I called Charter to get a downgrade of Cable TV Services and couldn't get reps to do it on the phone after over an hour each time I attempted. After two phone attempts to downgrade, I went to the online chat to attempt to downgrade. I have copied and pasted that chat (removing personal data) for the world to see. This is Charter Un-service at it's best. Charter Reps seem to have the broken record technique down to a science. Repeat what you want the customer to do over and over again until the customer gives up or gives in. Here's the chat:
A representative will be with you shortly.
You have been connected to CVH Al.
Debra: Hello!
CVH Al: HI
CVH Al: Thank you for contacting Charter Communications. How may I assist you?
Debra: I would like to change my service from Expanded basic to Basic cable
Debra: I have tried to do this on the phone and the charter service reps keep bouncing me from person to person with high pressure sales pitches
CVH Al: For downgrades please call Customer Service at 1 888 438 2427 however I will be happy to help with any upgrade promotions I can offer.
Debra: Is there a human being anywhere at Charter who can and will do what the customer is asking?
CVH Al: For downgrades please call Customer Service at 1 888 438 2427 however I will be happy to help with any upgrade promotions I can offer.
Debra: I have tried calling twice and spent over an hour each time being shuffled from rep to rep each saying that I have to talk to another dept in order to get the downgrade
Debra: Then no one will hear me repeatedly say what I want... JUST LIKE YOU ARE DOING NOW!!!
Debra: Repeating things to me does not make me feel like a happy customer, especially when those things have nothing to do what I just asked for..
Debra: Is there a supervisor number or person's name who can help me with this request?
CVH Al: I understand you had a less than satisfactory experience with our support. I would be upset too if it was me. I apologize for the inconvenience you may have experienced. We appreciate the email you have sent. As we are striving to improve our customer service efforts, your input is very valuable to us. This demonstrates to us the areas in which we need to improve. We are continually implementing new customer service standards to improve Charter, and to make you a more satisfied customer. If you still have not received a satisfactory response to your issue please let us know so we may follow up on it via phone using the number 1 888 438 2427.
Don't forget you can always access your account information, make payments, and sign up for auto-pay on the main Charter.com web site; you can also get help from a customer service representative through e-mail, a chat session or by phone at 1-888-438-2427 as well!
Thank you for choosing Charter Communications E-mail Support.
Debra: Either online right now... Or someone I can MAIL a LETTER in the MAIL to...
CVH Al has left the session.
Please wait while we find an agent from the CHAT - MDVL - Advocate department to assist you.
You have been connected to TTM Joy.
TTM Joy: Hi this is Joy from Charter. How can I help you?
Debra: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me a mailing address and supervisors number to write to if you won't help me
Debra: Please read what I just wrote to the other rep,
TTM Joy: I would be happy to help you. I am a supervisor.
Debra Buell: I am tired of constantly repeating myself to people at Charter
TTM Joy: I would be happy to review the previous chat. One moment while I do this.
Debra: Thank you
TTM Joy: Thank you for waiting. I understand that you want to down grade your services. I would be happy to assist you with this today.in order to assist you I would need your name, address, and phone number.
Debra: My name is Debra (last name omitted), service address is (omitted), (city omitted), NY and the phone number is (private and omitted)
TTM Joy: Thank you. What is the pin on the account or the account number?
Debra: one moment, I'll have to get that
(This is an edited comment added in here) (Rep waited approximately 1 minute while I got the bill before becoming impatient... I had waited much longer (5 minutes) to get initially connected online and even longer (hours) when I phoned)
This is more of the chat following below:
TTM Joy: Please let me know if you are still connected to the chat session at this time.
Debra: The account # is: (private and omitted)
Debra: sorry, that was an old bill
Debra: here's the correct acct # (private and omitted)
TTM Joy: Thank you.
TTM Joy: I sow that you currently have basic and expanded also 5m internet. These are excellent services.
TTM Joy: If I may ask why the downgrade to basic?
Debra: First, there isn't anything decent to watch on TV right now and I have netflix that I enjoy for movies. Charter channels keep playing the same movies over and over and over again. It is more economical to choose the movies I want to watch and watch them WHEN I want to than to wait 100 years for Charter to play new movies
Debra: Secondly, your rates went up for a service that isn't delivering anything but the same material over and over and over again on a daily basis. I do not think that this is worth $59 or even $39 a month when I am not enjoying it. The TV is off more than it is on.
TTM Joy: I can certainly understand where your coming from. I wish there was something that we could do for you but unfortunately we have no control over what the networks show.
Debra: With Basic, I can still watch my local news and the networks that have the shows I usually watch which are the local networks
TTM Joy: I would be happy to setup the work order to downgrade your services. Now with downgrading to basic it requires a tech be sent out to trap the channels at the pole. I show that the trip charge in your area is 35.00.
Debra: and what is the charge for the basic cable?
TTM Joy: 19.99 a month.
Debra: would my wire service pay for that trap or trip charge?
TTM Joy: No its a charge that would post on your bill.
Debra: Okay, then give me an address where I can send Charter a bill for the 2 hours of time I wasted on the phone trying to get this service downgrade only to be shuffled from rep to rep. Since I make about $50 an hour, that would be a bill of $100 I would be submitting to Charter.
TTM Joy: Charter will not repay you for that time.
TTM Joy: Charter will not repay you for that time.
Debra: Then I will ask that you do the downgrade and give me an address to complain to IN WRITING!!!
TTM Joy: I would be happy to setup the downgrade. No one need be at home since its all outside.
Debra: I need an address to write a letter to complain about this to
Debra: Unless you prefer I make a formal complaint to the FCC
TTM Joy: I am getting you the address.
Debra: thank you
TTM Joy: 12405 Powerscourt Drive
St. Louis, MO 63131
This is the address to our corporate office.
Debra: Whom do I address the letter to?
TTM Joy: To whom it may concern.
Debra: NO, I need the name of a REAL PERSON
Debra: I am so tired of being shoved around by your company and it's tactics
Debra: I want to write to the person who would address this issue head on
TTM Joy: I do not have a persons name to give you.
TTM Joy: I do not have a persons name to give you.
Debra: Okay then, please inform your supervisors that this entire chat has been copied and pasted and will be posted to the internet web site usacomplaints.com.Com. I will post this and encourage others to both complain and downgrade or disconnect their services since it seems reason and civility are not something Charter understands
Debra: or respects
Debra: Charter has wasted a great deal of my time and now wants me to pay for a downgrade I've spent now 3 hours trying to get
Debra: Please let me know if you are still on this chat...
TTM Joy: I apologize for your frustration but I cannot waive the 35.00 charge.
Debra: No, no one at Charter seems able or willing to do anything that a reasonable business would do
TTM Joy: Do you want to follow through with the downgrade?
Debra: make the downgrade, charge my account, don't give me an accountable person's name
Debra: I will just do the post to the net as I have told you and I will complain to the FCC
TTM Joy: I would give you a name if I had one but I don't just the address.
Debra: So, there is absolutely no one you could ask for that name?
TTM Joy: I show that the tech will be out on 4/30 between 8-12pm.
TTM Joy: No there is not.
Debra: There is no one you could ask for that name?
TTM Joy: No there is not.
Debra: it's really unbelievable
Debra: Thank you setting up the downgrade
TTM Joy: I am not in that office so I don't have any of the names for the people in the corporate office.
Debra: Are you all trained to be so evasive and high pressure?
Debra: It's really remarkable
Debra: The skill it takes to AVOID SOMEONE who is a human being must be very wearing over time...
TTM Joy: I cannot give you what I do not have.
Debra: No, and as a resourceful supervisor, you can think of no way to get that information either..
TTM Joy: There is no way for me to get that information.
Debra: Sure, there's no phone line or internet connect to corporate that would allow that kind of sensitive information to be passed on... What with this being 2008 and you and I are chatting over the internet, another outdated communication device... Portal
TTM Joy: I have a phone number that you can call. The phone number for the corporate is 1-866-212-1063 but I don't have a name for you to ask for.
Debra: This is a simple question and request and Charter has apparently trained all of their staff to be completely unresponsive to simple human requests
Debra: Am I going to get the robot, then the high pressure staff when and if I call that number?
TTM Joy: That is the phone number for corporate, again I cannot give you a name to ask for.
Debra: It's a poor use of my time to go down that road again
Debra: this is why I asked for a NAME and an address
Debra: Do you have an employee number, ID number that you can provide me with for complaint purposes
TTM Joy: Sure my employee id number is 92103.
Debra: Not that you done anything but what you are likely trained to do, but we've only solved half my problem
Debra: I note with interest that you just said you cannot give me that name. That would seem to indicate that you may have the information but have been trained not to give it out.
TTM Joy: I do not have a name means that I do not have a name. I would happily give you a name if I had one just like I gave you the address and the phone number when you asked for it.
Debra: Thank you again for the downgrade. We are obviously getting nowhere on something that is probably a do-able entity that you have elected not to do anything about. I guess those phones and the internet are only working one way from where you are talking to me... I will sign off now and hope that one day Charter and it's employees will actually try to listen to their customers
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