Venting.... Sometimes Dish is Frustrating

[SandFarmer]

I posted my nightmare install a while ago. But the thing that blew me away was how difficult DISH has made it for field personnel to operate. I had a Field Supervisor, Tech Trainer, Tech & Trainee and the first three spent 96% of the time arguing with the agents on the phone to get things "take care of". At one point the Techs phone battery ran out. In the end I had to renegotiate/agree to a new agreement contrary to what I had already in place just to get the back office to "approve" so that the techs could continue or leave me with nothing since all the gear had been pulled and the dish was updated. Totally mind boggling.

The Techs have been fantastic. It's been the back office that has been the problem for me. Luv you guys!!!!

 

[Claude Greiner]

I posted my nightmare install a while ago. But the thing that blew me away was how difficult DISH has made it for field personnel to operate. I had a Field Supervisor, Tech Trainer, Tech & Trainee and the first three spent 96% of the time arguing with the agents on the phone to get things "take care of". At one point the Techs phone battery ran out. In the end I had to renegotiate/agree to a new agreement contrary to what I had already in place just to get the back office to "approve" so that the techs could continue or leave me with nothing since all the gear had been pulled and the dish was updated. Totally mind boggling.

The Techs have been fantastic. It's been the back office that has been the problem for me. Luv you guys!!!!

That’s the problem if you don’t build the work order properly or get the correct codes on the account BEFORE you do your installation, your pretty much working for free because you won’t get paid.

Worse part is as a retailer, not only did you sometimes get screwed out of your labor, but had to eat the cost of the equipment also.

I remember doing an upgrade for a customer once and thought we could upgrade (2) 311’s to 211’s

Do all the paperwork and install the Hardware and find out they are only paying for 1 receiver.

So basically gave the customer a $99 receiver from my inventory, and it’s not like we could go back to the customer 3 months later and pull the equipment from the customers home.

 

[SandFarmer]

That’s the problem if you don’t build the work order properly or get the correct codes on the account BEFORE you do your installation, your pretty much working for free because you won’t get paid.

Worse part is as a retailer, not only did you sometimes get screwed out of your labor, but had to eat the cost of the equipment also.

I remember doing an upgrade for a customer once and thought we could upgrade (2) 311’s to 211’s

Do all the paperwork and install the Hardware and find out they are only paying for 1 receiver.

So basically gave the customer a $99 receiver from my inventory, and it’s not like we could go back to the customer 3 months later and pull the equipment from the customers home.

Just so this would not happen, knowing DISH, I made sure everything was in place, the original order set up by the "CEO's Office", and verified three times and a fourth when I booked the install. By the time that people got done talking to the most disagreeable people on the planet, not only were we all exhausted, the Field Super was bright red, the Trainer never raised his head from his hands, the Tech was sweating bullets and the trainee said she wasn't sure if she still wanted to work for DISH. Go figure.

 

[Claude Greiner]

DISH/Echostar for hardware and TiVo for software. That's why it always amazes me that Charlie didn't buy TiVo when they were ripe for the picking. Now they're up there.

I agree. But you need to know what TIVO is to understand it’s value.

How many people refer to their DVR’s as the TIVO box?

How many times do you go to restaurant and order a Coke, only to be asked if Pepsi is ok.

DISH is like Pepsi !

You go to order a coke and the server
gives you a Pepsi instead. Most people don’t care, as Coke and Pepsi are considered the same thing. Other times people will demand a Coke and won’t settle for anything else. That’s your TiVo customer.

But why spend half a billion dollars to acquire TIVO, when nobody (except the people on this forum) know or care that there really is a difference.

The Hopper ain’t that great, other than the fact it can do 16 shows at once.

TiVo with the Hoppers 16 Tuners and we are on to something great.

 

[SandFarmer]

. . . TiVo with the Hoppers 16 Tuners and we are on to something great.

Totally understand and agree, especially with your last statement. But a whole lot of problems could have been solved with the integration of TiVo and DISH. And as you said ". . . something great". At the time it think it was $300m, that's why I thought he'd snatch that bad boy right up and we'd be Golden. NSL.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Totally understand and agree, especially with your last statement. But a whole lot of problems could have been solved with the integration of TiVo and DISH. And as you said ". . . something great". At the time it think it was $300m, that's why I thought he'd snatch that bad boy right up and we'd be Golden. NSL.

But what are the benefits to Dish by spending the 300 million for TiVo ?

There are 2 reasons...

A)Increase customer revenue

B) Gain more subscribers

First of all Charlie would never license the technology, and buying TIVO would not gain any revenue.

Yea they would gain a few die hard TIVO customers, but not enough to make up for the 30O million.

Far better investment would be 1 billion for the rights to NFL Sunday ticket, as that helps gain subscribers and increases revenue charging for it.

 

[SandFarmer]

But what are the benefits to Dish by spending the 300 million for TiVo ? . . .

The software. Primarily, would have given them a great platform, with 16 tuners as you said, but for us end users a great UI years ago; them less development effort and issues that we have had to endure and not all this BS culminating in the KGCUI. All the rest, eh, could have been a parley in the lawsuits, less money spent on lawyers and some gained IP.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The software. Primarily, would have given them a great platform, with 16 tuners as you said, but for us end users a great UI years ago; them less development effort and issues that we have had to endure and not all this BS culminating in the KGCUI. All the rest, eh, could have been a parley in the lawsuits, less money spent on lawyers and some gained IP.

Yeah but Charlie wouldn’t be Charlie without a good legal fight.

He sued his neighbors to build a road through their land. He won, but never built the road.

 

[SandFarmer]

Yeah but Charlie wouldn’t be Charlie without a good legal fight.

He sued his neighbors to build a road through their land. He won, but never built the road.

