[smackboy1]

Been w/ Dish for about 4 years (not in a contract) and thinking about upgrading to HD. Toying with the idea of going to cable and getting an HDTV, VOIP, internet package deal. I called retention and the best incentive I got to stay was $100 rebate ($10/mth) for the ViP622 HD DVR (regular $199) for an 18 mth contract.

Am I not trying hard enough or is Dish just miserly with retention incentives?

 

[harsh]

Been w/ Dish for about 4 years (not in a contract) and thinking about upgrading to HD. Toying with the idea of going to cable and getting an HDTV, VOIP, internet package deal. I called retention and the best incentive I got to stay was $100 rebate ($10/mth) for the ViP622 HD DVR (regular $199) for an 18 mth contract.

That's the standard promotion for those who upgrade to a DishHD programming package.

What is the cable company offering to get your business? My local Comcast franchise offers $400 in "Ditch the Dish" credits every once in awhile and some good pricing for a while. After the first year of programming the price seems to go up by about 35-40%. I have a serious beef with this temporary pricing technique.

 

[Mallard]

I think you should try a bit harder.

I was with Dish for 6+ years, and I also called and got the $199-$100 offer. DirecTV had a better offer (for new customers.) I asked the Dish CSRs, "What can Dish do to keep me as a customer?" The $100 discount was all they offered.

So I switched to DirecTV. When I called to cancel my Dish service (after activating DirecTV service,) the first CSR seemed surprised or disapointed that I wanted to cancel. She asked me why and I told her that Dish did not want me as a customer anymore. I was transfered to an ACCOUNT SPECIALIST. I gave this person the same story (long time customer, wants HD-DVR, no offer from Dish, better offer from DirecTV.) He then wanted to make me a better offer. I was already in a contract with DirecTV, and I told him I would listen to his offer if he would pay to cancel my DirecTV contract. He told me he couldn't do that, so I basically told him to not bother pitching his offer to me. (So I can't tell you what this "better offer" might have been.) He also told me that Dish's regular CSRs are only authorized to make the standard offer. He, as an account specialist, could make a better offer.

So, my advice is to call Dish, get transferred to an account specialist, and find out what offer they can make. I was transferred when I said I was cancelling my account. I was not transferred when I said I was THINKING about calcelling my account.

Let me know if you have any success. Good luck!

 

[smackboy1]

It was an account specialist in retention who made me the offer of $100 rebate.

The offer from the cable company works out to about the same monthly fee for Dish, phone and DSL, but they have free months and other incentives for new customers. Plus I don't have to pay upfront to lease a DVR. It's not an exact apples to apples comparison because the package includes HDTV, VOIP, and internet. Also, as pointed out the initial rate is a teaser which will increase to some unknown.

At the end of the call, the account specialist even asked me whether I wanted to go ahead and cancel, like she was calling my bluff. I am thinking these account specialists are trained to hold back the best incentives until the customer orders the cancellation. I may have to actually cancel my account.

What kind special offers did DirecTV make?

 

[Mallard]

I got a discount off of the purchase of an HDTV, $100 mail-in rebate, Sunday Ticket for $69/month plus Total Choice Premium (HD) free for four months. After the two discounts, my DVR was free.

 

[guillermopelotas]

Been w/ Dish for about 4 years (not in a contract) and thinking about upgrading to HD. Toying with the idea of going to cable and getting an HDTV, VOIP, internet package deal. I called retention and the best incentive I got to stay was $100 rebate ($10/mth) for the ViP622 HD DVR (regular $199) for an 18 mth contract.

Am I not trying hard enough or is Dish just miserly with retention incentives?

That's the standard promotion for those who upgrade to a DishHD programming package.

I had a different situation when I tried to upgrade this last time.

Background: I have been with Dish for more than 10 years, starting up because I refused to pay for cable when I moved out on my own. Over that time, Cable has improved a lot (customer service sucks a little less, or not much worse than DBS; broadband bundles; HBO on demand) and in the meantime I've paid for a lot of crappy, crash-prone equipment from Dish while I've watched the stellar customer service department decline.

So now that DirecTV is giving some attractive offers and, surprisingly, so is our local cable company, I called Dish and was offered only the $199 upgrade. The rep was clueless and the supervisor was snippy, and I was actually ready to cancel at the end of next month. They were so very accommodating to help me cancel, but could only schedule 30 days in advance, so I said I'd call back.

