Just signed up: hope the HD pic is better than the customer service????

3448 Views 36 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Redlinetire, Aug 14, 2008

todbnla

Discussion Starter · Aug 2, 2008

Long time lurker, found this forum thru the AVS forum where I have been a member for years and of course the HTF forum too.
This will be my second go around with Dish network and yesterday after long and hard thought, I pulled the trigger via the internet site for turboHD platinum service and NO SD. So in my online order I had 1 HD dvr and 2 hd receivers for the other two rooms in my new home, all hd sets too btw. About 7 hours later I get a call from a csr who sounds like he also does csr work for dell if you get my meaning and I am driving down the road @ 75 in a bad thunderstorm and he basically goes thru the ENTIRE order process again with me, and all the while I am thinking why did I spend 29 minutes online to have to do this all over again??? Well, in his gibberish he says oh I see you have a dvr and this dvr feeds two tvs so you only need one additional hd receiver, by this time I am about to take hostages on the interstate because of him and I am ready for the call to be ended after another 15 minutes

Later on, the more I though about what he said, the more it made me think, so I checked back on the website and sure enough the dvrs with 2 tuners only output 1 hd and 1 sd tv, well thats no good! :nono:
So here I am, 11pm calling in again, the first rep was nice but she could not help me so she tells me to call back again.....

So I do, and get another lady who was very helpful and she goes thru the entire ordeal AGAIN and after another 20 minutes I figure I am good to go: 1ea 722 dvr and 2ea 211 hd receivers, wow, all that just to get hooked up.....

:nono: :eek2:

:nono2: I hope the picture is worth it, this reminds me of the poor customer service from charter which is the main reason I dropped them .

Sorry for the rant, had to vent.

Regards,
Todd

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1 - 20 of 37 Posts

bitn50

· #2 · Aug 2, 2008

todbnla said:
Long time lurker, found this forum thru the AVS forum where I have been a member for years and of course the HTF forum too.
This will be my second go around with Dish network and yesterday after long and hard thought, I pulled the trigger via the internet site for turboHD platinum service and NO SD. So in my online order I had 1 HD dvr and 2 hd receivers for the other two rooms in my new home, all hd sets too btw. About 7 hours later I get a call from a csr who sounds like he also does csr work for dell if you get my meaning and I am driving down the road @ 75 in a bad thunderstorm and he basically goes thru the ENTIRE order process again with me, and all the while I am thinking why did I spend 29 minutes online to have to do this all over again??? Well, in his gibberish he says oh I see you have a dvr and this dvr feeds two tvs so you only need one additional hd receiver, by this time I am about to take hostages on the interstate because of him and I am ready for the call to be ended after another 15 minutes
Later on, the more I though about what he said, the more it made me think, so I checked back on the website and sure enough the dvrs with 2 tuners only output 1 hd and 1 sd tv, well thats no good! :nono:
So here I am, 11pm calling in again, the first rep was nice but she could not help me so she tells me to call back again..... So I do, and get another lady who was very helpful and she goes thru the entire ordeal AGAIN and after another 20 minutes I figure I am good to go: 1ea 722 dvr and 2ea 211 hd receivers, wow, all that just to get hooked up..... :nono: :eek2: :nono2: I hope the picture is worth it, this reminds me of the poor customer service from charter which is the main reason I dropped them .

Sorry for the rant, had to vent.

Regards,
Todd

I know how you feel about those CSR at Dish. Having been with D/N for 7 years plus, I've only dealt with them couple times. I'm always getting a CSR that speaks no English, or understands the language.

I called Dish couple days ago with reference to upgrade to HD programming. They have my account information. I told the lady, (who did understand what I was trying to get across) what I wanted to know from Dish. I wanted to know if a ViP 211 receiver would get me HD channels. Yes, the said. Would I be charged for a fee, Yes, she said... $7.00. I asked her why I would be charged the $7.00 when I would own it outright. A fee for using it, she said. I also asked her about the phone fee. I told her I wasn't going to hook up a phone cord to the receiver. I couldn't understand her cleary, but I thinks she said there woudn't be a any fee there.
So, we now are to the HD programming charges. She said, I could get 30 or more HD channels for $10.00, 40 or more for $29.99.
At that time, I told her I would get back with D/N when and If I made the upgrade.

