Saturday, November 24, 2012

Cablevision Makes LIPA's Communication Look Exceptional



By popular demand – my “discussion” with Cablevision ……

When I got my electric back – about six days after it went out – I was curious if my Cablevision would be working. According to everything they’d said, it would still be functional.

Loaded everything up … and found that it wasn’t working. OK … so, I immediately called them to get an ETA.

They took a cue from LIPA’s customer service ideals, and basically had rendered any way to speak to a customer service rep null and void. You only had options to deal with automated menus, or call back later. So, I fired up my company’s iPad and hopped on the mobile network to chat with them.

The first person said he had “no idea” when we’d be getting cable back. He told me to check back later that evening. I checked back later, and again, was told “no idea.”  This time, the individual told me he would have someone contact me.

I checked with my neighbors, who had switched to FIOS last year; and they had their service. I called FIOS and inquired about their service. They, not surprisingly, answered (which indicates their outages weren’t nearly as severe). We spoke and I got an idea on cost and also, when they could get there to install.

The next day, I again chatted with Cablevision; again, was told, “no idea.” I explained that I had spoken with FIOS and now had an appointment for them to do the install (this wasn’t entirely true). I explained that it was now a race … if Cablevision could get there before FIOS, I’d stick with Cablevision. If FIOS got there first, there’d be no rush for Cablevision, because I wouldn’t have their service anymore. Again, I was told someone would contact me.

Around 4:30 (still not having heard from anyone) I chatted again, and bluffed hard. Told the specialist that I was ready to cancel, but needed to know the steps to take. He gave me a phone number and assured me someone would answer.

So, I contacted the disconnect department. Explained my situation. The rep was decent (mostly) – explained it was my decision, blah, blah, blah. Still no idea when I’d be getting connected again. But, then, she made some critical mistakes.

First – there’s *no way* they could absolutely have no idea …. They explained they were still “assessing the situation” – but, it had been six days (and, unlike power lines, there’s no inherent danger in just ‘flipping the switch’ on, to return service).

We then discussed the pace they were re-activating people. I explained that, according to their website, earlier that day, a total of 1547 customers (on Long Island) HAD power and didn’t have cable service;  now, it was down to 1512 … so they were activating about 35 people a day … at that rate, it would take about a month-and-a-half to get everyone back (and, worse yet, the percentage of people in my area that had service had DROPPED from 73% to 65% that day … what the hell were they doing?)

Her response was to explain why FIOS was still up (and had fewer outages …). Basically, there’s a hierarchy when it comes to lines. LIPA gets first crack at them; then Verizon (because, historically, they had been a phone company), and finally Cablevision, because, historically, there were a TV company. Even though Cablevision now has phone service, the hierarchy is unchanged.

I asked, how on earth she thought that would be a compelling reason for me to stay with Cablevision?

She told me about the higher cost of Verizon … something I also disregarded (and, of course, said, “at least they HAVE service).  Especially, when you consider many of my friends have Fios and say it’s roughly the same price (yes, the ‘taxes’ are all broken out; but, ultimately, taxes are just included with Cablevision … for example, if I can buy a  computer for $300, or I can buy one for $200, but there’s another $50 tax on top of that; I’m STILL going to buy the second one, right?

But, finally (and here’s the crux of the argument) she said,

“Of course Verizon is willing to work with you. You’re new money to them.”

Wow. Sure, that’s true and I totally get the idea of seizing market share. But, isn’t *every* customer, in today’s economy, “new money?” Shouldn’t they be?

When there are options and choices for consumers, why would any company not view even existing customers as ‘new money?’ This isn’t something like a mortgage, where the consumer really has no choice (once they’re secured), or even LIPA. This is something where *every month* a consumer has to make a conscious choice to stay with your service.

I definitely prefer things like loyalty rewards … if you want to retain your customer base, it’s best to not ignore them and focus on new business. Retention is just as important. So, if you want to add an incentive to your new customers; so be it (there has to be a reason for them to “switch” in the first place, right?), but even after they’re customers, figure out ways to reward their loyalty. Make them feel as though, by switching, they’ll be missing out on something.

I left the conversation, repeating the same ‘challenge’ to the rep. About 30 minutes later, my service returned. Although it feels good to say it was a result of my conversation, I’m far more likely to believe it was nothing more than coincidence.

A few other mostly unrelated tidbits:

LIPA – a lot has been made about LIPA’s poor communication. My power returned on Saturday, 11/3, but, for some reason, the following Thursday, I got a call from LIPA, advising me that my “outage” (which was non-existent) was ‘more severe than they’d originally though, and needed specialized manpower and equipment’ but I should have my service restored by Friday at noon. Then, Friday afternoon, I received the same message, apologizing for them not meeting their deadline, but committing to a Saturday deadline instead.

I had power the entire time. This is remarkably concerning. No WONDER it took so long; they were too busy restoring power to people who still had power!

Last week, I also visited another diner on Long Island (not the same one I ranted about the first post) -- probably my favorite ... the O-Co-Nee Diner. The place is a virtual Party City store … every holiday there are more decorations in the diner than anywhere else. But, the food is also exceptional. The owner had been the force behind the Seaford Palace (a fairly famous diner on Long Island) – which used to have a 90-minute wait on weekends for a table. For a diner.

On Foursquare, the dissenters will argue the service isn’t great. Previously, I’d never noticed one way or the other. Last week, though, we had an exceptional server. She was thorough, quick and friendly. While my sister was discussing which soup to get with her husband, she mistook what he’d ordered and she got the same type. When the soup came out, she expressed her regret, and said, “oh, I didn’t realize you got the same one; I would’ve gotten the lentil soup.” The server heard this and told her, “I’m happy to take it back and get you what you want.” There was no reason to do this; no one expected it; but – this was exceptional.

Halfway through the meal, the owner’s son came by and dropped four super-large chocolate chip cookies on the table for us. Gratis.

We’ve been to O-Co-Nee before. At one point, we were going fairly frequently. It’s definitely back in my rotation now. The sheer attention to what makes a visit meaningful is what separates this diner from the others.

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