DISH Network Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results

[costanzas_wallet]

I'm more satisfied with Dish now with the Hoppers than I have ever been with any provider. I like having the Sling capability and my wife and I really like the Auto Hop for PTAT... and this is in addition to the multiple TB's of DVR space we have shared between and watchable on any of our four HDTV's.

Since the experience is feature-rich, we are more satisfied, and therefore, more likely to stick....

All that said, it's the customer experience that turns out to be the ultimate driving factor in most customer retention. I have had some seriously bad CSR karma with Dish in the past. Couple that with random rate increases, dropped channels and new, mysterious fees, and you'll see some sticky customers polarize and throw their money at someone else.

 

[david_jr]

Lets see what we have here:

Dish Network: AT250 + BB@H, 2 H, 3 J, DPP
$131.53

Fairpoint Communications Internet and phone bundle: 5MB down/ 512K up, local calling only
$108.00

Cable: Not available
U-verse: Not available
Fios: Not available

I've weighed my options and I may be sticking with what I have.

 

[mike123abc]

Unfortunately only those in big cities really have options to play against each other. The rest are stuck with 2 DBS and maybe a cable provider to choose from.

 

[rajmarie]

I'm more satisfied with Dish now with the Hoppers than I have ever been with any provider. I like having the Sling capability and my wife and I really like the Auto Hop for PTAT... and this is in addition to the multiple TB's of DVR space we have shared between and watchable on any of our four HDTV's.

Since the experience is feature-rich, we are more satisfied, and therefore, more likely to stick....

All that said, it's the customer experience that turns out to be the ultimate driving factor in most customer retention. I have had some seriously bad CSR karma with Dish in the past. Couple that with random rate increases, dropped channels and new, mysterious fees, and you'll see some sticky customers polarize and throw their money at someone else.

So u r 1 of those that dish gain due to provider jumps. & u already have ur excuse 2 leave after ur contract is over.

 

[KAB]

So u r 1 of those that dish gain due to provider jumps. & u already have ur excuse 2 leave after ur contract is over.

No texting shortcuts, please. We speak English around here.

 

[dare2be]

I'm gnoig to srtrt tiypng lkie tihs.

 

[Tampa8]

Unfortunately only those in big cities really have options to play against each other. The rest are stuck with 2 DBS and maybe a cable provider to choose from.

Would like to change that to: The rest are lucky to have the two DBS providers and are stuck with one cable provider to choose from.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I'm gnoig to srtrt tiypng lkie tihs.

Funny thing is, you can still read what is written and understand what is meant ,even though is is misspelled.

 

[stardust3]

I switch people back & forth all the time between dish and directv. Many have figured out that's only way to save money. I don't mind doing it, actually prefer it over a new 1st time customer on either.

 

[dvrexpander]

Don't forget all the money Dish is trying to make off of the junk they are forcing techs to sell in the "Smart Home Services" bit. I mean everything they have is horribly over priced but the idea here is to try to take more time of a tech's life and get them to push this stuff onto people while they are in their homes. Techs are techs, not salesmen and these things need to be discussed when customers are signed up or when they call in for service rather than have the techs sell it or have their pay adjusted down if they don't sell XX amount which is happening right now across the country, pretty sad.

 

[truckracer]

If you are going to do home automation, there are some impressive systems available from abroad.

 

[DishSubLA]

More and more people are figuring out the switch and save deals. Dish (or someone else) needs a breakthrough idea to hold on to customers. Dish/Sprint is what Dish thinks will deliver a package that other providers will not be able to match.

That's what the Genie and Hopper are all about and the additional streaming or copying to mobile media and online viewing features. It is just a far more competitive market these days then it was in the late 1990's and early 2000's. This why both Charlie and Michele White have publically floated the idea of another merger attempt although now Ergen seems to see less value in that today.

 

[DishSubLA]

If he succeeds in acquiring Sprint (and all that Clearwire spectrum), he will be able to deliver a package that nobody else can match. Mike White's recent remarks about remaining a sat company forever was a smokescreen for his stockholders.

I agree. DirecTV HAS to be frightened of the future as much as Ergen. I almost expect DirecTV to buy at least a controlling interest in Netflix any day now. They are planning a future too, but aren't ready to go public with it. Charlie, as always, was the very first to see the writing on the wall and started early, and that has forced him to go public with his intentions, or at least his overall intentions. I still think he entry into the cell/wireless phone business is about streaming TV to the phones as part of smart phone/cell phone service. Ergen really may not be the best CEO in terms of the hostile environment his employees feel at the offices, but he has always been right about what the next thing around the corner will be, able to see the future better than any other media executive.

 

[Scherrman]

Charlie is a smart man when it comes to technology and bringing entertainment to customers.

 

[dare2be]

That's what the Genie and Hopper are all about and the additional streaming or copying to mobile media and online viewing features. It is just a far more competitive market these days then it was in the late 1990's and early 2000's. This why both Charlie and Michele White have publically floated the idea of another merger attempt although now Ergen seems to see less value in that today.

It may be more competitive in the MVPD arena, but as far as content ownership goes, it is less competitive. So the MVPDs who aren't also content owners are feeling the competition/economy squeeze twice as bad.

 

[DishSubLA]

It may be more competitive in the MVPD arena, but as far as content ownership goes, it is less competitive. So the MVPDs who aren't also content owners are feeling the competition/economy squeeze twice as bad.

Right, and DirecTV being part of Liberty media is better positioned, but not nearly the Comcast/NBC's out there. Dish is just too small and not as influential. The "dirty pool" being played by SoftBank--the reports that SoftBank has made it clear that any bank or investment banks that finance a Dish purchase of Sprint can expect NOT to be part of the Alibaba IPO, the most anticipated and lucrative IPO since Facebook--is a great example of how Dish seems to often get outflanked because it is such a small company with pockets not nearly as deep as it competitors. If Ergen can't get things done for the next level (he has other options if losing out on Sprint and not sell Dish, but he needs to transform the company at some point), he really will see the company. He has always made it clear that selling was always an option because of the difficulty in competing with the big fish out there. Ergen himself even said that they got nowhere in trying to get the original legislation to allow Local into Local until DirecTV got on board. He flat out admitted that DirecTV had much more influence in Washington to make things happen compared to Dish. Then everything moved forward. If Ergen can get the Sprint deal to happen, it would take him and his company to the next level not being quite as small and lacking influence in D.C. as he and it is now. Still aways to go to be even close to being a really big fish like Time-Warner, Disney, et al., but in a much better position. We shall have to see what happens.