It is now official… I am a permanent Comcast employee. With my initial 90 day new hire probation period over, all of my benefits are starting to kick in. Well, except for the 401K and the TV/Phone/Internet package. They allow all new hires to enjoy the Comcast entertainment experience, no matter when you were hired.
I finally hooked up the internet service to my desktop yesterday, leaving the wifi on the Fios. I do have to say that I really enjoy the speeds of cable. I have always knocked it, since it is a shared connection. BUT, I do have to say that I was wrong. Most of the time I get a full 6 megs and (get this), if I am downloading a big file it will burst to 12 megs. That is 2.4 times the speed that I got from my previous Verizon Fios connection. (http://www.comcast.net/powerboost)
The whole family is enjoying the whole “ON Demand” feature of the Comcast TV service. This is where you can play movies for free any time you want. It seems that every month there is a new feature set. They provided the Star Wars series in HD, Harry Potter, as well as, all of the James Bonds. There are a bunch of kids channels that are also On Demand. Allie loves Sagwa and D-D-D-Doria. She is really cute… She says “Daddy, can I have Demanding Doria or Demanding Sagwa?” It is really cute… The take home message is that any TV in the house, regardless if it is hooked up to the DVR, will play any movie that is “On Demand”. Very Very Cool!!
As far as the cost, reliability, and features, I would have to say that Comcast wins out over my previous Satellite Provider. I have had no issues with getting signal from either provider, so that is not really a factor. It just comes down to cost and features… Comcast is far better than Direct TV for me and my family.
- And I am not just saying that as a Comcast Employee.. For those who know me, I don’t hold back if something truly sucks, I will let you know!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Microsoft Office Communicator experience on your BlackBerry device
This is new!!! Well, new to me.. :P
As you already know, I really love and hate my blackberry. It is a great little device that I can send/receive email, check appointments, call people, change people’s AD information (through another app), and communicate with other blackberry users. Well, it is even better… Now, I can instant message all corporate users right from my Blackberry.
How is this possible???
RIM has made an add-on to integrate with your Corporate LCS server. I really enjoy having this functionality of being able to see if someone is on-line without breaking out the laptop. I find that it is far easier to use and more reliable than the blackberry communicator. (Yes, I still use both) I find that the battery does not last as long, not that this is a surprise to anyone. Also, I am not sure how I like the BB taking over my LCS connection, even if I am signed into LCS from my laptop. I understand that you only can have one connection at a time, but I find that the BB is constantly taking over and signing me out on my laptop.
It is very cool and a must see. For more information… Here is the web address: http://www.blackberry.com/products/blackberry/im/windows_im.shtml
As you already know, I really love and hate my blackberry. It is a great little device that I can send/receive email, check appointments, call people, change people’s AD information (through another app), and communicate with other blackberry users. Well, it is even better… Now, I can instant message all corporate users right from my Blackberry.
How is this possible???
RIM has made an add-on to integrate with your Corporate LCS server. I really enjoy having this functionality of being able to see if someone is on-line without breaking out the laptop. I find that it is far easier to use and more reliable than the blackberry communicator. (Yes, I still use both) I find that the battery does not last as long, not that this is a surprise to anyone. Also, I am not sure how I like the BB taking over my LCS connection, even if I am signed into LCS from my laptop. I understand that you only can have one connection at a time, but I find that the BB is constantly taking over and signing me out on my laptop.
It is very cool and a must see. For more information… Here is the web address: http://www.blackberry.com/products/blackberry/im/windows_im.shtml
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Response to my complaint
Yes, I sent the email stating how disappointed I am with Verizon’s Customer Service. So, I get an email stating that my secure email response is ready to be viewed on the Verizon.com website. Okay. So, I go and attempt to log into the Verizon.com website. It states that I do not have an account and need to contact customer service. So, spending even more time on hold, I talk to a very nice lady who states that since I discontinued my voice service, I will no longer be able to log into the Verizon.com website. So.. Let me get this straight… I have a secure email from Verizon that I can not view… She was very helpful.. She was actually able to log into the system and forward the email to my Verizon email account.
