Door-to-door concerns update: Comcast response

After our post last night about an alleged Comcast employee turning up at WSB HQ at 7 pm, we promised to follow up with Comcast. We got help from a Comcast communications manager we’ve actually met, Alki resident Shauna Causey, who sent this:

Safety and security are extremely important to us especially in WS where Larry Carpenter recently ran into some questionable folks at his door.

We have 3,200 Comcast employees in Washington State so Comcast employees are in West Seattle on a daily basis. Since I donâ€™t have a name, I canâ€™t speak for the employee that you met, although there are several simple guidelines our neighbors can use to recognize legitimate Comcast workers. Keep in mind that many of these guidelines are also useful for identifying employees of other companies that have reason to work inside or outside a home, such as the power company, gas company or other phone company.

Comcast requires that all employees and contract employees wear ID badges at all times. No employee or contract employee is allowed to work inside or outside a customers’ home without an official company ID badge, which will include a photo ID and company logo. Customers can ask to see a Comcast representative’s ID badge. Comcast employees also have clearly visible uniforms, including shirts, hats and vests all of which have the Comcast logo.

All vehicles driven by employees and contract employees are clearly marked with Comcast logos and identification. A Comcast contractor’s van will say: Comcast Authorized Contractor.

Comcast will not ask to work in your home without your prior knowledge. If a customer is unsure of work that is to be performed inside or outside their home, they should call 1-800-COMCAST to verify the work.

If a customer is unsure or uncomfortable, remember there is always the option to ask the person to leave. All Comcast employees and contract employees know that they are to leave the premises when instructed to do so by the resident. Our employees know that legitimate appointments can always be rescheduled.

If you have feedback, questions or concerns, we want to know about them. You can email We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com or feel free to e-mail me directly at Shauna_Causey@cable.comcast.com. Weâ€™re always looking to improve our customer service and we would love to hear your feedback.

AK May 6, 2008 (12:24 pm)

Your question wasn’t answered as far as I can tell. Are Comcast employees walking door to door for customer surveys or not? Wouldn’t Comcast know if they were doing that? Have them check with their Marketing department! I’m sorry but the information she provided is common sense. Anyone can make a company badge and wear it around their neck if they want to get crafty. That certainly doesn’t make them legit!

Sue May 6, 2008 (12:39 pm)

I actually gave Comcast the name of the person who claimed to be representing Comcast at my door last night, and was told that they had no way of checking based on name whether that person was legitimate or not.

Eric May 6, 2008 (12:47 pm)

Easy question for Comcast: do they or do they not do these random “customer surveys” that the original post reports. I’m not sure why Casey didn’t simply make that clear in her answer here.

Eric May 6, 2008 (12:49 pm)

Sue: they have “no way of checking based on name”?? Seriously? They can build a multi-billion dollar cable infrastructure, install it in every house in a city, and move terabytes of data more or less consistently, but they *can’t look up an employee’s last name*??

That is–excuse me–f*ing unbelievable. If Comcast said that, it’s a lie, pure and simple.

JimmyG May 6, 2008 (1:02 pm)

I agree–Shauna didn’t address the question at all, did she?

Maybe WSB could get some clarification.

k May 6, 2008 (1:03 pm)

again, i say do not answer your doors. legit or not. there are too many burglaries right now to take the chance. i do not understand door to door business of any kind in this day and age.

JimmyG May 6, 2008 (1:09 pm)

I answer my door, but the gun on my hip tends to make the sales people not want to stick around.

bart May 6, 2008 (1:15 pm)

Everyone has a cellphone camera, right? Why not take it to the door with you when callers come knocking, and snap a quick photo?

Any legit person wouldn’t mind, and anyone else will surely be spooked right away.

TeresaP May 6, 2008 (1:54 pm)

JimmyG, my new hero!

Comcast owns the cable world as we know it, WHY do they need to have door to door irritating sales people asking me stupid questions???

AAHUUUGGHHH

WSB May 6, 2008 (2:18 pm)

Apparently they do, but that doesn’t mean you can assume that Person X is legit, since as it’s been noted, fakers abound. Shauna promises to follow up on each and every note she gets inquiries about, if you have a name the person gave. Sadly we didn’t … I don’t open the door either. But I suppose a holler out the window, what’s your name, I want to check it with Comcast (or whomever) would separate the wheat from the chaff …

Shauna Causey May 6, 2008 (2:45 pm)

Hi AK, Sue and Eric, Without a name, itâ€™s difficult to know for sure about this specific instance. We do survey our customers each month but the surveys are typically done by phone using an independent third party. If, for any reason, you arenâ€™t sure if the person is a Comcast representative, you can always email the employeeâ€™s name to me at Shauna_Causey@cable.comcast.com. I will follow-up on every request (as well as any other feedback you have).

stinkypinky May 6, 2008 (2:50 pm)

Not only can someone make an ID badge but they can also find various uniform pieces at most thrift shops. I’ve seen all kinds of service industry logo shirts and pants etc. at Value Village. When people leave those jobs they dump their uniforms.

Aural Enhancer May 6, 2008 (9:49 pm)

man paranoia abounds!

bart May 7, 2008 (9:36 am)

No, daytime robberies abound.

Seventeen May 7, 2008 (4:12 pm)

I don’t see the point of being rude when someone is trying to help. No reason denigrate an employee who is trying to help – an employee who is just like you and trying to do the best they can, make a living and survive, for cryin out loud. Shameful.

mpento August 14, 2008 (8:31 pm)

I just found this blog while I was on hold with comcast (on hold you say! that is hard to believe) Anyway I had the comcast sales pitch calling to my house forget when but could have been around May. So I just had someone from comcast at the door again ~8pm Aug 14th. So I called comcast and they are putting me on an all privacy list. Need 5 min on hold to see if there was an option to not have them come to my house. However apparenty they cannot confirm that this option has been assigned to me and it is being passed up to “the supervisor” I think this sales practice is VERY distasteful and was very annoyed especially when the person at the door would not answer my question on how I could request comcast not to call to my house. If I get a update on my privacy status I’ll let you know. BTW west Seattle rocks!

Sorry, comment time is over.