The Comcast Hammer Granny WaPo spotlights disgruntled user... Tipped by Karl Bode 
"Sometimes truly American virtues arise in outlaws who -- by dint of heroic but questionable endeavors -- display the mettle of the national character," says the Washington Post. The paper is profiling 75-year-old Mona Shaw, who reached her breaking point with Comcast's poor customer service and took a hammer to her local Comcast office earlier this month. "I scared the tar out of some people, at least," she says. "It had never occurred to me to take a hammer to a phone company before, but I was just so upset. . . . After I hit the keyboard, I turned to this blonde who had been there the previous Friday, the one who told me to wait for the manager, and I said, 'Now do I have your attention?'" Comcast tells the Post that Shaw's recounting of her service record, first reported in InsideNova.com, isn't entirely accurate. The company also insists that the vast majority of their 25 million customers are very satisfied with their service. Shaw's opinion of Comcast? "What a bunch of sub-moronic imbeciles," she says.
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 | | Granny with Tude While Vigilante Justice is never wise, granny sure got their attention. I'm sure her actions speak for many. Companies these days are too concerned about making more money, and not the customers who give it. While making a profit is key to sticking around, it shouldn't be the only thing. If the people using your service are unhappy for legitimate reasons, SOMETHING should be done! Grandma should NOT have to go postal, in order to put such change in motion. Still, her actions sure have gotten her 15 minutes of fame! GO GO GRANNY HAMMER! | |
|  |  quetwoThat VoIP GuyPremium
join:2004-09-04
East Lansing, MI | Re: Granny with Tude Sticking around - Making a profit - (Good Customer Service) OR (Monopoly) | |
| | |  bentand IngaPremium
join:2004-10-04
Loveland, CO
 ·Comcast
| Re: Granny with Tude You forgot the third one: Be so large that you can piss off a significant portion of your customers and still turn a sick profit.
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 exocet_cmYou delete it, I'll find itPremium
join:2003-03-23
New Orleans, LA
kudos:2 |  She Looks Harmless
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| | | Best Line When I read this yesterday morning I could not stop the visual image...
"Did you try to stop her, Mr. Shaw?
"Oh no, no," he says. "
Grandpa said he ain't touching that...  | |
| | | Why are they making this grandmother a hero? If I came into my local Time Warner Cable office and started swinging around a hammer, the LAPD SWAT teamed would have been called and they would have dragged me away. She may have not been happy with her service, but excuse me, it doesn't give her the right to destroy the cable company's property, or possibly physically hurt somebody. If we all were allowed to take the law into our own hands when we didn't like something, it would never be safe to venture outside. | |
| |  tomkbPremium
join:2000-11-15
Tampa, FL
kudos:5 | Re: Why are they making this grandmother a hero? In this day and age, it's a wonder she wasn't charged with a terrorism crime of some sort. | |
| |  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | said by burgerwars:If I came into my local Time Warner Cable office and started swinging around a hammer, the LAPD SWAT teamed would have been called and they would have dragged me away. She may have not been happy with her service, but excuse me, it doesn't give her the right to destroy the cable company's property, or possibly physically hurt somebody. If we all were allowed to take the law into our own hands when we didn't like something, it would never be safe to venture outside. Shaw's opinion of Comcast? "What a bunch of sub-moronic imbeciles," she says.
My opinion of Shaw: "What a sub-moronic senile imbecile"
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| |  Jim GurdPremium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI | Quite right. If you're not satisfied with the service then vote with your dollars and take your business to the satellite companies (or U-Verse) instead.
There is no excuse for such behavior. At her age she should have known better. | |
| | |  KoolMoeAw ManPremium
join:2001-02-14
Annapolis, MD | Re: Why are they making this grandmother a hero? At her age, she's earned the right to go a little loony and demand the attention she deserves as a customer.
Good for her.
She didn't hurt anyone. She broke a phone and a keyboard.
Yeap, a little loony. Don't piss off old people and ignore them....
KM | |
| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Why are they making this grandmother a hero? At her age, she should have known better. At her age, the brain starts to deteriorate.
Her behavior, at her age, should be looked at closely.
"She didn't hurt anyone"... that's what they used to say about the fist time offenders who didn't quite finish the job only to be picked up later after snapping again. Know how many times woman call the police saying they've been harmed by a guy but they let the guy off easy only to re-offend only the next time it was worse, even leading to a murder?