So, Here is the response to my email:
Dear S,
Thank you for contacting Verizon ePay. We are in receipt of your email dated 01/10/07 regarding charges on your account. We will be happy to assist you.
We apologize for the experience you had.
We apologize for the inconvenience of having you call one of our centers. You may contact our Billing Department directly at 1-800-483-3000 between the hours of 8:00AM and 6:00PM, Monday through Friday. A representative will be happy to assist you.
We understand your concern and appreciate your business. However, it is not that we are unwilling to help, we are just unable to help you with this.
We appreciate you using the Verizon Contact Us Page to address your issue through email. Always remember, the Verizon Contact Us Page is available 24/7 for you to contact us through email on any questions, issues or concerns you might have with your account.
You can also make a payment 24 hours a day 7 days a week at Verizon.com or by calling our Pay by Phone System at 1-800-345-6563. Verizon payment options include:
Verizon.com
Pay by Phone (Vendor Charge of $3.50)
Direct Bank Account Debit
Verizon Plus Store
Authorized Agent (May Charge Up to $1.00)
Mail
Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
WHAT??? Did you even bother to read the email??? Are you KIDDING !!!
So, Here is the response to my email:
Dear S,
Thank you for contacting Verizon ePay. We are in receipt of your email dated 01/10/07 regarding charges on your account. We will be happy to assist you.
We apologize for the experience you had.
We apologize for the inconvenience of having you call one of our centers. You may contact our Billing Department directly at 1-800-483-3000 between the hours of 8:00AM and 6:00PM, Monday through Friday. A representative will be happy to assist you.
We understand your concern and appreciate your business. However, it is not that we are unwilling to help, we are just unable to help you with this.
We appreciate you using the Verizon Contact Us Page to address your issue through email. Always remember, the Verizon Contact Us Page is available 24/7 for you to contact us through email on any questions, issues or concerns you might have with your account.
You can also make a payment 24 hours a day 7 days a week at Verizon.com or by calling our Pay by Phone System at 1-800-345-6563. Verizon payment options include:
Verizon.com
Pay by Phone (Vendor Charge of $3.50)
Direct Bank Account Debit
Verizon Plus Store
Authorized Agent (May Charge Up to $1.00)
Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
WHAT??? Did you even bother to read the email??? Are you KIDDING !!!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Disappointment with Verizon
As you know, I have Verizon’s Fios service for my ISP. In fact, I have both Verizon and Comcast for my internet. I am just trying to figure out how to dual-hom cheaply, but that is something that I will tackle when I have time. I enjoy having a dedicated 5meg pipe, through Verizon, directly to my computer to play games and the other uses of the internet. -wink-wink-
HOWEVER, their customer service lacks A LOT!!!
Background,
On November 27th, Comcast installed cable for the TV and Phone. A few days later, I received my normal bill for the phone and Fios service. So, I call… Spending a little time on hold… I talk to a very nice lady, explaining that I canceled the service as of the 27th. She makes the notes and then transfers me to someone else, who tells me to ignore the bill and wait until I get a final bill. I explain that I do not want to interrupt my Fios service, so I want to pay for that portion. That night, I received an email on my Verizon account that states that they need a credit card, since they don’t want to send me a bill for anything less than $50 dollars. Okay.. Whatever… So, I put in my Credit Card information and am charged for my Fios service. So, I threw away the check and bill. Then on Monday, I get a bill for $37.69, making up $34.95 of internet service + $1.31 late fee + $1.43 unknown. (I really like the fact that Verizon charges me a late fee after telling me not to pay the bill. I even like it better that Verizon charges my credit card and then charges me a late fee.) So, I call and talk to a service representative who talked around me and told me that all of the charges were part of the Fios billing and I needed to talk to them. There was no outstanding balance as for the phone service. This morning, Wednesday, I called and talked to a gentleman who told me that it was part of the Fios and Phone services. He could not answer for me a simple question – Where did the $1.43 come from??? I got more and more frustrated that he was first stating that it was long distance charges. When I stated that I did not have any long distant charges, he talked around the topic. Then, to add insult to injury, he said that if I did not stop trying to talk over him, he was going to terminate the call. So, I asked my question again. Finally, I just gave up. I told him to write this down for the record, which still holds true today. “I have been a Verizon Customer for a long time and I have been happy with the Fios service. However, the complete lack of Customer Service makes me an Extremely Pissed Off Customer. The shear fact that I have to call many many many times in order to get an explanation and then told conflicting information shows how utterly useless and incompetent the staff really is.
