Flow Broadband rant thread

[nirtime]

Flow broadband is one of the most frustrating experiences I've had in recent times with internet.

To start with, they upgraded everyones package a while back but it feels as though its actually been downgraded... 10mbps feels slower than 5mbps.

Youtube videos don't even stream properly. I have to watch videos in 360 and 480p for them to stream smoothly on a 10mbps connection. HD video causes all sorts of buffering slow downs and other challenges like my iDevices automatically switching themselves to 240p video . This has never happened prior to that "upgrade" and no matter how many times I restart my modem or factory reset my router it makes absolutely no difference.

Download speeds at night were once at their peak. Now its a hit or miss whether I'll actually see my real speeds and often times I find my speed drastically cutting down on itself even while downloading from fast websites which bandwidth has never been a problem. It is an absolute nightmare to use Flows internet. Even my Androids tell me the connection is unstable.

Calls to Flow customer service in the past have mainly proved helpful but the waiting time and compensation for loss of time is nonexistent. Instead of actually receiving help, there is the presence of this stupid and call minute wasting music which buys them time for their lack of service.

Frequently I experience disconnections where I must reset the power to both of my internet provisioning devices. I'm fed up of not being able to sit down after a long day and quietly browse the web as web pages can sometimes take up to 5 minutes to load properly or don't even load after some time. Its up to me to refresh the page and hope it loads.

On top of that, my friends have explained to me that they suffer with intolerable "lag" once 6pm hits and they can no longer enjoy their internet since it becomes far too slow and unstable.

Further it doesnt help that flow decided to switch to IPV6 and do so in a sneaky manner without even telling their customers. These are very crucial decisions that affect peoples networking activities since not everyone just browses the web casually. Some of us depend on IP Cameras and Servers and in silently switching without telling people Flow has shown disregard for their customers.

I'm unsure as to when the day will come when we will actually get what we pay for as it seems to me that they are playing cheap and refuse to acknowledge the problems that consumers face with their rubbish quality internet services. I'm at a breaking point but there's nothing else that's worth it as far as I can see for the price.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I'm sorry to hear such issues with Flow, but from my experience Blink is no better. Maybe they both need some serious competition to get themselves into gear

 

[sonygoup]

Nirtime you know today I went a Network + class to learn that 5mbs is actually better than 10mb because it works as fast as the server can serve. Most servers don't get any higher than 1.5 mb/s so unless you are downloading a lot of stuff all once. And to add its like having 1000 cars on the road while it only supports 100! When flow gave 5mbs the service had less issues alone with better better performance.

And remember when I said flow was coming to my house today?! They called me around 11 so to say that the date change to Wednesday but unfortunately I wasn't home to get the call so I could of talked to the CSR but Wednesday is ridiculous because I know they does take forever to come to your house but Wednesday really! I really wish I could have just walked into a flow office and hand over my modem but I cant because Ive been with every to service provider of Internet and its been the same, right through from Greendot to Blink then Flow. As a service provider there CS is a hit and miss with one person knowing something and the next not being able to anything! And yes back in the days of 5mbs speeds, was the best never had to call flow one day but as soon as I got that 'Upgrade' its been an on/off love romance with me & flow -_-. Its all started November of 2013...

 

[nirtime]

Same time for me as well. I don't care what their problem is I just want reasonable service and that's not unfair since I'm a paying customer and all for the past idk how many years.

Bro I hear you with the net+, it makes a lot of sense but honestly I don't expect a 10mbps connection to run slower than a 5. Which is what happens.

I do use my DL speed a lot at times and whenever it decides to work properly I'm always happy for the DL speeds.

Another thing I don't expect them to actually show up at your place assuming you told them what exactly is your problem. They may as well put aside your complaint.
Also I hate having techs in my house. My family does not wear shoes upstairs in our house and some of these Tech's don't respect that. Whenever I'm around I tell them I don't wear shoes here etc but my mom does not.

A blink tech came across once. He gave us good service and even showed me how to program remotes for the set top boxes so I was very impressed with his service and that may as well be the only good experience I ever had with techs. He really tried and at the end of it he succeeded and I had no complaints about his service.

Otherwise I don't like techs in my place some of them have no care whatsoever for peoples houses.

 

[sonygoup]

Also I hate having techs in my house. My family does not wear shoes upstairs in our house and some of these Tech's don't respect that. Whenever I'm around I tell them I don't wear shoes here etc but my mom does not.
Otherwise I don't like techs in my place some of them have no care whatsoever for peoples houses.

See what you say there! Is the same problem my mother almost trip off for and had to run a Greendot tech! She asked him to remove his shoes or wipe his feet on the two mats, the guys replied with a 'why I not staying here long steups'
That was it there he had to leave the house one time! Some of them have no respect for the customers and like they does walk up and down there house with shoes by the way they does just walts in without care... Thats one of the reasons why we switched over to Blink at the time. Bought some shoes cover just for these guys!

 

[nirtime]

See what you say there! Is the same problem my mother almost trip off for and had to run a Greendot tech! She asked him to remove his shoes or wipe his feet on the two mats, the guys replied with a 'why I not staying here long steups'
That was it there he had to leave the house one time! Some of them have no respect for the customers and like they does walk up and down there house with shoes by the way they does just walts in without care... Thats one of the reasons why we switched over to Blink at the time. Bought some shoes cover just for these guys!