Before you fly off the handle that she isn't going to murder, how do you know? If she pulled that hammer out in a customer service lobby with an armed police guard, just how long would the officer keep his hand off his gun? When someone has a weapon, and the hammer in that case was in fact a weapon, why would we give anyone slack?
The human mind, to do something so IDIOTIC as she did - which she knew was wrong - had to not be in the right place. It was only AFTER THE FACT that they found out she was there to smash up personal property..
There is NOTHING that old bag did that was right, or that should be applauded NO MATTER WHAT anyone may think, and there is certainly NOTHING that should have given her such a small fine and a suspended sentence.
She sent a clear message, that's for sure.. she sent a clear message that it's ok to pull this kind of B.S. - and if there is ONE THING this country is all about these days is copy-cats.
So... who's next? .. and, since she got off, and the judge said it was basically "OK" to do what she did, then there is no choice but to let the next person off just as easily.
The judge who saw this case should also be looked at too... and removed. If I was the employee in that CC, I would be filing a case of my own.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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| | | | | | Re: Why are they making this grandmother a hero? SO YOU THINK IT IS ALRIGHT FOR BUSINESSES TO GO AND SCREW YOU AROUND ANYTIME THEY WANT MAKE PRICE HIKES BE RUDE AND CRUDE TO CUSTOMERS I SAY WAY TO GO GRANNY!!! | |
| | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Why are they making this grandmother a hero? Well, let's look at this a few ways:
1) Who said I said it was ok for what happened in the chain of events Comcast is responsible for?
2) Since when do two wrongs may a right? Didn't everyone's Granny teach that to their kids and grand kids?
3) Who said this is in Comcast's official "how to treat the customer" hand book. Is this officially their policy to screw a customer? HELL no.. I can be certain of that. I can be certain not a single person in charge in that company would ever say "it's ok to screw the customer and leave them hanging"..
What I believe you have here are a series of weak links and they do need to be tightened up.
From what I read in the story, this lady had two misfortunes in a row from the same incident. There are some people out there that have gone through FAR worse than she did and they never once pulled out a hammer and attacked anyone or anything.
If this is all it took to spark off granny, I wonder what she would do if it got worse... pull out a gun? There are groups of people that study these people for a living because they know that behavior like this is usually an indication of something more to come.
If you can get "So you think it's alright for business to go and screw you..." from my post, then I would gather from yours that you believe that if you don't like what a company does to you as being "screwed" that it's ok to enact violence?
In your view, I get screwed all the time at McDonalds when they don't put everything I purchased in the bad! To ME, THAT is being screwed! I gave them money, they didn't give it all to me so that is being "screwed", ie: they stole from me. Should I go back and break up the place?
I hate to tell you, but your post is a bad sign for people on your side. A price hike is not a excuse for ANYONE to bring out a hammer. The world is full of rude people all over. Again, a reason to bring out a hammer? There are people sitting in prison for getting violent for acting out on someone else being "rude".. why did she get a break? Why would you even post such a ridiculous comment like that?
I get angry when people don't use punctuation in their posts, but I don't take a hammer to their keyboard or computer even though it angers me. 
There is a right and wrong way to handle EVERYTHING. Violence, at this level, is FAR from the right way. She vindicated NO ONE and she didn't make a stand for ANYONE - except the stupid, inept, confused entitlist group, and those who need to retake life 101 and possibly an anger management course. There is nothing anyone will be able to say to convince me that she was a hero.
She went in to a customer service lobby and attacked a young person who had NO clue what her beef was. POSSIBLY someone that would have been the one to see that it was handled properly for her... possibly someone that cared about her issue.. possibly someone that was a sweet person and worked hard to care for all their customers. So please, tell me, how did granny smash-'em-up win here? How did she make you or anyone else feel better for everything else by attacking someone who quite possibly could have been the one that always took care of the customer.
