Directly Calling or "walk-in service" at a Call Center

[eacalhoun]

The other day I was frustrated over a particular service issue --CORRECTION-- I was more frustrated over difficult-to-understand CSRs than the issue for which I was calling (and I hung up and called back about 3 times playing "find English CSR roulette). I often visit Bluefield, WV, and knew of their call center there. So, I looked up the local number in hopes of getting intelligible help. The answering receptionist was very nice--and understandable. But she could not help me, and I told her exactly why I was calling them and not the customer service number. She said that she had no technical means of paging or transferring a call to a CSR (from the local number I had called).

So I guess "walk up" customers at a call center are probably out of the question, too, right? And I also got to thinking--I'm sure there are DISH customers within walking or sight distance of the Bluefield Call Center. I wonder how few of their calls get answered next door?

Eric

 

[okiekevn]

do you even know if that call center does tech support? perhaps it might be an outbound sales call center. i agree, would be nice if there was a walk up service counter, where you could bring your reciever, they could quickly hook up, determine if rec is bad and immeidietly replace for you onsite with no shipping cost or waiting period. even for sales and upgrades. the telecommunications companies have been doing it for years. att, verizon, windstream, all of them has stores in malls. the windstream stores however are franchised outlets privately ran, but they make a profit, perhaps this idea might work with dish.

 

[OoTLink]

The thing about those stores is they're only in areas where the companies provide service - where I am in ATT land, you don't find verizon, embarq, or whatever, just ATT stores.

 

[Zero327]

The other day I was frustrated over a particular service issue --CORRECTION-- I was more frustrated over difficult-to-understand CSRs than the issue for which I was calling (and I hung up and called back about 3 times playing "find English CSR roulette). I often visit Bluefield, WV, and knew of their call center there. So, I looked up the local number in hopes of getting intelligible help. The answering receptionist was very nice--and understandable. But she could not help me, and I told her exactly why I was calling them and not the customer service number. She said that she had no technical means of paging or transferring a call to a CSR (from the local number I had called).

So I guess "walk up" customers at a call center are probably out of the question, too, right? And I also got to thinking--I'm sure there are DISH customers within walking or sight distance of the Bluefield Call Center. I wonder how few of their calls get answered next door?

Eric

You're technically not even supposed to know there's multiple centers or their locations. The theory is "one big happy family" or so Chuck is pushing. In either event another valid reason not to do that is if you could directly contact a particular location, in increases the liklihood of product theft, security risks, etc as you're more likely to know an employee of the location you'd want to call into than not. It's not highly like, but FAR more likely than routing a regular call anywhere in the world.

 

[Jared Twomey]

i agree, would be nice if there was a walk up service counter, where you could bring your reciever, they could quickly hook up, determine if rec is bad and immeidietly replace for you onsite with no shipping cost or waiting period. even for sales and upgrades.

there is... its called a Retailer. If you bring a receiver in to our store, we will more than happily hook it up in the showroom and see if it works... hell, bring an lnb or switch and we'll hook that up to.

 

[DJ Rob]

It was nice when I had dish a few years ago and they had a walk up counter at their Englewood Colorado warehouse. You could take a receiver or any other part to them and they would swap it out on the spot. My advice is find a retailer near you. Or go with a different provider that has better customer service.

 

[reallyniceguy]

I think you would get escorted out by security LOL theres no walk ins.. You need a badge to actually come inside the building... warehouses got a door where you can go drop off equipment but the secretary knows nothing of accounts..

 

[vegassatellite]

there is... its called a Retailer. If you bring a receiver in to our store, we will more than happily hook it up in the showroom and see if it works... hell, bring an lnb or switch and we'll hook that up to.

That's not the case with all retailers. The retailers I work for will do this for their own customers, but if any Joe Blow off the street wants them to check a receiver, there's gonna be a charge for that.

