Spectrum Store — Local services in New York

I’ve worked in retail/customer service for over 25 years and this was the worst experience I’ve ever had. I canceled my spectrum cable and internet because there are constantly issues such as cable outages regularly, and the internet being throttled CONSTANTLY. However, any doubt I had about canceling my service with Spectrum is long gone after my experience in this store.

When I got there on 11/7/22 at 5:50pm, there were only three cashiers working, and they were in no hurry to help anyone. The waitlist was 18 people long. I asked one of the cashiers (the one who ended up “helping“ me) where I could return equipment and he pointed to me where I needed to sign in because their kiosk wasn’t working. I waited for 65 minutes to return a modem and a cable box (it would’ve been longer but half of the people waiting walked out over the hour). When my name was finally called, I went up and told the representative again that I was returning equipment. He scanned it and printed out a receipt for me to sign. I said to him, “I waited over an hour for 30 seconds of service?“ His only response to me was a shrug. Not even a ‘sorry about that.’ I don’t know his name because he wasn’t wearing a name badge and the receipt lists him as “&-/”. He only helped two customers throughout that hour, one of which he spent a good 15 to 20 minutes watching ESPN with on the big screen, yet he was rude to me. The supervisor working saw all the people waiting, yet made no effort to assist.

Speaking separately to their mobile services, two years ago, I tried switching to Spectrum Mobile but they kept sending the new SIM card to my old address. Despite this and my calls about it, they kept charging me for the service even though I wasn’t able to use it. When I finally gave up and cancelled the mobile service (that I was never able to use), Spectrum wouldn’t refund me for the entirety of months even though their messing up was the issue.

DO NOT USE SPECTRUM. I cannot stress how much I mean this. They may advertise that they are less expensive, but you get what you pay for, and what you’re paying for is terrible service in every facet: terrible signal and reception, both for cable and Internet, plus horrific customer service. Also be aware that they significantly raise their prices after a year or two. Please don’t waste your time or money on them for...

I had the worst experience at the Jackson Heights Spectrum store last week. I had a reservation, and my name was clearly displayed on the board that it was my turn to step to a desk, but no one bothered to call me up, I gave it about 15 minutes. It's almost as this store is just accustomed to walk ins. After waiting and being ignored, I had to ask the manager, Jorge, to step in and get a customer rep to finally acknowledge my reservation.

The customer service representative who helped me was incredibly incompetent. I was only there to drop off two of my cable boxes to reduce my bill, not to make any changes to my service. After completing the transaction, the worker assured me that no changes were made to my account.

I left the store assuming everything was fine, but within 10 minutes, I received an email showing that my TV service had been downgraded significantly. I had to return to the store, completely frustrated, to inquire why was the downgrade made. The same customer rep's explanation was that he made the change by error, because he was unfamiliar with the system. He then tells me, " I can't change it". Mind you, I was on a discounted special promotion tv package. So the thought of losing that because of his mistake, only infuriated me even more. He then asks me to show him by last statement bill on my phone, even though he has Access to it on his computer. I immediately asked for the manager Jorge, he was able to rectify everything and give me back my original tv package. This isn't the first time I've had issues at this particular store. I normally go to the Astoria Spectrum store has always been a 5 star experience for me, but Jackson heights is closer. I understand hiring bilingual workers is important, especially in such a diverse area like Jackson heights, but I honestly feel that the workers aren't properly trained. They're thrown in the fire, & are always making mistakes across the board. They are unable to explain basic questions about my bill, lack the knowledge to elaborate on the different tier packages. Just overall, this experience was atrocious. I love the spectrum service, even though it is one of the more expensive cable companies outta here. But with this most recent experience, I might...

DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU VALUE YOUR TIME! The lack of organization and professionalism at the Spectrum onsite customer service center is appalling. Upon arrival, there is no greeter or assistance with checking in, leaving customers, especially Spanish and Bengali predominant speakers, confused and frustrated. It's unacceptable to neglect the needs of non-English speakers in such a diverse community.

After finally checking in, I discovered a sea of disgruntled customers, some waiting for over an hour to be served. Despite having six employees, the line barely moved, and the staff seemed indifferent to the growing frustration. One customer even had to resort to pleading to skip the line due to childcare commitments, highlighting the inefficiency of the service.

When I attempted to address the issue with a representative, I was met with indifference and redirected to a supervisor. However, even the supervisor displayed a complete lack of empathy and professionalism. Despite acknowledging the excessive wait times and idle staff, I was informed that I would still have to wait an additional 40 minutes for assistance.

It's clear that Spectrum prioritizes inefficiency and apathy over customer satisfaction. With six employees seemingly incapable of managing a basic queue, it's evident that their onsite customer service is woefully inadequate. Save yourself the frustration and avoid this unprofessional establishment...