Contact my tech after service?

marioxb

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Feb 11, 2021
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So I had Dish installed last week. My tech told me to contact him if I needed a follow-up. I saved the number he called me from, but apparently that is not HIS number but a temporary number assigned per job, like Door Dash, Postmates etc does. So I guess I don't have his real number. He installed my Dish a few feet further from my apartment than my complex allows. He told me to contact him if this happened, and of course, I can't. Anyway someone can look up his number on my account and call him for me? Dish wants to charge me to fix this issue that is not my fault at all. Any ideas?
 
Thanks, but they transferred me to an outsourced agent in tech support who said I had to pay a $50 fee because this was "optional". Let me try again.
 
Thanks, but they transferred me to an outsourced agent in tech support who said I had to pay a $50 fee because this was "optional". Let me try again.
That's not right. This is a mistake by the tech. You should not have to pay anything. They need to set up a Trouble Call work order, not a custom labor work order.
 
That's not right. This is a mistake by the tech. You should not have to pay anything. They need to set up a Trouble Call work order, not a custom labor work order.
Yeah "custom work order", that's what they called it. Same thing all 3 times. Contact #3 (first was via chat). Made this call before I saw the latest reply.

Called loyalty again and spoke with a guy in NJ. I asked for a supervisor, this guy says he's basically the same thing (loyalty). He waived the $50 and took some $$ off my bill, plus of course started a new contract. I guess that's OK since it was just started last week. I asked this guy why it was considered a custom since it was my complex forcing me to move the Dish. He just basically said "don't worry about it, I'm waiving the fee".

I wonder if it has anything to do with this. So I started my Dish with a 2 yr agreement in SC in 2018. Had it for about a year. Had to move in with the inlaws in FL. Used Dish mover while inlaws out of town. They come back and my father in law FREAKS out. Makes us cancel. Threw Dish in the trash (installed on a pole). We put the Dish service on pause after having it hooked up in FL for about a week. Finally we are settled back in a new apt in SC and take my service off pause. Switched to Hopper and 2 Joeys from 3 Wallys, which I guess is the reason for the new contract. (Paused 3 total times- 9 mo, 9 mo, 3 mo, because we had to wait until we got our own place again). I haven't even watched my Dish nor had a Dish (only receivers) since early 2019, until now.

Does the above make a difference? Should I call back? And can anyone at Dish see the name/ contact info of my last tech on my profile?
 
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If Dish farms out the install to an independent/local retailer, then it is a good idea to get the name of the company who installed it as a back-up if the tech's number does not work in contacting the fellow/lady. Also, make sure the name of the techs are clearly on the invoice/work order OR sine they have gone digital, have them write down on a piece of paper both the company they work for and their first and last names. Ya never know.
 
This story reminds me of years ago, when Digital Dish was doing all of the Dish installations in this part of Ohio. They would always ask that I call them first if I need any follow-up help, and they would place a sticker on the back of each remote control, listing their phone number. I still have one of those stickers on one of my remotes:
0212211014-00.jpg

I wouldn't necessarily count on that number still being valid, though.
 
I wouldn't necessarily count on that number still being valid, though.
It's not. The Company I work for took over for Digital Dish in the Columbus, Toledo and Caldwell areas - and hopefully growing from there. DD is out of business. I think Dish In-House is running the Cleveland market although our guys do get up into the Mansfield area.

Side note, if my kids weren't so young - and it may happen yet - I would probably be in a really good position to be a manager in that market. I love it there! I never realized how great Central Ohio was til we took over that area.
 
It's not. The Company I work for took over for Digital Dish in the Columbus, Toledo and Caldwell areas - and hopefully growing from there. DD is out of business. I think Dish In-House is running the Cleveland market although our guys do get up into the Mansfield area.

Side note, if my kids weren't so young - and it may happen yet - I would probably be in a really good position to be a manager in that market. I love it there! I never realized how great Central Ohio was til we took over that area.
Hope you get the manager position.
 
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Pretty sure my tech was a regular Dish employee and just wanted to help me as an individual. I just forgot to ask for his contact info. Is my theory that the techs get assigned temporary numbers to call customers just for that one job correct?
 
Pretty sure my tech was a regular Dish employee and just wanted to help me as an individual. I just forgot to ask for his contact info. Is my theory that the techs get assigned temporary numbers to call customers just for that one job correct?
First, I have found it to be common practice for installers--especially independent contractors--to leave a number where you can reach them if you have any problems because they do NOT want you calling Dish corp. and getting "dinged" by Dish or a possible cancellation and/or charge back, so the tech number is provided for the local retailer's own protection so that they can fix any problems you have and make you happy so you do not cancel and and lose money on the install.