 

[Jared Twomey]

as long as its nothing that is going to take forever... it shouldn't be a big deal for any retailer to just test a receiver. hell, the retailer should see it as an opportunity to have a captive audience for a few minutes. try to sell an upgrade, new receiver, additional accessories, ect.

 

[chadzx11]

That's not the case with all retailers. The retailers I work for will do this for their own customers, but if any Joe Blow off the street wants them to check a receiver, there's gonna be a charge for that.

As well they should be. Satellite customers don't want anybody to make any money these days, though. Really, what is wrong with paying for a service that you recieve?

 

[Zero327]

As well they should be. Satellite customers don't want anybody to make any money these days, though. Really, what is wrong with paying for a service that you recieve?

That's easy to answer. Consumers are getting to be about as greedy as the businesses who sell to them. Consumers wants free upgrades and product regardless of the background or expenses. If they MUST pay for something, they want it at cost, leaving no room for profit. If you're making a profit, you're doing so at the expense of the customer or so is the current belief.

That's why I have absolutely NO problem with turning off a whining customer who's milking the cow. If you buy a service and get what you pay for, we're good. If you buy a service, and use every dirty trick in the book trying to get more than you pay for, that money comes from somewhere, and it's probably my pocket.

 

[vegassatellite]

as long as its nothing that is going to take forever... it shouldn't be a big deal for any retailer to just test a receiver. hell, the retailer should see it as an opportunity to have a captive audience for a few minutes. try to sell an upgrade, new receiver, additional accessories, ect.

Why should anyone work for free? Do you stay after work off the clock for your boss?

I work for some pretty good salesmen, they know who is a buyer and who isn't. They don't do upgrades for existing subs unless they go cash and carry or its for custom work. In that case, what they typically do is charge the customer a bench-testing fee and they'll often credit that against future work if the customer schedules something right then.

I've learned that those customers which don't value your time, won't ever value your time.

 

[Jared Twomey]

Why should anyone work for free? Do you stay after work off the clock for your boss?

I work for some pretty good salesmen, they know who is a buyer and who isn't. They don't do upgrades for existing subs unless they go cash and carry or its for custom work. In that case, what they typically do is charge the customer a bench-testing fee and they'll often credit that against future work if the customer schedules something right then.

I've learned that those customers which don't value your time, won't ever value your time.

i would argue that it depends on where you sell, how much competition you have, ect.
I should say too, I am hardly at the store anymore anyway. In fact, I haven't worked in the store in at least a few months, but anyway.
Lets say the retailer is paying someone to work at the store. How would you figure the employee testing a receiver is doing the work for free. The employee is getting the same pay whether they are sitting on their ass waiting for the phone to ring, or testing a customer's receiver.
As far as the retailer doing the work for free... he is paying someone to man the store whether they are testing recievers, or sitting on their ass. May as well be testing recievers and keeping up the good reputation that the retailer has.

That particular retailer has VERY little, to no advertising costs. Why? Cause most of his work is because of his good reputation for being helpful and nice to his customer's. Most of the work that he does is because of word of mouth. He is nice to the people that come in his store, and they remember that when either they need work done, or they have a friend/relative that needs work done.

He has been in business since the c-band days, and does pretty well.

Just my opinion, but i personally feel it depends on your market. I don't think anyone should do any work for free... but if you are sitting in your store anyway, waiting for the phone to ring, customers to walk in, ect... why not take a few minutes, and hopefully get a future customer.