She attacked an innocent person for the acts of others - and in this country what she did was called assault. Granny needs to go visit the steel palace for a few months to think about what she did, pay restitution tot he company, replace the equipment she broke, pay fines, and pay this innocent person for her mental anguish.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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| | | | | | I think, basically, a judge, for once, had some common sense. The rest of you sound like the PC crowd. Your motto is everyone is either a killer or a victim! There are NORMAL people who get mad and FED UP with this crazy world, but would never actually kill somebody. I think you watch too much television. | |
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| | | | | It entertainment people. That's it nothing more. Get over yourself and your bs instant gratification, | |
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| | dsless
join:2001-05-16
Pittsburgh, PA Reviews:
·Comcast
| said by Jim Gurd:Quite right. If you're not satisfied with the service then vote with your dollars and take your business to the satellite companies (or U-Verse) instead. There is no excuse for such behavior. At her age she should have known better. In her day companies gave good support and respected for their customers. So her behavior was appropriate. Go kick but granny. | |
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|  NPGMBR
join:2001-03-28
Arlington, VA | Shes being treated like a hero because many of us have been sufferred at the hands of companies that treat their customers the way she was treated. So for the hundreds or thousands of customers that have been treated badly by customer service and have never had a way to deal with it.......her actions spoke for all of us because she vented and we all felt better for it.
No, what she did was wrong, but so was Comcast to leave her sitting outside their office for two hours expecting to speak with the manager only to find out that the manager has gone home.
Thats why shes being treated like a hero. | |
| | | | Well, burgerwars, you live in the People's Republic of California. What would you expect? As long ago as forty-five years past, they put Wadler out of business because he refused to sell milk at California's "fair-trade" prices and screw the public. No-one would stand up to Governor Brown (not Governor Moonbeam; his father) and his Gestapo police. And it's gotten even worse there every decade. That's why I no longer live there. | |
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 NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
·Comcast
 ·Callcentric
| Comcast is right 25 million customers and I would bet that a majority of their customers are happy. Probably about 70% are happy, 20% are at least content, with about 10% unhappy. The issue is that the 10% are the ones that get the most attention. Just like the old customer service addage....
If you provide excellent service, the person who got it will tell 1-10 people about it. If you provide bad service, the person who got it will tell 10-100 people about it.
That being said, a granny running around hammering on keyboards isn't really the right thing to do. Sure, all the anti-comcast people are applauding her. However, since I provide customer service, if someone came up to my desk and pounded my keyboard with a hammer I would be a little ticked off. There are better ways to get your point across in my mind.
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My domain - Nightfall.net | |
| | | | Re: Comcast is right Vigilante Justice is Wrong. However, it's still a bit humorous in an ironic sense. After all, she got the attention she wanted. Whether or not she will get a lawsuit and jail term are another issue. Still, maybe it'll put in motion some needed changes to make MOST people happy. While you can never please everyone, letting 40 percent of your customer base be less than content is poor service. Let's take your numbers of 30 so so and 10 unhappy. That's pretty bad in the corporate world. A company wishing for customer satisfaction would at least strive for 80 or 90 percent happy! It's possible, though it does take more work than simply having someone on the other end answering a phone and reading from a manual. It' takes qualified individuals who can offer real answers when questions are asked. | |
| | | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: Comcast is right said by jc100:Vigilante Justice is Wrong. However, it's still a bit humorous in an ironic sense. After all, she got the attention she wanted. Whether or not she will get a lawsuit and jail term are another issue. She got off easy:
»www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co···9_3.html
Shaw received a three-month suspended sentence for disorderly conduct, a $345 fine in restitution and a year-long restraining order barring her from the Comcast office.
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| | | |  intellerSociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK
 ·Cingular Wireless
| Re: Comcast is right said by Romney2012:said by jc100:Vigilante Justice is Wrong. However, it's still a bit humorous in an ironic sense. After all, she got the attention she wanted. Whether or not she will get a lawsuit and jail term are another issue. She got off easy: » www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co···9_3.htmlShaw received a three-month suspended sentence for disorderly conduct, a $345 fine in restitution and a year-long restraining order barring her from the Comcast office. if comcast could have it their way they would ban everyone from their office.
At the very least the judge should have admonished comcast from the bench for driving the customer to these desparate acts. this shit has to stop. | |
| | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Comcast is right Comcast wasn't on trial here - and the LAST thing I want is a judge making that kind of ruling on ANY company when they are not the defendant.
