Here’s hoping for everyone’s sake that some Warbucks type buys up Consumerist, lavishes me with gifts, and allows this great blog to continue. But even so, it never hurts to know about other online services out there. GetSatisfaction.com is a kind of crowdsourced customer service forum where anyone can post about any product or company, and where companies are encouraged to join in. Since the content is grouped around those products and companies, it’s easy to drill down to relevant topics, or to find people who can help answer that customer service question you can’t seem to get resolved. Here’s a sample page on Comcast. That’s right, my first entry as a substitute Consumerist editor today and I’ve already mentioned Comcast.







Hitting Comcast about customer service is like taking candy from a baby: it’s really easy, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Comcast is an easy mark. Waaaay too easy.
Welcome back, even if it’s just as a guest star.
Now back to our regularly scheduled snark. Hey maybe most of us can get our stories posted there because they won’t post them here.
@GothamGal: Oooh, snap.
…and where companies are encouraged to join in
Uh, sir, there’s an angry mob outside your door and is inviting you to come out and calmly discuss the issues it has with you and your company.
@rpm773: They’ve got fire. And farming implements.
@rpm773: Once the company “joins in”, GetSatisfaction gives them complete control over every aspect of the “conversation”, squelching all dissent at the discretion of the company. GS employees even act as the “enforcers”, so the company doesn’t get their hands dirty. I would *never* use GetSatisfaction to discuss a product if the company is involved; it’s a strictly one-sided conversation.
Hey Chris, good to see you in the mix again.
Just wondering, is there a good way for we readers to express our concern over the future of Consumerist, and to stay abreast of any possible developments with the sale?
I find it inconceivable that this, of all blogs, isn’t worth keeping around.
I like how Comcast’s typical response is simply this…
“Thanks for the feedback. If you’d like our teams assistance investigating the problems with your cable reception, please email us at We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com.
Kind Regards,
—–
Comcast Customer Connect
National Customer Operations”
Right…
@ecwis: If that worked, places like Consumerist wouldn’t be necessary. Damn, Comcast, get the point.
I do like how the email address says “We Can Help”. It’s like the little lie Comcast execs tell themselves when they wake up every morning, hoping that someday they will actually believe it.
Here’s hoping that whoever buys Consumerist fixes your web pages so they’re not so damned wide. All this horizontal scrolling really sucks.
@vladthepaler: No horizontal scrolling for me. Is your resolution set real low or something?
@Rhayader: Same. I don’t have to scroll. And I’m only running 1280×1024 here at work.
@BrianDaBrain: I’m only running 1024×768 and I don’t have to scroll either.
@vladthepaler:
1920 x 1200 pixel size for me.
What is horizontal scrolling?
Twitter uses this company as well, and they do actually answer when you post threads
gawker uses [getsatisfaction.com] too