A message on behalf of techs to customers

[vurbano]

Technicians, please note a few messages for you:

If I call Dish and they contact you to repoint my dish, It's because I was having problems with my picture and the CSR(s) I talked to determined that I needed a technician to repoint my dish. We aren't smart enough to know what needs to be done, just smart enough to know that no picture or crappy loss of signal pictures means call Dish to try to get my money's worth of tv.

Please don't reuse crappy wiring in my home and then wonder why I call Dish later on because I am having problems. If my 25 year old home has aluminum wiring or spliced, hacked up RG59, run a new piece of RG6 and whine to Dish if you don't get enough money to make it worth your while.

If you tell me I don't have LOS, show me so I can understand and be less likely to call Dish and more likely to find a way to create a LOS. Be polite and quickly yet properly informative so I will understand why you have said I can't get any signal. You are not that much smarter than me, just slightly more experienced.

It's my home I have invited you into. If I can't watch what you are doing and ask questions while you work, you need to find another job and don't ever have any kids. Maybe we are watching you work in -15 degree weather because we are worried that you might hurt yourself and want to be able to make sure you get help immediately when you fall to your near death.

If you come into my home and I ask you about other wiring beyond your scope of work, have a business card ready and a polite explanation that Dish pays you to establish a proper connection to your equipment and nothing beyond that but here is someone recommended to help you with the rest of your wiring issues. It could even be you as a side job. Professional and polite technicians usually score extra work that might just pay better.


Glad the forum has been of help to you!

Ditto and that goes for D* installers as well. But usually I watch because past installers have done crappy inexcusable work that costs me $$$ to correct.

 

[nstraughn@yahoo.com]

Technicians, please note a few messages for you:

If I call Dish and they contact you to repoint my dish, It's because I was having problems with my picture and the CSR(s) I talked to determined that I needed a technician to repoint my dish. We aren't smart enough to know what needs to be done, just smart enough to know that no picture or crappy loss of signal pictures means call Dish to try to get my money's worth of tv.

Please don't reuse crappy wiring in my home and then wonder why I call Dish later on because I am having problems. If my 25 year old home has aluminum wiring or spliced, hacked up RG59, run a new piece of RG6 and whine to Dish if you don't get enough money to make it worth your while.

If you tell me I don't have LOS, show me so I can understand and be less likely to call Dish and more likely to find a way to create a LOS. Be polite and quickly yet properly informative so I will understand why you have said I can't get any signal. You are not that much smarter than me, just slightly more experienced.

It's my home I have invited you into. If I can't watch what you are doing and ask questions while you work, you need to find another job and don't ever have any kids. Maybe we are watching you work in -15 degree weather because we are worried that you might hurt yourself and want to be able to make sure you get help immediately when you fall to your near death.

If you come into my home and I ask you about other wiring beyond your scope of work, have a business card ready and a polite explanation that Dish pays you to establish a proper connection to your equipment and nothing beyond that but here is someone recommended to help you with the rest of your wiring issues. It could even be you as a side job. Professional and polite technicians usually score extra work that might just pay better.


Glad the forum has been of help to you!

:up:up:up Agree 100%

 

[nstraughn@yahoo.com]

to customers that feel the need to tell us how to do our job dont. Untill most of you can pull tv away from wall, put your dog away and dont get mad when we ask you to restrain him, not excpect us to move couches or all your junk in basement and countless other things i could go on about then maybe we will lesson to what you have to say. And last thing please clean your houses b4 tech arrives you know who you are.

:up:up:up:up:up:up Finally someone has said it"clean your d*** house":up:up:up:up:up
I get tired of nasty A** Houses especially the basements, how embarrassing

 

[nstraughn@yahoo.com]

There is a subtle differnce between hoivering obver a tech that you cannot trust due to emotional issues and just hanging out and asking questions.
Actually I rather enjoy and appreciate a customer who wants to learn about what I am doing and why. It is god that customer wants to know how their system will finction. I can easily answer questions while I am owrkiong. If the question requires a visual demonstration I ask the customer to hold those questions until the appropriate time. If he wants to hand me tools are help me pull the cable or carry the receivers into the house, he's welcome to do that. If he is aksing me questions while allowing me to work, that's fine as well. But if one is the type that trusts no one and looks for the slightest little thing to complain about or asks qustions in the form of a challenge then perhaps they should ask the tech to leave. But guess what, He taking the dish down and confiscating the equipemnt and you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be alerting his manangement that this customer has issues with service people and that will spread like wildfire. That person will find it somewhat difficult to get another perosn to their home to perform work
This entire industry works only if there is a modicum of trust. If one wishes to gurad their property as if the enemy(tech) has arrived, then by all means, they need do the job themsleves.

