cox service

Dear Unidentified Cox Respondent:

I write to explain why I am thinking of changing providers. Although the internet service is excellent, the telephone service is in decline (intermittent static on line, suddenly appearing today) after today's sub-contractor technician "fixed" the equipment on the back of the house. Primarily, my dissatisfaction has to do with "On Demand" -- it has been dysfunctional for over a month ..... but I have often reset the cable box (by unplugging it for 30 seconds, or having it set by telephoning a TV customer service technician) in order to eliminate the visual tiling and auditory cutting out. Now, however -- i.e. as of last Wednesday -- there is no way to prevent the tiling and cutting out ..... On Demand has become useless. At first I thought it was because of the (3250) cable box in the living room, where the big TV is, but tonight noticed that even on the little TV, in the bedroom, On Demand is the same -- tiling on HBO, Encore, CBS episodes of this or that program.  On Demand has become useless -- but it is the reason I subscribe to Cox TV service. My husband and I do not watch movies (on the premier stations we subscribe to, and we subscribe to them all) when they are broadcast (e.g., 8 p.m., 6:45 p.m.). Rather we watch them using On Demand -- until recently. Lastly, although we have remained loyal customers (23 years) our loyalty has been prompted by Cox's ability to remedy technical problems. But today two things happened to cause me to reassess my position: 1. None of the customer representatives my husband spoke with over the last few days about On Demand had any idea as to whether the On Demand service was having any trouble (although all were quick to point out that Cox purchased On Demand, and had no control over it), and 2. the repair man who came today left us in worse shape than ever -- he disabled our VCR player, then refused to "repair" it because Cox wouldn't let him, he partially disabled our DVD player but wouldn't "repair" (I use quotes because "repair" was the word he used) it because the "new" (out-of-date box) he replaced our 3250 box with wouldn't allow it. So, not only do we not have On Demand, we can no longer watch one of our 3,000 taped movies, and cannot watch any of our 500 DVD movies without considerable inconvenience -- we are in worse shape than ever. But since I can acquire On Demand on neither of my TVs (either with the 3250 or the "new" (silver, Scientific American) box in the livingroom, or the smaller one in the bedroom), I am assuming that the screw-up is because of something Cox has done or not done -- and not because the On Demand people (wherever they are) have been having trouble for a solid month; in addition, as indicated, I no longer believe that Cox service personnel can remedy the situation, I no longer have faith that the customer service personnel know what they are talking about (none knew from whom or where On Demand originated. The customer service personnel are fine, well-trained persons, but they do not have the answers to my questions, the ability to remedy the problems that prompt the questions, nor the authority to negotiate a reduction of price because of services not rendered. In addition to looking for new TV service (with a reliable On Demand-type service) I am, as indicated in the second sentence. thinking of simply acquiring a wireless phone, and abandoning my land lines (so as not to require a Cox telephone service). When I first became a Cox customer, this kind of letter would've prompted an immediate and customized communication, but I am beginning to suspect that nowadays it will only prompt a once-size-all "sorry about that" response -- even though it appears in a so-called forum -- and that'll be the end of it. It's because I might be wrong, and someone responsible and knowledgeable, with authority, is actually reading it, that I send it.