Customer disservice!!

[Danzio]

Why is it all communications companies cannot deliver anything resembling customer service? I mean this seems to be the "motive operandi" for all communications companies whether it be land phones, cell phones, television, ISP's or whatever.

My story,
I called a local Dish retailer three weeks ago to schedule a new install. I am a 1st time Dish user but have had experience with both Direct TV (barf) and now have been with Asmelphia Communications for too many years. Their customer disservice is exactly why I am switching to Dish. Anyway, when I called to order the service I was very clear that I wanted the DISH GROUNDED properly as it never was with Direct. The gal on the phone didn't understand why I was making such a request, however when I explained to her that it was required by code and not something I should have to ask for she casually made the comment that she was sure, with my supervision, that the installer would do what was necessary. So this morning was the day for the install. I didn't receive a phone call yesterday confirming the appointment so I decided to call to check and was reassured the installer would be here before noon. Well not 10 minutes later she calls back and says, "Daniel, I am sorry but our installer cannot do your install today." I asked what was the problem, as you may surmise, my dismay was immediately felt, and I am sure it went right thru the phone and into her ear. Her reply was that the installer did not have the proper equipment to "ground" the antenna. I was immediately furious however I did remain calm, albiet firm. My response was "you've got to be joking, grounding the antenna is something that should be done on every install, not as a special request and I told her in fact it not only is part of the installation instructions right out of the antenna manufacturers instructions for installation but that it was also a requirement of the UL Electrical code. I then told her "they were getting off on a very bad start and it was just this kind of crap that made me leave Direct and why I can't wait to call ASmelphia and tell them to come pick up their junk."

So she was going to call her installer back and tell him what I said. Oh and I also told her he didn't need anything more than a copper wire from Home Depot to do the grounding.

I haven't heard back but I guarantee, if he isn't here in the next hour and twenty minutes I will cancel the order and find another retailer.

But it probably won't be any better!

Comments welcome, prozac needed.

Dan

 

[Danzio]

Well they just called and said they needed to order the "grounding equipment" and that it would take another week and they wanted to re-schedule. I said "don't bother, consider this order cancelled and I'll find another installer who understands the importance of grounding."

So How do I find this guy who knows the right way to install a dish????
Dan

 

[Van]

This is why you dont go with most all of the sub contractors and dealers out there as a large portion of them do not ground the systems that they install for dish network or directv. They easily get away with this because they are not policed by anyone ( the last thing I want to hear is some QAS from some DNS facility say he checks the work of subs wich is total Bullsh!t ) and if they do get caught they close shop and open up under another name.

If I were you I would call back and cancel your order with them because you stand little chance of the hack thats going to come out will do the job right. Get a list of all the sub contractors and dealers in your area that are authorized to sell and install Dish Network systems and check with the BBB and other local entities that track customer complaints in your area to find out what kind of report card they have.

I cant say that you will have a great install from a Dish Network inhouse technician but where policy is concerned you have a somewhat better chance of getting it done right atleast in that regard with them but dont hold your breath because Charlie Ergen is more concerned with quantity over quality and would rather pay someone $12 an hour to hack up your house as opposed to paying someone $20 an hour to make it right and proper and show you how to use it.

 

[satprincess]

Hi!

Sorry to hear that you had such a stressful day. I am an FSM for a sub. We DO[/B][/B] police our indep.contractors and do backcharge for jobs that are incorrectly mounted, grounded and cabled. Unfortunately, I have been with companies that are more concerned with the numbers game and not with quality of service.

When speaking with the retaillers, you may want to keep things simple. Remember that though they are answering the phone, most retail salespersons have little or no field experience and anything that you say to them could be confusing. That is why they are taking orders and not installing systems. If you have specific requirements, even though they are "standard" requirements, make sure that you mention it to the tech who arrives on your doorstep. It is their loss if they do not show up with the proper materials to do the job. If your system is installed and not properly grounded (for example) the easiest solution is to call Dish Network and make a complaint and a trouble call to have another (or the same) technician to return after the job is completed and activated to ground the system. I know that it seems like a redundancy, but it is the only way that some techs will learn how to install....eeeech. But after two or three trips to do the job that they should have done in the first place, they will learn! Trust me, I send techs back all the time when they are new to jobs (unless there is a customer service issue and the customer has requested a different tech). I inspect the new connects of all of my new tech...Every job in the first two weeks (about 2 assigned per tech per day) and devote my time to training them properly so they are less of a "burden" for the future....!