:up:up

 

[nstraughn@yahoo.com]

Good points. I have as you say, scored, extra work by doing exactly that.
Look. Let's not take this out of context.
Here are examples of what I think the OP is refering to.
I have had customers literally follow my every move throught the entire job. This is after I have taken the time to show the customer what I will do, where the dish will go, how the cable will be routed, drill penetrations'(if applicable), etc. This is very annoying to have someone invite me into their home and them act as though I am about to film a slasher movie and they are the victims. I make sure one the first things i do is throw out what I call an "ice breaker". This is some exampole of commonality I may have with the customer. Do I see a set of golf clubs in the garage?. Yep Bingo, I am a golfer so there's the conversation piece. I look around the house and tell the customer I like the way it looks or think the house is desinged well. Or anything i can find that will put the custoemr at ease and think to themselves " hey , he's a nice guy".
Also. I think the OP was refering to customers who may buy a new tv and can't figure out how to hook it up, so they call the satellite company and complain. This generates a negative service call and it not only goes as a negative on the company's record but the tech's as well. Customers should not be calling the satellite company on issues regarding equipment the customer purchased that have ZERO to do with the satellite system
Another issue. If the customer decides to move a receiver from one room to another even after they have been advised not do so, then call the satellite company and demand a tech come out and fix the mess free of charge. You must remember if the satellite compnay does not charge the cutsomer for customer caused issues THE TECH does not get paid because his employer does not get paid. This issue will be an ongoing battle for the rest of DTH satellite's existence.
And then there is the customer who demands free repair of pet chewed cables. This one takes the cake and the candles. I would like to know what in Sam Hill gives the customer the notion that their negligence( allwoing their pet to chew thorugh cabling) is not their reposnsibilty?
Now some of you out there who are in my view "defnding your turf" may think we in the service business you think we dislike people and think customers are all a**holes. Not true. Most if us do this becuase we want a career that involves contact with the public. We enjoy interacting with people in their homes. We enjoy outdoor work and being out of the confines of an office cubicle.
So before some of you go assuming all this negative stuff, take a deep breath and think about how you'd make out in our world.

Do this myself. Every Tech needs to think and act like this is our own business.
Oh ya it is

 

[nstraughn@yahoo.com]

Ok..Dial it down to defcon 4 ...You should walk a mile in our shoes. I can tell you stories of cluttered homes, roaches, chicken droppings in crawlspaces, customers who place family heirlooms and antiques on or near their tv and act like I just broke all their crayons because I asked them to please protect them from damage by moving them. I have climbed over rubble, piled up clothes in bedrooms. junk in yards, dug trenches thru yards where the grass is 18" tall, trudged thru dog crap, garbage, briars, overgrown shrubery. All kinds of stuff
This is not typical but it is what we face. So don't go thinking we are criticizing YOUR home.

So many stories too mention.

 

[Tyralak]

well this lovely exchange makes me not want to ask my installer next week who is running a new coaxial line to also do me a favor and run two ethernet lines through the same space with the coaxial; i was planning on offering some cash but i might tread lightly now considering this exchange

Look, it may be too late now, (I just saw this post) but most of us would do that kind of thing. I know I would, if it didn't take a significant amount of time. If it's just dragging another cable along with mine, of course I'd do it. If it involved some complicated separate run of Ethernet cable and connections into unrelated systems, then no.

 

[jeslevine]

You mirrored my thoughts exactly

I have had compentent installers at my house and had useless installers. All installers are not the same. I will follow any installer to be sure that he is doing a neat job or ask him to get off MY property. I own it and can do anything I want on my property. That goes for Dish or the gas company or a contractor. Maybe the OP needs to find another job.

