Dish-service Call

[boogie]

You will not believe what I have had to go through for the past 6 weeks. I have had 10 different service calls cancelled by dish. I am having trouble with my DVR, a remote, and our 301 receiver. The appointments for service calls are made and several things happen---dish doesn't show up, they cancel, or they say that I cancel. Can you believe this. I write down the names of the agent, time of call and the agent ID number. When I call back Dish acts like they are clueless. I think the the service tech are giving priority to new installations and not taking care of service calls. My last call resulting in me telling Dish that I was going to take everything that has the word dish on it and throw it out the front door and then call Direct TV and set up an installation. Any suggestions?

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

sounds like its time to email ceo@echostar.com and get it resolved. They will actually try and get the issue resolved for you.

 

[Liquidforce88]

I don't

 

[dishcomm]

You will not believe what I have had to go through for the past 6 weeks. I have had 10 different service calls cancelled by dish. I am having trouble with my DVR, a remote, and our 301 receiver. The appointments for service calls are made and several things happen---dish doesn't show up, they cancel, or they say that I cancel. Can you believe this. I write down the names of the agent, time of call and the agent ID number. When I call back Dish acts like they are clueless. I think the the service tech are giving priority to new installations and not taking care of service calls. My last call resulting in me telling Dish that I was going to take everything that has the word dish on it and throw it out the front door and then call Direct TV and set up an installation. Any suggestions?

What is wrong with your system?. Have you considered calling a local retailer?

 

[Claude Greiner]

Sounds like these service calls are going to an RSP, and for whatever reason they do not want to do it and cancel it out without calling you first.

 

[Roadwarrior]

I would make sure that they (Dish)have a current, correct phone number and address for you. I've seen many work orders, that for whatever reason, have this information wrong. If they can't find your house or get ahold of you, they might cancel it.

 

[boba]

1-800-directv if they don't want you why should you want them?

 

[EricBskiVT]

Once you're past the 90 day warranty, you may as well call a local installer. They will be happy for your business and you will be much happier with the service. I'm not an installer; I've just seen both sides and much prefer to go local.

 

[dishcomm]

I would make sure that they (Dish)have a current, correct phone number and address for you. I've seen many work orders, that for whatever reason, have this information wrong. If they can't find the house or get ahold of the customer, they might cancel it.

Unfortunately we have had to cancel w/o's when we attempt to make contact with a customer for directions or the address is invalid. We have no choice when a customer does not communicate with us. We cannot leave w/o's open for several days due to no customer contact. If we can roll on them we certainly will do that. But if the customer's info is invalid we reserve the right to cancel to get the w/o out of our assigned work grid. Communication is the responsibilty of BOTH customer and vendor.

 

[popzezo]

this isn't directed at a good contractor.... and to hell with dtv
OMG!! local retailer.. maybe your local retailer is good, but the 10 we have in my area are trash.. we HATE having to use subcontractors.. they worry too much about getting to the next $ than doing the job right. the problem that we have with not getting to customers here is that dish network thinks that we need "floaters".. extra jobs not routed to a tech that are to be "picked up" if a job falls out.. problem is we service 29 counties and no one is near the floater. we may have to drive 100+ miles to the first job, then 70+ to the next.. and with our supposed dpp shortage and redoing subcontractor jobs because they arent installed to standard, it takes time to do the 90+points we get everyday

 

[Roadwarrior]

Doesn't it sound like something else is going on tho? 10 service calls cancelled with no explanation or call to the customer? Even the crappiest contractor would have at least shown up once by now. There is probably another reason this is happening.

 

[dishcomm]

this isn't directed at a good contractor.... and to hell with dtv
OMG!! local retailer.. maybe your local retailer is good, but the 10 we have in my area are trash.. we HATE having to use subcontractors.. they worry too much about getting to the next $ than doing the job right. the problem that we have with not getting to customers here is that dish network thinks that we need "floaters".. extra jobs not routed to a tech that are to be "picked up" if a job falls out.. problem is we service 29 counties and no one is near the floater. we may have to drive 100+ miles to the first job, then 70+ to the next.. and with our supposed dpp shortage and redoing subcontractor jobs because they arent installed to standard, it takes time to do the 90+points we get everyday

Obviously the system you work under is inefficient and too demanding. The people running the system are the ones who are responsible for the mess.
If you don't mind, what area do you service?
BTW, most techs are good people. It is the people they woprk for who are just in it for the money and are sucking the life out of the bsuiness. An example, there is a contractor in our area that gives it's techs just two days off per month..These guys are working a minimumof 12 hour days and as much as 15 to 18...Needless to say that contractor turns over techs like they change their socks. Why Dish allows this slave driving to go on is a amazing.
Fortunately I work for normal people.
What is happening is good people are leaving the business or going out on their own. Eventually what wil be left to do the work are people who have little experience and few customer service skills.
I will be getting out as soon as a new business venture allows me to do that full time..I expect to be out of the satellite business within a year...

 

[popzezo]

the only time we would do this kinda thing is if its a repeater for no reason.. ie.. the never satisfied.. other wise its a communication thing..

