Insight – to McAfee?
Those who know and read know that it is an inside joke with some folks I know from McAfee that you just do not offer poor customer service to someone from the little spot in the road I did most of my growing up called McAfee or they will just take their business elsewhere. I am left in a icky place after my dealings with Insight, over the last week but especially yesterday. But to really get the full picture I have to make up to Friday a week ago, on the 3rd of February…
Last Friday is important because that is when my wife and I signed the lease on the almost new townhouse in Lexington. The guy that built and owns the place wants to keep things looking good and has everything pre-wired and clearly does not want satellite dishes and the like hanging around outside everywhere. Not a problem, as the cable company here in most of Lexington is Insight and they offer similar programming packages as to what had previously and as a bonus will bundle internet for a cheaper price they we were paying previously for the two services. He has one guy that he generally deals with at Insight for installs and that is fine too, my thinking is that should result in good customer service.
So late in the day I call the guy to get things going and that is all set. He offers to actually send someone out to get installed that evening, but we would have to have the computers and televisions present to complete the install. Not being quite ready for that, we schedule things for between 2:00pm and 5:00pm yesterday, the 10th of February.
So time off work is arranged, loads of stuff come this way, specifically arranged so we will be here at 2:00pm. However, we get a call around 11:00 wondering where we are. Somehow, from the info we got at 2-5, they have as being in the morning. After explaining that to them, they are like, yeah, okay, we will send some over shortly. The shortly worked, as we were headed there anyway and planned to be there for most of the afternoon.
Little did we know. Two in afternoon came and went, so did three. At four I was little concerned and called the guy I had originally been in contact with and told me that things were a little behind because of the weather (it had tried to snow a little) but that they would for sure be here. At five, I was really concerned, as I know it becomes much hard to get folks but after calling him, he called the boss and called back assuring me they would be here this evening before they stopped and went home. At six I got the same assurance again and was told to make sure I was here so they would not skip us if they showed and we were not here.
At seven, I was really having my doubts but in an exchange of calls, supposed the check with made with the boss or dispatcher and everything was still a go, the weather just had everything really running slow. To which I called bullshit. While it had snowed and they had been a few bender fenders around bridges and exit ramps, the roads were generally just wet, and that was barely so most of the afternoon and up until that point. I was told they often, when running behind my be up until 9:00pm before finishing. To which my thought was immediately turning to you are over booking by just a little of the appointment that was 2:00 to 5:00 is not being complete until 9:00…
So, another hour and call this time that is not returned. We are starved and one of us goes out for food instead going for the additional load of stuff we had planned for much earlier in the evening. And then before we know it is 9:00pm and still they have no shown up. Another round of calls and my point of contact, who has told me all afternoon and evening to make sure and be here because they will for sure be here then tells me that the boss just shut down everything despite not finishing things.
Do the math, quickly that was seven hours I spent waiting on the installer and then they cancelled. I am offered that they will do it today, Saturday from 2:00-5:00 and they will be here rain, storm, snow, wind whatever between that window. I have my obvious doubts and am really a little ticked, since last Friday I was told they do not do installs on the weekends. For my time and aggravation, what compensation did they offer? I will get $20 off my first months bill and maybe an extra moving package for free. The movie package is not even a done deal, that is just a maybe. So by my math they think my time is worth only about $2.86 or so an hour. You think my current employer would want to get in on that rate?
So, if completely up to me I would immediately go for the McAfeeing of Insight and pursue a satellite and DSL connection separately despite the additional cost but the limit of the landlord with the no dishes makes the only option be Insight in this area. It is the same kind of deal that AT&T and to a lesser extent all utilities pull. We are the business in your area and we do not have to do customer service well, because simply put, what other option do you have?
** – Image is Insight’s Logo.
