Why is xFinity Mobile customer service so terrible?

I've been trying to figure out why your customer service is so bad since I realized I was getting the "run-around" on June the 29th. Let me tell you my story!

Over a year ago (almost 2) I broke my Galaxy S20 and had to order a replacement through the insurer you provide: Assurant. Totally painless process at that time. So, on June 26th when my phone was stolen at a festival, I didn't panic. I had that previous experience that reassured me. As long as I paid my deductible, everything would be fine. I should have panicked instead.

My replacement phone arrived on June 28th and I charged it up then I contacted your chat support team to activate it. I had to wait a bit while the "advanced team" was notified and then I was given the news it would be 24 hours before the activation could take place. Something about the "phone updating in the system". No big deal, really. I thanked the agent and waited 24 hours.

On June 29th, things got worse. The first agent I spoke to contacted the "advanced team" and then let me know it would be 48 hours. I was beside myself. I asked for a supervisor because I now have the fear that, if I just sit and wait those 48 hours, I'll get told there is another delay. I'm fairly sure the person I got was not a supervisor, but they claimed they could get it down to 24 hours since I had already endured so much. Suddenly this inevitable 48 hours was flexible. Knowing that I was being lied to I got a bit irate. That agent tossed a bunch of text in the chat and then closed it out. I calmed down and chatted back in, got put in a long queue for a manager, waited while he contacted that lovely "advanced team" of yours, and then had to swallow the same answer I've been given 3 times up to this point: Please wait 24 hours.

So, June 30th arrives. 24 hours have passed. I head to the local xFinity store because I want to talk face-to-face with a real human being. Hopefully it will be harder for them to blow me off. I should not have underestimated your staff in such a way. One of the managers at the store in Colma / Daly City called my name and I told him about my problem. He whipped out a phone, dialed xFinity support, and put me on speaker phone in a loud store with that agent. Let that sink in please. A manager at your store just literally phoned it in instead of helping me. After being transferred around, would you like to guess how long I was asked to wait before I could activate my phone? If you said 24 hours, you are a winner! This time, though, the guy said it would just work (no need to contact support) and that I could "trust him". I told him that he could trust that - if it wasn't working after 24 hours - I would be getting out of this arrangement with xFinity.

And that brings us to July 1st at 4 PM. 24 hours have now passed (3 times technically) and my phone does not work. I didn't actually trust that it would. I got in my car after work and went back to the xFinity store, hoping for a different manager. I let the person who took my name know I would need a manager, which he completely ignored. The person who called me over listened to my story (so tired of telling it at this point) and then called over a manager. Her idea...bless her heart...was for me to return the replacement to Assurant and get my deductible back. Let's set aside the fact that Assurant states the deductible is non-refundable for a moment and look at where that would leave me: Paying you for a phone I no longer have, even though I did everything that I was supposed to do as a customer. I pay my monthly insurance fees and I handed over the deductible to get a replacement. Yet her idea would see me punished for following the rules and your company would profit from its inability to do something as simple as activate a phone. I guess, to her, it would get me out of the store and it seemed like a "win / win situation".

Finally, the actual manager of the store came over and sat down with me. He did listen to my store and I felt like he really did understand why I am no longer willing to "wait 24 hours" and I want out. He let me know that the phone Assurant sent me would not ever work on xFinity's network due to a technical issue, and those 24 hour waits weren't doing anything. Unfortunately, he was not empowered to make this right on his own. His resolution was to put in a "tier 3" ticket requesting that the remaining payments for my stolen phone be removed from my account and...you guessed it...wait. With the holiday weekend it was actually "wait 72 hours" this time. I did get a response within 24 hours though: "We are unable to process your request". It was slightly more elaborate but just as mechanical and devoid of understanding or care.

I wish this was the end of my story. Honestly I do. I started service with one of your competitors on Saturday and they let me know all I would need to use my old S20 while I waited for my new phone to be shipped would be an unlock code from xFinity for that old phone I paid off months ago. I should have saved that "guess how long" comment above for here. I contacted your chat support team and was told that code would be sent to me in a short 24 hours. I laughed hysterically at this point.

Today, after 24 hours, I didn't have the unlock code. I thought - why not just see what I'm told if I contact support. I know my phone will probably get to me via UPS way before xFinity ever provides a single resolution, but why not!?!? Today, I must have got someone special, because they said I just need to wait 2 hours for that code. I'm sure I won't get it...but I give him/her credit for at least trying something new on me. Good job!

So, what is this support ticket about? I actually don't know. I've been yelling into the void that is xFinity customer support for almost a week now and I guess I just like the sound of my own echo. Maybe show this to someone who cares and has the ability to actually do something about it?