Lumping every retailler or contractor into a "hack" category (in my opinion) is unfair. I have seen hourly employees go 1/10 of the distance to service their customers as contractors. I've also seen the reverse. In each, you have people who "get" their job and job purpose...and you also get those who don't get it.

It might be a "waste" of time on your part, but the only thing I could recommend is that the appointment be scheduled for a day of yard work, basement cleaning, paperwork or other task that would keep you at home normally...Give the tech the time to learn and to do (if they already know what they are doing) and have a little faith! You just might be pleasantly suprised!

Also....The appointment times (at least with my company) are set for the tech to ARRIVE between certain time periods...This does not mean that the job will be completed by the end of that time period...If I arrive at 1130am, I am not late.

Just some food for thought, and best wishes....Don't give up hope!

 

[Danzio]

Thanks Van and Princess for the words of encourgement. I did cancel the order with the first company and then made another call to another local company and was pleasantly surprised with the guy on the other end of the phone. He actually was an installer and felt my pain. He did admit that many of the installers (even some that they use) simply don't do the grounding. Whether it is because they just don't understand the importance of it or they simply want to get 4 jobs in during the day instead of 3. He did say he would get one of his better guys out to do my install. We had a good conversation and I actually gave him a good tip on a new LCD HDTV I just bought. So I have an install set up for next Saturday. My package is:

Hardware:
4 Tv's.
2 HD, 1 with the VIP622 and the other a 211.
2 SD, 1 fed by the 622 (with my Tivo) and the other a 311.

Programming:
HD Gold
Locals
Starz free for 3 months

I am looking forward to this setup and all the great HD programming Dish offers.

 

[psumattDE]

Let's hope you get that 622 delivered in time.

 

[Danzio]

Let's hope you get that 622 delivered in time.

Huh?
Your comment implies that I should be receiving the 622 like in the mail? I assumed that the installer would be bringing it along with all the other equipment. No???

 

[psumattDE]

There is a possibility that your installer "might" get it - but it has been the norm since the 622 was released that it is sent to the customer via UPS BEFORE the install date.

I'd be sure to follow up on that one. If you check a # of threads here, you will see instances where the install date arrived, and then the installer shows up and asks the customer, "okay, where's the 622?"

 

[Danzio]

Yes I had read that in previous posts but I thought that was when the 622's were in short supply. I was under the impression that that is no longer the case. Anyway, when I initially ordered the service I was told that my CC would not be charged until the installation. How would they send me a 622 without charging my CC? Just to make sure though, I will call the company I now have the order with and verify.

Thanks for the head-up.

 

[StevenD]

I was told last week by the someone on the Executive Resolution Team that the 622s will be be brought out with the installer from now on.

In fact, I had two installed today and they were brought by the installer.

 

[nsafreak]

Yep since about 2-3 weeks ago the technician is supposed to bring the 622 receiver with them they are no longer being sent to customers.

 

[satprincess]

Hi!

Just another tip about the 622 delivery situation. Some wo's come with required equipment: 622 (shipped) and some come with 622 (delivered). The tech will bring the "delivered" 622s, but if it says "shipped" on the wo, the tech cannot give you one, even if they have one....It's silly, but that is the situation that I am running into. I think that most of the confusion is over with (finally), as all of my wos have come with "delivered" and amazingly, I have 23 sitting in the warehouse at this time! Three are going in tomorrow, and about 4-6 are scheduled this week! Yippie!

I also wish you luck...Sometimes, in the case of farmhouses, there is no place to ground....Just the run from the dish to the upstairs bedroom....It's a tricky call, but sometimes, there just is nooooooo way the customer is going to let you run a ground wire all around their house just to get to someplace legit to ground to...LOL But, hopefully, your install will go smoothly, and without technical "hiccups"!

Jen

 

[Claude Greiner]

BTW, if you go through a retailer they will always bring the equipment out upon delivery.

As far as being charged, usually the retailers will collect cash from a customer, pay with a check, or the retailer will charge the customers credit card after the install is completed.

On Jobs that are sent to a sub-contractor, the customer is charged in advance when the order is placed.

Personally I prefer to charge the customers card ahead of time and install the customer ASAP because it prevents them from calling around to different retailers and potentially cancelling since I already got their money. You'll be surprised how many customers place an order with retailer A, and then call around to Retailer B, C and D thinking they are going to find a better offer when everyone is offering the same thing.