CAMC errors, DirecTV System Failure Update

[cplater]

OK, I'm really frustrated. I had an R10 installed on Jan 6, and it worked fine until yesterday. The unit worked fine in the morning, but in the evening all of the channels had a message to call extension 711. My first call got me to a guy who tried to "wake up" the access card. That didn't work, so he suggested I call back in an hour. The second person said "The system's down, call back in an hour." I called one more time, and I got a lady who was perterbed that I was calling back, and said it would be fixed ASAP, and that I would be given some mystery credit for the down time. I gave up and went to bed. This morning I called the Tier 2 number, and after the usual troubleshooting steps (reset the unit, pull/reinsert the card,) she told me that I needed a new access card, and that one would be here in 2 -3 business days. Am I reallly dead in the water on this unit until Tuesday or Wednesday? Should I call back and try to get another CSR? Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[neff2k]

I called the 1-800-695-9251 that DirecTVTechCSR gave us.

 

[Tier2Agent]

We have had problems since 01062005. It was initially caused by the conversion of the last of the secondary billing system (Pegasus) accounts to the primary billing system. The engineers started the process during the middle of the day during a peak load time & the system instantly crashed. Now everytime they bring it up, they bring up every call center @ the same time so it crashes again due to the fact they all start hammering the system again. They are going to have to find a way to bring up one call center at a time, with a 24 hour gap between each one. It's the only way this will ever come back up correctly. I know I have 10 years IT background before 2 years of being here. Please be patient with the CSRs as they are doing everything they can to work in a difficult situation for everyone.

 

[dfergie]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys Tier2agent... Was going to buy a HD D* receiver yesterday but due to the probs I will wait till next weekend...(Have been with D* since about 96 thru a local that sold out to... and then Pegasus)

 

[alta]

Well it took 48 hours, but my new receiver is up and running. I did have to call though. so if you are told that they'll call you, and you don't feel like waiting, call them.

 

[cplater]

Well it took 48 hours, but my new receiver is up and running. I did have to call though. so if you are told that they'll call you, and you don't feel like waiting, call them.

I'm still wondering if I should bother calling back, or just wait for the new access card they are sending. I don't think it will fix the problem, but who knows.

 

[alta]

I'm still wondering if I should bother calling back, or just wait for the new access card they are sending. I don't think it will fix the problem, but who knows.

I'm with the other posters that suggest that you keep calling. It seems like hit or miss that they can get you activated.

 

[joey25]

dtv problems

We have had problems since 01062005. It was initially caused by the conversion of the last of the secondary billing system (Pegasus) accounts to the primary billing system. The engineers started the process during the middle of the day during a peak load time & the system instantly crashed. Now everytime they bring it up, they bring up every call center @ the same time so it crashes again due to the fact they all start hammering the system again. They are going to have to find a way to bring up one call center at a time, with a 24 hour gap between each one. It's the only way this will ever come back up correctly. I know I have 10 years IT background before 2 years of being here. Please be patient with the CSRs as they are doing everything they can to work in a difficult situation for everyone.

I dont know about you all,but this whole mess has left a pit in my stomach with dtv. They should be offering some retention promos. In fact I still might dump them and get dish network.
joe

 

[h0m3rs1mps0n]

I dont know about you all,but this whole mess has left a pit in my stomach with dtv. They should be offering some retention promos. In fact I still might dump them and get dish network.
joe

Have you seen the new additions to E* over the next year? Oh wait, that should read 'the lack of new additions...'

I'm sorry but even with problems with the D* system, I would still go with them over E* right now. As far as I can see, E* has no clear plans for the future and D* does.

Go with whom you want though.

(fixed typos)

 

[lee espinoza]

there is a retention dept. here is the number 1800-600-8977

 

[edchuckndoug]