No installer working on my property is going to tell me not to watch what they do

You are right, the OP might want to consider another line of work

 

[lawnmowerman]

You are right, the OP might want to consider another line of work

Maybe this poster should consider being a comcast customer. Because if you follow me around like a chawawa I'm not going to hook up the flatscreen you just bought at wal mart yesterday and now you want your equipment upgraded next day.

Customers need to get this ME ME ME NOW NOW NOW FREE FREE FREE mentality out of their heads.

 

[ianai]

Unfortunately me me me now now now = paying customer, the extras for free I'll leave alone. I understand your plight, but your in the service industry. Understanding that would be of great value to your state of mental well being and satisfaction with your job. Fortunately, your comments, which should be hanging in the back room of your office as a joke among techs rather than posted outwardly to paying me me's don't seem to reflect the general attitude of most of the techs out there.

 

[ianai]

EDIT: Wrong threadhttp://www.smarthome.com/8734FCC/Cabinet-Cooler-Fan-System-CAB-COOL/p.aspx

 

[Andrewwski]

Maybe this poster should consider being a comcast customer. Because if you follow me around like a chawawa I'm not going to hook up the flatscreen you just bought at wal mart yesterday and now you want your equipment upgraded next day.

Customers need to get this ME ME ME NOW NOW NOW FREE FREE FREE mentality out of their heads.

Where did he say he wanted you to hook up the flat screen? You're there to hook up a dish and receiver...and whether or not you get followed around or not, it's your job to do it. So stop whining.

Unfriendliness towards customers is not a good strategy in a service industry where you have to work with customers daily.

Thankfully every Dish installer I've dealt with possesses good people skills. But I guess it doesn't apply everywhere.

 

[Tyralak]

Where did he say he wanted you to hook up the flat screen? You're there to hook up a dish and receiver...and whether or not you get followed around or not, it's your job to do it. So stop whining.

Unfriendliness towards customers is not a good strategy in a service industry where you have to work with customers daily.

Thankfully every Dish installer I've dealt with possesses good people skills. But I guess it doesn't apply everywhere.

Agreed. This clown sounds like a real piece of work. The way things in the economy are now, it's more important than ever to go the extra mile for the customer, to really improve customer service. If it isn't going to take too much time, I'll do something unrelated the customer asks me for. Don't get taken advantage of, (you are by no means the customer's bitch) but if it's a small favor, why not? Today I had a de-install job for some customers who were moving out of a rental duplex. They didn't have the right tools or a ladder to remove a shelf for their A/C unit from under a second story window. That took me an extra 10 minutes, but it was a lifesaver for them, and gave them a very positive experience with Dish. Lawnmowerman isn't going to last long in this industry unless he starts taking customer service and good customer relations seriously. We all have things that piss us off, and there are lots of annoying things customers do, but to be successful at this job, you need to deal with those things in a polite an professional manner.

 

[Jimmerinwi]

We all have things that piss us off, and there are lots of annoying things customers do, but to be successful at this job, you need to deal with those things in a polite an professional manner.

I agree totally. I deal with a lot of older customers. They're pissed off at Dish or the installer before I get there, I arrive and listen to their concerns, take care of the problem and answer all of their questions. I make sure before I leave, they are completely happy and no longer mad at Dish Network. Most times, they are asking for a card so they can call me to come back if they ever have anymore problems. I figure, that's "My" job to do all I can to keep as many customers as possible. Sometimes you have to spend the extra 30 minutes or so with the customer to "help" them understand.

 

[dishcomm]

This is a very touchy subject. I've been a tech for 4 yrs now. What really pisses me off is when the "Customers" pays for there $1500 TV & don't know how to operate it nor wants to figure how to use it. I have a blue screen???? Duh Wrong into idiot. Pay attention when WE the TECHS show you that we use the inputs for a better quality picture or IF you have an HD Receiver THAN YOU the CUSTOMER "YOUR" TV will most likely be on an "HDMI" input. Enough said.
Techs can't stay there for a dinner : and a movie before you get it. Unless your one Hot Momma.:lickLOL. OH we leave you a book that comes with your receiver. All right enough