The lady, at minimum in addition to this B.S. sentence, should have been forced to attend anger management courses. I hardly see how the $345 even covers the damage she caused.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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| | | bentand IngaPremium
join:2004-10-04
Loveland, CO | That's not easy. It's perfectly fitting. | |
| | | |  gaforcesUnited We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA | said by Romney2012:said by jc100:Vigilante Justice is Wrong. However, it's still a bit humorous in an ironic sense. After all, she got the attention she wanted. Whether or not she will get a lawsuit and jail term are another issue. She got off easy: » www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co···9_3.htmlShaw received a three-month suspended sentence for disorderly conduct, a $345 fine in restitution and a year-long restraining order barring her from the Comcast office. Everyone got off easy this time, she could have brought a gun, instead of the hammer. Maybe she should have just canceled and made a hate web site, like others have done.
I havent seen any of those web sites lately so maybe they arent quite effective, but her protest sure was ...
I hope they are working on ways to provide better customer service.
I'll stick with ota hdtv till there are better and more affordable choices in my area.
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‘Do ye, quieting in your bosoms your strong hearts,
Who of many good things have had your fill even to surfeit,
With what is moderate nourish your mighty desire; for neither will
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| | intellerSociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK Reviews:
·Cingular Wireless
| no, Vigilante justice is necessary when the bureacracy has silenced the voice of the consumer.
This is exactly how we will have to take our government back, with hammers and pitchforks. The federal-corporate hegemony has all but eliminated the ability of the people to influence decisions. We need a good old fashioned people's uprising. | |
| | | | Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: Comcast is right said by inteller:no, Vigilante justice is necessary when the bureacracy has silenced the voice of the consumer. This is exactly how we will have to take our government back, with hammers and pitchforks. The federal-corporate hegemony has all but eliminated the ability of the people to influence decisions. We need a good old fashioned people's uprising. There you go calling for revolution again. I see a prison term in your future.
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| | | | | | There are too many sheep/lemmings in this country to orchestrate any sort of successful uprising. The Corporate States of America is beyond repair if you ask me.
Take away the big salary, fringe benefits, and bribes (lobbyist money and what have you) and see what kind of people we end up in our public offices. Maybe we'll get some who truly are public servants.
One "Hammer Granny" incident here and there is only good for news bites and fanboys to rant about it not having anything to do with the crappy treatment she received. It needs to happen far more frequently. Maybe it will sadly take someone to get hurt before any real attention is given to what is forcing customers to resort to violence. We are a lazy nation of reactivity. The big wigs need more to react to before changes will be made. Even then it will just be the same reaction as it was to the school shootings. More security at your cable office...
Speaking of such. The Comcast office near me is somewhat new. It's only a few years old. But one thing that it does have is 1" thick (bullet proof?) windows between the customers and the customer service rep. Why would they have more protection than a gas station in the ghetto you ask? Easily explained.  They have had a few incidents where customers were less than happy and more than angry and crossed the great divide between filing a complaint and assault. But I guess you have to be 70 years old or something for anyone to stop and think, "Hrm... maybe something is not right?" Otherwise you're just a criminal. | |
| | | |  ReformCRTCSupport Your Independent ISP
join:2004-03-07
Canada | amen, Testify brothah! | |
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|  MikePremium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA | Our site rates them at 66% overall while their support number is in the 50s. | |
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See 13 replies to this post | |
| Reviews:
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| I am going to have to agree. After having worked in customer service and being a Comcast customer this is not the way to handle things. There are processes and when those don't work there are places to send letters addressing these issues. If it is that bad cancel the service. I feel I receive a great value for my money that I spend on my Comcast services. If I didn't I would complain until it got fixed and ask for a credit of my lost service. | |
| | | NPGMBR
join:2001-03-28
Arlington, VA | Re: Comcast is right Then please provide the street address, email address and any other contact info you have because every route I have taken to get Comcast to act on a billing issue I had many years ago never got resolved through the traditional means.
It wasn't until two years after I had canceled my service (and returned my cable box to their office) that they finally located the darn box. Then when I asked them to remove the collection entry they put on my credit report, they promply answered yes and I never happened. | |
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|  chrisPoor Impulse ControlPremium
join:2000-08-13
Middletown, CT | said by Nightfall:25 million customers and I would bet that a majority of their customers are happy. Probably about 70% are happy, 20% are at least content, with about 10% unhappy. The issue is that the 10% are the ones that get the most attention. Just like the old customer service addage.... If you provide excellent service, the person who got it will tell 1-10 people about it. If you provide bad service, the person who got it will tell 10-100 people about it. That being said, a granny running around hammering on keyboards isn't really the right thing to do. Sure, all the anti-comcast people are applauding her. However, since I provide customer service, if someone came up to my desk and pounded my keyboard with a hammer I would be a little ticked off. There are better ways to get your point across in my mind. Agreed. If I were in the office even as a customer I would have told her to put that thing away before she got arrested.
