I am pretty experienced...if I were to work from home for Directv, then all the third - party call center CRAP I went through before I QUIT would be gone. I would still be responsible for my own performance, and my own systems, but Directv would be responsible for updating me, and keeping their systems updated.
Ultimately, this is a TV service, with some satellite to home installed hardware issues, customer training, and customer "handling" (you know who YOU are, most likely not the kind to post to a message board, LOL). So, the most urgent of things happening would be to refund a customer for lost time, give them discounts and/or free programming, get a tech to their location to permanently fix an issue, or set up a receiver exchange for non working equipment.
The most extreme cases (which are rare) would be damage to a home, which would go through different channels anyways, or, if a technician was behaving in a negligent or threatening way...tell the customer to get them out of your house, or call the cops! This is EXTREMELY RARE!!
I did finally tell one guy on the phone, after his description of the non-english speaking tech who showed up and was messing up the existing wiring and ignoring the customer, to tell the guy to leave, and I also filed a complaint against that tech, as well as set up an escalation, and sent him to customer installation support with a full documentation of the issue, and a request for a "seasoned senior tech" to do a follow up install. This is not hard to do, you just have to have the right training, and take the time (its not a super short process but you have to factor it into your "call time") to follow each step and value the person on the other end of the line.
If I had a question its rare...I reached level 2 tech support a year ago, so it may only be a "check myself" kind of question, or something completly out of left field that I never heard before (like the guy who installed alarm systems, that could put out a tv format, and wanted to know if the HD tivos would support it like non Tivo HD receivers did over the OTA antenna...fascinating).
I suppose email would do...but I sure as SHOOT would find 2 or 3 of the sups or floorwalkers around the call center support system that had authorization to have their cell phones on, and use MY cell phone to quickly call them.
It really boils down to :
1)Good troubleshooting with "watch TV trouble free" as your goal
2) Find an alternative way to fix it if the first way doesn't work or satisfy
3)Set up service calls, free if you have to as a negotiating point for good customers
4)Free programming and/or credits for time w/out service
5)Replacment equiment if necessary
6)Know when Customer Installation Support or Retention is necessary.
Oh and 7)....Know when the customer is justified to be angry, or when he has had more then a 6 pack in him and is just being an unreasonable a$$bite who is mad at his controller and doesn't understand your directions no matter how sweetly you explain it...wait for the wife to get on the phone to fix it