My product demo is brief and basic. Any more than basic stuff is usually forgotten by the cust by the time I get to the end of their driveway.
It is NOT my responsibility to show a satellite customer how to use their new tv or new stereo.
Once I get involved in that issue I become liable. Ands of course if the customer screws up, they are even MORE likely to call Dish to report the problem. Trouble Call.
No thanks. I won't even accept money to do this stuff. Well it depends. If they want me to connect it and they seem reasonably intelligent, I'll do that for my normal fee. But if the customer is a "why this and why that and let me ask you one more question" type person, forget it.
You people on here know the type. The ones that ask a question, get the answer then ask the same question worded differently because they didn't get the answer they wanted to hear on the first attempt.

 

[jokerp]

hello guys,new man here im a sub contractor just started training the first week of jan and they wanted to turn me lose in feb but i refused because i want to make sure i can do it all..more training less TC ..i havnt made a dime so far all free training,well i take that back i sold my first hdmi cable last week and got a 20.00 tip friday..lol..but anyway ive met so real nice folks ,ive met a few grumpy people but most are very nice once u learn there personalitity(sp) ..i have seen some dirty houses i seen one trailer with 14 dogs inside,ive seen cloths piled up and had to kick trash out the way..NLOS for subs are less because we drove there to do the job if we dont do the job we lost time and gas..we have called 2 NLOS when we could have got it,once u could smell the joint they just put out,and a needle on the table..2 they demanded we fish there cables...we have ran extra rg6 for people at no charge and wondered why afterwards ..i have almost 2,000 in tools and martial just to get started i cant be giving anything away..

 

[UnSat]

Expect more people these days to want more for nothing."the person I spoke to said you would do it for free" or "They said it was included"are just a couple of things CUstomers will say.
Memorize the service agreement and always have a copy handy.Alot of times the so called (sales partners)some will tell a potential customer anything just to get the sale. Do not be afraid to name your own price ,time is money, anything after the 1 free wall phish is money in your pocket,including mirroring TV`s.

The economy sucks for everybody and that includes you .If they want sh*t for free they need to contact their local congressman or senator.

 

[dishcomm]

Expect more people these days to want more for nothing."the person I spoke to said you would do it for free" or "They said it was included"are just a couple of things CUstomers will say.
Memorize the service agreement and always have a copy handy.Alot of times the so called (sales partners)some will tell a potential customer anything just to get the sale. Do not be afraid to name your own price ,time is money, anything after the 1 free wall phish is money in your pocket,including mirroring TV`s.

The economy sucks for everybody and that includes you .If they want sh*t for free they need to contact their local congressman or senator.

If you take a look at the back of the Dish Network Service Agreement form you'll not see any mention of "one free wall fish" It isn't on the agreement and the policy does not exist in Dish's consideration of a "free basic install".
This came up in our weekly meeting. One of the owners was present and she stated very clearly that are to charge for any and all wall fishes.
If there is a dispute our move is to put the customer on the phone with our office staff. They explein the deal to the customer. if the customer balks further, we put them on the phone with a CSR supervisor. The later never happpens. The convsersation with our office always has done the trick.

 

[Andrewwski]

Expect more people these days to want more for nothing."the person I spoke to said you would do it for free" or "They said it was included"are just a couple of things CUstomers will say.
Memorize the service agreement and always have a copy handy.Alot of times the so called (sales partners)some will tell a potential customer anything just to get the sale. Do not be afraid to name your own price ,time is money, anything after the 1 free wall phish is money in your pocket,including mirroring TV`s.

The economy sucks for everybody and that includes you .If they want sh*t for free they need to contact their local congressman or senator.

The thing is...that's what the CSR's do say! So a customer, who is unsure of what they will be getting, is told that they will get something free over the phone. Then the tech shows up and says it isn't so...I can see where that can get frustrating.

Now, it's nice when you get the person that will put in a little extra time and effort to make someone else happy. Not just in satellite TV, but everywhere. Unfortunately those values seem to be slipping away.

 

[Elkview]

I have a question. I recently added 77 installed by dish {dish van}. He left his phone number. Can they upgrade service {add a second 622}by my calling him or do I have to call dish?