[theandies]

This Saturday we had a mild wind storm (30 mph) anyway while watching HD it started to pixilate and the searching for satellite signal window kept popping up. I just got off the phone with a tech (couldn't really try any fixes, I am at work, but I already did everything they are going to get me to try) and all I want is a tech to come out and check the dish alignment as a few transponders are reading in the 20's. They said it will be a $70 fee since I don't have the "protection plan", $30 if I did. I already pay D* almost $100 a month and think this is Bull$%&@. What can I expect from customer retention? I've been a customer for 10 years. After I heard the fee part I almost cancelled my service right then. I’d do it myself (I’m an electronics engineer) but I don’t have the equipment or a tall enough ladder.:lol: Anyone have the number for customer retention? Anyone had a similar experience?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Radio Enginerd]

This Saturday we had a mild wind storm (30 mph) anyway while watching HD it started to pixilate and the searching for satellite signal window kept popping up. I just got off the phone with a tech (couldn't really try any fixes, I am at work, but I already did everything they are going to get me to try) and all I want is a tech to come out and check the dish alignment as a few transponders are reading in the 20's. They said it will be a $70 fee since I don't have the "protection plan", $30 if I did. I already pay D* almost $100 a month and think this is Bull$%&@. What can I expect from customer retention? I've been a customer for 10 years. After I heard the fee part I almost cancelled my service right then. I'd do it myself (I'm an electronics engineer) but I don't have the equipment or a tall enough ladder.:lol: Anyone have the number for customer retention? Anyone had a similar experience?
Thanks in advance!

Raise hell... That's all I got to say. Funny story...

When I got an HDTV I called Dish (3+ year relationship in VERY good standings) because I wanted to add an HD DVR and increase my programming package. I owned all my equipment at the time and was NOT in a contract.

I had already priced equipment, programming and DirecTV won hands down. Since it was "easier" to stay with Dish (and since I had a relationship with Dish) I told them I wanted to stay with them and that I wanted the same promotion they offer new customers. I played CSR roulette; I even asked to be transferred to retention and a manager. No one at Dish cared! They gave me a small rebate but would not honor my request The last thing I said was, "Please take me seriously, and I'm going to switch to DTV". They said, "I'm sorry sir, there's nothing I can do for you..."

I have since switched to DTV. When I called to disconnect Dish they IMMEDIATELY transferred me to retention where they FINALLY offered me the same promotion they give NEW customers... It was too late. DTV was already installed and the Dish was in a pile of trash on the side of my house. I have since received 2 calls from Dish and they made some enticing offers but I'm a man of principle... I can't go back to a company that treated me sooooo lousy when I was a customer and now, all of a sudden, is willing to help me once I disconnect.

My point: A huge problem exists with customer service at BOTH companies. The grass is NOT ALWAYS greener. What I can say is that several of my friends and family have DTV and all say that they are taken seriously when they "***** and moan" about things. I can't say I was EVER taken seriously from Dish. I think DTV is the lesser of 2 evils (harsh words I know).

 

[Mallard]

I had almost *exactly* the same experience with Dish. I was a customer for 6+ years, told Dish I wanted to stay a customer, said DirecTV was making a very good offer, what could Dish do to match? All I got was a $100 discount offer. When I said I would cancel and switch they said "Sorry to hear that." (I called at least three times, and spoke with at least three different CSRs.)

I switched to DirecTV. When I called to cancel Dish, I was transferred to an ACCOUNT SPECIALIST. When I told him I was switching, this person immediately wanted to make a better offer. I told him it was too late, I had already activated DirecTV, and why couldn't one of the other (at least three) CSRs have made me a better offer. He said only account specialists were able to give anything other than the standard offer.

My advice, if you want a decent offer, make sure you get transferred to an account specialist. Let me know if you have any success. Good luck!

 

[ApK]

I think DTV is the lesser of 2 evils (harsh words I know).

Lesser of THREE evils. Comcast did the same thing. Couldn't care less about keeping me, couldn't care less that the services I was paying for didn't work.

After I went to DTV, THEN they start making the offers. Duh. That strategy MAY work if your product is clearly better than your competition, and you expect people to come crawling back en masse, but not when your product and especially service suck and your competition is pretty good.

