Wait, where's the line?
Comcast's new Xfinity stores aim for an Apple Store experience — and Katy's thefirst test market
Those brutal lines at the cable store soon could be a thing of the past, as the nation's largest cable and Internet provider aims to transform its customer experience.
And it's all starting in Katy, where Comcast is launching a newly christened Xfinity store with a rebranded setup that will feel more like the Apple Store than the Department of Motor Vehicles. It's the first store of its kind in the country.
"Each guest will be met by an Xfinity greeter at the door," says Michael Bybee, Comcast's senior manager of public relations for the Houston area.
It will feel more like the Apple Store than the Department of Motor Vehicles.
"On an iPad, greeters will enter the customer's information into a queue system, which frees up guests to wander the store and check out other Comcast services. Or they can get comfortable in one of our seating area and watch 3D TV."
Placed around the 3,200 square-foot center, will be a series of kiosks that demonstrate Xfinity's offerings for television, Internet, phone service and home security.
“This new model has a more welcoming design," Doug Guthrie, Comcast’s senior vice president for Houston, said in a recent statement. "We apply the same mindset of innovation, speed and utility that our customers love about our products to our customer service.”
In 2012, the company will open three more Xfinity stores throughout the area. Comcast plans to replace or refurbish its old stores across the nation with the new design in the next few years.
The Xfinity Customer Service Center, located at 517 South Mason Rd in Katy, is open Monday through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.