Guess where I’m writing this blog.
Yep. I’m at McDonald’s again.
We now begin Day 2 of Spectrum telling me to take down my pants and bend over.
Yesterday, I explained that my modem had died. Spectrum told me that I would need to replace my modem – and my router – and that I could bring them to any Spectrum brick-and-mortar outlet to swap them out for free.
“You should get there early,” I was told, “because the Spectrum stores close at 6:00 p.m.”
Well, with some hustle and light traffic, I could get to one after work. Plus, after I pick up the router and the modem, I can go over and help Date Night purchase and install a new television.
So I arrived at the Spectrum store. 5:35 p.m. I made it with 25 minutes to spare.
Then I saw the decal on the store’s front door. Open until 8:00 p.m.
But I was told the Spectrum store closed at 6:00 p.m. Nuts. I drove like a lunatic to get there and I didn’t need to.
Ugh. Okay. Let’s just get this over with.
I punched in my phone number in the acceptance kiosk. 15 minutes later, a Spectrum representative called my name.
I brought him the old router and the old modem. “Don’t worry, Mr. Miller,” he said, “I’ll get you a new router and a new modem.”
Five minutes later, he returned with one box. Oh, okay, I thought, the router and the modem must be in the same box. Easy packing and carrying.
“Well, Mr. Miller … funny thing,” he said.
Rule of consumerism. If anyone starts a sentence with the words “Funny thing,” it’s neither funny nor a “thing.”
“We don’t have any modems here. We’re all out. This is just the router.”
Wait a second … you have no modems? But the guy on the Spectrum line – Ervin – told me that all the stores had plenty of modems and routers.
“Oh, don’t believe anything the call center says,” he said. “They all make stuff up.”
So …. what you’re now telling me … is that Spectrum will straight-up lie to me and say they’ll take care of things rather than actually DO what they say?
“Okay,” I said. “Well, I guess I have no choice. None of the other Spectrum stores are open past 6:00 p.m.”
“That’s not true,” he said. “All the Spectrum stores are open until 8:00 p.m. Who told you that we closed at 6:00 p.m.?”
“The Spectrum call center,” I replied.
“See? They make stuff up. I wouldn’t trust them. They’re crazy.”
Wow. Such customer service. Spectrum brick-and-mortar operations are telling me that Spectrum call center operators are full of shit. REALLY makes me want to sign up for cable packages.
But now I’m stuck. I have a choice. Go find another Spectrum store that MIGHT have the modem I need … or go help Date Night with the television purchase.
It’s no choice. Girlfriend supersedes Spectrum every time.
One television purchase and one installation and one setup later, the girlfriend was happily watching her new TV set and I was headed home – with a router and NO modem. Look, it’s more important to help someone out than to do something for yourself.
So what if I’m writing this blog post in McDonald’s again? Is that the worst thing in the world?
No. The worst thing in the world is dealing with Spectrum.
Now I have to play “modem search” throughout the Capital District tomorrow, just to find what I need – so I can actually work at home and enjoy the internet I freakin’ pay for.
Honestly … I think Spectrum is the reason people prefer BitTorrent. For sure. Ugh.
Chuck The Writer 
Have you tried Verizon FIOS?
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