Further, I would think that if the installer you had were a Dish Corp. installer, than all the work would be associated to the particular installers in Dish's database, so Dish Corp. should be able to track their own installers throughout, but I don't know if they then have the installer call you back--but in this case, Dish itself made everything right for you, so no point in tracking down the installer to fix it themselves.

The point of contact info after install is for a tech to address any problems--and there can be a lot of little problems that could pop-up, but not in the majority of installs--you may encounter very soon after the install, especially with the familiarity that particular installer has with how things were done, and what may fix a problem. A different installer sent to fix a problem would have to go the long route and check everything to figure out the source of the problem, where the original installer could have a clear idea of what is wrong before they arrive to fix it for you. The above is just a clarification.

But I like how you informed us that, in your case, it was a temporary number. That would be wise because I would not want a tech being besieged by phone calls throughout forever. It keep their own work or personal number private.
 
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Pretty sure my tech was a regular Dish employee and just wanted to help me as an individual. I just forgot to ask for his contact info. Is my theory that the techs get assigned temporary numbers to call customers just for that one job correct?
Dish employees are not permitted to give customers their numbers. BUT, that doesn't mean a customer didn't "accidentally" keep the number on his/her caller ID if the tech pre-called to give an estimated arrival time - something in-house techs are also advised not to do but I'm sure most still do. Everyone in the company I work for is trained to make those calls.

But I like how you informed us that, in your case, it was a temporary number. That would be wise because I would not want a tech being besieged by phone calls throughout forever. It keep their own work or personal number private.

Which does happen :mad:
 
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But I like how you informed us that, in your case, it was a temporary number. That would be wise because I would not want a tech being besieged by phone calls throughout forever. It keep their own work or personal number private.

Dish employees are not permitted to give customers their numbers. BUT, that doesn't mean a customer didn't "accidentally" keep the number on his/her caller ID if the tech pre-called to give an estimated arrival time - something in-house techs are also advised not to do but I'm sure most still do. Everyone in the company I work for is trained to make those calls.



Which does happen :mad:
I assume it was a temporary number as both techs (the new one came this morning) called to ask where my place was since it's a new complex. I tried to call back both numbers at different times and both gave me a message something like, "The verizon customer can't be reached..." or something like that, no ringing.

I asked the tech why it had to be a "custom move" and he said a "trouble call" was just for if something wasn't working.
 
Dish employees are not permitted to give customers their numbers. BUT, that doesn't mean a customer didn't "accidentally" keep the number on his/her caller ID if the tech pre-called to give an estimated arrival time - something in-house techs are also advised not to do but I'm sure most still do. Everyone in the company I work for is trained to make those calls.
These days, I get phone calls from Dish's automated system to give the estimated arrival time. No more calls directly from the technicians before they arrive, unfortunately.

I assume it was a temporary number as both techs (the new one came this morning) called to ask where my place was since it's a new complex. I tried to call back both numbers at different times and both gave me a message something like, "The verizon customer can't be reached..." or something like that, no ringing.
I get numbers like that showing up on my phone's caller ID all of the time, from (I assume) telemarketers or other such scammers. Any time I see a missed call and try to call it back, the vast majority of the time I will get a message like "The number you have dialed is not in service..." I'm like "Really? Then how did it call me just a couple of minutes ago?" Yeah, I know, spoofing. ;)
 
Dish employees are not permitted to give customers their numbers. BUT, that doesn't mean a customer didn't "accidentally" keep the number on his/her caller ID if the tech pre-called to give an estimated arrival time - something in-house techs are also advised not to do but I'm sure most still do. Everyone in the company I work for is trained to make those calls.



Which does happen :mad:
Hey, thanks for the info that techs (presumably even local retailers) are NOT supposed to give a number to call. I did not know that. However, it figures that around here, where people are not nearly as scrupulous nor as nice as people in other parts of the country, independent retailer techs seem to almost always leave their number to call if any problems. It may be a case of the retailer telling the tech to do so--or else! Or even the techs wanting to keep things from getting back to their bosses at the retailer. So, it works in both the retailer's and the techs interest, despite the ban. Likely, neither wants the new sub to call Dish corp. and either cancel or claim the install was bad. The retailer and tech want to take care of any dissatisfaction before Dish corp. hears about it.

I always try to follow the rules, but knowing how people are around here, I would have to confess, If I owned such a business, I would probably ask my techs to please (a different boss would demand it) leave some number, even a temporary number (employers always seem to violate rules and laws--even if they know better), ONLY because I don't want a cancellation or unfair complaints--usually IGNORANT complaints--getting back to Dish corp. and losing the money and negatively affecting my business reputation.

