Beware of Subcontractors Who Destroy Your Brand Reputation
September 12, 2007 by Susan Gunelius
Filed under Marketing
First, let me preface this post by saying I have never been a Comcast customer, but I have heard from more than one person horror stories of installation problems with Comcast technicians. I had no idea that Comcast subcontracts out their in-home service work, but their reportedly poor level of customer service and utter disregard shown toward customers’ homes suddenly makes more sense.
Consumerist.com published a detailed post about the incompetence of the subcontractor who visited his home to do some work on behalf of Comcast. Check out the post here. It’s really quite amazing that anyone can perform work they’re being paid to do so inadequately. Perhaps the relationship between Comcast and its subcontractors is strained, but when you read the post at Consumerist you’ll see pictures showing marks on the author’s walls, phone jacks left dismantled, overall shoddy work and a hole in the author’s television!
I remember a coworker telling me a story about a Comcast technician who visited her home and caused several problems not the least of which was when his drill destroyed her brand new vertical blinds. Now, Comcast did repair the damage at their expense, but what are these experiences doing to the Comcast brand overall and how much money are they losing in repairs?
I’ve had my own problems with subcontractors from Sears and other companies. In fact, I purposefully no longer purchase items that require in-home service calls (e.g., carpet, etc.) from mass retailers like Sears, Home Depot, etc. because I don’t want the work performed by subcontractors. I understand the use of subcontractors may help reduce costs to the consumer, but what is the emotional cost? For me, that’s a cost I’m not willing to pay again. The headaches caused by the subcontractors wasn’t worth the small amount of money I saved.
Of course, not all subcontractors are incompetent, but the bad apples certainly spoil the bunch, at least where Comcast is concerned. What do you think? How can companies ensure their brand name and reputation aren’t tarnished by less than stellar subcontractors?
By paying them more, giving them in-depth training and bonuses for client satisfaction (based on follow-up surveys) and boot the incompetent subs asap! In the meantime, it looks like they could do with some search engine reputation management!
So true, Gab! And I agree, a little SERM can never hurt!
Too many businesses aren’t aware of the damages being done by subcontractors gone wild.
It really is a matter of follow-up, follow-up, follow-up — making sure the customer has a voice and knows how to use it.
I am a subcontractor for Comcast in the Chattanooga area. Every last one of my customers (with the exception of the extremely rude, snobbish ones) always express to me how satisfied they are with my work when I finish their job. I also hear them on the post-telephone call on my way out the door, telling the Comcast dispatch of how courteous I was and of their overall pleasure of the job.
I should also mention I’m 18 years old.
True, there are some subcontractors who really don’t pay as much attention to quality — but the same goes for in-house techs (those that are employees of Comcast). As a matter of fact, in our market, more often than not it’s an in-house tech that has screws something up or refuses to do something, usually causing Comcast to assign the task to us.
Just because one is a subcontractor doesn’t mean they don’t care. More often than not, we do care because we’re paid based on what we actually do. The harder the work, the higher the pay. For in-house techs, this isn’t true sometimes, and I can’t say I blame them, being paid a flat rate for ridiculous amounts of work.
But that’s just my 2 cents.
Just to followup behind Patrick, I too work for a subcontractor as a tech, oh yes and I am female, 46 and work my tale off for basically a pat on the back and get paid per task (my $400/mo cell phone – mostly from calls to customers and dispatch – & daily gas expenses are covered by me and not reimbursed). I always treat my, and I reiterate MY Customers with the utmost respect regardless of how I am treated. Most of the time not only are MY customers satisfied with the service I provided, when a return visit is required they have requested that I be sent back. My work is always neat and as per customer request. Provided it is within the vast realm of my control, I do not leave a job until MY customer is satisfied, Itak my job very seriously as do I MY customers and their homes, treating their home as – at the very least – if it where my own. I work up to 7 days per week and have spent as long as 16 hours per day away from home, averaging at the very least 10. The tech bashing and hunting needs to calm down, we do not have control of the cable industry, we work for it. We do not order nor stock equipment, we install it. We do not write or edit work orders prior to installation, we only have what information is gathered and available to us. I have the utmost sympathy for the fustrations of many and do my best to accomodate all. I grow weary of being yelled at over issues I can do nothing about. I am tired of angry comcast customers driving through my traffic cones (which by the way) is illegal and aiming for my ladder when I’m trying to accomodate one of you while I am – oh yea just hanging around supposedly ( its late and I can’t spell anymore) disconnecting FIOS customers since i don’t get paid for it and have nothing better to do than to get into trouble and piss people off. On that note I have just one question left, DO YOU WORK FOR FREE, please stop asking me to, I do have bills and a child to feed. So far no one is offering any of these expenses as a freebe, therefore I must get paid too. Please be patient, most of us try to the best job we are capable of. When needed, we stay to resolve issues, which each of you asks upon arrival, adding more time than allotted for the job, hence throwing off the time frames, which we end up being back-charged (often more than what the company earned off the job). I have accomodated more – oh yea and while you are here’s after hearing you where late (even after beinng in constant contact with my customer when my time frames have been thrown off schedule) then listening to and I’m not being charged for any of this upon departure after working my tale off to resolve issues not even on the work order. My QC’s and SCOI percentages are excellent along with customer feedback with post calls. I have worked hard for my Tech # and try to preserve a good reputation attached to it. Thank you for listening.