Great service...if you can get it.

I've had Cox internet since I moved to Phoenix, and have always been pleased with the quality of service , both technically and customer service-wise. My speeds usually exceed the advertised limit. I do not normally use their TV services, as I work for a competitor and get TV service for free, but during the times I did have TV service, I was happy with it.

All that ended when I moved to a new house in Tempe last year. The installer realized that there was no drop to the home and advised that someone would call me in a few days about putting one in. That call never came, and when I called to find out when it could be scheduled, I was always just told "Someone will call you.". After a couple of weeks of having no service, I contacted Centurylink, who were able to get me online within a day. Eventually, someone from Cox did show up at my door with no warning, and I sent them away, as I was now under an agreement with a competitor.

After a year of poor DSL service, I decided to try Cox again. I advised the sales agent that I would need to have a drop run and I was aware that it might take some time. The agent advised me that the work had already been done the previous year and that I just needed a standard installation. I advised him that I didn't see how they could have run the drop without my knowledge, and he promised to look into it further. 30 minutes later, he called back (the only call back I've ever gotten) and assured me everything was fine, "no permits needed", and I'd be up and running by Wednesday.

I stayed home from work the following Wednesday to meet the installer, who of course could not help. I would need a drop run to the house. We went out to the pedestal (right behind my house) and he showed me the cable with was labeled with my address and "DISCONNECTED". He told me that he would put in to have the drop run, and that I should just look out for it. "They probably won't contact you, you'll just come home and the new cable conduit will be right here. Call us back then."

That was on March 23rd, a full 13 weeks ago. I was very patient, waiting until about week 6 to call in for an update. I was told that the last update on the account was from March 25th or so..."Waiting for permit". She said someone would have to "pull the file" and that they would call back in no more than 48 hours with an update. That call, of course, never came.

I waited another 2 or 3 weeks and tried chatting in. The first chat agent just kept sending me a link to check on my order, which of course didn't work since it said right on the web tool that it could only check orders from the last 30 days. After that, I chatted in again with a helpful, patient agent who advised that the last note was from my call a few weeks previous, and it just said "Escalated to the vendor" and that someone would be calling me.

I wouldn't mind waiting 13, 20, or 52 weeks if anyone would ever keep their promise to call back and tell me that it's going to take 13, 20, or 52 weeks. I feel like they are just hoping I will go away, that it's just not worth it to run service to a single house. (Again, the pedestal is DIRECTLY behind my house.) I also find it insulting that I am constantly getting promotional material in the mail, asking me to sign up.

Maybe it's my fault for not calling every day, or getting mad at the agents, so no one ever truly escalates the issue. I've worked in customer service before and I know how awful it is to deal with angry customers. I don't think customers should be rewarded for being awful and aggressive.

So, I guess I'm posting this hoping some public shaming works? But at this point, I really don't expect this issue to ever be resolved. All I want is 40 feet of cable run. I'm told there was a drop there in the past, but it didn't meet current codes so it was just cut. If they would just tell me there's no service there (despite all the neighbors having service), I could move on. But all they ever tell me is "Someone will call within 48 hours."