Likely, Dish may even LIKE that numbers are being left because it benefits them, as well, while I would not doubt that leaving a number to call a tech may either violate labor laws or just puts Dish in legal jeopardy regarding privacy and employee vs. contractor. As long as Dish officially covers themselves with a policy on paper, Dish may like the practice of a tech being reached in the event of problems, so long as Dish has plausible deniability :). Countless instances I've come across of such "official" don't--but then they really expect you to do. sigh!
 
Dish employees are not permitted to give customers their numbers. BUT, that doesn't mean a customer didn't "accidentally" keep the number on his/her caller ID if the tech pre-called to give an estimated arrival time - something in-house techs are also advised not to do but I'm sure most still do. Everyone in the company I work for is trained to make those calls.



Which does happen :mad:
That's why you have to get one of those TEMP numbers. No wonder the OP's tech got such a number. Pretty good idea. I would say give the number a life of 2 weeks or so? :).
 
DishSubLA The reasoning is that the computer makes so many calls, there should be no reason to call the customer and when a customer has a tech's number, it opens up the possibility of a, harassing the tech and b, something going on behind Dish's back. They need to know everything.

Now, from our perspective, if a tech can fix something without Dish knowing, he saves an R12/Trouble Call - which is a metric hit and believe me, Dish is never shy about opportunities to take money out of a tech's pocket.

Thank GOD I work for a Contractor/RSP and not Dish specifically, but we still have to abide by those stupid, stress-inducing metrics; CSAT Survey, R12/TC's, Completion Rate, Sales, Nest Sales, et al are constantly held over our heads.

My company urges us to call on the way to the job if for no other reason to establish communication, in order to start working towards a perfect survey score!
 
DishSubLA The reasoning is that the computer makes so many calls, there should be no reason to call the customer and when a customer has a tech's number, it opens up the possibility of a, harassing the tech and b, something going on behind Dish's back. They need to know everything.

Now, from our perspective, if a tech can fix something without Dish knowing, he saves an R12/Trouble Call - which is a metric hit and believe me, Dish is never shy about opportunities to take money out of a tech's pocket.

Thank GOD I work for a Contractor/RSP and not Dish specifically, but we still have to abide by those stupid, stress-inducing metrics; CSAT Survey, R12/TC's, Completion Rate, Sales, Nest Sales, et al are constantly held over our heads.

My company urges us to call on the way to the job if for no other reason to establish communication, in order to start working towards a perfect survey score!
Right. I can see now even more reasons for local retailers to have their techs leave a number to contact them--I am not saying it is correct nor proper--but a fact of life in these parts for years. As I've said before, you live in "nice" America, not the folks who can often be satellite retailers around here (I found ONE GOOD one, but he retired and sold his business to a CREEP)

FWIW, I agree: techs should not have to leave their number after an install, and likely violates a number of state labor laws, I have no doubt, but that is added on to the pile of other violations that companies make counter to US or state labor laws that go unreported or unknown to the government. The problem is, employees have to take it (leave their number in this case) because they will likely lose their jobs. I've both seen 1st hand and know of countless such situations. The last install I had for 2 H3's, the tech was quite upset having mumbled, "I don't get payed enough for this . . . " and then he left his number so I could call him if problems arise in the next few days in relation to being a NEW install--not a new customer.

Also it is also IRONIC that in some situations some employees can see "good" policies or "good" labor law as being counter-productive in their unique case because techs may even prefer to leave their number, anyway, but only because it allows them to fix and satisfy the customer FASTER, SOONER, and not have the tech or company he/she works for suffer negative financial consequences that could get them in the doghouse with an employer. Dish may "need" to know everything, but Dish may not "want" to know everything if it means keeping a subscriber due to local intervention regarding the install rather then LOSE the subscriber due to an off-shore CSR not "resolving" the problem or due to a lack of familiarity with the install or the personal rapport established between the installer and the new customer that the tech who did it can address much faster and with greater knowledge and more efficiency.

The point for the local retailers is to satisfy the customer in the most expeditious manner possible and KEEP the subscriber to avoid losing money, and the point for Dish is to KEEP the new subscriber with, likely, any means at the local retailer's disposal that Dish does NOT want to know about.

I agreed with the court decisions against Nordstrom and its particular practice of "personal customer service" it required of all sales employees. It was not right to have the work time invade on personal time--and at NO ADDITIONAL WAGES. And there a MANY such labor related transgressions by a number of well-known entities. It never ends!

So,I too, agree, that no techs should be required to leave their number. The company's number should be on paper-work, and then the company can get in contact with that particular tech. That sounds like the proper way to do things. All contact should be with the local retailer company. However, the reality, in almost any workplace, is a sad, sad example of the opposite. But who is willing to sacrifice their employment to do the right thing? Just about no one.

We see eye to eye on this one. We are in full agreement.
 
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