Yes, we have all had a bad customer experience somewhere, be it Comcast or wherever but it certainly does not give you the right to bring in a hammer and smash the first thing you see.
I hope they prosecute her to the full extent of the law. | |
| | | | That being said, a granny running around hammering on keyboards isn't really the right thing to do. Sure, all the anti-comcast people are applauding her. However, since I provide customer service, if someone came up to my desk and pounded my keyboard with a hammer I would be a little ticked off. There are better ways to get your point across in my mind. Unfortunately, the "better ways" are all blocked. Your company spends a lot of money and time figuring out how to block or redirect customers with a complaint so they don't cost the company too much money or time. | |
| | | | said by Nightfall:That being said, a granny running around hammering on keyboards isn't really the right thing to do. Sure, all the anti-comcast people are applauding her. However, since I provide customer service, if someone came up to my desk and pounded my keyboard with a hammer I would be a little ticked off. There are better ways to get your point across in my mind. While I agree completely that she was out of line, I am curious as to your thoughts on how she could have gotten her point across better. (I don't consider just closing her account getting the point across, people do that every day and it hasn't made a difference)
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See 10 replies to this post | |
| | | said by Nightfall:25 million customers and I would bet that a majority of their customers are happy. Probably about 70% are happy, 20% are at least content, with about 10% unhappy. The issue is that the 10% are the ones that get the most attention. Just like the old customer service addage.... If you provide excellent service, the person who got it will tell 1-10 people about it. If you provide bad service, the person who got it will tell 10-100 people about it. Care to explain this quote:
quote:
A Comcast representative was not able to speak about the incident in Manassas, but the company issued a lengthy statement, saying, in part, "We recognize that there is room for improvement and that even one bad customer experience is one too many. It is our goal to continue bringing customers in Northern Virginia the most advanced products and services we offer ... and to ensure that they have a great experience at every touchpoint."
These are not new complaints. The only thing new about this situation is the woman with the hammer.
Face it. Comcast dropped the ball BIG time and had granny not done what she had done, Comcast would have never admitted anything. In fact, they would never admit to doing anything wrong unless confronted.
I wonder if Comcast will call her to explain the great benefits of Comcast's Triple Play service now that she can't even go into the office anymore. | |
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See 11 replies to this post | |
|  birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5 | said by Nightfall:25 million customers and I would bet that a majority of their customers are happy. Probably about 70% are happy, 20% are at least content, with about 10% unhappy. I realize you're sort of making up these numbers, but...
2.5 million unhappy customers is OK? | |
| | | NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI Reviews:
·Site5.com
·Comcast
·Callcentric
1 edit | Re: Comcast is right said by birdfeedr:said by Nightfall:25 million customers and I would bet that a majority of their customers are happy. Probably about 70% are happy, 20% are at least content, with about 10% unhappy. I realize you're sort of making up these numbers, but... 2.5 million unhappy customers is OK? Asked and answered, but I will answer it again.
If you ask any company, 1 unhappy customer is bad. However, tell me a company, any company, where 100% of their customer base is 100% happy with them? Its not possible. In most companies, 10% of their customer base is not going to be happy with a product or service for one reason or another. Just a fact of life in business. Thats for a business that is considered to be a fantastic one.
In short, its not ok. Every company will give the line that "1 customer that is unhappy is bad" but in reality, delivering on a 100% happy goal is not obtainable. | |
| | | | birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5 | Re: Comcast is right said by Nightfall:...in reality, delivering on a 100% happy goal is not obtainable. Acknowledged,
but 10% (2.5 million) is a clear indicator that something is definitely wrong. And, depending on who you listen to, has been wrong for far too long.
Which is why so many responses to Hammer Granny's actions are "Way to go!"
