Breaking up is hard to do, especially with Comcast

Break-ups can be tough – especially when one side just doesn’t know how to let go. And while breaking up with your cable company may not be quite the same as ending a real relationship, this one seems about as difficult as dropping your high school sweetheart before you go off to college.

The conversation below is over eight solid minutes of tech journalist and critic, Ryan Block, trying to cancel his Comcast service. It’s so painful, you just can’t stop listening. In the midst of a conversation that seems to be stuck on an infinite loop, Block tells the Comcast representative repeatedly that he does not want to disclose his reasons for canceling service. Apparently convinced that his job (or life) depends on it, the rep won’t take no for an answer … for eight agonizing and hilarious minutes.

Updated 7/15/2014 at 11:41 AM PST: It didn’t take long for Comcast to address this kerfuffle, and the company is apparently not pleased with its employee’s persistence. The company issued a blanket statement apologizing for its employee’s actions, included below:

“We are very embarrassed by the way our employee spoke with Mr. Block and are contacting him to personally apologize,” the statement reads. “The way in which our representative communicated with him is unacceptable and not consistent with how we train our customer service representatives.” Comcast also claims it is investigating the incident further.

Two minutes into the stalled conversation about why he is canceling, Block politely asks the rep to move to the next question on his form. Audibly confounded, the rep continues with impressive persistence. “I’m just trying to figure out here what it is about Comcast service that you’re not liking … What is it about this other Internet provider that is so much better?” Why do you think she’s prettier than me?!

“This phone call is a really … amazing representative example of why I don’t want to stay with Comcast,” Block replies. And then after a few more minutes, “Are we being punked?!”

This rep either needs to be fired, or promoted to the executive level. Listen for yourself, if you can take it.