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Stretching the Lead
June 21, 2007

Cable is in an enviable position. Few businesses in this country that are 60 years old can boast double-digit bottom and top-line full-year growth rates.

This is also a capital-intensive business. But that physical plant is one of the reasons cable is so enviable – and is seeing such growth.

Cable’s facilities are already built – and possess the flexibility and adaptability to provide for a host of new services well into the future. There is, pretty much, bandwidth on demand.

This advantageous platform, coupled with years of understanding customer needs, allows us to introduce new products and features, which build customer loyalty and serves to keep us ahead of the competition.

In just the last 10 years, cable has pioneered such new services as video-on-demand, digital phone service and high-speed, broadband service. Moreover, cable is the only broadly distributed video provider that is capable today of truly integrating these products in a way that maximizes consumer convenience and ease of use: One bill; one service call.

These new service innovations are paving the way for additional products and features, which are being introduced at an accelerated pace. 

Video on demand technology, for example, has ushered in applications such as the Start-Over service at my company, Time Warner Cable, which allows viewers to immediately go back to the start of a program, if they walk in late. Or our Quick Clips product, which lets viewers see snippets of programs from channels such as CNN or CNBC shortly after they get posted to the Web. There are variations, such as “Catch-Up” and “Look Back,” on the way.

On-demand technology is also poised to help dramatically change TV advertising. Although digital video recorders are seen as a threat to the existing ad model, video-on-demand technology holds the key to greater targeting, improved audience measurement and more interaction with potential customers—the very things that have lured advertisers to the Web. Unlike the online experience however, video delivered on demand over cable carries the full power of television. And television’s impact is growing with the increase in large, flat-screen, HD TV set sales. 

All of this innovation by cable has not gone unnoticed.

We have greater competition today than ever before. The satellite providers have adopted a more aggressive marketing and programming acquisition strategy and are trying to cobble together business partnerships that resemble the integration we can achieve on our advantaged platform. The two largest telephone companies—AT&T and Verizon—are adding video and wireless to their existing voice and DSL offerings and promising lots of services to compete with the cable “bundle.”

But satellite technology is not capable of replicating the cable network architecture. And the telephone companies will have to spend an enormous amount of capital to overbuild even a small part of the cable footprint. In the meantime, Time Warner Cable and other operators are not standing still. The rate of innovation is accelerating in terms of new products, features and services available to our customers resulting in stronger differentiation between cable and its competitors.

Of course, I take our competitors — including both the phone and satellite companies—seriously. But cable is intent on maintaining its lead.

For most consumers today, cable is still the provider of choice for video and high-speed data and more and more customers are turning to us for residential telephone service. Around 66 million American households subscribe to their local cable company.

Through constant innovation like this, cable can keep and even stretch the lead it enjoys today, over competing means of delivering TV and communication services.


Posted by Glenn Britt on June 21, 2007 | Comments (12)


July 2, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Joseph H. Diamond commented:

