is place the phone on the counter for you to use, but you cannot come back here.”

I guess that wasn’t enough for the good doctor, so he walked out in somewhat of a huff and conducted his business in the hall.

I could be wrong, but from my perspective, the doctor seemed to think because he was a medical professional, he was removed from the rules set forth by the lab. Clearly the call wasn’t a private matter if he was going to conduct it right there in the lobby, so I see his lack of consideration of those around him and the disregard of the company’s policy as he felt he was entitled to something more.

Sadly, it’s nothing new.

Current Mood: Awake

Since I’ve been reviewing resumes for our organization’s new receptionist/office assistant, I’ve come across quite a few interesting email addresses used by applicants.

I think I’ve bitched before about people who use unprofessional email addresses. As easy as it is sign up for free accounts with the likes of GMail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc., there’s just no excuse (in my opinion) to conduct a job search with the likes of these:

shortyhiggy(@email-host.com)
hotlatina498

and my two latest favorites:

poodyman
versoboy

Not one to discriminate, I still reviewed these resumes but thankfully they weren’t from people we’d consider for the position.

Current Mood: Lethargic