Working for Charter

Since I started this blog I have read a large amount of interaction between Charter employees and their customers over on their Facebook page. Those of us who are unhappy with Charter's service, or lack of service in the case of the Pac 12 Networks should stop and realize we are just dealing with folks who work there and have little or no power to change things. It doesn't do any good to "yell" at them or be anything less than courteous and polite. BTW I really dislike the works "Charter Sucks!" The folks that handle the Facebook page for Charter are in Tom Wolf's phrase "flack catchers". Be nice to them even if you are unhappy with Charter. They are just working stiffs trying to pay their bills like everybody else. Some interesting comments from former and present Charter employees can be found here:

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Charter-Communications-Reviews-E5480.htm

Some interesting quotes:

The Big Lie - I was hired to work in tech support and discovered that over 70% of my performance evaluation was based entirely on how well I attempted to upsell additional products during support calls. Scheduling is absolutely awful in all phases - often the lowest census would be during the busiest times, and conversely the highest census would be when the phones weren't ringing at all. Forget ever having consecutive days off, or ever taking a sick or vacation day - "We're understaffed - we need you to come in" is a constant refrain when those are requested. Quite frankly, I'd rather live in a cardboard box than work there again.
Advice to Senior Management – Separate sales and support.

Worked outside the Charter footprint at a call center in Louisville. Free access to movie channels online, rewards bonuses for selling, commissions are good.

Cons – Work is dull after short while. It is a hardcore customer service job with a minimal focus on troubleshooting and a heavy focus on selling and marketing skills. Must be very patient and willing to accept the fact you are going to be unable to fix many things. Must be willing to get yelled at on a daily basis, be called names, and recieve conditional appreciation from your superiors.

Advice to Senior Management – There are many problems with Charter. More tools and less rules. Charter tends to flip-flop on its proceedures and policies a lot. Pick a plan and stick to it, fine tune-it, and listen to the employees much better.

I encourage Pac 12 fans to continue to let Charter know we want the Pac 12 Networks and if they don't, move on to Dish.  However, it important to be civil in doing so. I still live in a world were folks are folks and like to be treated like folks.  I guess I learned that from my folks who were from South Dakota!