Prince Frederick, MD – The lone Comcast store front will be leaving Calvert County on July 12, 2019 after a proposal from the company was passed 5-0 by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
Comcast negotiated the storefront’s closing for September of this year during the creation of the updated 2018 Comcast Franchise Agreement but requested the date be moved up. Part of the request includes service provided to “additional customers within the 300-foot right-of-way requirements in other areas of the county.”
Commissioner Earl “Buddy” Hance [R-At Large] was not on the board during last year’s negotiations and wanted to hear from Comcast Director of Government Affairs Chris Comer the reason for the closure. The Comcast representative explained that a “steady decline in foot traffic” was the main cause as customers move toward “self-service options.” Comer also noted that none of their competitors “maintain a presence [in the county]” and that a move towards streaming services has nullified the need of a storefront presence.
After Comer finished his response, Hance stated that he knows “people aren’t going to be happy [with the closing]” and acknowledged that he knows the commissioners will “hear about it.” He stated that he “just wanted to hear for [himself] why the store was closing.”
The county Communications & Media Relations (CMR) department raised concerns alongside Commissioner President Thomas “Tim” Hutchins [R] on educating residents of the change and options available for paying bills, exchanging equipment, or any other service fulfilled by the store. Hutchins urged the Comcast representative to “do the utmost” to get the necessary information in front of the public to “ease into the transition.” Comer replied to the Commissioner President, stating that he understood the importance and would “convey” the message to the company.
Included with the proposal to the commissioners was a list of “Comcast Customer Service Options.” Customers who became accustomed to paying their bill in the store can utilize a variety of payment options including by mail, over the phone, online, or even at “one of seven different 7-Eleven retail store located in Calvert County.” As far as the exchanging of equipment, Commissioner Hance suggested those in need of new remotes, cable boxes, or any other gear from the company do it “pretty soon.”
The closing of the Prince Frederick store leaves Comcast’s Waldorf (apprx. 24 miles away) and Annapolis (apprx. 32 miles away) as the closest locations for customers who prefer the physical location. The Comcast representative present at the meeting explained that customers can ship equipment from any UPS store free of charge.
The document containing the proposal and information about options for customers can be found here. Alternatively, county residents can call 1-800-XFINITY for more information.
Contact Jerold at staffwriter@thebaynet.com.