Comments on news posted 2008-05-31 14:01:24: Comcast subcontractors are notorious for engaging in bad (often illegal) behavior that’s included everything from falling asleep at customer’s homes to murder. ..
Can comcast employees get much worse? Blowing people's houses up, killing kids and torturing cats....
Their NOT Comcast employees. Comcast subcontracts out a lot to installer/repair contractors. Apparently Comcast doesn't require much background screening in their contracts.
So is the percentage of comcast contractors that screw up and get into the news really any higher than that of any other company? Comcast has a huge number of employees and contractors, so you know they have a pretty good number of idiots, just like all other larger companies. There are a lot of idiots in the world.
Can comcast employees get much worse? Blowing people's houses up, killing kids and torturing cats....
Their NOT Comcast employees. Comcast subcontracts out a lot to installer/repair contractors. Apparently Comcast doesn't require much background screening in their contracts.
Yes, the unstoppable buck syndrome. As companies subcontract more aspects of their business out to the cheapest possible parties, Joe consumer can only expect this to get worse.
If company C works for company B who was hired by company A to do a job, how much worry is there with the employees of company C about company A's reputation?
Comcast is asking for everything it gets by chasing cheap labor, especially when the people they sub turn around and re-sub the sub out to another party. It's ridiculous, and why this country is on the slow swirl, currently held in place by the bowl splatter. Ooooh, that's an image ... --
Comcast is asking for everything it gets by chasing cheap labor, especially when the people they sub turn around and re-sub the sub out to another party. It's ridiculous, and why this country is on the slow swirl, currently held in place by the bowl splatter. Ooooh, that's an image ... --
Been that way for years and not just Comcast, I think the big shift came late in the 1990's but it was starting to be done before that too. We saw signs of the sub-contract syndrome when the California tech job market crashed around 1992 and we were all trying to find new jobs.
I know that in 1999 when I was looking for a job, that was what most of the offers were, contracting firms, and I am an engineer. Had one job offer for Mississippi that I found out that I was talking to a contractor to another contractor who had the contract for an engineering job on a military base. No thanks!
They're just people. You'll find roughly the same proportion of nutcases among non-Comcast employees.
Agreed. Around here all the electric co. people I've been in contact with were professionals, but a few years ago, I witnessed a crew of three in fairly animated activity on the ground. When I went over I saw the final blow with a piece of pipe to a squirrel that looked dazed and was having problems walking.
I was too young to know what to do then, so I got the hell out of there. Now I know better.
Agreed. Around here all the electric co. people I've been in contact with were professionals, but a few years ago, I witnessed a crew of three in fairly animated activity on the ground. When I went over I saw the final blow with a piece of pipe to a squirrel that looked dazed and was having problems walking.
I was too young to know what to do then, so I got the hell out of there. Now I know better.
Apples and Oranges.
There's a big difference between a squirrel and a kitten. Kittens are domesticated animals, bred to trust humans, and usually very easy to catch. In fact, often they'll come bounding up to you.
Squirrels for the most part are wild creatures and very difficult to catch. My dog has tried for years, to no avail.
If that line crew were able to get close to that squirrel, then there's a good chance there was something wrong with it in the first place. If a squirrel came bounding up to me the same way a kitten might, I'd probably be a little animated too, and grab the first thing I could.
Squirrels are rodents, same family as rats, and have been known to carry some pretty nasty diseases (rabies) and deliver some pretty painful bites.
I can think of a couple of different scenarios that would have made it justifiable squirrelicide.
I'd consider this news and it deals with a technological company so it is fitting for this site. When a Comcast Employee does something good, in many cases I see it posted on this site. It just "appears" there just might be more bad press than good press for Comcast.
from the first article.. "Over in our forums there have been a few jokes about the employees setting the fire themselves to play hero and give Comcast a better name. However, the consensus seems to be that the techs deserve some props from their life-saving efforts"
from the second article... "Comcast's technicians (though usually subcontractors) have been consistently in the news for falling asleep, murder, digging in the wrong yard or blowing up laptops, dishwashers or homes."
The third article doesn't toss in any digs at comcast or the subcontractors but was from 4 years ago.. isnt exactly recent.
I sincerely hope nothing but the worst possible outcome happens to these jerks. I sincerely hope that they die slow, horrible deaths for torturing that poor kitten. If someone took an axe and hacked these things to death, I would give that person a medal.
Hopefully, someone will end the miserable, worthless lives of these things before they can hurt more animals, or worse, hurt or kill a human.
I sincerely hope nothing but the worst possible outcome happens to these jerks. I sincerely hope that they die slow, horrible deaths for torturing that poor kitten. If someone took an axe and hacked these things to death, I would give that person a medal.
Hopefully, someone will end the miserable, worthless lives of these things before they can hurt more animals, or worse, hurt or kill a human.
They should be fined and thrown in jail for cruelty to animals.
I'd go for that only if they were viciously beaten to death in said jail. The human race is better off without these savages.
The idea that this sort of animal cruelty merits a lenient punishment (not saying you suggested this, I am referring to the penalties in place right now) is disgraceful.
OK, so I guess pro-consumer is considered anti-business. I suppose that's why the country is in the shape it's in. Let's let business do what-ever it damn well pleases to make a profit and consumer be damned.
That's pretty silly. How about a happy medium? The anti-corporate ranters here always conveniently overlook the fact that evil companies like Comcast and AT&T do employ many thousands of people and in many cases the pay isn't too shabby. They also do a pretty good job providing millions of homes with a source of entertainment (TV and internet).
I used to be a contractor for TCI cable which than got bought out by ATT broadband than Comcast.
