Comcast Together With Fourth Dimension Warner Merely Can't Command Themselves

Comcast as well as Time Warner are awaiting regulatory responses to their application to merge as well as buy the farm the dominant thespian inwards cable television set provision inwards the U.S. If permitted, the combined delineate of piece of work solid volition command most 2/3rd of the broadband cable marketplace as well as most 40% of the entire broadband marketplace inwards the U.S. (which is used for both cable as well as the Internet).

Independently, the 2 firms both convey reputations for poor installation as well as repair services, miserable billing as well as collection practices, high prices, as well as cost increases inwards a higher identify inflation levels. No ane seriously believes their claims that the merger volition move pro competitive, Pb to to a greater extent than consumer choice, ameliorate service as well as lower prices.

The companies convey non been helping their representative past times appearing to move operations out of command when it comes to their customers.
 

In recent months customers seeking services convey been kept on the telephone for hours as well as forced to undergo forms of psychological abuse field they tried to larn the changes they wished. 

Customers who convey complained most billing practices as well as service convey had their offset names on their accounts changed to names such every bit “asshole,” “cunt”, “whore,” “dummy”, as well as “super bitch” as well as subsequent mailings were sent to their homes amongst those names on the official society correspondence.

If they can’t deal the firms now, imagine what it volition move similar if the larger combined delineate of piece of work solid is permitted as well as has fifty-fifty less incentive for ameliorate behavior.

The internal cultures of the companies apparently produce non brand treating customers badly risky for employees and the cultures may fifty-fifty provoke it through the high pressure level placed on client service representatives to retain customers as well as processes designed buy the farm far hard for customers to switch services. The fact that at that spot is a continuing litany of miserable demeanour indicates the their managers are unwilling or unable to command their employees as well as that they can't fifty-fifty construction their data systems to halt such things from occurring.

The companies' long histories of treating customers poorly manifestly rubs off on their workers. It reminds ane of comedian Lilly Tomlin’s graphic symbol Ernestine, a band operator, who reacted to client complaints saying "We don't care. We don't convey to. We're the Phone Company."

The key beginning of the Comcast as well as Time Warner problems is that at that spot is essentially no dependent inwards the marketplace for cable services.  Because  both companies tend to convey local monopolies inwards the locations inwards which they operate, as well as face limited contest from satellite TV, the marketplace itself is non correcting for bad behavior. This occupation is compounded because at that spot is essentially no regulatory oversight for cable services as well as client service either. The cable companies convey the best of both worlds: no marketplace pressure level as well as no regulatory pressure.

None of that volition alter if the merger of the 2 companies is permitted. It volition solely larn worse.

Customers are valuable to companies as well as the 2 companies proceed to mistreat them at their peril. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 meaning seat out of customers are already stopping cable services inwards favor of video downloads as well as streams from the Internet. In time, this may increment to the dot it forces the companies to care for their customers better. But it volition in all probability move besides late.

In the meantime, the solely promise is that regulators volition endeavor to hold things from getting worse past times refusing to permit the 2 firms to merge.