Recently, a customer trying to cancel his subscription with Comcast taped his conversation with customer service, in which the Comcast representative on the other end of the line pressed – aggressively, and at times, angrily – to keep him from cancelling. Comcast apologized for the incident, stating that what this customer experienced was not company policy. But these sorts of exchanges do happen. Navigating through customer service can be easier if you understand your rights as a consumer.
On this edition of Houston Matters, we discuss what we should know as customers, and how far businesses may go – or choose not to go – to accommodate us. We also welcome your customer service nightmares, and your suggestions for how to improve customer service in general here in Greater Houston.
Then: Have you ever wondered why you believe what you believe politically and ideologically? Most of us have long assumed our family and friends, our experiences, and the view we have of the world that surrounds us all help influence our opinions. But a recent study from Rice University suggests biology may well play a factor in predisposing people to see and understand the world in different ways. Could we actually be genetically predisposed to be conservatives or liberals? We ask John Alford, associate professor of political science at Rice University and co-author of the study.
And: Throughout the summer, Houston Matters is dedicating time each week to books about Greater Houston, set in Greater Houston, or written or edited by Houstonians. Our summer reading series continues today with David Berg – the Houston-based writer and lawyer last year published a harrowing account of his family, and the 1968 murder of his brother Alan. It’s called Run, Brother, Run.