Sometimes you have to use a two-by-four (or a hammer) to get someone's attention. | |
| | | | | NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny YoursPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI Reviews:
·Site5.com
·Comcast
·Callcentric
1 edit | Re: Comcast is right said by birdfeedr:said by Nightfall:...in reality, delivering on a 100% happy goal is not obtainable. Acknowledged, but 10% (2.5 million) is a clear indicator that something is definitely wrong. And, depending on who you listen to, has been wrong for far too long. Which is why so many responses to Hammer Granny's actions are "Way to go!" Sometimes you have to use a two-by-four (or a hammer) to get someone's attention. Something is wrong here and let me tell you what it is. Its a combination of a few things actually.
1. Companies are shortchanging their customers trying to get away with it. You see companies all the time willing to cut corners and cut quality for a little bit of extra profits.
2. Consumers are expecting Lexus and BMW quality and performance for the price of a Yugo. If they pay for the Yugo and are not happy, they voice their opinions rather loudly.
Those are just 2 of about 8 I thought of off the top of my head. Since I am at work, I don't have time to type them all.
As for using a 2x4 or a hammer to get someones attention, it would be accurate if 1 person was doing all this. In reality, its 1 entity that consists of tens of thousands of employees. Bringing a 2x4 or a hammer into a office and bashing computers only gets the attention of someone who isn't even involved. It will also get the attention of the authorities in this case, in which she will be charged and fined which is the right call to make.
Its my hope that the next step isn't a gun instead of a hammer. I wonder if the Comcast granny took a gun into the office and shot someone over this kind of thing if the response would be any different. I am assuming it would. Just cause it was a keyboard that got hammered around and scared one service rep to death means that granny should be applauded. | |
| | | | | | birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5 | Re: Comcast is right said by Nightfall:said by birdfeedr:said by Nightfall:...in reality, delivering on a 100% happy goal is not obtainable. Sometimes you have to use a two-by-four (or a hammer) to get someone's attention. Something is wrong here and let me tell you what it is. Its a combination of a few things actually. 1. Companies are shortchanging their customers trying to get away with it. You see companies all the time willing to cut corners and cut quality for a little bit of extra profits. 2. Consumers are expecting Lexus and BMW quality and performance for the price of a Yugo. If they pay for the Yugo and are not happy, they voice their opinions rather loudly. [trimmed]... As for using a 2x4 or a hammer to get someones attention, it would be accurate if 1 person was doing all this. In reality, its 1 entity that consists of tens of thousands of employees. Bringing a 2x4 or a hammer into a office and bashing computers only gets the attention of someone who isn't even involved. It will also get the attention of the authorities in this case, in which she will be charged and fined which is the right call to make. Sorry, I omitted the obligatory "I don't approve of her actions", when I said I understand how she came to respond the way she did. I was using the phrase "2x4 to get their attention" figuratively, not literally.
Someone at Comcast forgetting she was waiting 2 hours for the supervisor who bailed out already is over the top.
Her phone was dead for a period of time because of the failed install, not some car hit a pole and took down the line.
Your item 1 off the top of your head is a reflection of reality at Comcast, according to what many have said.
Hammer Granny wasn't expecting BMW or Lexus, I think she would have been happy with the Yugo working.
Comcast is an entity with tens of thousands of employees. It wasn't just one person who dropped the ball. Granny's hammer stunt, if she's lucky, got the attention of the one person at the top with the ability to change things, from where all policy flows. They still have a long way to go to fix their problem.
Trouble is, will they do anything about it?
Save your attention for work, instead of focusing on a bunch of people arguing about this subject, or better yet, wait till you get home to do it on your own time. You sure don't want someone coming into your office with hammer complaining why they didn't get whatever you're supposed to be doing. | |
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 MadMANNPremium
join:2005-08-19
kudos:2 | Sad It's sad that some see this as heroic. I don't care what Comcast did or how old the customer is, she had no right to vandalize equipment and terrorize people.
If a company treats you horribly, you cancel your service and find an alternative. Of course, that would be the respectable human being way to handle it, which obviously is not held in high regards anymore. It's much better to cheer a criminal act.
Just because she's elderly, doesn't make her a hero either. If this had been someone in their 20s or a middle-eastern looking person, I would wager that there wouldn't be a picture of them holding a hammer and a big shit-eating smile on their face on the front page. | |
| | | | | Re: Is today rehash friday? Nah, it simply takes the media 10 days to catch up to news stories.
