Dealing with your Cable Television and Internet Provider
If you are like us, you are sending a substantial amount of money each month to one or more providers for your cable, broadband, or satellite services. Chances are you will need to call for service at some point in time.
Of course, we all know by now, that if a technician has to come to your house, you will be given a 'window' of time, usually a 3-4 hour period during which the technician will arrive. Given that this time is very valuable to you (if you make $20 per hour at your job, this time is worth about $80 to you), you will want to make it count.
Make sure that, before you have a technician come to your home, you have spoken with someone on the telephone that seems to understand your situation. If you are not satisfied with the knowledge level of the person with whom you are speaking, do not be afraid to ask for a supervisor or manager.
When speaking to the telephone representative, be very specific about your problem. For example, are you calling about internet, or television, or both? Do you notice more problems at certain times of the day, or under certain weather conditions? Ask the person on the phone if they can run any tests from where they are to see if you have line, connection, or signal problems. Make sure to write down the day and time of your call, the name of the person you spoke to, and any information they have given you.
When the technician comes to your home, let them know whatever you know already. If the phone representative has told you that you most likely have an outside line problem, stress this to the technician at your home.
Remember, the technicians are human too, and they are just doing their job, but you are paying good money, and using your valuable time to obtain a service. So, be polite, but make sure you are getting your money's worth.