Been there. He didn't need the road. He just likes the chaos of it all.

 

[navychop]

Didn’t Charlie walk away from that TiVO situation with the rights to use their software?


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[ncted]

Not really

Dish has lost 3.25 million subs since Q1 2014 or about 23%.

AT&T/DirecTV has lost 2 million, or about 8% during the same time period. If you look at the peak number of subscribers for AT&T/DirecTV, that happened around Q1 2015. They have lost around 2.47 million or 9% since then.

Dish is clearly on a steeper decline than AT&T. Either way, satellite/cable-style linear TV is slowly dying. It will be interesting to see how things pan out with Sling, DirecTV Now, etc. Moving to a steaming model democratizes the business somewhat in that anyone can theoretically start up a service without too much effort. You don't have to put satellites in orbit or build out a physical network to get started. Of course, it also gives the players way more control over what the consumer sees and real-time insight into what is happening in the business. That will make it easier for them to monetize their customers. That should lead to higher profits (or potentially lower prices...heh, just kidding).

 

[comfortably_numb]

Dish has lost 3.25 million subs since Q1 2014 or about 23%.

AT&T/DirecTV has lost 2 million, or about 8% during the same time period. If you look at the peak number of subscribers for AT&T/DirecTV, that happened around Q1 2015. They have lost around 2.47 million or 9% since then.

Dish is clearly on a steeper decline than AT&T. Either way, satellite/cable-style linear TV is slowly dying. It will be interesting to see how things pan out with Sling, DirecTV Now, etc. Moving to a steaming model democratizes the business somewhat in that anyone can theoretically start up a service without too much effort. You don't have to put satellites in orbit or build out a physical network to get started. Of course, it also gives the players way more control over what the consumer sees and real-time insight into what is happening in the business. That will make it easier for them to monetize their customers. That should lead to higher profits (or potentially lower prices...heh, just kidding).

Once again, lest we forget, the majority of rural areas do not have broadband. Until they do, satellite will not be dead.

 

[ncted]

Once again, lest we forget, the majority of rural areas do not have broadband. Until they do, satellite will not be dead.

That is why I said slowly, and I wasn't just talking about satellite. Broadband is getting better in a lot of rural places despite the FCC's efforts to slow it down, but it will take time. Many of the rural counties in NC have taken it upon themselves to install fiber where telcos won't. Then the telcos can come in and offer service. In NY, the state is actually paying the telcos to provide some level of broadband service to every (or almost every) address in the state. I'm not sure it will every get to 100% everywhere, but I expect the vast majority of the population will have the option to choose an IP-based solution in the next decade. TBH, I am not sure what that means for RVers and the really isolated areas once satellite becomes marginalized. At a minimum, I'd expect channel packages to shrink to keep costs down, but beyond that, how do you cost-effectively offer something like Dish or DirecTV to a relatively small number of people?

 

[comfortably_numb]

despite the FCC's efforts to slow it down

Huh? Why would the FCC try to stifle broadband service to rural areas? Do you have links to back that up?

 

[ncted]

Huh? Why would the FCC try to stifle broadband service to rural areas? Do you have links to back that up?

So, not just rural, but also low income, which often includes rural.

FCC Poised to Gut '96 Telecom Act | Light Reading
Huawei: FCC proposal would hurt poor, rural communities
FCC Proposes Limiting Program That Provides Internet To Low-Income Americans
FCC Net Neutrality 3-point plan outlined: Robin Hood in reverse
AHA opposes 'unexpected,' 'significant' funding cuts in FCC's rural telehealth program

I could find more if need be. If not for NY, the FCC wouldn't have much to talk about with respect to rural broadband expansion.

 

[comfortably_numb]

So, not just rural, but also low income, which often includes rural.

FCC Poised to Gut '96 Telecom Act | Light Reading
Huawei: FCC proposal would hurt poor, rural communities
FCC Proposes Limiting Program That Provides Internet To Low-Income Americans
FCC Net Neutrality 3-point plan outlined: Robin Hood in reverse
AHA opposes 'unexpected,' 'significant' funding cuts in FCC's rural telehealth program

I could find more if need be. If not for NY, the FCC wouldn't have much to talk about with respect to rural broadband expansion.

I think what you're referring to might be government subsidized internet access for rural areas. I'm talking about corporate expansion of broadband access for rural areas.

 

[Juan]

Once again, lest we forget, the majority of rural areas do not have broadband. Until they do, satellite will not be dead.

Depends if they replace the satellites

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[ncted]

I think what you're referring to might be government subsidized internet access for rural areas. I'm talking about corporate expansion of broadband access for rural areas.

Yeah, without the government to subsidize it, it would not happen, just like with telephones and electricity back in the day.

 

[SandFarmer]

Didn’t Charlie walk away from that TiVO situation with the rights to use their software?


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

I think he did. It was part of the "mutually agreed Patent settlement" to keep "trick play". That was such a waste for us. The UI we could have had . . . Like I said, "he likes the chaos of it all". Well he has new chaos with Ajit Pai and all his frequency acquisitions. That's where our hyper-high-end UI went . . .

 

[MikeD-C05]

But what are the benefits to Dish by spending the 300 million for TiVo ?

There are 2 reasons...

A)Increase customer revenue

B) Gain more subscribers

First of all Charlie would never license the technology, and buying TIVO would not gain any revenue.

Yea they would gain a few die hard TIVO customers, but not enough to make up for the 30O million.

Far better investment would be 1 billion for the rights to NFL Sunday ticket, as that helps gain subscribers and increases revenue charging for it.

If DISH bought TIVO you can bet that the first thing that would happen would be new TIVO FEES for everything, including their Tivo mini receivers that you can buy out right and no monthly fee.