Once again, a company is attempting the tactic of being honest about the public perception of its awfulness. This time, it’s Time Warner Cable, which really wants customers — most of whom have no other choice for broadband service — to believe it gives one little bit about their satisfaction.

The company took out a full-page ad [PDF] over the weekend in the NY Times, in which it acknowledges that “We get it. We know how you feel about cable companies. We’ve seen where Time Warner Cable falls on customer satisfaction surveys and we know the ‘cable guy’ jokes by heart.”

But since admitting you’re horrible is only the first step toward becoming not horrible, TWC outlines a number of ways it intends to do exactly what customers pay it to do, including offering one-hour arrival windows for service calls.

Of course, it’s really easy to offer those windows. Anyone can make a promise. But will install/service techs be able to make those appointments and what happens when they don’t?

Another promise is to have someone out to your house within 24 hours of losing service. Again, we’d like to know what accountability there is for this.

TWC is also pledging to reduce on-hold times for calls. It’s also letting you schedule a time for the company to call you back; that’s if you trust them enough to call you.

The best way to keep call times short is to keep people from calling, so TWC is pushing its My TWC app for paying bills and everyone’s favorite form of customer service — online chats with someone who is also chatting with a few dozen other angry customers.

In addition to the in-print self-flagellation, TWC created some TV ads that poke fun of its image:

In a blog post, TWC’s something something of corporate communications admits that “we know we have a long way to go to win your trust and respect. Funny commercials do not change that. What will change it is consistently delivering great products AND a great customer service experience. We are determined to do just that.”

TWC is also determined to make its merger with Charter go, and polishing its public image may go some way toward making that deal a reality.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.