Touting simplicity, Comcast makes cable services available on Amazon
One or two-year subscriptions to a range of Comcast TV, Internet, and phone services are now available on the dedicated "Amazon Cable Store."
In this Sept. 17, 2015 photo, Comcast trucks are parked in a lot in the company鈥檚 Westford, Mass. operations center. Comcast began making its TV, phone and Internet service available through Amazon on Monday. The company says it will provide dedicated customer service to Amazon customers aiming to answer calls within 60 seconds.
Tali Arbel/AP/File
Comcast has begun selling its Internet, TV, and phone services online through Amazon, in what it says is a move to make new customers鈥� experiences of signing up more pleasant.
A new landing page on Amazon鈥檚 website now welcomes users to the 鈥淎mazon Cable Store,鈥� which offers Comcast鈥檚 Xfinity bundles and includes dedicated customer service for people who sign up using the site.
The store lets customers to a range of Comcast phone, TV, and Internet services, including bundles, for the same prices available on Comcast鈥檚 own site.
The company is pitching the service as for cable, allowing users to make a selection, complete a credit check required by the company, and schedule an installation time all from Amazon鈥檚 store.
Comcast says its partnership with Amazon allows it to reduce the number of clicks it takes to sign up for the services compared to signing up via its own site.
鈥淲e鈥檙e partnering with a company that鈥檚 so good at the customer experience 鈥� I think that鈥檚 really what excites me,鈥� Comcast cable division president Neil Smit .
People who sign up using the site also get access to a dedicated customer service team that aims to answer calls in a minute or less, hopefully reducing the long wait times that have plagued many of the cable giant鈥檚 customers.
To do this, Comcast hired 90 new representatives at call centers in Tucson, Ariz., and Spokane, Wash., to answer calls specifically from customers who鈥檝e bought products through Amazon.
The site also provides a link to help customers who want to avoid leasing a cable modem or router buy their own. It promises that customers or select a no-term contract that would let them downgrade or disconnect their service at any point.
For customers who have complained of long waits to see a technician 鈥� the dreaded window of 9 to 1 even inspired 鈥� the company鈥檚 site includes 鈥渋nstallation considerations,鈥� promising that a technician will be on time and 鈥渂e courteous and respectful.鈥�
As with other products sold through Amazon, the online marketplace will take a cut each time a customer buys a package through the site, the Journal reports.
Outside of their own retail stores, cable providers have also offered bundled services through retailers such as Best Buy. But the effort to sell directly through a widely-used marketplace such as Amazon may mark a new approach.
Cable companies have increasingly faced competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu that offer content directly to customers, while that offer a particular range of channels tailored to particular interests have also become popular.
Comcast appears to be betting that the simplicity of ordering through Amazon could encourage more people to switch to its services.
While the service was initially unavailable in some Comcast markets, a it鈥檚 now available everywhere the service is offered. In the future, the company hopes to sell other services, such as home-security systems, through Amazon.