sparc said:
it really isn't so simple....
most CSRs follow scripts... you have 4 tvs?... of course you need 1H/3J
and that's where most customers are getting their information. Going directly to a company and contacting their customer service should be enough.
Go look on the Dish website and setup a new install with 4 TVs and see what it shows... there is no option for two hoppers in that configuration... lol
Educating the customer about what they need is entirely on Dish. It's a complex system and it's on Dish to simplify it and get the information out. Coming to a forum for extra info should be optional.
Sorry, but I don't buy that. You want to set up a Dish system, great. But you have to do your homework. You have to know what your needs are and ask questions to see if what is being proposed meets your needs. You don't have to ask too many questions before you realize that one hopper only has three tuners and cannot provide live tv to four different TVs at the same time. At that point you say, "hold on, that doesn't work for my set up, are there any other options?".
There's plenty of information out there, if people don't choose to inform themselves before they enter into a two year agreement, then that's their problem. We're talking basic functionality here, not advanced features. The one exception to this is if someone is given wrong info by Dish (I.e. the gentleman who in another thread reports that he was told the Joey was capable of exactly the same things as a Hopper).
And of course Dish would prefer to service 4 TVs with one Hopper and three Joeys, that's less equipment costs they incur up front for the same monthly payment from the customer. And for some individuals (where the extra TVs aren't all on at the same time) that could work. But, at that point, the consumer has to compare what is offered to their needs and either get something that works for them or decline Dish's offer altogether.
As for the CSRs saying "of course you need..." why would anyone think that a CSR would have a better idea of their household's TV viewing habits than they themselves have?
Getting new receivers and service is akin to any other major purchase, consumers have to do their homework first.