[brianxmurray]

I had a tech appt today between 1-5pm EST. The tech no called no showed. Other then calling DTV and complaining how should I handle it? I am happy with DTV however I feel it is very unprofessional to no call no show for an appointment. Feedback please????

 

[serenstarlight]

Call directv and they can file a no call/no show complaint. They can also now apply a $100.01 guarantee service credit towards your account.

 

[Dalek1963]

hi,
Also the csr should be able to contact the local office to see if the installer is running late for some reason.

 

[Wolffpack]

The unfortunate part at this time is you have to try to "speak" your way through their CSR menu....of which it seems it doesn't understand English as much as some CSRs can't speak English. Then, since they are experiencing "higher than normal" call volumes (what could that be due to) you have to wait 30-45 minutes.

Sure, you can call, and maybe in the time your installer might even show up.

Oh, just pray you don't get transferred and the the tri-tone AT&T signal follow by a message that you're call cannot be "completed as dialed". Of course at that point you get to start the adventure over.

 

[Chesney09]

The unfortunate part at this time is you have to try to "speak" your way through their CSR menu....of which it seems it doesn't understand English as much as some CSRs can't speak English. Then, since they are experiencing "higher than normal" call volumes (what could that be due to) you have to wait 30-45 minutes.

Sure, you can call, and maybe in the time your installer might even show up.

Oh, just pray you don't get transferred and the the tri-tone AT&T signal follow by a message that you're call cannot be "completed as dialed". Of course at that point you get to start the adventure over.

Wow... Do I know how this feels... I don't call D* often, but wen you HAVE to.. You WILL spend A LOT of time on the phone. And just when you think you can't possibly have any more patience... You'll get those tones and disconnect... Have to call back and Verify you Service Number, Name on the account, and the address... for the 50th time in the past 3 hours.

 

[newsposter]

you know it's bad when they are advertising for installers on tv....i think if i ever upgrade to mpeg4 i'll call my local guy and fork out the money for a good install and not someone rushing to try to make money on his tiny fee he makes

 

[Mertzen]

Apply for the $100 credit. No excuses for a no call no show.

 

[midnight75]

This exact thing happened to my sister. She was not happy, especially since she took time from work to be there & wasted vacation time. Yes, call them. I don't remember the total credit she got when she called, but I remember she did not have to pay a bill for a couple months.

 

[etchasketch]

Understandable some here (and the many who will never find these consumer driven forums) are frustrated with call wait times / response when finally in the room. But to be fair to Dtv (sorta a role reversal for me), these same excellent forums are part and parcel the problem(s).

There is a hungry horde of giddy-gotcha-gimme-vultures posting a virtual textbook on how-to jump the cue, to get one -or- multiple HR20s, and their oh so successful schemes to get both hardware and programming credits / freebies. The recurring theme is to play CSR roulette (which burdens the phone banks), to extract ever more and stick it to The Man.

So, when you wait on hold, thank the greed of your fellow customers and the folks here as enablers.

And remember, You are the (wo)Man of the Year ...

etchasketch

 

[Chesney09]

Those posts are my favorite! The "hungry horde of giddy-gotcha-gimme-vultures posting a virtual textbook on how-to jump the cue, to get one -or- multiple HR20s, and their oh so successful schemes to get both hardware and programming credits / freebies" critical people.

Ya know.. I'd never even call D* and/or ask/expect any "Comps" if these providers provided what they say they are going to, as well as a 'reasonable' level of customer service. Mistakes are going to be made as the ole rule that "Sh*t happens" will never disappear, but come on.. Read the complaints that ARE here.. and you can bet this is only a SMALL percentage of these occurences.

The service provider industry as a WHOLE is in sad shape and has no focus on the customers and the service they provide their customers. Allt hey focus on are the 'high revenue' customers, mail them a VIP card, and keep marketing to them.

The automated systems keep getting bigger, hold times longer, level of service lower, as the staff levels are reduced and contracts cut to pennies. All of this at the behest of WallStreet and our Blue Collar/Entry level White Collar jobs.

I have NO GUILT in expecting to be 'comped' nor asking for some discounts on hardware as they lock me into a contract and then force me to spend hours and hours trying to get the service I am paying $120+ a month for.

Call me what you wish.. an enabler, Greedy, Vulture, type customer then so be it. I'd be loyal to ANY company that was loyal to me, and made me feel that I/customers were 'important'.

Spare me your BullSh*t posts that criticize the tactics used here.. Read the problems that even the people in these forums are posting... They are flat out unacceptable and intolerable. People have to take time off work... Time out of their days spent on the phone for hours at a time... Add up the $$ value of that time and get back to me about who is greedy. "Us" or "Them".

 

[etchasketch]

Chesney09: for the record, the word enabler was IRT the dbs forum hosts who allow an irresponsible topic. giddy-gotcha-gimme-vultures was for those extracting consideration though they have no legitimate beef.

As to those who have been inconvenienced, taken time off work ... well, you are probably unaware I am also one of those people. So, I have been wronged by the same company I appear to be defending. But, my point was that so many people here are gaming the system for advantage whether they are owed any sort of consideration or no.

In addition, those trying to address legitimate problems have to "spend hours and hours trying to get the service" as you say, in part DUE to the CSR roulette game being promoted to gain advantage, get credits, 2nd HD DVRs, etc. Note: while many are waiting for availability of one unit others are stressing the system for a second (or more).

