I spoke too soon about a "smooth" installation minus the 1000+... when they scheduled my 1000+ appt, they removed my Detroit locals...tying that to the scheduled 1000+ install. Sorry if I'm ranting/venting through this forum, but in the end the tried and proven CSR roulette is a way to circumvent a lot of bullsh@t.
So, I called Dish... asked if they could re-add my locals (along with HD Bronze, that I was successfully switched to)... the person on the line he could only do that if they cancelled the order,added locals, then added a new order for the 1000+. I asked "can you do that?" He seemed hesitant which should have been my clue to not proceed...but without locals, my wife was going to slay me without the ability to see what is on the locals in the EPG. So I said fine, do it if we can just re-create the 1000+ order; he said fine,but he would have to transfer me to a technician to re-create the order, he added locals, cancelled the order, and transferred me, where I was on hold for about 20 min. before DISCONNECT.
I called up Dish immediately after, directing myself to the Technical Support line. After explaining the situation, he said he couldn't do anything about it, and I would need to call back in a couple of weeks. BULL! I said that's crazy, I already had a 1000+ install scheduled...so he had me on hold for about 15 min. again while he escalated it up to "executive support". He came back, and said everything was all set.
WRONG.
A couple of hours later I checked my EPG. Locals were there, but all HD channels were red! I called Dish, again, explained the situation. I got very lucky, spoke to a guy who has been with Dish for eons. He said the new system disallows them from making programming changes if there is an outstanding work order, but a new system is coming aboard that will theoretically let them do this. However he confirmed that the prior tech support guy gave me AT60! And then said that he knows of a trick - use of an old system that they are not supposed to use anymore - to turn on HD Bronze without doing anything with the word order. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, I had HD Bronze, he managed to keep my locals, and I still have a 1000+ install scheduled for next friday.
So - morale of the story - Dish systems suck (at least now), the front-line support people suck (coincidentally I think the 1st guy was in another country), but if you keep trying you can get a CSR in the technical support department who may be able to actually help you out without hurting you.
One note to Dish if you are reading, customer support should be about helping people solve their problems - I don't want to hear, as I did with the 1st support person, that it almost makes them go through pains and inconveniences to help me out. I swear I thought I was the customer support rep for this looser. Nor do I want to hear all the sh*t they need to go through to give me, the customer, what I want (and what I'm paying for). The 2nd and 3rd support folks were seemingly OK...3rd especially (just lucky)...but gimme a break, what a hassle.
I just hope the 1000+ shows up in a week.
