Comcast Serves Up the Worst Tech Support Call Ever to Engadget Editor (Audio)

America's largest cable provider now has a very large problem. An audio recording of a Comcast phone support conversation gone-wrong has now gone viral, and let's just say it doesn't do the cable giant any favors.

In fact, this might be the worst tech support phone call ever.

And it certainly doesn't help Comcast any that the disgruntled customer on the recording just happens to be Ryan Block, former editor for Engadget, one of the internet's most well known tech sites.

After recording the call in question (unbeknownst to the Comcast rep), Block then took to Twitter to share his nightmare experience with the world, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly in his favor.

According to Yahoo!, the trouble began when Block's wife phoned Comcast to inform them that they were switching cable providers. Comcast transferred her to the "cancellations" department and that's when a representative began hounding them and demanding to know why Block and his wife were switching services.

Block described the situation himself:

"The representative (name redacted) continued aggressively repeating his questions, despite the answers given, to the point where my wife became so visibly upset she handed me the phone. Overhearing the conversation, I knew this would not be very fun.
"What I did not know is how oppressive this conversation would be. Within just a few minutes the representative had gotten so condescending and unhelpful I felt compelled to record the speakerphone conversation on my other phone.
"This recording picks up roughly 10 minutes into the call, whereby she and I have already played along and given a myriad of reasons and explanations as to why we are canceling (which is why I simply stopped answering the rep's repeated question - it was clear the only sufficient answer was 'Okay, please don't disconnect our service after all.')."

Just to give you an idea of what Block was dealing with, the recording of the call begins like this:

Block: We'd like to disconnect please.

Comcast rep: Why is it that you don't want the faster speed? Help me understand why you don't want faster internet.

Block: Help me understand why you can't disconnect us.

Comcast rep: Because my job is to have a conversation with you about keeping your service, about finding out why it is that you're looking to cancel the service.

Block: I don't understand ...

Comcast rep: If you don't want to talk to me, you can definitely go into the Comcast store and disconnect your service there.

The conversation basically repeats that same exchange for another seven minutes or so.

If you want to infuriate yourself, you can listen to the entirety of the recording below:

It is truly disturbing to hear the rep's complete lack of empathy, or humanity for that matter. It is almost as if Block is speaking with some sort of advanced artificial intelligence program that Comcast developed to dissuade customers from canceling service through the sheer power of ignorance.

Comcast has not surprisingly scrambled to provide some sort of damage control in the wake of the recording spreading online and through news outlets.

They were nice enough to release a statement on the as-yet-unamed employees' behalf. You know, the one who provided Block with the "customer service" in question.

A portion of Comcasts statement reads:

"We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally apologize. The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives."

We seriously doubt that Comcast (and most companies) train their employees to just let customers cancel their service without any questions asked. Certainly the rep in question most likely exceeded his corporate mandate when he harangued Block about why he and his wife were leaving Comcast.

But part of us can't shake the feeling that this rep, whoever he is, has probably already been promoted and given some sort of plaque. That would make sense.