Carole Black Time Warner Cable Inc. 290 Harbor Drive Stamford, CT 06092 Mr. Chairman, I would like to share with you my experiences with Time Warner Cable, Telephone and Internet Services. I signed up with Time Warner in March of 2006 for all three services offered with combined billing. In June of 2006 Television Reception was extremely poor and repair services was called to correct the problem. I was told at that time that the problem was at a nearby hub and the repairman told me he would inform his supervisor of the problem and it would be repaired shortly. Over the next 5 months repair service was called for various repairs related to television reception, phone service and internet services. Starting in January of 2007 repair services has been called for at least once a month for, no phone service ranging from several hours to four days, internet services going down from several hours to three days and television reception degrading to the point that I can no longer watch several channels due to poor signal reception to pictures that freeze and pixelate. Servicemen have showed one and a half hours late. I have had to stay home at least once a month since January, some months two or three times to wait on service repair personal to repair various problems. Servicemen have replaced splitters, have let me a new receiver minus the remote or have told me they can not locate any problems, yet I still can not watch several channels. I have been told over the phone that my modem needs replacing and that I would have to go to the office to obtain a new one if I wanted service restored immediately, which I did. However customer support failed to tell me that I would have to call them back after the new modem was installed so that they could initionalize the modem from the main office, causing me to waste an hour and a half trying to figure out why the new modem would not work, I did not want to call the office because it is so difficult to get through to talk to anyone, but I finally relented and was told all have had to do was call them to internalize the modem. Why couldn't they have told me that up front? Internet service went down on June 29th. After trying to get through to customer support with no luck I went to the office and was told that the first chance a repairman could come out to determine the problem was the following Friday. I do not understand how you can expect customers to be with phone or internet services for days at a time when phone and internet services are so vital today. I am expected to pay and keep currant with my bill, which I do, yet Time Warner does not provide the services promised at signup or according to your advertising. Additionally when a credit is requested for all the down time of the various services I am told that credit will not be given until all services are operating properly, which in this case is not going to happen in the foreseeable future if past service is any indication. I have dealt with customer service personnel that are rude and out right lie. In several instances I have been told no problems have been reported yet I find out later that the entire system has gone down in Austin. I can honestly say that service with Time Warner is the worst I have ever encountered. I have discussed this with friends and neighbors only to find out that they have the same problems. Several have gone to dish and other providers due to the poor performance and problems with Time Warner. I fully realize that nothing will come of this letter, I just want you to know of my experience with Time Warner. I am in the process of switching services to a provider that will offer trouble free services or at least cares enough to respond positively to customer needs. Joseph H. Diamond 6823 Granero El Paso, Texas 79912 (915) 584-5180 (if working).




August 8, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Jim Goodman commented:

Dear sir, having no other way to contact you, as the other gentleman, i wanted to make you aware of a situation.... i got a new tivo series 3 hd and wanted cable cards.... i called and the person on the phone said i could go in and get them at teh tw location (wrong)... when i got there, janasha was very helpful and said that they couldn't do this, but scheduled an appointment for the following day for between 9-12. the next day comes and no service guy.... he showed at closes to 12:45, only to tell me that i would have to reschedule 'cause they have no cable cards! i asked why he didn't call in the morning when he knew this instead of wasting my time. his answer was that they hadn't paid their bill so their cell phones were cut off, yet he was using the sprint/nextel walkie talkie part to contact his supervisor (couldn't he have made the call?). he said his supervisor had a cable card and could i wait for about 30 minutes.... so i wait.... of course, the work order says only one card, when in fact i need two, and i watched janasha comment the account and submit the order for two.... the suervisor shows up to tell me sorry, he's just here because i'm upset... no cable cards!!! so i call and get in "issue #" (which is 392442 by the way) and am told that someone will be contacting me from corporate that day.... so i wait.... the next day i call, because of course i haven't gotten a call back. of course no one can help me, and every service employee says that there is no one higher up on the food chain to talk to, so i'm out of luck! i guess you do that so that way you never really get the complaints or hear about the issues.... so today i get to a nice man named jason that calls the dispatch office and actually gets the dispatch supervisor at home (her number was forwarded) and she is going to look into the cable card situation/install and what went wrong.... but this is most likely an idiot contractor, the same folks that couldn't call me yesterday.... so in the mean time, i have wasted.... no let me rephrase that, you have wasted over 4 hours of my time (which i bill out at a rate greater than you do, and i get it consistently!) and all i get is a $20 fee for a late appointment...? you guys took over everything here in so cal, and you advertise great customer service adn on time appointments.... so if this is great, i think maybe i should come over and do some work of this caliber for you and see how you like it. by the way, for this great service that you all are providing, my cable bill has increased, and for what...? so i can be treated like an idiot and my time wasted. i'm glad that you think that this is an acceptable level of service. i hope that you are serviced the same way in the near future by someone so that you understand the plight of the millions of cable subscribers that you supposedly are glad to have. and if you really wanted to handle this, you can contact me via my issue number, etc. to find my account info!