may be of some help

If they are going to send a new access card it must be a new number, not a replacement card!!! As far as the best time to call it is hit and miss, mostly miss, call late at night or early in the morning and they might be able to activate you. For example this past thursday at around noon system went down for 30 minutes back up for 10 minutes and then down for the next 48 hours. back up for approximately two hours monday 1-17-05 and then down except for ten minutes for the rest of the day. Man I don't even want to go back to work. PS If you bitch in a polite constructive way and mention cancelling you can probaby get whats called a 2-4-2 6months free showtime and and $2 month for 6 months of another premium service. Other wise if you just complaint a little they will give you a month of free show/time. Remember if you call, most of the reps are poorly trained and its not their fault dtv and convergys (one of their subcontract call services) have a horrendous turn over. They have not told us whats wrong nor do they ever keep us informed of much of anything, WE have had numerous billing errors and many crashes as of late, I have heard that Hughes went their own way (and were purchased 50% by another co.) and they were the true tech support for the system and dtv and HNS Hughes had a falling out, an earthquake? haven't heard this one but I'm sure DTV higher ups would love to help that rumor get around, and finally software updating, although the software updating does make sense because of the similar time frame. Direct's cheapness is finally catching up to them and biting them in the ass and they know it, dont take it out on the person you call on the phone, they have to hear it from everyone else too and truth is we are as disgusted if not more so because most of us actually care about the customers we handle. Be polite and insist on compensation you will be compensated!

 

[edchuckndoug]

That does not work on a rid receiver , I've tried that . All you get is osd
726. because the receiver is looking for the rid number. The only way things will work is to get everything back up to a 100%. In camc

no it s doesn't work because they system wont save the changes no subscriber Id issue tier two feh what do you guys know that main bank doesnt?

 

[Beavis]

no it s doesn't work because they system wont save the changes no subscriber Id issue tier two feh what do you guys know that main bank doesnt?

Given the number of transfers to Tier 2 from mainbank per day, my first answer would be "a lot"

 

[h0m3rs1mps0n]

wow D* support on here fighting with themselves. never a good sign.

The problem is not related to any earthquake. I laughed for a bit when I first saw that.

I would say that the main problem is IT/database support and/or HP. HP does a lot of support for D* and the fact that this happend shows that someone up there doesn't know what they are doing. I do not know how connected HP is with the actual database upgrades/changes that are going on so I don't know if its their fault or not on this. Its very sad that a company as big as D* would run into this problem though.

As far as D* not informing reps, I have to counter that. Information is on a need-to-know basis. Does it really matter what happend? No. All that matters is that the customer is taken care of, and as far as I have seen, that information has been provided. The CEO's job is not to tell you the truth on everything. They only need to give you the information that you need to know to do your job.

I've seen a list (in fact its in my email now) of what support is supposed to tell customers and how to answer the questions.

Its a really crappy situation and it never should have arisen. But it doesn't matter if it was an earthquake, chipmunk eating the hard drive, or a colony of ants making a home in the server.

Just take care of business and hope that everything is fixed sooner rather than later.

(edit: to clear things up, I am not a D* employee)

 

[edchuckndoug]

if you know please share...

no one at my work can even speculate whats wrong, got my first clue from this site. if you have list in your email of what we are supposed to tell people I would love to read it because all approximately 500 of us here at our call center have not heard one useful piece of information, just confusion and a lot of I don't knows. I believe something should be told to us so we can atleast have something to tell our customers Mr simpson, by the way I love your show!

 

[Beavis]

I've heard that it was all the migration of former Pegasus customers from STMS2 to STMS. Apparently they were behind on the conversion so they decided to speed it up. I've also heard that it was the IT dept "upgrading" STMS without testing it. Personally I think it's the Pegasus thing. That bit about the earthquake made me laugh.

 

[Angerphile]

heh. STMS was working today from about... Early AM to about 10-11:30AM PT... then it was down for a few hours from then.

*sigh* ... I hope this is the last of the downtime. =) SOOOOO many people calling in it's causing busy signals.

Anyhow... The 800-695-9251 number is the best to call in by... Direct Tier1 support. =) They can do EVERYTHING except for CRG, CIS and replace DVR/HDs. (Well, or add locals/apply for lcls for you.)

Oh, talk to CRG... Try getting like $20/month for 6 months off your bill... (Of course /w 1yr Commit)

~

 

[Beavis]

I'm going out on a limb here and saying that STMS is going to be screwing up like this until it's gone. Yay for RIO 2.3...NOT!

 

[cplater]

I'm with the other posters that suggest that you keep calling. It seems like hit or miss that they can get you activated.

Well I just got off the phone w/ a very nice, and apologetic CSR who tried to re-activate my card two different ways, to no avail. He said to wait for the new access card. He also offered me a month of Showtime for free. Hopefully the new car will be here tomorrow.

 

[DTV-T2-Tech]

no it s doesn't work because they system wont save the changes no subscriber Id issue tier two feh what do you guys know that main bank doesnt?

Most main bank agents are not very technical and are not trained in very complicated installs, they they don't have to contact local offices when tech don't show or running late, and a whole host of other things that t2 do.