A bad omen?

[djmeaney]

Today was the day that I was supposed to have Dish Network installed. New customer ordering DVRAdvanatage w/AT 200 for $49.99. Opted to pay the $99 installation and skip the 3 months of HBO & Starz so that I wouldn't have a 2 year commitment.

Setup the install for today 12 to 5 PM. Received two e-mails Thursday reminding me of the install and confirming my service options (one for Dish and another from Dish/AT&T).

Friday night received an automated call confirming the appointment for Saturday.

Great...everything is set for Saturday.

Home all day...no installer...no phone call.

By 6:15 PM I figure the installer isn't coming. I call Dish Network...the line for customers who have an account, which I do--even though I don't have service. I get that automated thing...where the guy asks you questions...I can feel my BP go up....I tell the dude I have an install question...enter my phone number and he tells me my install time is 12 to 5 on Saturday, and that I am calling during the window and paraphrasing here...he basically says be patient the installer is probably on his/her way. IT'S 6:15 PM...AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES AFTER THE WINDOW...AND NEARLY DARK OUTSIDE...god I hate those things!

I finally got through to a customer service representative who was very nice, apologized for the inconvenience, and was barely spoke english. He puts me on hold to call and check with dispatcher in my area to see what happened. He comes back in a couple of minutes and says he couldn't get through to them.

I tell him thanks for trying and to please call me back when he or the dispatcher figure out what happened...he then said something I didn't quite understand before I hung up.

So what do you think happens next? Is this a typical Dish install?

 

[Liquidforce88]

I would say no it is not typical, but things happen sometimes. You may hear about it more on this site, because people only go looking for answers when something like this happens. There are tons of installs that go smoothly every day.

 

[bkushner]

I would have been on the phone at noon getting an update as to when they are coming. I spent too many entire days on faith!

 

[tstolze]

I would move to your next choice. Any company that cannot call a customer and let them know they are running late/ not going to show does not deserve that customers business.

 

[tastim]

I would move to your next choice. Any company that cannot call a customer and let them know they are running late/ not going to show does not deserve that customers business.

What company should they call? This happens with every TV service company sometimes.

 

[Claude Greiner]

This is a typical problem among all providers!

If the technician would just call the customer then there would not be an issue!

 

[daboogas94e]

when i worked for dish, i always called every customer on my route and let them know when i would be there (approximately)

 

[djmeaney]

I understand things happen...and installers probably never know what they're going to find at a job site, but a phone call to explain would have been really appreciated.

At this point, with work schedules and kids activities it's going to be at least two weeks before were home for a block of time in the daylight hours.

I'll probably cancel the Dish order and hang out with DirecTV for a while longer.

 

[Laddyboy]

This has happened to me twice with Saturday appointments. They seem to overschedule weekends. The first time I got a call from the tech about 6:45 in the evening that he was over 2 hours away and wouldn't be coming that night. he blamed his dispatcher for not contacting me earlier and called because he had been contacted by E* that I had called at 6 and wondered where he was. I cancelled the upgrade with E* and arranged it myself through a local retailer for the same cost. The second time was a service call, also for a Saturday scheduled through E*. No one showed up and no one called. I can understand why they can't make all appointments, but I don't understand why they can't be bothered to call to let a person know.

 

[LordKron]

Today was the day that I was supposed to have Dish Network installed. New customer ordering DVRAdvanatage w/AT 200 for $49.99. Opted to pay the $99 installation and skip the 3 months of HBO & Starz so that I wouldn't have a 2 year commitment.

Setup the install for today 12 to 5 PM. Received two e-mails Thursday reminding me of the install and confirming my service options (one for Dish and another from Dish/AT&T).

Friday night received an automated call confirming the appointment for Saturday.

Great...everything is set for Saturday.

Home all day...no installer...no phone call.

By 6:15 PM I figure the installer isn't coming. I call Dish Network...the line for customers who have an account, which I do--even though I don't have service. I get that automated thing...where the guy asks you questions...I can feel my BP go up....I tell the dude I have an install question...enter my phone number and he tells me my install time is 12 to 5 on Saturday, and that I am calling during the window and paraphrasing here...he basically says be patient the installer is probably on his/her way. IT'S 6:15 PM...AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES AFTER THE WINDOW...AND NEARLY DARK OUTSIDE...god I hate those things!

I finally got through to a customer service representative who was very nice, apologized for the inconvenience, and was barely spoke english. He puts me on hold to call and check with dispatcher in my area to see what happened. He comes back in a couple of minutes and says he couldn't get through to them.

I tell him thanks for trying and to please call me back when he or the dispatcher figure out what happened...he then said something I didn't quite understand before I hung up.

So what do you think happens next? Is this a typical Dish install?

sounds like there could have been 2 work orders created, if you had one from dish and another from dish att then the att install is the one you might be getting, another words it could have been a different date set up.

and yes things happen, once your order is processed it is basically out of the hands of the customer service and in the hands of the LSC you are in, the dispatcher should have called you , they are in the wrong for not. then again the dispatch offices in some areas suck.

 

[Fitzie]

As I recall, I had a local rep. call me once when their guy was running late, saying they'd had trouble on an install but would be there. The guy was about 45 minutes late, came in and apologized, then took care of business. Things sometimes happen even if the installer is competent and working like a beaver. (But its great when you get that call explaining what's going on.)

fitzie

 

[Islandguy43]

I think many of these problems are dependent on what area the country you live in too. In the western new york area, Intertech pretty much does almost all of the Dish installs, and have always been on time, polite and professional when doing installs and service calls at my house. Infact, earlier this year on Saturday service call appointment for the afternoon, both Intertech and the Service Tech himself called and asked if it was ok for him to come a couple hours early because he had the availablity.

 

[djmeaney]

Still waiting!

On Sunday (day after scheduled install), home Caller ID showed that DN called about 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM, but left no message.

I left a message today for the sales rep (with my cell phone #) that I placed the initial order with...no call back from her yet, but it could be her day off. Meanwhile, DN called home phone again during work day (11:30 AM and 5:30 PM according to Caller ID), but again left no message. DN is calling from the 315 area code.

I realize I could just call customer service and discuss possible cancel/reschedule, but I don't have any availability for an install for a couple of weeks so no big hurry... and I'm curious to see how long before someone from DN leaves a phone message.

 

[joeyjojojnr]

I would move to your next choice. Any company that cannot call a customer and let them know they are running late/ not going to show does not deserve that customers business.

Getting TV service is like getting phone/internet service. Your options are:

Crappy company 1
Crappy company 2
and, if your are really lucky:
Crappy company 3

Maybe someday a person like Richard Branson will enter the market and offer a TV service based on a few, simple, straightforward plans; guaranteed install times; and local, decently paid support staff.

We can dream, right?

 

[Sammy033]

We can dream, right?

Sure. Some are pipe dreams. Others are wet dreams. And still others are delusional dreams.