I fully expect my post to draw fire and brimstone from those who will defend their actions (posted here in a public forum). They might blame a service problem, or Wall street, or some other version of Da Man. However, to my understanding, no one is forced into buying service.

By their own posts, some (not all, just some, and they are easy to spot) are using this otherwise excellent forum to their advantage while in the process disadvantaging others. Get it?

etchasketch

ps - you are free to ignore my posts. Free forum. Your call ...

 

[Wolffpack]

For the record, CSR roulette is a necessary evil when dealing with an organization that does such a poor job at training CSRs as DTV does. Call three different CSRs and ask them the same question. Odds are you will get three different answers and also get hung up on or transferred to a disconnected number on one of those calls. In fact the last time an installer was at my place he spent more time shaking his head on calls with CSRs than he did connecting the new receiver. He had to make 3 calls, was transferred twice and hung up on once. Just to turn off one receiver and activate another.

Yes there are those out to get what they can from DTV, but the majority of this problem lies with DTV.

 

[etchasketch]

Believe me Wolffpack, I feel the pain of those having to endure the Dtv phone cue.

It seems reasonable to assume (though you know what they say about that word) if some were not calling 2, 3, 4, 5 or > times (by their own posts here) to wheedle hardware and credits (again, by their own posts here) ... the phone bank would work better, no?

It' above my pay grade to decide where the majority of the problem lies. I just see folks making the pile taller with their actions. And, the forum function is diverted towards the dark side by looking the other way.

e

 

[Chesney09]

Again..
If the company provided the service that consumers deserve and pay for... The amount of 'Darkside' would be less. It's similar to employee theft from any company they work for. Employees are more apt to steal from their employers if they feel they are 1. unappreciated 2. Underpaid, 3. over worked, etc. You get the idea.
Yes, there is, and always will be, people the work the system for their own gains. That is a fact of life and it exists in all crevices of the planet.

I truly agree with Wolf.. CSR roulette is necessary because they not trained, under paid, over worked. They will tell some customers flat out lies just to make a sale, get a customer off the phone, etc.

For a customer to feel that they deserve free/discounted hardware, discounted service, etc for the hell that customers have to go through is not wrong or abusive.

If CSR's were trained, honest, appreciated, and trained to provide real CUSTOMER SERVICE.. Call volumes would be reduced, Customer satisfaction would be higher, and the customers that do call in to abuse can be ore esily identified and their accounts noted.

Plain and Simple.

Believe me Wolffpack, I feel the pain of those having to endure the Dtv phone cue.

It seems reasonable to assume (though you know what they say about that word) if some were not calling 2, 3, 4, 5 or > times (by their own posts here) to wheedle hardware and credits (again, by their own posts here) ... the phone bank would work better, no?

It' above my pay grade to decide where the majority of the problem lies. I just see folks making the pile taller with their actions. And, the forum function is diverted towards the dark side by looking the other way.

e

 

[etchasketch]

Chesney09:

On some things we agree. For instance, I have no problem with people calling to report / ask for help with a legitimate beef. Like you I have done so myself.

But, there are a lot of people calling (and clogging the phone bank) just to twist the system, having nothing to do with problems or needing help. In fact, they are gaming the system for their sole benefit at the expense of others. This fact of life (as you call it) is exactly what I was complaining about.

Read: What the Deals are, and what are you being told by CSR?
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=62089&page=40
40 pages / 998 posts / 105,705 views Hmm ...

Most of these customers are calling 2, 3, 4, 5 or > times for what? Does every customer deserve a free DVR? Should everyone get 2-3 HR20s (when some, like you are on a wait list)? Does every customer deserve credits? Does every customer deserve free programming? If so, there should just be a general price reduction / credit given everyone (not those playing the game).

Is it OK if people want to deal off the blame on bad CSR training, or faulty hardware, or can we admit they are just piling in to gimme-some-o-dat? They are creating some of the problems we all encounter. Again, read the thread (above). These folks aren't going through hell, they are sticking it to da man and making the phone bank malfunction! Frankly Chesney09, some of them already have your DVR!

Stores mark up prices to account for shop-lifters (shrinkage, not in the Seinfeld sense, as in product losses). So, we pay for what the shop-lifters steal. And, the sad reality is, for everyone gaming the system (having no legitimate problem) ... they are stealing and we are all gonna pay for it.

I know that posting this will not get me Miss Congeniality -- just the way it is.

(*) Flame on!
etchasketch

(*) meant in general, not directed to you Chesney09. You have a svc problem per postings here

 

[bobnielsen]

Maybe I have just been lucky, but I never have had to wait more than 5 minutes to talk to a CSR, nor have I encountered a CSR who was rude or completely clueless, whether I was ordering or inquiring about an issue.

Or maybe my expectations have been realistic.

 

[etchasketch]

DELETED

e

 

[etchasketch]

DELETED

e

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

Both sides of this disagreement have very legitimate points.

 

[etchasketch]

I rest my case ... spose I should unsub this forum, since it won't make friends here. But, I figure there are more who think this tawdry than the reverse.

Full disclosure: I [pasted] the bad parts. Some may well have had problems and needed to call. But, you can tell even from the excerpts, most were not trying to get a svc issue resolved, they were asking for perks.

Off to find a flame-proof (or at least resistant) suit ...

e

ps - dbs-host: now this thread would be a good delete candidate, right?