Comcast phone support ......GET A CLUE!

[Puff]

I've had Comcast business class since April of this year and up until today everything was working well with the exception of short outages.

This afternoon I sent an email to my sign guy to have a sign made up and got the SMTP authentication required error.

When Comcast set me up they never setup an email address for my account and I wasn't worried about it because I've been able to send outgoing mail through their SMTP server without having to authenticate since day one.

I called Comcast and the guy dicks around and then comes back and tells me that I need to contact my administrator or Microsoft. We go back and forth and I had to explain to him that the error is coming form their smtp server and that I obviously need to get a Comcast email account so that I can authenticate. He tells me no and continues to insist that I contact either Microsoft of my administrator and tells me that it's an Outlook error.

I hang up and get another guy who actually understands what I'm talking about and sets me up with an authentication account....now I'm once again able to send email through their SMTP server.

Unbelievable!!!!!!

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

I used to do Comcast tech support for a few years. By the time I left, it got to the point to where they preferred people who could sell over people that could solve problems. But even when I was still there many of the callers I dealt with said out of at least a few people they called in and talked to, I was the only one that had solved their problem. There were actually a select few really talented techs there that were in between better opportunities like I was at the time. Seems like nowadays it should be more common now as the economy has gotten much worse since I was there and Comcast is always looking for Tech Support Specialists since it has always been a revolving door with a high burnout rate. But I take pitty on them since I was tethered to a phone there for a few years and try to be as friendly as possible since its really not their fault. Its a demanding job between dealing with ****** off, rude people day-in/out and putting up with the rediculous corporate demands. That line of work chews people up and spits them out at the levels we had to perform.

 

[Puff]

I understand how it is with dealing with people over the phone who are technologically challenged however, this time the shoe was on the other foot.

The error message was clear and there was no doubt why I was getting it and that it was coming from their SMTP server. Comcast might have some techs but they've got plenty of people who don't have a clue yet they want to tell you to "call your administrator or Microsoft". I AM the administrator yet this guy stuck to his script because he's not paid to think....he's just paid to answer the phone and shine you on.

Comcast obviously made a change to their system and it's obvious to me that their change control is lacking because first level support should have been made aware of the change so that they would know what type of calls they can expect.

I can't even begin to imagine how their customers who have no clue themselves manage to deal with this. When you've got people at both ends of the phone that know nothing about SMTP servers and/or basic troubleshooting...well that's not good and to simply pass you off to Microsoft because you don't know what you're talking about is unacceptable!

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

I understand how it is with dealing with people over the phone who are technologically challenged however, this time the shoe was on the other foot.

When you've got people at both ends of the phone that know nothing about SMTP servers and/or basic troubleshooting...well that's not good and to simply pass you off to Microsoft because you don't know what you're talking about is unacceptable!

Like I said, when I worked there, there was a mix of computer science grads, plenty of ITT Tech grads, and some Microsoft Certified Pros, but these folks like me weren't necessarily the types they target. The pay wasn't even $30k a year, so I'm not sure what you were expecting? It was a mixed pot of some real techies and plenty that only knew troubleshooting as far as the scripts could take them. Being a great problem solver didn't necessarily get you anywhere. So for anybody like me with real troubleshooting ability, it was a job between real jobs. They actually had to talk with me on few occasions because I knew too much where I was fixing plenty of issues that they didn't neccessarily support, which I should have referred these people to other companies or manufacturers support. Of course, this was essentially costing them money since I was using their resources solving problems that weren't even caused by their service. It didn't stop me because if I knew how to fix something I would. Also, half the time these people would call us back anyway because we were free support, to where anybody else would charge them unless it was a warranty issue.

But any changes or outages that came up, half the time we would find out first by seeing node percentages while customers were on the phone and the experienced folks who knew what to look for would report the details to operations. This was front line support where half the time just because we were free support, people would take their chances with us, as opposed to actually paying someone like you or I. The corporate people knew this and didn't want folks that knew too much becuase they'd have tons of phone support doing things for free, that these customers should be paying other people for.

So, to summerize, maybe I have some empathy for these folks since I did the job. It is quite demanding and I'll most likely never forget my time there. But unless you've actually been on the phones you won't fully understand. But at the same time, if Comcast only staffed their phones with skilled techs, trust me it would be cutting into your business, because why should a customer pay you, when somebody at Comcast will fix something over the phone for free? So maybe have little gratitude for those gravy internet connection and router issues that Comcast couldn't or wouldn't fix, because chances are these folks have already tried calling Comcast first to get a free fix rather than pay you.

 

[computerdoc]

I've had these kinds of experience at a variety of different companies even those that provided good service in the past. I once had a guy looking up stuff to try to answer a question that I knew much more about than him.

Whenever I detect that the person I am speaking to doesn't really know what they are doing, I will request that they get me a supervisor or a higher level tech and that usually does the trick.

People on this forum can be confident that they know what they are talking about and shouldn't have to accept an inferior level of support.

 

[callthatgirl]

Not sure exactly what your issue was, but the outgoing smtp is usally best with 587 for Outlook/Comcast. In Minnesota it's that way.

And I almost always ask for 2nd level at Comcast/Charter, etc. The front line folks almost never can help me. The clients love it because I'm showing off my tech muscles. For $75 an hour, I better show off what I can get done, fast!

 

[glricht]

Not sure exactly what your issue was, but the outgoing smtp is usally best with 587 for Outlook/Comcast. In Minnesota it's that way.

Here in central Florida, if Verizon is the customer's ISP, it's 587 also. (Verizon blocks all port 25 traffic regardless of whose SMTP server you're using!)

 

[16k_zx81]

Reminds me of this
http://www.xkcd.com/806/