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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:34 am
by High_Side
Six years ago I moved into my current house and the cable company wanted $75 to "hook up" the cable. The cable was still working when I first got here, I had been a customer of the same cable company for 9 years, and they were advertising "free reconnection for anyone who was coming back to cable from owning a satellite dish". After 5 minutes of frustration on the phone with them, I asked them if the only way that I could get free reconnection was to go to a dish for a while.....they said yes! :laughing: That was 6 years ago and the satellite company has been getting over $40/month out of me ever since. I am amazed these companies can stay in buisiness...... :laughing:

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:53 pm
by CNF2002
Your cable company stays in business because like mine, they probably have a total monopoly over all cable service in the region.

And it does make sense for businesses to go to these automated systems...its cheaper, they can handle a large volume of calls, and lets their customers know they don't need to treat people like human beings in order to stay in business.

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 4:48 pm
by High_Side
CNF2002 wrote:Your cable company stays in business because like mine, they probably have a total monopoly over all cable service in the region.
But they can't control which dish I buy......

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:48 pm
by Loonette
oldnslo wrote:Even small offices with staff levels under 10 employees have turned to automated systems, and many do not have the feature allowing connection to a real human.
When automated answering started to become the norm for a lot of companies, the office where I was working at the time (12 years ago) considered going automated. They figured it would free my day up a bit (I was the secretary some days and raw materials buyer other days). I protested because I would hear from many of our customers how nice it was for them to reach a real human on the other end of the line. Besides, I always knew where everyone was, whether they were at lunch, out in the shop, or elsewhere - if the customers had recieved voice mail, it would have only prolonged getting them the information they needed. I think that company has since switched to automated answering though - too bad.

Cheers,
Loonette

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:49 pm
by basshole
We have an automated phone service in my office but it's only operation during a company wide meeting or after business hours. Other wise a "live human being" will answer the phone here. And who knows, it may even be my hot sexy voice!!! :wink:

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:46 pm
by CNF2002
But they can't control which dish I buy......
True, but I want cable internet and $15/mo basic cable channels...I dont want to pay 70 bucks for 200 channels I'll never watch.

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:30 pm
by High_Side
CNF2002 wrote:
But they can't control which dish I buy......
True, but I want cable internet and $15/mo basic cable channels...I dont want to pay 70 bucks for 200 channels I'll never watch.
Funny, but that is THE reason to get a dish where I live. If you want speed vision here, you've gotta spring for just about everything else. With the dish it was a hellova lot cheaper.....

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:26 pm
by CNF2002
I dont know if the cable company requires cable to get the net access. I bought my net access through an independent company that simply uses the cable company's lines, then I ordered basic cable from the cable company itself.

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 7:57 am
by basshole
Satellite is the only way to go. I only use cable for my modem and my phone. The cable company in my area got pissed because I dumped their TV for Satellite. So they then jacked my cable modem up by $10.00 a month because I only had "single service" in my house. So then then told me i could get a $10.00 discount for "multiple service". So I asked how much for basic phone service. They said $9.99 a month. So I made a penny on the deal! Free phone service basically. And I only use my cell phone for long distance call. :laughing:

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 8:20 am
by CNF2002
I wish my cable had that phone deal...mine wants $39.99 a month. I'll stick with the regular line thanks ;)

Sat is good but its too expensive...I dont watch TV and I dont know why I'm paying $15 a month for it...but I guess someday I might turn on that thing.