Cable techs worry over unmasked customers

When cable technicians make home visits these days, they make sure to wear masks. But all too often, the homeowners do not.

“Most customers I go to aren’t wearing masks anymore,” said a Comcast technician in Stockton, California, who asked not to be named for fear of losing his job.

The technician said he refuses to go inside and fix the TV or internet service if the client won’t wear a face covering. Some of his co-workers have gotten sick from the coronavirus and are under quarantine, he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that household members wear masks during any in-home service visit. Some internet providers ask customers to wear face coverings but say it’s up to employees whether they feel safe to enter a home and should contact their supervisors if they don’t.

Last month, a Twitter user suggested that she saw no reason to comply when a cable company asked her to wear a mask while a technician was visiting her home. “What would be the point?” the user tweeted. “I’ve been here breathing for years!” The user didn’t respond to a request for comment.

During the pandemic, with millions of Americans relying on internet connections to work from home and attend school remotely, cable technicians have been deemed “essential workers” alongside doctors and firefighters.

Last quarter, Comcast Corp. added 323,000 internet customers, the company’s best result during that period in 13 years.