At times it can be difficult to schedule a service call with a cable/phone/internet provider when you notice an issue. So, it’s no wonder Consumerist reader Jack was suspicious of a voicemail he received last week from a someone claiming to be a Comcast employee notifying him that the company had detected poor signals reaching his equipment and offering to send a tech to investigate the issue. 

The message struck Jack as odd, because, for one thing, Comcast isn’t exactly known for its stellar customer service rapport, and he hadn’t actually noticed anything amiss with his current service.

“Hi, this is Jeremy. I’m part of a routine monitoring team for Comcast. Our system has detected poor signals getting to your equipment. We’d like to make an appointment to have a tech come out and get it fixed.”

“The wording is strange and you rarely hear their employees say ‘Comcast’ anymore. They use ‘Xfinity.’ On the bill I receive every month the name ‘Comcast’ is nowhere to be found,” Jack tells Consumerist. “If there were ‘poor signals’ don’t you think I’d notice it in either my TV reception, my internet connection, or both?”

So, was the call from a fraudster trying to finagle his way into Jack’s home, or was the service provider, known for ranking among the worst when it comes to customer service, turning over a new leaf?

Let’s not credit Comcast with changing its ways just yet, but the call in this case was legitimate, and is part of the company’s revamped customer service experience in the Northwest. 

Comcast spokesperson Jenni Moyer says the Routine Monitoring Team is a proactive service program Comcast is testing only in Portland, OR, to better ensure customers are getting the service they pay for.

In recent weeks, the dedicated team has been working to contact customers when internal monitoring systems find potential connectivity problems, she says.

The program uses “new smart network tools developed to diagnose issues based on information about the performance of different devices customers have on their accounts.”

If the tools detect a device that’s not scoring well – according to Comcast’s internal metrics – the company will contact the customer to troubleshoot and schedule a service call if needed.

Still, Moyer suggests anyone who receives an unsolicited call from the company confirm its legitimacy with Comcast.

As for Jack, he eventually verified that the call was from a member of the Routine Monitoring Team who had noticed a problem with his internet connectivity.

“Doesn’t sound like the Comcast we’ve come to know, does it?” Jack tells Consumerist. “Anyway, they sent a tech out and he did quite a few things. The main one was to install a new drop. That’s the line that comes from the pole outside to my house. It had been replaced by either Comcast or a Comcast contractor a couple of years ago and apparently wasn’t done correctly. The tech also changed some wire and connectors and gave me a new splitter to use. All the parameters are better now.”

More than a year ago, Comcast vowed to win back customers with superb service – or something like that – by Comcast promoted Charlie Herrin to be Senior VP of Customer Experience, who just months later declared that customer service “will be our best product.”

 

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