And really, in six months with DTV, the only complaints I have about the product is that the R15 sucks and I get a bit more rain fade than I expected, and I have no complaints about the cutomer service so far. So they haven't shown me the evil at all yet.

 

[carl6]

Lesser of THREE evils. Comcast did the same thing. Couldn't care less about keeping me, couldn't care less that the services I was paying for didn't work.

Yup. Same here. Face to face, not even on the phone, and the lady at Comcast said "Well, you gotta do what you gotta do." I did.

Carl

 

[JLucPicard]

theandies,

A service call is $70 if you don't have the plan. If you add the plan right then when you have a problem that would otherwise be covered, they drop the fee to $30 - there is normally a 30 day wait period after you sign up for the plan for it to take full effect. Thus they give you a discount on the service call to fix your problem if you sign up for the plan.

I, too, am a long-time, good customer (A-List), and I have subscried to the Protection Plan for years. Although I feel for your situation, I don't know that I would be too thrilled to know that although I have been paying for the plan for years that it was really unnecessary if I was a good customer and just screamed loud enough.

Certainly talk to Retention and see what they can do for you, and if they can fix you up, great. However, I really don't care for someone getting the benefits of the Protection Plan without having paid for it - makes it kind of a raw deal for we who have been paying for it (and I only took advantage of it one time about 4 years ago to replace a worn through length of cable). Yes, it's my choice to pay for "insurance" if you will, and these things usually are slanted in favor of the providor, not the providee, but if D* provided the benefits for free, why would anyone sign up for it? If you'd rather not pay $72 a year for it, that's perfectly within your rights. But it will then cost you $70 for someone to come out and resolve your situation.

Not trying to be harsh, just trying to be real. By the way, the Retention Number is 1-800-824-9081.

 

[serenstarlight]

Personally if you talk to retention they may in fact waive the fee for you or at least discount it. However, they won't in the future. I can see waiving the fee if you had an installation 90 *days* ago and you barely entered out of the coverage time. But as stated by JLucPicard there are long term customers that take the plan and don't complain, they don't expect things for free just because they pay a certain amount each month.

 

[Radio Enginerd]

Personally if you talk to retention they may in fact waive the fee for you or at least discount it. However, they won't in the future. I can see waiving the fee if you had an installation 90 months ago and you barely entered out of the coverage time. But as stated by JLucPicard there are long term customers that take the plan and don't complain, they don't expect things for free just because they pay a certain amount each month.

90 months ago? WOW!

We all knew what you meant... :lol:

 

[Andrew_J_M]

theandies, you don't say what equipment you have. It may be that by calling retention they will offer you an upgrade to a new HD receiver or DVR, which will entail a new AT9 dish, for zero dollars, in fact they may even include a discount for the next 6 months.
Worth a try - in my experience the D* retention reps are some of the best call center folks I have to deal with.

 

[serenstarlight]

90 months ago? WOW!

We all knew what you meant... :lol:

haha nice catch.. obviously too early for typing

 

[Radio Enginerd]

haha nice catch.. obviously too early for typing

Sarcasm is just one more service I offer!

Love your sig.

 

[serenstarlight]

Sarcasm is just one more service I offer!

Love your sig.

lol thanks

 

[theandies]

theandies, you don't say what equipment you have. It may be that by calling retention they will offer you an upgrade to a new HD receiver or DVR, which will entail a new AT9 dish, for zero dollars, in fact they may even include a discount for the next 6 months.
Worth a try - in my experience the D* retention reps are some of the best call center folks I have to deal with.

I have an H20 and AT9 dish. I agree that since I have not paid for the protection plan that it's not fair to those who have but I've never heard about or was told about the protection plan. If I had I might have purchaced it. I think it should be included in any programing that is higher than the base programing package. I have no problems with D* in the past and when my AT9 was installed the work orders got messed up and a CSR got is all taken care of the day of my installation appointment so they have been very good to me. I am going to call retention and see what they say. I know my dish is a little out of alignment because now that the wind storm is gone I get a good signal on all trasponders execpt for 2. They are low but I am now getting all channels again. The storm must have pushed it out of alignment slightly. I have no trees or other obstructions that could have been blowing in front of the dish during the storm. Thanks for all your help!:up: