Optimum — Local services in San Angelo

I have been a Suddenlink customer for 10 years. Initially I purchased internet and tv services. We had issues with internet service in the first year and customer service was local. I could call and the person on the other end was knowledgeable, kind, and from Texas, if not west Texas. Then the price began to go up. What started as a reasonable bill increased approximately ten dollars every six to 12 months along with notifications prior that new speeds or additional services were being added to our current plan at the current price. I changed residences and kept my internet service only a year and a half ago. When I switched I paid the new balance towards my account, and then received past due notices. Unfortunately they opened a new account for the new residence and did not tell me I would need to set up a new online access much less that there was a new account. That was difficult and time consuming to fix. Customer service never admitted the error nor apologized - her attitude was less than kind and continually interrupted me and tried to speak over me. I enrolled in paperless billing, however on more than one I occasion I never received an e-bill. I checked junk mail box - it was never sent. Again before having had the “new” account for a year, came the rate increases. I called and attempted to get this lowered with no success. They pushed bundling and more services which I did not want. I called a few weeks ago to cancel service. It took a significant hold time to reach someone. When I was transferred I was told repeatedly that the company is making changes and have new services and would not simply let me cancel. Thirty minutes later of politely listening to her chew gum loudly in my ear and openly talk with other coworkers in the call center she finally believed me and said my last day of service was the 13th. I was given no instructions for equipment return and the call ended abruptly. The 13th came and went. When I still had service the 14th I checked online and saw that I had a new bill for service period for December through January. New charges. Not disconnected. I went in today and waited an hour to be helped. There were two customer service agents working the majority of the time. There was a third for the last 20 minutes I was there. There were not enough seats for those waiting. There was a gentleman there standing (I believe he chose to stand - his joints were visibly giving him trouble and locking up - just a guess that it would have been more difficult for him to get back up after sitting than to remain standing) with a cain for 45 minutes of the time I was there before he was assisted. Once I reached the desk I asked for help to make the errors right. I was told that the call center receives different training than those in the office. I was told that the amount owed was not for the next month as shown and worded on the bill but was past due and therefore had a late charge. I was told a different amount (greater by $7) than what was shown on my account online. It wasn’t worth arguing over to me. I returned the modem and cable, received receipt of return then requested proof of disconnect and zero balance. I received a rather unofficial screen shot as proof. I would not recommend this company. They will not be receiving any further...

Horrible customer service, confusing deactivation procedures, and draconian policies designed to fleece money from users. With a projected move to a new city, I looked up online how to deactivate my account, but the website was not helpful, and I decided to go in-person. I moved out of my house on 17 May and unfortunately due to dealing with movers and cleaning could not break away until 23 May. The store informed me that they would collect my equipment, but I had to call an 888 number for the service deactivation. I immediately called and was under the impression everything was taken care of following that conversation. The next day I received an email saying the deactivation would be effective 20 June and I'd be receiving a bill on 1 July. I immediately called back to sort this out. During the first call the deactivation technician said there was nothing to be done and that it was company policy. I asked to speak with a supervisor. She claimed they had no supervisors in deactivations but would transfer me to customer service. Instead, I was hung up on. I called back and spoke with a new deactivation technician. He was extremely apologetic and understanding of the situation. With the details I provided him with he spoke to his supervisor and was able to secure a small partial credit but said that billing would be able to assist with further credits and transferred me there. The initial billing technician immediately started up saying there was nothing they could do and that it was company policy. I asked to speak to a supervisor which he said he would transfer me to one. Instead, I was hung up on. Again. I called back a third time. Deactivations re-transferred me to billing, and the new billing tech refused to transfer me to a supervisor until I explained the situation. Explained again. The second billing tech again started saying it was company policy and there was nothing to make right. I again asked to speak to a supervisor. I was transferred to escalations successfully, but the call was dropped due to a loud buzzing sound in the background. Escalations called me back right away, and immediately started up with nothing he could do to make this right and that he was doing his job upholding company policy. I asked to speak with someone above him and was told there was no one above him, to include not having a supervisor of his own. Everyone has a boss. Pointed out that I was told by the gentleman in deactivations that this could be made it right. Escalations jumped right to accusing that individual of lying to me, then continued to parrot that he didn't have a supervisor, there was no one above his team, and that billing cycles are company policy. I hung up on him in anger and frustration. I'm now stuck paying for an additional month of internet service in a house I've already vacated in a city I'm about to leave in less than a week. Avoid Optimum if you can. If you have no other choice for internet service providers, then be very careful when it comes time to deactivate your service. On top of that, their own teams accusing each other of lying is...

NOT SO SUDDEN…LINK Is it just me or is every interaction with Suddenlink make you cringe in frustration and worrisome for humanity? Second time moving in a year and to be honest, moving my Suddenlink service, and the eventual headache it would bring, was a factor in wanting to move or not. Sure enough, my scheduled appointment came….and went. Called customer disservice and asked about the status of my technician 2 hours after the appointment time. Was told they were held up by traffic and would be calling shortly. No more than 5 minutes later, I get the automated phone call stating the technician was on the way. Excellent! Until the technician never showed up. Trying to withhold my frustration and explicitives, I called customer disservice once more and they informed me there was no excuse, and they automatically rescheduled me for the next day, first thing in the morning. As the anger sharks entered my brain, I said “okay, what’s another few hours, it’ll get handled”. Day 2: appointment time comes and goes…and yet another phone call to customer disservice. Again, no reason for getting stood up, just that they had to reschedule my activation for the next day (deja Vu?) . With the anger sharks swimming aggressively in my head, some poor woman that didn’t speak English got the bad end of a grown man temper tantrum. (If you ever read this, I’m truly sorry…but you work at Suddenlink so you deserve it). Day 3: same story…however, as I write this review, I am on the line with customer disservice with an individual who does not speak English, nor does he seem sober enough to receive a first name and last name, as he asked me to verify it three times. But then I think…he works at Suddenlink, I would probably be an alcoholic not wanting to work either. I would just like internet so that my spouse can get back to working from home, and my son can stop playing local games of Mario kart. The only thing we have yet to unlock is Suddenlinks ability to operate as a functioning company. Thank you for listening…except Suddenlink because we all know you’re...