For example: When I was 16, I got a cell phone through a local cingular retailer. It wasn't my first phone, my first was when I was 14 through US Cellular. Anytime I had a problem, the employees at the US Cellular store were horrible at getting things worked out. Eventually I got tired of it and switched to Cingular.
I went to one of the local retailers... and he was really personable, and helpful. About 6 months after I got the phone, I dropped it and snapped the antenna off. I went back to the retailer to see how much a new antenna was. That little piece of plastic and metal was $45 new. I was 16 and didn't have enough cash on me to buy that.
The retailer helped me out, found a used antenna he had and installed it for me, for free. I offered to come back later and pay him for it, but he refused. I have never forgotten that.
Since then I have upgraded more times than I can remember, and added 4 more lines to my account. I also buy a ton of accessories (face plates, antennas, cases, ect). I have strayed a couple times and went to other stores to look at accessories, but have never found a retailer as friendly and helpful at this guy was. Because of that, I have always went back to him for everything I have ever bought/upgraded on my phones. I have also recommended and sent a ton of people to his business.
Because of one act of kindness, that really didn't cost him anything, but a few minutes of his time, he has gotten my business for years now.

 

[vegassatellite]

i would argue that it depends on where you sell, how much competition you have, ect.
I should say too, I am hardly at the store anymore anyway. In fact, I haven't worked in the store in at least a few months, but anyway.
Lets say the retailer is paying someone to work at the store. How would you figure the employee testing a receiver is doing the work for free. The employee is getting the same pay whether they are sitting on their ass waiting for the phone to ring, or testing a customer's receiver.
As far as the retailer doing the work for free... he is paying someone to man the store whether they are testing recievers, or sitting on their ass. May as well be testing recievers and keeping up the good reputation that the retailer has.

That particular retailer has VERY little, to no advertising costs. Why? Cause most of his work is because of his good reputation for being helpful and nice to his customer's. Most of the work that he does is because of word of mouth. He is nice to the people that come in his store, and they remember that when either they need work done, or they have a friend/relative that needs work done.

He has been in business since the c-band days, and does pretty well.

Just my opinion, but i personally feel it depends on your market. I don't think anyone should do any work for free... but if you are sitting in your store anyway, waiting for the phone to ring, customers to walk in, ect... why not take a few minutes, and hopefully get a future customer.

For example: When I was 16, I got a cell phone through a local cingular retailer. It wasn't my first phone, my first was when I was 14 through US Cellular. Anytime I had a problem, the employees at the US Cellular store were horrible at getting things worked out. Eventually I got tired of it and switched to Cingular.
I went to one of the local retailers... and he was really personable, and helpful. About 6 months after I got the phone, I dropped it and snapped the antenna off. I went back to the retailer to see how much a new antenna was. That little piece of plastic and metal was $45 new. I was 16 and didn't have enough cash on me to buy that.
The retailer helped me out, found a used antenna he had and installed it for me, for free. I offered to come back later and pay him for it, but he refused. I have never forgotten that.
Since then I have upgraded more times than I can remember, and added 4 more lines to my account. I also buy a ton of accessories (face plates, antennas, cases, ect). I have strayed a couple times and went to other stores to look at accessories, but have never found a retailer as friendly and helpful at this guy was. Because of that, I have always went back to him for everything I have ever bought/upgraded on my phones. I have also recommended and sent a ton of people to his business.
Because of one act of kindness, that really didn't cost him anything, but a few minutes of his time, he has gotten my business for years now.

That's all fine when the person walking in has the potential to be a customer. If they are bringing in a receiver, they are already someone else's customer. That Cingular story you relate doesn't really apply here as you were his customer and had been profitable in the past to him so he has a reasonable expectation that further investment in you might yield more income for him. We operate the same way and do gratis bench tests for our subs. I've gone out and programmed people's remotes when they buy new TVs on account of the past business they have given me and their potential for more business. Now, how might that Cingular guy have been if you brought him some other retailer's phone and expected him to replace that antenna for free. He would have been out $45 in unrealized income. There's that word, unrealized. That principle is the exact reason satellite and cable companies chase down pirate viewers. It doesn't reduce the available signal when a pirate accesses DISH's signal, so why pursue it? The answer is that DISH is losing money because it isn't realizing income from these people. Our shops run the same way. If there is a value in the service we provide, we charge for it. If we realize there is money to be made by giving away some token service, we do consider it. However, it can be said generally that the whole "free" model has not been good to most retailers. The whole free model killed the $199 basic install.