Boogie.. do you have a local Dish office... not a sub center.. if so go there and speak to the FSM or IM... they tend to put the fear in the techs for not doing their jobs

 

[popzezo]

i service the Augusta, Ga market

 

[boogie]

Dish Service Call

I found out why 14 service calls in a period of two months were being cancelled----the tech for my area was cancelling the service calls. Can you believe that? I guess he didn't know how to fix our problems or just didn't want to take time to come to our home. Anyway, it was finally discovered that he was calling the night before the appointment and cancelling our appointment. At least I'm not going crazy. So, if you have a service appointment, and it gets rescheduled or cancelled, it could possibly be the service tech.

 

[webbydude]

Wow!! 14 times the same tech canceled your workorder? Did you ever find out how that was being done????

 

[dishcomm]

I found out why 14 service calls in a period of two months were being cancelled----the tech for my area was cancelling the service calls. Can you believe that? I guess he didn't know how to fix our problems or just didn't want to take time to come to our home. Anyway, it was finally discovered that he was calling the night before the appointment and cancelling our appointment. At least I'm not going crazy. So, if you have a service appointment, and it gets rescheduled or cancelled, it could possibly be the service tech.

I will give you the straight dope..A tech cannot cancel a service call..Only the dispatch hub can cancel. That is only after the contractor contacts the dispatch hub and explains why the call needs to be cancelled. The dispatch hub MUST verify the cancellation. For example..If the tech reports a no show customer , the techs employer informs the dispatch hub that the customer is not there and the tech has left after tagging the door and giving a description of the home. The dispatch hub then informs the local office and the job is rescheduled and there is an attempt to contact the customer via phone to confirm another appointment..If a customer has not provided a current phone number or refuses to return the call, their appointment will not be rescheduled.....
Make sure you have provided a current phone number and to be safe, a seciondary number to Dish......BTW if we get a work order with multiple reschedules on it, we will most likely reject it.. That is done to protect the technicians who are using their own gas and vehicles to work.
This is a business. And last time I checked businesses operate to make a profit..Not saying you are at fault. Not at all...But if you believe your appointments are being arbitrarily cancelled, call Dish and get the number of the company scheduled to pick up your service call. Ask them why no one has contacted you..Ask them to read the phine number listed on the w/o..If it is accurate ask them why you have not gotten a precall from the rtech responsble for the w/o

 

[dishcomm]

i service the Augusta, Ga market

So you work in SC and GA....29 counties sounds like a lot. But The sizes of most copunties in GA are no bigger than small ciites..Not trying to minimze the situation..I was trying to get an idea of what the situation is...
he next question I have the answer to which will giove me a better view of the area covered...So what is the average miles per day covered by the avgerage tech?...Ho many jobs are on average is a tech assigned per day?..How many days per week do the techs work?
To give you an example of what I consuider to be a well run contactor is an avg of 3-5 jobs per day and rarely does anyone where I work travel more than 150 miles a day..Most times it's under 100..Now don't get me wrong. Our managment area is quite large..it covers all of the Charlotte area. The counties of Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland, Union, Iredell, Cabarrus, Stanly, Rowan, Linclon, Catawba, Montgomery, Anson, Richmond and Scotland. In SC we cover York, Chester, Lancaster, Chesterfield and part of Cherokee. look at a map and check it out..See how it compares to what you are describing... This comprises most of the Charlote metro area..The difference is we have techs scattered all over these areas .MOst time we re routed near our homes so no one has to drive ridiculous distances to their jobs..Once in an area our jobs are concentrated in thaqt area... The logic is, we don't make any money holding onto the steering wheel and we can get to more customers if the routes are tight as possible.

 

[popzezo]

our farthest point is 110 miles.. the thing is that we have that job then have to drive another 30-60 miles to #2 then if its your turn in the barrel another 25-40 to# 3,4, and 5.. if you look at a map of georgia-carolina we go from the far side of Soperton (I-16) to the far side of Lake Synclair to Tignal (all GA) to Plum Branch around to Bamburg around to Fairfax

everywhere there is a dot that was a stop on one route we had last month.. it usually happens once or twice a week... our router thinks all she needs to do is put us on the top end of our point scale and not care where she puts the next job. or she will do a route then have an extra job that she just throws on for good measure. i myself have had prolly 5 300mile routes in two years but thats plenty for me

 

[dishcomm]

our farthest point is 110 miles.. the thing is that we have that job then have to drive another 30-60 miles to #2 then if its your turn in the barrel another 25-40 to# 3,4, and 5.. if you look at a map of georgia-carolina we go from the far side of Soperton (I-16) to the far side of Lake Synclair to Tignal (all GA) to Plum Branch around to Bamburg around to Fairfax

everywhere there is a dot that was a stop on one route we had last month.. it usually happens once or twice a week... our router thinks all she needs to do is put us on the top end of our point scale and not care where she puts the next job. or she will do a route then have an extra job that she just throws on for good measure. i myself have had prolly 5 300mile routes in two years but thats plenty for me

I can't see where to click to bring up a map.. Your router seems to need lessons in geography and some people skills as well. I can tell you this, if I was wporking with that person I would leave the company very quickly..That kind of routing is unreasonable..Your work days must be a minimum of 12 hrs..