This lady is my hero, my freedom fighter, and an example for all. She has a constitutional right to bear arms (a hammer) and swing one when her rights are trampled upon.
What is unfortunate is not that she did it, it is that she had to do it. The $20 keyboard was worth the sacrifice.
If you are squeamish enough to worry about your own skin, I recommend grabbing a hammer yourself and showing these bastards who puts the bread on their table. | |
| | | cacoPremium
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK | Re: Is today rehash friday? I'm sorry you missed the point completely. BBR had a story on this whack job on 10/9. Ten days later there is another story with nothing new to report on same wackjob on BBR.
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»www.seabee.navy.mil | |
| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Is today rehash friday? said by caco:I'm sorry you missed the point completely. BBR had a story on this whack job on 10/9. Ten days later there is another story with nothing new to report on same wackjob on BBR. Let me help you..
10 days ago, the story was posted that she did the deed.
Today, the story discussed the post-court decision on her sentence.
Still confused?
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." | |
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| |  hambone42Peace, through superior firepowerPremium
join:2002-02-02
Manassas, VA | said by verolom:Nah, it simply takes the media 10 days to catch up to news stories. [snip] No kidding, but once they get going, they get going.
ABC had a teaser last night promoting a segment about her on this morning's "Good Morning America". It must have been aired in the 7-8AM EDT hour as I didn't see it during the 8-9AM program hour.
I suspect a Leno, Letterman, or Kimmel appearance is next.
I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out (not quite interested or motivated enough to go downtown and search, though) how her case got heard so quickly. The original InsideNOVA.com story mentioned a December trial date -- yet these more recent stories talk about her probation but give no details about where or when the trial was held.
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Son, there's only one thing you need to know: HEMI | |
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Reviews:
·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FiOS
| incompetence comes at a cost.. to the consumer/boon to pofit Doing installation & customer service on the *CHEAP* is what provoked the issue in the first place. Imbeciles in customer service & installation jobs lack the training and expertise to handle service provisioning & repair. In reality, such a system is designed to maximize the money rolling in while frustrating the customer's right to obtain quality of service, which ultimately translates into profits for the corporation. Tv, Phone, and Internet service industries aren't the only industries who make this a common practice, but they are very high on the list for being the most *hated* for it. Comcast takes the cake.
Kind of an embarrassment for Comcast's dirty laundry to be exposed in public forums... it might cost them some customers. I bet that not much has changed at Comcast since this happened, except the service desk have 911 on speed dial. Papering over or band-aiding the problem is not the answer. Time for Comcast to pay its dues and hire competent people who don't drop the ball. Even Walmart handles customers better than Comcast with worse quality employees, overall (apologies in advance for the cream of the crop, not referring to you). | |
| | | hmmm... Hmm...
I wonder what the reaction would have been had it been a young Middle-eastern man instead of an old granny-type woman. Or possibly an African- or Native-American?
Do you suppose it would have still been 'funny'? Do you suppose it would have gotten the same 'goofy news' buildup?
Somehow I doubt it. | |
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See 6 replies to this post | |
 extreme50Formerly TwoKDialupPremium
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI | Sheesh! I can't wait to see her throw her hammer-swinging temper tantrum at an airport ticket counter.
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Meet Bill and Karolyn at www.theslowskys.com | |
| | | | Re: Sheesh! said by extreme50:I can't wait to see her throw her hammer-swinging temper tantrum at an airport ticket counter. Sounds good to me, but they'd probably just drag her out back where she'd grab the cops gun and shoot herself in the back of the head with it. Twice. | |
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b10010011Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA | Go Grannie! If more people took hammers to the large corporations, maybe they would change their ways and get back to making customer satisfaction their primary goal. | |
| | | I find it funny..... .....that all the cable fanboys are attacking the granny but never blame Comcast for the bad service. They seem to brush it off like the PR guys saying, "Hey, it happens." This is followed by, "If you don't like it, cancel and go with someone else."
If Comcast keeps on failing to look inward, they will never be able to provide good customer service. FACT | |
| Reviews:
·Stelera Wireless
| Bottom line.. It could have been worse, MUCH worse.
It could have been some nutcase, off his/her meds, packing some SERIOUS heat, waltzes into a branch office and putting half the staff in the hospital, the rest underground, pushing up tulips.