So if I can guess, the final result of that bad attitude was just that they either sent another tech or never bothered to send a tech after that right? I will never understand the quality of service down here.

 

[sonygoup]

Well Greendot usual send two technicians so the other one did the entire without even complaining or even seeming bothered that his co-worker was sent away. They always had to come change the part (cant remember the name of it) on the satellite and realign.

As for for Customer Service in Trinidad is probably the worst at times but ever so often you get some really good customer service that you just have to thank the person! I remember begging my sister too hire me and being sent to Digicel Head Office to work as a CSR (Work was real hard to find :/), I tried my very best to help customers and making sure they're satisfied but its really the customer that cause the most problems in my opinion. And because of that, the CSR's build up the natural aggressive attitude to customers just because of sometimes one customer vexing em! Another thing cause bad CS its not training or very little, because I'm sure you went somewhere and the CSR have no idea how to speak to people. Went to servisair the other day to be addressed as 'Ay ay ur next' is because I doesnt feel to get mad everyday I left her.

 

[nirtime]

I see what you mean. Its true, dealing with locals is no easy task especially when they treat you like dirt and you're nothing. It tends to build up resentment and it really takes a person with a wide tolerance level to be able to cope with that and not become affected by it over time.

Yes that too, always appreciative of good customer service as its rare and always seems much better than the usual.

 

[sonygoup]

So...Flow never showed up! Cool right?! No call nothing to say anything now it has me wondering which Wednesday they were talking about. Tried calling em this morning but to hear 15 mins or some one is gonna get to you! This is reallly amazing, and now my cable freezes randomly also hmmm seems like I'm gonna need a satellite soon

 

[nirtime]

Seems like you may really need a satellite now. Thats just bad service and in all fairness maybe you should just consider another provider, I mean, yes all have bad service but I feel flow and their techs are the worst.

 

[Steven Ramadar]

Heard a Greendot advert where they were boasting about high speeds and played a track of a plane/jet passing and said it's faster than that. Funny stuff out of all seriousness flow playing up ATM. My net starting to shut down every two minutes

 

[sonygoup]

Only thing about satellite is the high price for start up but after it should be cheap in terms of maintenance and stuff. Do a full look into it!
Called back flow btw! To be told that there Technician had some vehicle problems the day (Yesterday), ok I cool with that but amm calling the customer to say something like I'm not coming today would be fine because day to day we all have vehicle problems. Asked why so rude, to be told he doesnt know not his job -_- but promised to send email to supervisor. I selling the only way I geting good CS from flow is just to know a Manager yes, because its like only when you know somebody you get something done!

 

[Shadowhunter]

A notice beforehand really is pivotal with business like this because some people hold off on prior engagements or take a day off from work to wait around for the promised service. I tried getting hooked up with Flow some time ago and the technician himself called to inform me of when he was kept back and where he was, how far away etc and really worked with me to come at a convenient time. He ended up coming another day and when I called Flow to thank them for the service and query some more stuff they actually hadn't known that the technician had come and finished what he had to do!

I think sometimes things get done with Managers when the CSR doesn't want to be held responsible for mix-ups or be held accountable for run-arounds.

 

[nirtime]

Only thing about satellite is the high price for start up but after it should be cheap in terms of maintenance and stuff. Do a full look into it!
Called back flow btw! To be told that there Technician had some vehicle problems the day (Yesterday), ok I cool with that but amm calling the customer to say something like I'm not coming today would be fine because day to day we all have vehicle problems. Asked why so rude, to be told he doesnt know not his job -_- but promised to send email to supervisor. I selling the only way I geting good CS from flow is just to know a Manager yes, because its like only when you know somebody you get something done!

I will look at the satellites in seriousness. I have Blink TV though, it works well and blink's techs are far better than flow's.

I see what you mean, its no problem but the communication. Its just like being hours late lol.

 

[nirtime]

A notice beforehand really is pivotal with business like this because some people hold off on prior engagements or take a day off from work to wait around for the promised service. I tried getting hooked up with Flow some time ago and the technician himself called to inform me of when he was kept back and where he was, how far away etc and really worked with me to come at a convenient time. He ended up coming another day and when I called Flow to thank them for the service and query some more stuff they actually hadn't known that the technician had come and finished what he had to do!

I think sometimes things get done with Managers when the CSR doesn't want to be held responsible for mix-ups or be held accountable for run-arounds.

True, its about who you know a lot of the time. Otherwise its hit or miss but from the way it seems, we could do with another provider.

 

[nirtime]

So to follow up on my rant: I am no longer with Slow - I mean flow. I have switched to Blink Broadband and have absolutely no problems what so ever. My DVR connects wirelessly to the blink modem thanks to the technicians installing an ethernet to wifi adapter so that there was no inconvenience caused in the shift in relocating my router.

Flow really has to get their act together in my area if they are serious about providing quality service.

 

[Shadowhunter]

The word on the street is that Flow is coming to my area and I'm actually excited. Conversely for me, Blink has been one disappointment after another.

 

[nirtime]

I have noticed that the quality of service is truly area dependent.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I've noticed that as well with both companies. From the feedback I've gotten from others we should get good service from Flow here as poor service from Blink is just expected and condoned in my area.

 

[nirtime]

Usually when one provider has poor service in an area the other is usually good. Flow might just be your escape route.