chomps
join:2005-09-28
Salt Lake City, UT | Comcast rates and the industry While it is true there are other providers and varying rates we need to look at several points. The first point being that The content providers--providing the feeds to Comcast have been raising their rates to companies such as Comcast, Dish Network, and Directv. I used to work for Directv and they had at least a yearly fee increase, if not more. Also, here is something else to add into the mix. These companies do have their own call centers, however they also outsource many of their calls to outside vendors such as Convergys. When the outside vendors experience increasing calls compared to the year previous, they also demand a price increase. Plus on top of that let's add inflation which nobody can deny happens. Utility companies raise their rates which increases the bottom cost lines of Comcast and the others to provide service. Then lets ad the fact that the FCC requires all TV stations to be digital. That also increases costs as these companies have to obtain new equipment to provide digital signal. For those with analog TV you will have to get a digital converter as the analog signal is going to be gone soon. Many companies have to hire private contractors due to a increased workload, ie installers. They do the basic install nothing else. Now if you have problems with the services then they send a actual employee of the company to fix the problem. These specialists are more highly trained than the private contractors thereby increasing the bottom line costs. Now I will agree that sometimes customer service can be crappy as it has happened to me. But when this has happened I have noticed most times I am not talking direct to Comcast or Directv or others, but the 3rd party companies. These people get basic training and uses scripts to troubleshoot your problems. They are also the least paid of anyone yet the main company, ie Convergys maintains these high earning. So Comcast and the others are not the only ones to blame for the high costs. Comcast, Directv, Dish network and others like it are luxuries. Let's get that fact straight here. If you want a luxury then you are going to pay for it. How many of you are complaining about the increasing prices of TV's or other related items?? Not one of you I am sure. And how many of these items are no longer being manufactured in the good ol USA?? Much of it is being built overseas where these places make it cheaper and sell it to us for a higher prices. All of this adds to the cost of operating the company. Most people don't realize that grocery stores have a average markup on their items of between 15% to 40%. So who is gouging who? Yes, rates need to start coming down I will agree. And as more and more companies enter into a market this will happen. But in the meantime if you want the goodies be expected to pay for it. If you experience problems with your service and the initial tech call doesn't resolve the issue--then get the tech supervisor name and number and call them. I had to do that with a problem I have with my HSI. Original techs didn't get it fixed but once I start calling the supervisor on a daily basis--guess what? Another tech came out and was instructed to start testing the line at the pedestals. And guess what--there is a problem in the feed going to it. They are now fixing the problem. |