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Stewart Vernon

· #3 · Aug 2, 2008

todbnla said:
...About 7 hours later I get a call from a csr who sounds like he also does csr work for dell if you get my meaning and I am driving down the road @ 75 in a bad thunderstorm and ...

The questions that come to my mind most are:

1. Why are you talking on the phone while driving 75 mph on the interstate?
2. Why are you talking on the phone while driving at any speed in a "bad thunderstorm"?
3. Why are you driving 75 mph in a "bad thunderstorm"?

I couldn't really process the rest of your post because what you were doing sounded so incredibly dangerous that frankly I was just glad to hear you made it home to post the message about the experience!

James Long

· #4 · Aug 2, 2008

OK, discuss the topic not the poster ....

Mr-Rick

· #5 · Aug 2, 2008

todbnla said:
Long time lurker, found this forum thru the AVS forum where I have been a member for years and of course the HTF forum too.
This will be my second go around with Dish network and yesterday after long and hard thought, I pulled the trigger via the internet site for turboHD platinum service and NO SD. So in my online order I had 1 HD dvr and 2 hd receivers for the other two rooms in my new home, all hd sets too btw. About 7 hours later I get a call from a csr who sounds like he also does csr work for dell if you get my meaning and I am driving down the road @ 75 in a bad thunderstorm and he basically goes thru the ENTIRE order process again with me, and all the while I am thinking why did I spend 29 minutes online to have to do this all over again??? Well, in his gibberish he says oh I see you have a dvr and this dvr feeds two tvs so you only need one additional hd receiver, by this time I am about to take hostages on the interstate because of him and I am ready for the call to be ended after another 15 minutes
Later on, the more I though about what he said, the more it made me think, so I checked back on the website and sure enough the dvrs with 2 tuners only output 1 hd and 1 sd tv, well thats no good! :nono:
So here I am, 11pm calling in again, the first rep was nice but she could not help me so she tells me to call back again..... So I do, and get another lady who was very helpful and she goes thru the entire ordeal AGAIN and after another 20 minutes I figure I am good to go: 1ea 722 dvr and 2ea 211 hd receivers, wow, all that just to get hooked up..... :nono: :eek2: :nono2: I hope the picture is worth it, this reminds me of the poor customer service from charter which is the main reason I dropped them .

Sorry for the rant, had to vent.

Regards,
Todd

Why not go through a local retailer? We do a bit more than fix other contractor's messes.

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 3, 2008

HDMe said:
The questions that come to my mind most are:

1. Why are you talking on the phone while driving 75 mph on the interstate?
2. Why are you talking on the phone while driving at any speed in a "bad thunderstorm"?
3. Why are you driving 75 mph in a "bad thunderstorm"?

I couldn't really process the rest of your post because what you were doing sounded so incredibly dangerous that frankly I was just glad to hear you made it home to post the message about the experience!

1) If you have ever been in Mississippi or Louisiana, you would have known it rains almost daily here at some point or the other.
2) if your not keeping speed with the rest of the traffic you will find the eighteen wheeler behind you in your back seat :eek2:
3) Even us hillibillies have blue tooth...

Out of 143 reads only ONE person discussed the topic: E*'s cust service and pic quality....?????

vaxmanid

· #7 · Aug 3, 2008

Having worked in call centers for 12 years (transportation industry) I know how to navigate the E "customer service" system but its still not easy. Indeed c/s sounds like Dell in India (must be trained by them is my guess) however they are in the Phillipines.

I hope E is reading this (for what it is worth). One has to listen very carefully to detect the Filipino accent. I say this because the delivery and scripting used doesn't sound Filipino. The training they apparently receive seems to be directly for India and that may be that E is using a contractor based in India.

Enough of that ramble. When I escalate the call I DEMAND that I speak to a supervisor "in the United States of America." You'll be told that they cannot selectively transfer calls. That is fiction. I "help" them by suggesting that there is a call center in the US found in El Paso, TX. Low and behold you'll get El Paso.

Every time I call E and go through this, I follow-up with an email to the "executive response team." Lets just say I have a collection of names and phone numbers over the years (8+). I know people that have worked for D as they have a call center in my town and I can assure you the customer service charitably as bad as E. In fact they will say that if it wasn't for the free service they receive as employees the would prefer Dish as the technology is superior.

