Retention Dept Cancellation Question (Is This Typical?)

[JD Hogg]

Called DTV's 800# and said "cancel" at the prompt and was forwarded to retention dept. Spoke with an agent and asked when my contract end date was and how much the ETF is if I were to cancel service. When asked "why"...I told him that I was very upset that DTV is going into it's 2nd year with it's dispute with the Pac 12 Network and that being in So Cal, I've already missed a few USC/UCLA games.

Also mentioned that my HR34 Genie receiver is very slow and sluggish and that I've tried all troubleshooting matters (red-button reset, clear receiver, etc) and that nothing has worked. I was hoping that he would offer to swap the HR34 w/ a HR44. That's all I was looking for.

He offered NOTHING to prevent me from cancelling my service with DTV and asked "when" I wanted to cancel. WTF? I told him to schedule disconnection 2 weeks from now and he processed that and then ended the call.

Did I just get an a-hole retention rep or is this DTV's new approach with dissatisfied customers (ie let them cancel service and not give a damn)? I've read that others were offered discounts, premium movie channels and/or newer receiver swaps. Somehow I had the door slammed shut in my face.

 

[raoul5788]

It doesn't sound like you asked for anything in particular but waited to be offered something, which never happened. Directv isn't in dispute with PAC12 since they haven't even been carried yet.

 

[JD Hogg]

It doesn't sound like you asked for anything in particular but waited to be offered something, which never happened. Directv isn't in dispute with PAC12 since they haven't even been carried yet.

?Was never given an opportunity to ask for anything. Dude just went ahead and scheduled my cancellation date and wished me a nice weekend.

 

[raoul5788]

?Was never given an opportunity to ask for anything. Dude just went ahead and scheduled my cancellation date and wished me a nice weekend.

How is that? When he said he would schedule you for the cancellation why didn't you say something then?

 

[JD Hogg]

^^^ Because I knew I was dealing with a terrible rep and I was caught in the moment and was shocked/disappointed in his handling of this situation. Besides I knew that in a couple of days I would be receiving a phone call from DTV trying to persuade me to "change my mind."

 

[TNGTony]

From the other side of the fence, when I worked CS in a previous life, I remember getting calls and talking to people who you knew right away were complaining, not because they were really dissatisfied, but to get something for free. Whenever I spotted them, I would, as tactfully as I could, call their bluff. Boy would they get mad... but none followed through with their return/complaint.

 

[directv newb]

If I were you I would hurry up and cancel the cancellation, you tried to beat the house and lost

 

[JD Hogg]

If I were you I would hurry up and cancel the cancellation, you tried to beat the house and lost

Will DTV call my bluff? Who knows. From past experience, they will call me and talk me out of cancelling and offer some discount + goodies to stay.

Time will tell. I have a couple of weeks to weigh my options - as do they.

 

[surrealtech]

Will DTV call my bluff? Who knows. From past experience, they will call me and talk me out of cancelling and offer some discount + goodies to stay. Time will tell. I have a couple of weeks to weigh my options - as do they.

You will hear from DirecTv before they turn off your service. They will offer you some great deals. DirecTv is again bleeding subs this quarter .

 

[Lanarian]

When you say "From past experience".. how many times have you done this? They keep records, and Reps have to check those before they make any offers.. If they see too many credits or retention offers on the account, they wont offer anything.

 

[JD Hogg]

When you say "From past experience".. how many times have you done this? They keep records, and Reps have to check those before they make any offers.. If they see too many credits or retention offers on the account, they wont offer anything.

Once before - about 1 year ago when they replaced a faulty HR24 receiver with a HR21 receiver (garbage compared to HR24). Had to "cancel" service and received a call few days later and only then did they agree to send me out an HR24.

Shouldn't have come to that. DTV should replace current receiver model #s with either the SAME receiver (or if they are out of stock) the next model up. Going from HR24 > HR21 was not going to work for me.

 

[Jimbo]

?Was never given an opportunity to ask for anything. Dude just went ahead and scheduled my cancellation date and wished me a nice weekend.

They called you bluff .... it happens some times.
I always tell people when they call to "Cancel" to be prepared to do just that, just incase.

Now you have the option of Cancelling and coming back IF you want to and possibly get the New sub discount, but they don't give them out early. They will call you and send you things to try and get you back.