Clean up your act Comcast, Your rep's are burying your company for-real. | |
|  not
@comcast.net | We need more people like this Vigilante Justice has unfortunatly become the only way to get things done as of late. It seems to me that all the legal rights of the average consumer have been either stripped or violated by large companies and the government. There's really nothing in place anymore to safeguard the consumer from being treated inproperly. Large companies just don't care anymore and the "voting with your dollar" suggestions simply don't work anymore. Large companies and the people that work for them have closed their eyes to reality because of all the money they make. Sometimes it takes an awakening like this to start change. It's how it was done in the past and it's how it'll start geing done again if the general public keeps being mistreated. After all, what are you going to do, sue Comcast for not showing up to your appointment? Gimme a break. People have slowly become brainwashed puppets in today's world and forgot what their forefathers fought for in this country. They are all throwing it away and they are too stupid to even realize it. The people should be governing the large companies and government, not the other way around! | |
|  MadcapPiercing GuruPremium
join:2004-06-26
Kenosha, WI | Not sure I've wanted someone to die before. But this woman is getting close. If she wants a real scare I'll come visit her house. I don't need to wield hammers and smash things to scare people. I just stand there and stare at them and well, with the way I look people assume I'm plotting their death. My entire neighborhood is on terror alert when I step outside. I'm broad, I'm tattooed, I'm pierced, I've got long hair, and most of the time I'm unshaven.
For some reason the fact I'm 25 and have multiple chronic illnesses doesn't lessen people's fear of me. Oh well, the price you pay for the joy of metallic enhancements
Back on topic, we need to stop romanticizing the actions of this woman. She's no hero, she did nothing courageous, she acted like an irrational four year old who can only express thoughts via violence. She deserves jail time, or my former proposed beating. | |
| | ReformCRTCSupport Your Independent ISP
join:2004-03-07
Canada | Re: Not sure I've wanted someone to die before. I'll kick your ass, pansybitch! And rip those metallic things off and shove them down your throat. | |
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Reviews:
·voip.ms
| Media funnies Seeing how this thing has played out in the media I can't say that I'm surprised.
I mean look at the bare facts:
Grandmother up against Big Evil Corporation
Grandmother hits brick wall in battle with Big Evil Corporation
Grandmother in desperation to get her serious problem resolved resorts to vigilante justice
Dress that up (as the media always does, positive or negative) and WHAM! there's your quick news hit to draw readers/viewers in, no matter what the details actually turn out to be.
Personally? I think she went way overboard but I can't say as I have never thought of what she did...
NefCanuck | |
| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
1 edit | Slammer for any man who did such a thing! Any man or at least any man under retirement age would have earned himself a trip to the slammer for doing such an act. | |
| | | Poor Customer Service is no Vice The Granny should go to jail. There is no justification to respond in force. The customer rep should at lest sue her. | |
| | | | Re: Poor Customer Service is no Vice The problem is that for many of us there is just not much of a real choice. I live in an apt and comcast is the only choice for TV. There is little choice in telephone and dsl. Most of these companies are essentially monopolies but are no longer regulated as such. In the name of free enterprise and regulation, we have let these companies run hog wild and the consumer has little choice any more except to decide NOT to get tv or telephone service. And there are not many people that will do that. | |
| | | Reviews:
·Comcast
| Re: Poor Customer Service is no Vice What does poor customer has to do wit violence against another person.There no reson for it.
As for regulation, do not know monopolies are created by government regulation. What you think ATT was. IT was a government enforced monopoly. Real choice come from letting the cable and telecoms "run wild". This does no mean forcing private companies to give some pond scum access to the cable company's equipment a la 1996 telecom act. | |
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| |  JeepMattC'mon the UPremium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
kudos:2 | Re: It's Hammer Time!!! They should smash her head with the same hammer.
Stupid bitch.
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"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" | |
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 viperpa33sWhy Me?Premium
join:2002-12-20
Bradenton, FL | Wouldn't be proud The company also insists that the vast majority of their 25 million customers are very satisfied with their service How would you classify majority?
Even if 1% was dissatisfied with there service, that's still 250,000 customers to contend with. If I owned a company, I wouldn't be proud of having 250,000 dissatisfied customers. | |
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