Okay there is a lot of blog posts and online conversations about the power of social media or web 2.0 applications, etc, etc. While many of the authors identify themselves as a "social media" or web 2.0 gurus or consultants what I will post is just my recent experience with Comcast via Twitter.
Since thursday (aug 14th) I was experiencing problems with my Comcast high speed Internet Service, I called customer service and set an appointment for today (Sat 16th) to see if a technician could fix my internet service problems. So far nothing different for the regular end user experience.
Yesterday at night I had a lot of work and the internet connection was erratic so I was really frustrated about the service and I decided to voice it via twitter. Then few minutes after I saw how Comcast is monitoring twitter's conversations and a twitter user called "Comcastcares" inmediately tried to help me. This was the thread:
nportillo hate comcast, the internet service is behaving erratic & I have to wait 48 hrs for a technician. Very dissapointed with the customer service about 22 hours ago from web
comcastcares @nportillo what is the trouble? Can I look it over? Dm the phone number on the account about 21 hours ago from web in reply to nportillo
nportillo @comcastcares: XXX-XXX-XXXX. Cust Service reviewed the connection yesterday & said the problem is modem. Next available technician is Saturday about 21 hours ago from web in reply to comcastcares
comcastcares @nportillo It could be the modem or the line coming in, especially at the splitter. The modem is reporting a number of signals off about 21 hours ago from web in reply to nportillo
comcastcares @nportillo Most would impact upstream. I would check connection, even at the splitter where cable enters the house about 21 hours ago from web in reply to nportillo nportillo back to my erratic connection ... about 20 hours ago from web nportillo @comcastcares: Thanks for the update, I'll wait for the technician tomorrow about 19 hours ago from web in reply to comcastcares nportillo waiting for Comcast technician, sometime between 2 Pm and 4 PM :( about 3 hours ago from web nportillo @comcastcares: Can you help? The technician didn't show up yet (2-4 pm PST) and call center can not help I set the appoinment last thursday about 2 hours ago from web in reply to comcastcares nportillo Ok, let's see if this works. The guy didn't change the modem just a cable and told me that the signal problem is due to the heat? . thinking about 1 hour ago from web comcastcares @nportillo Email us and we will escalate the matter. We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com about 1 hour ago from web in reply to nportillo Then the connection between the virtual and the real took place, I got a phone call from Frank who manages twitter doing a follow up about what the technician did and other post service actions. he also sent to me his email address for future contact if I have problems again. Way to go! I now surprised about how Comcast decided to invest and made the connection between traditional customer service (Call Center + Technician) and the virtual (Twitter) or social media monitoring & service. Interesting mix oriented to satisfy their customers.
comcastcares @nportillo Most would impact upstream. I would check connection, even at the splitter where cable enters the house about 21 hours ago from web in reply to nportillo
nportillo back to my erratic connection ... about 20 hours ago from web
nportillo @comcastcares: Thanks for the update, I'll wait for the technician tomorrow about 19 hours ago from web in reply to comcastcares
nportillo waiting for Comcast technician, sometime between 2 Pm and 4 PM :( about 3 hours ago from web
nportillo @comcastcares: Can you help? The technician didn't show up yet (2-4 pm PST) and call center can not help I set the appoinment last thursday about 2 hours ago from web in reply to comcastcares
nportillo Ok, let's see if this works. The guy didn't change the modem just a cable and told me that the signal problem is due to the heat? . thinking about 1 hour ago from web
comcastcares @nportillo Email us and we will escalate the matter. We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com about 1 hour ago from web in reply to nportillo
Then the connection between the virtual and the real took place, I got a phone call from Frank who manages twitter doing a follow up about what the technician did and other post service actions. he also sent to me his email address for future contact if I have problems again. Way to go!
I now surprised about how Comcast decided to invest and made the connection between traditional customer service (Call Center + Technician) and the virtual (Twitter) or social media monitoring & service. Interesting mix oriented to satisfy their customers.