HOWEVER, their customer service lacks A LOT!!!
Background,
On November 27th, Comcast installed cable for the TV and Phone. A few days later, I received my normal bill for the phone and Fios service. So, I call… Spending a little time on hold… I talk to a very nice lady, explaining that I canceled the service as of the 27th. She makes the notes and then transfers me to someone else, who tells me to ignore the bill and wait until I get a final bill. I explain that I do not want to interrupt my Fios service, so I want to pay for that portion. That night, I received an email on my Verizon account that states that they need a credit card, since they don’t want to send me a bill for anything less than $50 dollars. Okay.. Whatever… So, I put in my Credit Card information and am charged for my Fios service. So, I threw away the check and bill. Then on Monday, I get a bill for $37.69, making up $34.95 of internet service + $1.31 late fee + $1.43 unknown. (I really like the fact that Verizon charges me a late fee after telling me not to pay the bill. I even like it better that Verizon charges my credit card and then charges me a late fee.) So, I call and talk to a service representative who talked around me and told me that all of the charges were part of the Fios billing and I needed to talk to them. There was no outstanding balance as for the phone service. This morning, Wednesday, I called and talked to a gentleman who told me that it was part of the Fios and Phone services. He could not answer for me a simple question – Where did the $1.43 come from??? I got more and more frustrated that he was first stating that it was long distance charges. When I stated that I did not have any long distant charges, he talked around the topic. Then, to add insult to injury, he said that if I did not stop trying to talk over him, he was going to terminate the call. So, I asked my question again. Finally, I just gave up. I told him to write this down for the record, which still holds true today. “I have been a Verizon Customer for a long time and I have been happy with the Fios service. However, the complete lack of Customer Service makes me an Extremely Pissed Off Customer. The shear fact that I have to call many many many times in order to get an explanation and then told conflicting information shows how utterly useless and incompetent the staff really is.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year to all of my friends and family (and anyone else that may be reading this blog).
Looking back upon the last year, it sure has been an "interesting" year. I put interesting in quotes, just because it was not my usual year. I changed jobs three times, something that I hate.
I left Cori because of money.. A WHOLE LOT of money.
I left ACS because they outsourced my position nine months into my career. (Well, I don't think that I would have made that place my career. It truely sucked!)
I am now at Comcast, where I hope to be for a very very long time. I realize that I am only 60 days into it, but, it seems to be really cool place to work. (could use an XBox though.) :)
Family has been great, no issues there. Zuzu and Allie have really been doing wonderful in school. Allie has been saying words in Chinese and correcting my pronunciation, which is really kinda funny. I know that my Mandarin is really bad, but when the 3 year old tells you "no dad" that is really bad. :P
Have a great Holiday and hope that this year will be better than the last!
Looking back upon the last year, it sure has been an "interesting" year. I put interesting in quotes, just because it was not my usual year. I changed jobs three times, something that I hate.
I left Cori because of money.. A WHOLE LOT of money.
I left ACS because they outsourced my position nine months into my career. (Well, I don't think that I would have made that place my career. It truely sucked!)
I am now at Comcast, where I hope to be for a very very long time. I realize that I am only 60 days into it, but, it seems to be really cool place to work. (could use an XBox though.) :)
Family has been great, no issues there. Zuzu and Allie have really been doing wonderful in school. Allie has been saying words in Chinese and correcting my pronunciation, which is really kinda funny. I know that my Mandarin is really bad, but when the 3 year old tells you "no dad" that is really bad. :P
Have a great Holiday and hope that this year will be better than the last!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
