What incentive does Comcast have to provide competent customer service if they're the only provider ?

Question

In your area?

Answer 1

There really is no incentive for them, or any large corporation, to provide truly good customer service. It is the nature of companies being too large to really micro-manage exactly every aspect of the company.

Quality customer service is one of the first things that gets thrown out. When a company like Comcast or Time Warner or Verizon or Sprint hire customer service representatives, it comes down to people hiring people. If they dont care who they are hiring or they dont care about doing their job properly to truly help the customer, then it obviously does not get done. And what is the worst that will happen. A customer service rep isnt going to lose their job over mishandling a customers claim. And you can threaten to change service to the competitor (if there is one) and what will they care. These huge companies have literally millions of other customers just like you. For every person that changes from Verizon to Sprint there is probably one going the opposite direction.

It really comes down to 2 things i think.
1. People dont always give a ****. Sometimes you can get a rep who is the friendliest most helpful person and solves your problem without a hitch. More often than not you'll get an asshole, or someone who doesnt know anything about what you have questions about. And only after youve been on hold for 10+ minutes or been navigating an automated answering system.
2. The companies are too large to care about the individual consumer. They care about there market and generally they are gonna be good, otherwise they wouldnt be a corporate giant.

Either way they know they have you by the balls. You have no leverage. If you leave for a different provider, they dont care. There are millions of you. If you stay, fine you were already a paying customer to begin with. The notion of the "customer is always right" does not exist in this world anymore, unless the livelihood of the business rides on the individual. (mom and pop places)

The valued customer doesnt exist either. No large company has any incentive to provide you with the quality customer service you deserve for being a paying customer. They just want your money, and if they dont get yours they will get someone else's.