The Verge interviewed more than 150 current and former employees in an effort to understand Comcast’s lousy reputation. We heard the same stories over and over again: customer service has been replaced by an obsession with sales; technicians areunderstaffed while tech support is poorly trained; and the company is hobbled by internal fragmentation.

Comcast country isn’t so much a nation-state as it is a federation of fiefdoms. Like other major players in the cable industry, Comcast grew by rolling up smaller (and sometimes larger) systems… After acquiring these companies, Comcast often left local infrastructure in place, including computer systems and management, which provided short-term continuity. However, this practice — coupled with other factors — fostered an organization with systemic problems and led to notoriously bad customer service.

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Also includes ORIGINAL TESTIMONY by Comcast employees