Just read a report that says 30% of all service calls are for problems inside the customer's walls, not our lines

I was looking at some industry data from the NCTA website yesterday. They track service call reasons. I always figured most issues were signal problems or bad connections at the tap. But the report said nearly a third of dispatches are for internal wiring faults, rodent damage, or old customer-owned splitters behind drywall. We roll up, test the drop, and it's fine. The problem is somewhere between the wall plate and the modem, and we can't even get to it. Makes me wonder how much time we spend diagnosing issues we can't fix. Has anyone found a good way to explain this to customers without it sounding like we're passing the buck?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_davis1mo ago

Wow, that stat is a real eye-opener! I always blamed signal issues at the pole too, but it makes total sense now. So many houses have that old, crumbly coax snaking through the walls that we never see. Trying to explain it feels like you're just making excuses, even though it's totally true.

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matthewh281mo ago

Exactly, it's the hidden stuff that kills you. Customers only see the modem blinking red and assume the problem is outside. A quick line test at the wall plate would show the real issue in seconds.