Mediocre Mediacom

When asked if they typically treat their customers poorly and if they care whether or not customers are happy, a representative of Mediacom said that he was unable to comment. Mediacom, the only cable provider in Springfield, Mo., has been said to have poor customer service and high prices. Subscribers are unhappy about this, mainly due to the fact that there are no other options for cable.

Alli Miyake, Springfield, recently set up an appointment with Mediacom to have them install cable television and internet in her home, and canceled it soon after. She reported that their customer service was unacceptable at the time, and afterward as well, when they contacted her about why she canceled. “No one even apologized after I told them that I was treated very poorly,” said Miyake, 21.

John Sellars, Springfield, wrote in his blog that he had a similar experience. He decided to cancel his Mediacom services after they raised his rates. He received poor customer service as well. Sellars did research and found that in areas where there were more than one cable providers, Mediacom services were more reasonable. “It would seem that when Mediacom is forced to compete, as they are in Clear Lake, Iowa, they're nicer to their customers and their prices are lower,” he said.

Miyake and Sellars are not the only Springfield residents to have these feelings toward Mediacom. The Springfield City Council took a survey in 2006 that showed that the number of subscribers had declined over the past four years, along with their satisfaction with the company. Over half of those surveyed were unhappy with the prices all four years, and less than half were satisfied with the customer service they received.