August 9, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Dianne Justice commented:

Mr. Britt, I am trying to contact you as I have found no resolution to my issue and have no idea how else I can pursue this matter. I received the required modem for your internet service today (August 9th, 2007)and called your customer service center to schedule installation. None of the reps could find a record of me in the database and I was transferred 4 times (I spoke to Pamela, Mario, James,Derrick and Mary) because they either didn't know what to do or couldn't take any steps to correct the oversight. By the time I reached the 4th rep, who indicated I would be transferred yet again, I decided not to become a customer and asked to transferred to someone who could help me return the modem and get a refund. Mary was also unable to help me and had no information on how to contact any of the vendors you do business with and I ended that call with no further information other than the suggestion that I try Live Chat for help. This also proved fruitless. I still would like information on how to return the modem and receive a refund. I don't want to waste $80 on an item I can't use. In any case, since resolving the issue in the database and installing my service are not a priority, I believe your company apparently doesn't need my custom. I would be glad of any assistance you or one of your agents can give me to resolve this situation. I can be reached using the information below. Thank you, Dianne Justice 214/701-8134 icyrod3825@yahoo.com




August 24, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
robert commented:

I am a long time subscriber and I am wondering why I should maintain your Services, I paid a lot of money for Hd TV and you offer very few channels. Looking at your competitors they are offering three to four time the channels, so why should I stay with you?It seems to meI would be better off going to another cable sevice and get the full value of my HD TV. Thank you, Robert contact: vicki-robert @kc.rr.com




September 9, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Jamie Broadnax commented:

Good Afternoon, I am very dissatisfied with the way TWC does business with their customers. I see that in order to file a complaint, you have to write a letter and will not receive correspondence until 10 business day after. That is unacceptable. I have done business with many other cable companies in the past and never I have I dealt with such incompetence as I have with Time Warner. My landlord has recommended that I go through RCN and cancel my service through you because he has also received several complaints from tenants about your service. I specifically asked to have a new DVR installed in my apartment, giving you an alternate number to contact and you misakenly call the number on the account. After I specifically told the rep to note it and she "did" you still made the error. Jamie Broadnax decides to go to your office on 23rd street and wait 2 hours in line just to be told that nothing can be done because she is not on the account, yet she is partially responsible for paying this bill. I would think that you would understand that a large majority of residents in Manhattan have roommates and share bills. When I tried to add her to the account, you provide me a transfer form to transfer it into her name. I don't understand why you are making it so difficult for someone who obviously want to pay MORE on their bill by trying to add another box to our account?? At this point I am very frustrated and very disappointed with your company. Rather than contacting the BBB by their 900 number (and pay a fee as you suggest on your site) I am interested in filing a complaint online. Your representatives made the mistake of giving out information to someone who is "not on the account: yet when that same person attempts to file a complaint, all of the sudden it is "against policy" to speak with her. You already broke company policy by sending out a tech this past weekend to have a box added set up by someone who is not on the account, hence the incompetence of your company. When I spoke to a rep at the TWC office on 23rd street he was very unprofessional by referring to the rep as a "moron" for setting up that order. What kind of people do you hire at Time Warner anyway? Not to mention, you have been overcharging us since we set up service and if someone didn't call in about it we would have been overcharged the whole time. We should be compensated for all of this inconvenience. I feel very uncomfortable at this point dealing with your company because of the representatives I have interacted with. It seems like each rep has a different answer for everything and that is very unfair to the customer. Please read this complaint thoroughly and DO something about this. Please do not pass the buck by referring me to contact another department or to insist I write a letter, because I have done everything in my power to get this resolved and why I should waste all my time and energy for consistent mistakes that YOUR company has made?? I would hope TWC has some concern for their customer base and would go above and beyond to serve them. However, if this complaint goes unannotated or not acknowledged, then I will surely know whom I am dealing with and just cancel service and switch to another carrier. It's not worth the effort to try to resolve an issue with you if you simply do not care. Anna Bender & Jamie Broadnax




September 13, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Dianne Justice commented:

Actually you can send a letter and receive absolutely NO response as has been my experience. I'm posting my contact info here one last time and sending a letter to the attorney general in the morning. Dianne Justice icyrod3825@yahoo.com




December 4, 2007
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Joseph H. Diamond commented:

Mr. Britt, Once again I am turning to you with the same problem that I had this past summer. It seems that with extreme weather changes all the cable services are affected. Since before Thanksgiving I have had problems with my phone service going out, very slow internet service at night and no digital TV service at all. In this day and age phone and internet service are not a luxury but a necessity. My business depends on these two forms of communications When there out I am not making any money. When I call for service I am told it will take 7 to 8 days to send service personal to investigate the problem. This is not acceptable. I can not be with out service this long. Last week I was told on Wednesday that I would be contacted within 24 to 48 hours and a serviceman would come out. This has not happened as of to night. Every single serviceman that has come out has told me the problem is not at my home but at the box down the street. I do not want a serviceman coming to my home again only to tell me the same thing. I want my service brought up to acceptable levels. I have now been with out digital service on my TV for a MONTH. When can I expect to have the service that I am paying for? When will all of my services be restored to a level that will assure me regular service. Your ads state reliable phone service. My phone service is anything but reliable. I really do not like to complain but your service leave me no choice and your timetable for repairs is the same as if it were in some foreign land. When can I expect to receive RELIABLE service? Joseph H. Diamond 6823 Granero El Paso, Texas 79912 (915) 584-5180 (but not at night as it rarely works).




January 10, 2008
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Joseph H. Diamond commented:

Since your El Paso office refuses to correct my problem you leave me no choice but to file is complaint with the Texas P.U.C. Maybe then you will decide to correct the problem. Joseph H. Diamond 6823 Granero El Paso, Texas 79912 (915) 584-5180




March 1, 2008
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Upset commented:

To Whom It May Concern: My name is Rachel Rodwell and I am a current customer of your services. Approximately on February 25,2008 I put in a request to transfer all of my services: Digital Phone,Cable, High Speed Internet. Orginally it stated all would be reconnected on the 8th of March 2008 I said okay fine since that was the only earliest date. So as time past I wanted my cable and internet sooner than March 8, 2008 so I called time warner and the NICE rep told me they could come out on Friday February 29th at 530-730 pm to connect my cable and internet. He also advised me that it would take AT LEAST SIX BUSINESS DAYS FOR MY PHONE IF I WANTED TO KEEP THE SAME NUMBER I stated okay. So as I am awaiting for Friday to come I received a call from a Ms. Gene who works with account verification on Wed the 27th or Thurs 28th regarding my pin number to verify my acct information. So while I was speaking with Gene asked her what was my balance. And she gave me around $800.00, that came to me as a shocker because I received a bill for 192.13 or something like that. She stated it included charges for equipment 500+250+50 in which I don’t know why the charges because I still had the equipment in my possession so the charges were declined. Of course they were going to get decline because my american express card thought it was fraud so american express stopped the charge. My time warner account is automatically set up for direct payments each month. That made me mad that you guys assumed that I left the equipment at my old resident. Why would I do that, that’s stupid if I previously put in a request to transfer services. So on February 29th the guy finally came by to connect my services like Terrell stated but when the contracter came to hook up my services he and the representative stated it was no workorder for the phone and that I need to call timewarner. And I stated to the contractor, “are you sure because I put in the transfer of services for the digital phone the same time I put it in for the cable and the internet services. And he suggested I need to contact time warner. So that’s what I did I contact time warner @ 7:21 PM and I did not get off the phone until 1 hour and 24 mins 32 seconds later. I initially spoke with a guy named Carlos ext 1006 and he told me that my phone services were cancelled due to the request being more than 30 days or more, and I stated, “it has not been 30 days I put the initial request in on the 23rd or the 25th of February a week ago. So Carlos agreed to put me on hold to find the problem I said okay, so while on hold Carlos never came back I don’t know if he went home or what but he never came back but I was still holding, I held on for about 20-25 mins before another representative answered and when the representative answered the phone he stated, “THANKS FOR CHOOSING TIME WARNER WHERE WE PROVIDE LOCAL SERVICES IN YOUR AREA something to that degree” and his name was Keith, so when Keith got on the line I told him I was just speaking with Carlos and he never came back to the line. So Keith gave me Carlos extension 1006 and offered to transfer me, but I told him no so I had to explain the whole ordeal to Keith. So Keith listen to my problem and then asked to put me on hold to see what he can find and I asked Keith, “Are you going to come back please don’t loose me” and he stated, “Its going to be a brief hold and I am coming back” so I felt relieved for a minute. Keith finally came back to the phone to find out the reason why they cancelled my phone services is because SOMEONE AT TIME WARNER PUT MY REQUEST FOR SERVICES FOR MY DIGITAL PHONE TO BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 8,2008 who in there right mind would transfer services and not want the phone for another six months. I DON’T KNOW BUT IT WASN’T ME, and when Keith told me that I was livid. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. All I know is that I wanted my phone to be connected when I orginally put the request in and I WANT TO KEEP MY SAME NUMBER 336-617-4473. I DON’T KNOW WHO DID IT BUT SOMEONE AT TIME WARNER MADE A MISTAKE AND NOW SINCE THEY MADE A MISTAKE I HAVE TO SUFFER FOR IT. I was not happy at all. And 99% of my attitude is very positive on a regular day to day basis. But that 1% of negativity came out today and I don’t like to be mad at little things like this because that is not my character. I WORK FOR ONE OF THE BEST COMPANIES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AMERICAN EXPRESS, my coworkers and I just had a conversation on services provided by Time Warner, Directv and etc. And I am really going to enjoy the conversation on Monday and see how many employees are going to switch their services now because of your mistakes with my digital phone services. Well back to my dilemma the answer Keith gave me it was unacceptable because the answer he gave me he was told to give me that He was just doing his job and I expected that. I was upset and he offered to get a supervisor on the line to see if the supervisor could make and exception for me to have my same telephone number and to see if I could have my phone services a little before 5 business days. So Keith told me I need to hold for a supervisor and I agreed, so while holding he did check on me to tell me he was still holding with me for the supervisor and I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT, so finally the supervisor gets on the line. Supervisor named Mr.Tony Squivel, he stated , “ I spoke with Keith and Keith told me what was going on” and then he stated , “ I need to ask you a quick question did you have phone services with AT&T” and I said, “ What” “AT&T WHAT IS AT&T (that question caught me off guard, because clearly I pay for TIME WARNER SERVICES ON A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS) So I said no I have time warner services a contractor came and installed my services at least that’s what the truck said TIME WARNER CONTRACTOR. So he finally found the account. And when he did he asked, “Was there any reason why you would schedule your services for August 8, 2008” I stated I did not schedule anything for the 8th of August I scheduled for the 8th of March and I know I did, he stated okay. So he started to talk to me about the procedures and policies for the digital phone and I listened and he also stated the he cannot guarantee I would have the same telephone number because it was cancelled with the old number 3366174473 and I was upset because it cant be that hard to route me back to my old number. I know its procedures you have to go through to get the number attached to each account it cant be that hard. Now I can see if I made the mistake I would be fine with the new number but it wasn’t my mess up but I see I am being held liable for I have to wait another 8 days on top of the week I have waited already. Mr Tony kept insuring me (I AM NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU) (I AM NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU) ( I am going to be totally honest with you I can not guarantee you are going to have the same number, and every time he said that I was upset. Because I h




June 23, 2008
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Here in NC commented:

Mr. Britt, please contact me if you would like to discuss how cable has been "gifted" in the Raleigh Durham area and how the work is being done on the backs off teenage boys here on F1 student visas. Also, I hear through the grapevine that the penalty for false billing back to TWC is easily "forgiven." Your James Lyons at TWC can tell you more and I am an active customer. Feel free to have anyone contact me. I still have the text messages and emails where your contracted employee says he committed the felony action.




June 23, 2008
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Here in NC commented:

There can be no enviable lead to enjoy if you are paying for inflated billing for underground installation or your services are being gifted out for the occasional pizza. You really might want to look into this. I have the proof and if your internal system has not been compromised there is a record of my calls and emails. And the contracting company who has this man is very aware of ALL of his actions, but has turned their blind eye as well. Kindest regards.




July 10, 2008
In response to: Stretching the Lead
Time Warner Cable Sucks commented:

Mr. Britts contact info: 290 harbor drive stamford, connecticut 06902-7441 Office tel #(203)328-0600





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