Cox NOCers...
I think I enjoy writing to Cox Technical Support because I know they will respond with exceptionally soul-less, cold factual answer text. Cut and pasted from a machine and then signed. I enjoy the idea that I'm challenging the human on the other end to respond as though they could think with their own brain, or that I could inspire them to rise up against the machine and respond with ORIGINAL dialogue, despite the inevitable shock delivered by the Malasian sweat shop supervisor who is always peeking over their shoulders.
I sent this message (minus some details) to Cox Live chat (which doesn't work if you click the link to use the embedded service, but does if you go to a different page and click a different link for live chat, which is so frighteningly typical of Cox.com it isn't even jarring. The link to the file on how to use OnDemand (which I believe doesn't actually exist, despite Cox's advertisements to the contrary) delivers a very fitting 404.
So my Cox cable box, (Scientific Atlanta 8500, I believe) got an update yesterday... and now it acts... differently... not inherently bad, just not the way it worked on Monday... the non-HD channels are now broadcast in 480p (never made any sense to me that they displayed in 1080i, but who am I to explain efficiency to a company gouging me for $130 a month).
...that got me thinking. What is Cox enabling/disabling/changing/updating in the firmware when they do that... and why?
Of course... Unlike my Wii, or Windows... or anything else I have that updates itself, Cox doesn't TELL me what its doing... a decade into the digital revolution, Cox still acts like a cable company.
Still, I wonder if this info is available? Is there a web page out there with all the details of the push I just got... something? Usenet posting? A worn manual. Sacred tome passed down from Cable executive to cable executive? A clay tablet bearing of the Prophecy of Cox?
Alas, today was not the day, in typical lifeless Cox support fashion the response was:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are sorry for any inconvenience this matter may be causing you.
Please be aware our digital cable receivers update nightly as needed to run efficiently for our customers.
Thank you again for contacting us via I-mail. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Kimberly
E-Care Specialist
Cox Communications - Arizona
I realize Cox does not give a rodent's posterior about Customer Service (and never has, again, they are now and always have been a cable company, the only people more obnoxious than phone companies)... but... SERIOUSLY!? WTF?!
Now I actually have to send THIS to Cox customer service, because I'm dumbfounded. They couldn't even say "No?"
"Kimberly" ( rather "Hu Phuc Ling" or "Savipreya Patel" depending on which developing country Cox is using for the spiritless shades that do their support ) Had to scramble to find anything about automatic updates to paste between the perpetually unchanging "Apolothanks" and the equally automated "Thank you, come again"
You do updates at night. REALLY. Thats awesome and TOTALLY HELPFUL. You guys ROCK.
Night-time... thats exactly what was misssing from the equation.
INCIDENTALLY... the update took place at about 1:30 in the AFTERNOON.
Incidentally, Cox's customer service is so bad, I'm certain that in a month I could build a fully automated system that was equally as effective and save them THOUSANDS in annual salaries (well, hundreds anyway, if the went with Malay).
My response back from Cox Customer Service... I would bet cash money (if I had any) that they answer NOTHING except, possibly to make a big deal about how local support is not outsourced.
I sent this message (minus some details) to Cox Live chat (which doesn't work if you click the link to use the embedded service, but does if you go to a different page and click a different link for live chat, which is so frighteningly typical of Cox.com it isn't even jarring. The link to the file on how to use OnDemand (which I believe doesn't actually exist, despite Cox's advertisements to the contrary) delivers a very fitting 404.
So my Cox cable box, (Scientific Atlanta 8500, I believe) got an update yesterday... and now it acts... differently... not inherently bad, just not the way it worked on Monday... the non-HD channels are now broadcast in 480p (never made any sense to me that they displayed in 1080i, but who am I to explain efficiency to a company gouging me for $130 a month).
...that got me thinking. What is Cox enabling/disabling/changing/updating in the firmware when they do that... and why?
Of course... Unlike my Wii, or Windows... or anything else I have that updates itself, Cox doesn't TELL me what its doing... a decade into the digital revolution, Cox still acts like a cable company.
Still, I wonder if this info is available? Is there a web page out there with all the details of the push I just got... something? Usenet posting? A worn manual. Sacred tome passed down from Cable executive to cable executive? A clay tablet bearing of the Prophecy of Cox?
Alas, today was not the day, in typical lifeless Cox support fashion the response was:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are sorry for any inconvenience this matter may be causing you.
Please be aware our digital cable receivers update nightly as needed to run efficiently for our customers.
Thank you again for contacting us via I-mail. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Kimberly
E-Care Specialist
Cox Communications - Arizona
I realize Cox does not give a rodent's posterior about Customer Service (and never has, again, they are now and always have been a cable company, the only people more obnoxious than phone companies)... but... SERIOUSLY!? WTF?!
Now I actually have to send THIS to Cox customer service, because I'm dumbfounded. They couldn't even say "No?"
"Kimberly" ( rather "Hu Phuc Ling" or "Savipreya Patel" depending on which developing country Cox is using for the spiritless shades that do their support ) Had to scramble to find anything about automatic updates to paste between the perpetually unchanging "Apolothanks" and the equally automated "Thank you, come again"
You do updates at night. REALLY. Thats awesome and TOTALLY HELPFUL. You guys ROCK.
Night-time... thats exactly what was misssing from the equation.
INCIDENTALLY... the update took place at about 1:30 in the AFTERNOON.
Incidentally, Cox's customer service is so bad, I'm certain that in a month I could build a fully automated system that was equally as effective and save them THOUSANDS in annual salaries (well, hundreds anyway, if the went with Malay).
My response back from Cox Customer Service... I would bet cash money (if I had any) that they answer NOTHING except, possibly to make a big deal about how local support is not outsourced.