Joe, I had a completely different experience.

Because the apartment complex where I live does not allow dishes, and a neighbbor was having the devil's own time getting her digital phone and internet squared away, I literally just started with Comcast, and their phone assist service was in one word, outstanding.

Back in 2000 when I thought I was leaving the Federal service I bought a fairly expensive Dell from the Federal service price line. (To those who don't know, if you are in the Federal service you can buy a government spec'd computer for the Federal price).

Then because I indeed got another Federal job and did not what to mess with a computer at home, I lent it to CarolC who used it through phone modems for several years. When she married Jack the Sailor I got it back, and left it in a box for several more years.

I retired in Oct of last year and after settling out the Social Security, savings (which my genius son-in-law told me to take out of the market in Sept. and put into CD's) and VA disability, I decided to get back on-line.

My main problem was that CarolC had left a number of programs on my computer which were no longer valid, and my computers operating system, MS 2000ME, does not support some of the faster stuff. (To be clear, this was my ignorance, and Carol was always welcome to the computer. She got far more use from it than I ever will).

In three epically long phone conversations with the Comcast phone help staff I was never treated with anything less than respect, and they literally spent hours clearing up and deleting old programs, and assisting me in getting on-line and my email system up and running. (And at no time was I speaking to India).

I can't help but think that once this market shakes its self out, those systems with the best customer service will rise again. As it is, the only folks who can buy new goods and services are the old geezers like me whose parents were depression era children, and always knew the Government wasn't going to get to you for three days of anything, and you are on your own.

By the way I do think Obama is trying, but he is at least six months away from making landfall. And no-one will ever get easy credit again...