Or you can call back in a week or so, before your cancellation date and Cancel your Cancel request, I would in your position be thankful that they didn't just turn you off, which they could have done, it would have surprised me had they done that, but ya never know.

 

[lparsons21]

what makes you think they don't give out new/returning customer deals early? I had an email offering me the moon and stars before the boxes got to the house to send the HRs back!

Now I get 2 emails a week and a couple snail mails a month regular as clockwork.
?

 

[Jimbo]

Once before - about 1 year ago when they replaced a faulty HR24 receiver with a HR21 receiver (garbage compared to HR24). Had to "cancel" service and received a call few days later and only then did they agree to send me out an HR24.

Shouldn't have come to that. DTV should replace current receiver model #s with either the SAME receiver (or if they are out of stock) the next model up. Going from HR24 > HR21 was not going to work for me.

Typically they replace like for like ...

 

[Jimbo]

what makes you think they don't give out new/returning customer deals early? I had an email offering me the moon and stars before the boxes got to the house to send the HRs back!

Now I get 2 emails a week and a couple snail mails a month regular as clockwork.
?

Well, thats different than it use to be then.
Thats good.

Snail mail, are you referring to the stuff in the Value Pack type stuff offerings, I get them all the time, but I don't consider them a offer for someone to come back.

 

[lparsons21]

No, the snail mail I'm getting is from DirecTV with the same offers the email is giving. Most have the fake debit card with it to try and grab my attention.

I get the value pack stuff once a week and there is usually at least 2 offers from some sellers for both Dish and DirecTV. I've always ignored them as well as most of the rest of the value pack.
?

 

[TigerpounceTN]

They called you bluff .... it happens some times.
I always tell people when they call to "Cancel" to be prepared to do just that, just incase.

Now you have the option of Cancelling and coming back IF you want to and possibly get the New sub discount, but they don't give them out early. They will call you and send you things to try and get you back.

Or you can call back in a week or so, before your cancellation date and Cancel your Cancel request, I would in your position be thankful that they didn't just turn you off, which they could have done, it would have surprised me had they done that, but ya never know.

I called a few weeks ago and said "cancel" just to get the retentions department. I wanted the Red Zone Channel. I told the guy straight up that I wasn't looking to cancel, but that I had heard that they were the only ones with the power to add that channel individually. I ended up with Sunday Ticket (for free) and $15 off for a year. I am happy. What happens depends a lot on the questions you ask.

 

[Jimbo]

I called a few weeks ago and said "cancel" just to get the retentions department. I wanted the Red Zone Channel. I told the guy straight up that I wasn't looking to cancel, but that I had heard that they were the only ones with the power to add that channel individually. I ended up with Sunday Ticket (for free) and $15 off for a year. I am happy. What happens depends a lot on the questions you ask.

Alot also depends on what discounts your already getting or recvd recently as well.

I call once a year about the ST, just to see what offers they have to offer me, this year it wasn't much, but I took it anyways.

 

[RLDreams]

Sounds to me like you called up to complain about not getting a network DTV doesn't offer or have any plans to offer,so to accommodate you they graciously agreed to cancel your service like you asked. Rep can't offer you a network they do not carry. You said you wanted to cancel because DTV doesn't have Pac12 . What were they supposed to do? Offer you free HBO for 3 months ? Still not going to be able to watch UCLA games, so you still would be unhappy. A new receiver is not going to give you Pac12 ,so you still won't be happy.

Sounds to me like you got a good rep that knew nothing they could offer you would give you pac12 ,and that was your only issue,so just let you leave.

FYI we get a couple of the DTV direct mail offers in the mail every week too. Has nothing to do with retentions, they are just canvas mailings. You would think somebody would cross-reference the mailing list with a subscriber list, but I guess they are not that smart.

 

[markfp-1]

I think a lot of companies, not just DirecTV are tightening their "give away the store" customer retention policies.

If you're a good customer, with a legitimate concern, they'll be glad to work with you, but if it's obvious to them that you're just looking for a freebie or that there's no way to satisfy you, especially if you have a track record of trying it before, they'll call your bluff and cancel you.

As many people before have said in the past, if you threaten to cancel, be prepared to do just that because they just might pull the plug on you.