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todbnla

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 3, 2008

In fact they will say that if it wasn't for the free service they receive as employees the would prefer Dish as the technology is superior.

Good to know, thanks!!

Redlinetire

· #9 · Aug 3, 2008

This isn't open heart surgery, it's satellite TV. If you're expecting concierge service, it ain't gonna' happen. :lol:

I'm not surprised they called back to confirm a large web order. I actually think that's good customer service. And bluetooth or not, driving down the highway in a storm is probably not the easiest time to discuss the subtleties of a multi-room satellite order. Human beings do not multitask well.

I have found Customer Service for Dish to be on par with DirecTV, Comcast and Verizon Wireless which are the only major national providers I deal with (or used to deal with) on a continual basis. If you slow down, talk simply and very clearly I find that they do a fine job 90% of the time. It's the era of outsourced or minimum wage phone farms with scripts and simple training. You can debate the merits of that, but it is what it is. Unless you setup your own antenna, to get TV you're likely going to have to deal with it.

As far as the HD quality, I just left DirecTV and Dish is close but isn't quite on par with DirecTV IMO. DirecTV just seemed to have a bit more 'pop'. That said, Dish is as good as Comcast in my area so it's perfectly fine. But 'Better' HD is worthless to me if I can't watch it on my schedule. And the DirecTV DVR wasn't reliable for me, so off to Dish I went. The 722 is amazing and got me back to watching TV on my schedule instead of coming home to watch a Truck race only to find a blank recording like used to happen with the HR20. :nono2:

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todbnla

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 3, 2008

I concur with every thing you said but it seems the point of self serv ordering was to speed it up, not f* it up, thats what had me tweaked the most....the order I placed was 100% correct, but not "Hello, my name is Phil" s version "...wink, wink...

MGoBlue

· #11 · Aug 3, 2008

I just ordered the Dish Turbo HD Gold package, with the HD DVR, earlier this morning. First time I've ever had DBS installed, so this will be a new experience.

There a couple times during the order process in which the CSR was reading from a script and tried to push stuff I didn't want need, so I very politely told him that I was not interested in the extra service, at least three or four times.

I received an e-mail confirmation of my order around 6PM, and everything looks to be in order. I wished to go without a contract so they charged me $100 up front, but apparently they take $50 off the first bill, so not too bad.

I'll be paying about $45/month which is pretty good considering the programming I'm going to get.

allargon

· #12 · Aug 3, 2008

To the OP, no worries about the ranting.

I'm lucky in that I always get a US agent when I call, as I subscribe to premiums. I have no idea how it worked out that premium channel subscribers get US agents. However, I like it!

James Long

· #13 · Aug 3, 2008

BTW: US call centers hire people of foreign decent. Don't assume that your friendly neighborhood CSR is in the country that matches their accent.

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #14 · Aug 5, 2008

STRIKE TWO! 30 mins before my install today, they call to reschedule, what the heck!!!!

:nono:

:nono2:

Redlinetire

· #15 · Aug 5, 2008

todbnla said:
STRIKE TWO! 30 mins before my install today, they call to reschedule, what the heck!!!! :nono: :nono2:

That's just wrong. Did they say why?

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #16 · Aug 5, 2008

Redlinetire said:
That's just wrong. Did they say why?

No, I suspect this was the actual installer contractor due to the fact that the number came up in Southern Alabama and I am in Southern Mississippi, I knew when the lady identified herself as the "Field dispatch office for Dish network installations", it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation, and I was just about to walk out of work for my 30 mile commute home.

But on the bright side now I can leave early Friday

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 8, 2008

Well today is the day except we had horrible thunderstorms last night and today is 60% chance of rain, wanna bet I get rained out for my install!!!!!

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #18 · Aug 10, 2008

2

No Rain! The picture is damn good, but the installer forgot to ground my system!!!

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peak_reception

· #19 · Aug 10, 2008

Maybe he forgot to ground the system because he was weirded out by you standing underneath him snapping pictures while he worked. I'm just thinking... :nono:

todbnla

Discussion Starter · #20 · Aug 10, 2008

No, he never saw my camera, all those shots are thru a window in my bedroom thur the blinds, he said he had to hurry so he could leave, get his check and make sure it was cashed before the bank closed so he would have gas money for the weekend, he drove 25 miles to do my install.

1 - 20 of 37 Posts

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