I called today and got a much smarter, nicer and attentive account specialist, and not only did he knock the $199 to $99, but he also told me about the $10 / month rebate, so that makes it essentially free…and includes the Warranty plan free for the 18 months I'm committing to. Add to that the fact that they're throwing in a $50 phone jack device so I don't have to buy equipment to avoid getting dinged the BS $5/month no-phoneline fee (my TV is nowhere near a phone line), and I'm doing better.

Oh yeah…and they're also replacing my not-well-functioning 811 under my existing warranty, which will allow me to resell it!

But keep in mind....this is the third time I've called in 3 months, and until this guy, it seems most reps would rather lose the customer.

 

[Zero327]

I had a different situation when I tried to upgrade this last time.

Background: I have been with Dish for more than 10 years, starting up because I refused to pay for cable when I moved out on my own. Over that time, Cable has improved a lot (customer service sucks a little less, or not much worse than DBS; broadband bundles; HBO on demand) and in the meantime I've paid for a lot of crappy, crash-prone equipment from Dish while I've watched the stellar customer service department decline.

So now that DirecTV is giving some attractive offers and, surprisingly, so is our local cable company, I called Dish and was offered only the $199 upgrade. The rep was clueless and the supervisor was snippy, and I was actually ready to cancel at the end of next month. They were so very accommodating to help me cancel, but could only schedule 30 days in advance, so I said I'd call back.

I called today and got a much smarter, nicer and attentive account specialist, and not only did he knock the $199 to $99, but he also told me about the $10 / month rebate, so that makes it essentially free…and includes the Warranty plan free for the 18 months I'm committing to. Add to that the fact that they're throwing in a $50 phone jack device so I don't have to buy equipment to avoid getting dinged the BS $5/month no-phoneline fee (my TV is nowhere near a phone line), and I'm doing better.

Oh yeah…and they're also replacing my not-well-functioning 811 under my existing warranty, which will allow me to resell it!

But keep in mind....this is the third time I've called in 3 months, and until this guy, it seems most reps would rather lose the customer.

You're not taking a particular company's policies into account when taking this approach. Most agents at most companies have limitations on what they are permitted to do. Typically, there is a set dollar amount someone can use to retain a customer. Exceptional customers (been with X company for several years, always pay on time, buy the "extras") tend to get better deals as after a certain point they're pure profit.

If you call up a front end hotline and expect the company CEO himself to throw down the best deal you could have possibly asked for and more to retain you as a customer, you're aiming too high. Honestly, if you've missed a payment on-time in the last year, you're probably making out like a bandit with the $100 you were offered.

 

[guillermopelotas]

You're not taking a particular company's policies into account when taking this approach. Most agents at most companies have limitations on what they are permitted to do. Typically, there is a set dollar amount someone can use to retain a customer. Exceptional customers (been with X company for several years, always pay on time, buy the "extras") tend to get better deals as after a certain point they're pure profit.

If you call up a front end hotline and expect the company CEO himself to throw down the best deal you could have possibly asked for and more to retain you as a customer, you're aiming too high. Honestly, if you've missed a payment on-time in the last year, you're probably making out like a bandit with the $100 you were offered.

Not sure I understand quite what you're getting at. I haven't EVER missed a payment on time in 10 years. I was one of the first to sign up for auto-pay (without being incentivized to do it). I've never cashed in a PPV coupon, and they've sent many. I have stuck with them after my promotional commitments have been up. I've bought a lot of stuff from them. And I was talking with retention three days ago, last time they didn't want to do anything other than let me cancel.

I don't expect anyone to throw down the best deal. I just expect that they show me the same respect I have shown them. Don't try to give me little to nothing, and I'll not try to take everything. The only time I've ever been given anything is when they've driven me close to cancellation. Why not save a step and put some offers to the loyal customers similar to the ones you give the new people who are actually more risky?

I got a good deal, and if someone is reading this, and can relate to trying lately and getting nothing from reps, they might want to suggest that they know of someone who got this deal...so they have a place to negotiate from. The difference is this employee cared enough to make the deal. The ones before didn't.

 

[smackboy1]

I went to the mat with several account specialists and the offer I ended up accepting was $300 in rebates/credits. I upgraded to an HD package, leased a ViP622 HD DVR and paid $199 upfront and ended up with $30 credit/month for 10 months, and locked into an 18 month contract. The net result is the DVR is free and I get $100 in credits. In the end it worked out to be a better deal than the cable company or D* was offering. Hell it was a better deal than E* offers to new customers.