With more than16 million customersin 29 state , Time Warner Cable is one of the nation ’s largest net and cablegram telecasting supplier . They ’re also one of the most maligned , withfrequent appearanceson consumer polls cut across the worst client relation experiences . It ’s potential that reputation could change after the recently announcedmergerwith Charter Communications , but it ’s too soon to say . However , we do know that many of the company ’s employee really are n’t trying to get on your spunk . Take a expression at what a few current and past Time Warner Cable instance have to say about marathon calls , little - recognize services , and the one fib they care you ’d stop telling them .
1. THEY’D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU’D STOP LYING TO THEM.
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Evan — like all of the employee we spoke to , he favor not to use his last name — spent 18 months as a call centre representative for Time Warner in Ohio . His bit - one customer beef ? Your effort to fool him . “ I ran into my share of customers who said they did the troubleshooting steps , but obviously did n’t , ” he says . Callers with wireless modem trouble are usually tasked with unplugging the gimmick for 30 second to reboot it as a first - line answer . It often works — but the great unwashed often lie about try it . “ With the dick we utilise , we can see if it ’s been unplugged or how long it ’s been down , ” Evan says .
2. THEY’RE NOT THE GEEK SQUAD.
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Lloyd , who works for Time Warner in Texas , says customers can sometimes mistake him for an electronics concierge . “ It ’s common for people to involve for assist with wakeless system , game consoles , router , and computers , ” he say . “ It ’s always a little uncomfortable , and I ’ve helped more than I have n’t , but it ’s really not our chore . Sometimes while I ’m explain how a sound taproom works , I am thinking to myself , ' This is what I am doing alternatively of have lunch . ’ It makes me want to cry , and that is not exaggeration . ”
3. THEY CAN HANG UP ON YOU IF YOU’RE A POTTY MOUTH.
Despite Assumption of Mary that a call center manipulator always has to flow in there to resolve a problem , Evan says that ’s not quite truthful . “ If you experience uncomfortable because they ’re being verbally scurrilous , you’re able to cling up . You just have to severalize the handler , ‘ Hey , this is what pass . ’ ” While Evan seldom conjure that right , he did handle plenty of angry client . “ You attempt to cool off people as much as you could . ”
4. THEY’RE AFRAID OF BREAKING YOUR STUFF.
Technicians who ask access to the back of televisions , sales outlet , or coaxial lines can sometimes find themselves challenged by piles of unsportsmanlike clothes , massive opus of furniture , or decorative accents . In the subject of the latter , employee could retrieve themselves in debt . “ Every prison term a cable guy moves your belonging , he thinks to himself , ‘ Is this when I fall behind my line of work ? ’ ” Lloyd says . “ If something break , he ’s financially responsible . I ca n’t only reject to move the furniture though , because I literally have to do it to do my job . ”
5. TECHNICIANS HAVE A FEUD WITH CALL CENTERS.
According to Tedd — an installer who begin working for Time Warner when his local cable’s length party was engross by them four years ago — call substance reps can create inaccurate expectations for customers . “ client inspection and repair reps often judge and tell a customer what their problem is and what the technical school will have to do when they get there , which is bad , ” he say . “ If a customer has a television receiver issue or internet outlet and the CSR say the customer that it ’s just ' the box ' and it needs to be supplant , then the customer conceive it should be a simple sojourn . ” These mismanaged expectation can make extra irritation .
6. THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO CALL BACK.
According to Evan , call eye operator are measured on a variety of metrics : customer service poll , their availability to take inward call , and whether they ’ve successfully resolved a customer ’s issue in a individual call . “ It ’s what they call up ‘ first resolution , ’ ” he says . “ If you set up a job or send a technical school out and the ticket is close , [ direction ] will look to see if the customer calls back within a week . They want as close to 100 percent [ of no recall ] as possible . ”
7. THEY WISH YOU’D THROTTLE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
fit in to Tedd , publicise internet speed are only as estimable as the equipment they ’re being course through . “ So many customers have unrealistic ideas of what their net should do versus the equipment they have , ” he order . “ So many mass call in for dull pep pill , specially now that we have our Maxx speeds , and when they are separate they have 300Mbps internet , they expect to see at least 300 on a amphetamine mental test coming off of an 8 - class - old Linksys router . ” Most speed issues , he says , are n’t modem - related , but a ware of an old , tiresome router or reckoner .
8. YES, THEY GET FREE CABLE. JUST NOT FREE EQUIPMENT.
It ’s a lounge murphy ’s heaven : all the cable channels you could imagine , plus free internet and phone service . “ As employees , we got HBO , all the foreign communication channel , everything , ” Evan says . “ But we had to give to lease the cable box and modem . ”
9. WHEN THEY’RE LATE, IT MIGHT BE A CUSTOMER’S FAULT.
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Tedd says appointments can get backed up for a multifariousness of reasonableness , but one recurring issue is client using him as a sounding board . “ What is really vex is when people want to just rant about how bad a particular customer armed service rep was , or how long they have had the trouble , or how much they hate Time Warner Cable . I entirely sympathise these issues but there is nothing I can do about it . And honestly , I do n’t even creative thinker get word some complaint , but I can not tell you how many times I have been belated to my next appointment because a client would not end plain about the troupe . ”
10. CALLS CAN LAST A LONG, LONG TIME.
count on the topic that came up , Evan took anywhere between 10 and 40 margin call per day . There ’s no time limit placed on them , which means some calls can take an minute or more to answer . In one instance , he pass six hours on one client ’s billing hassles . “ It was spread over two days , ” he say . “ And it was a great deal of secretiveness , with me doing stuff on the back end . ”
11. THEY CAN HELP YOU BLOCK ROBO-CALLS.
Even though the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) appears powerless to stop companies from automobile - dialing residential numbers using “ parody ” ( bogus ) number , it ’s a little - known fact that Time Warner can intervene on your behalf . If you have their digital phone military service , you could call for they activate Nomorobo , a freeprogramthat scan incoming calls to see if the number has been open to complaint . If it ’s on the “ naughty ” list , it wo n’t get past one ring on your phone .
12. THEY CAN WINPRIZES.
Evan ’s call center would sometimes get visits from premium channel representatives as a way of boost employee team spirit . “ There would be squad , and the squad who got the highest customer - atonement rating in a two - hebdomad period would gain ground aGame of ThronesDVD . ” manipulator could also get a little something if , in improver to resolving your technical issues , they managed to tack on extra service to your history . “ That could make us one one dollar bill . ”
13. STOP ASKING FOR FREE CABLE. IT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
block about endeavor to luxate your tech a $ 50 in exchange for unlimited HBO . “ It ’s very heavy to give customers free cable because most canal are encrypted and need a cablegram card , ” Tedd says . “ People do note it sometimes but I really could n’t give away free groove even if I wanted to . ”
14. THEY REALLY DO WANT TO HELP.
Despite the endless period of complaints filed online , all of the employees we spoke to resisted the idea that anyone is actively test to make your blood pressure rise . “ When you ’re on the net and in scuttlebutt sections it look like everyone hates the cable fellowship and everyone has problems with their service , ” Tedd read . “ But most of the home I go to have n’t had issues in years . And most customers seem to generally be pleased with us . The technicians are almost always going to be on your side because we actually do want to set your issue and leave you well-chosen because that benefit us , too . ”
