Comcast will now call customers who need help instead of putting them on hold

Comcast couldn’t get away from its embarrassing and nightmarish customer service call earlier this year. And after promising to do better and “always treat customers with the utmost respect,” the company is taking one small step to improve the experience of getting help. Comcast subscribers can now skip endlessly holding on the phone to talk with a support representative. Instead, they can now use the My Account app to request a phone call at a time that’s convenient.

A Comcast rep will then call at the scheduled time without putting the customer through a frustrating wait. Call times are available in 15-minute increments, but if you’re not a fan of talking on the phone, there’s also an option to get in touch with Comcast support over Twitter.

“Don’t think this means we’ve stopped working to make the phone experience the best it can be,” SVP Charlie Herrin wrote in a blog post today. “It’s the opposite. We’re working hard to make sure we are serving our customers as quickly as possible across all our channels.” It’ll probably take some time to see whether Comcast’s hold-free approach actually works as promised every time, but the company is clearly taking steps to improve its standing with customers after the “Comcast rep from hell” episode.