Cable Co. contract out some tasks to a company/s which in turn employ their own employees. Comcast does not higher these people nor do they do any background checks on them in anyway. So its not comcasts fault. They can request that that employee not work for them or they can fire the company they contracted to. But they sure as hell cant know the background of these folks before hand
You know some of this info that gets posted as News about Comcast really should be posted as a Rant. This is one of them.
Why? It actually made the tv news media. Sounds like news to me. If Comcast doesn't want this stuff being news they should screen their employees/contractors a little better.
You know some of this info that gets posted as News about Comcast really should be posted as a Rant. This is one of them.
It is a rant and therefore non-productive in general except for the poster. Someone blowing off steam. I can always deal with that.
To continue on... (and I have NEVER had the pain?\pleasure? of of dealing with Comcast).
My theory is "put company here" saves money by hiring subcontractors and when ANY "put company here" does this they might well end up shooting themselves in the foot. I've seen this time and time again as we all know the grief of "put company here" really sucks.
That being said and knowing how subcontracting works. I need to say this is really not what "put company here" wants, but as the consumer you get what THEY pay for. In these instances with the subcontractors why is "put company here" to blame??? I am NOT defending them. I'm being realistic.
They're wanting to make money like every other publicly owned company so "put company here" goes the cheap route... hire subcontractors!!! DUH! It is MUCH cheaper for "put company here" to go this route than hire full time employees to do the same job. Think about it. "Put company here" doesn't have to pay overtime, medical, workman's comp, 401K, etc. Best ever example, Wal-Mart.
Before you take any company to task one needs to look at the bigger picture. Yes, I'll agree it sucks and the consumer pays for crappy service all the time. The question is; what can we do about it as consumers?
My question is why is it ok to let "Put company here" off the hook because "Put company here" outsourced their labor? Did anyone here realize that the money being paid to outsourced companies is comming from "Put company here"? So that would mean the outsourced company is an employee of "Put company here".
So yes, I do see why "Put company here" should be held responsible.
My question is why is it ok to let "Put company here" off the hook because "Put company here" outsourced their labor? Did anyone here realize that the money being paid to outsourced companies is comming from "Put company here"? So that would mean the outsourced company is an employee of "Put company here".
So yes, I do see why "Put company here" should be held responsible.
I was being the devil's advocate with my previous post. That being said; I absolutely agree with your post. Now you know why I will NEVER shop at Wal-Mart. Their employees are hired and treated not much better than sub-contractors.
You get what you pay for and I absolutely vote with my wallet.
My question is were they working when this act was performed? Either way its terrible but its like saying a guy that works for X company killed his wife yesterday. Does it really matter who they work for? Like I said either way still sad to hear.
The report did say they were working in the area IIRC, and they were wearing orange safety vests, my guess would be a drop bury crew or something similar
definitely sad to hear but if your company grew and you havent had the opportunity to hire the necessary field techs to maintain the subscribers, you may have to get contractors instead of making the subscribers suffer on tech visits and/or response times. not Comcast fault that individuals, who are not even technically "Comcast employees," acted in this manner.
Honestly I don't understand how people could be so cruel
Honestly I don't understand how people could be so cruel to animals such as this, there should be a mandatory 2 years locked up to start with for such stupidity.
Can't blame Comcast for the lunacy of a 3rd party contractor. Most criminals are employed by someone.
Meanwhile it's lame that the punishment is a maximum of $300 and 6 months. I saw a sign today in Garden Grove, CA that illegal fireworks was a $1,000 fine. Carpool lane tickets start at around $400.
A kitten for Christ's sake...these asswipes need to die.
Sounds like Comcast is handing out job applications at the bus stop where the prison released recently released convicts off the prison bus into the free world.
Seems like Comcast needs to put a tighter leash on there contractors. Wonder if Comcast requires there contractors to go through the same background checks like new employees have to go through.
IDK about there, but over here in LA, most of the subcontract CATV and satellite installers look like illegal aliens or just got out of prison. They speak no english and have to call in for a translator.
You see crap like this happening because these companies are using loser contractors. I see allot of union bashing on the board but you never see anything like this coming from a union company like Verizon or AT&T.
Is this anarchy? This is pretty bad it seems now that That Comcast is tring to save 50 cents by hiring maniacs Poor kitten and YES COMCAST should be held accountable as well as the 3rd party contractors. That person should be fired fined 100 grand and throw into prison for 10 years.
This is generally editorial based fodder. I've noticed it getting worse of the past few months. The readers should challenge the editors of BBR to become more professional and start focusing on real news and technology that intelligent people are interested in.
I know that the media always makes a point to emphasize the whole "contractor" deal, but that causes us all to be lumped into the "dangerous, killer, incompetent" category. As a contractor for comcast, I will admit that there are quite a few bad apples but we don't all deserve to be lumped into that group. When I was hired I waited 3 weeks before starting while background checks , dmv reports and drug tests took place. They took this very seriously. As for the incompetent thing, Comcast takes our numbers very seriously, running reports on returns on trouble calls, service calls on installs, etc on a weekly basis. I for one have less than 1% in all categories. As do many of my co-workers. A lot of our numbers are better than the In-House techs. If your numbers are bad for too long, you are removed from that system. Plain and simple. No excuses, no exceptions. May not be that way everywhere, but that is the fault of the local management, contract coordinator etc....
in all seriousness, comcast should be held liable for their contractors, the contractors are carrying their name and doing work under comcast's banner, the least comcast should do is keep them in line.
if they screw up, their contract should be wiped and the contractors should have to pay comcast fines.
We only get genuine comcast employees here & i've never had one reason to complain the 20 years we've had them. Now, their tv service on the other hand... dont even get me started.