Stupidest thing a E* Tech has ever told you?

[Claude Greiner]

Best one was about 3 weeks ago. I have a little old lady who has a 5000 with her locals integrated with her OTA antenna.

Her receiver was dead, so I just happen to have a old model 5000 in stock to replace it. I wasn't even going to charge her, we had to use the 5000 because she wanted her locals in the guide without having to subscribe to them.

So the 5000 had software from like 8 years ago and wouldn't take a download, so finally I decided I would give her an 811.

I go to activate the receiver and the first thing the CSR says is that I have to activate the HD package with the 811. I explain to the CSR that I did not want the HD package and just to activate it as a regular receiver.

She then insists that the HD pack is required, and then I explain to her that she can't even sell me the HD pack if she wanted to since I would need an MPEG4 box.

So she finally agrees with me and then says there will be a $6 HD enabling fee.

I actually then asked to speak with a supervisor. The Supervisor was really cool, and even setup an RA for the Model5000 and to my surprised replaced it with a DVR 501

 

[dishcomm]

I hired an installer one time that started out really good... until one day he came back and said he couldn't do a service call because he couldn't reach the Dish. I assumed the dish was on a very high roof or something, so I went out to take care of it. I got out there and it was a regular 2 story house, and the dish was on the lower part of the roof. From a 20' ladder is was easy to get to. I went back and asked him about it... Then he told us he was affraid of heights and wouldn't go over a few feet up a ladder.
We did a ton of installs in commercial applications, and very large homes... so he didn't stick around very long.

Speaking of steeply pitched roof where the only way to get a signal is to physically get ON the roof( something I will not do)how do you handle this?....I do all kinds of dopey things at times to get the job doen but steep roofs are out of the question....Two falls, and that's it for me..I don't carry knee and toe boards and I certainly won't be nailing boards to a roof....SO what do you do?
BTW good for you getting rid of that guy....
Also I have read many accounts on here from techs who will not install dishes on two story roofs....What is this world comeing to?

 

[dishcomm]

Last month I had Dish's telemarketers call trying to sell me more services. I told them I don't want anymore. He asked why. I told them after promises from Charlie regarding NBR for my 721 and after I spent $$ on two of them - in my opinion he is a THIEF for not delivering. Spent 10 minutes or so arguing back and forth about it.

Next day another call - different rep. Tried same thing. I gave them an even bigger piece of my mind regarding me spending big bux on two 721's all the while expecting NBR to be delivered. "I wouldn't give another dime of my money to that thief Charlie." Rep PROMISED they had NBR for the 721's. All I had to do is call Tech Support and have them "turn it on" for my 721. Rep graciously transferred me to tech support.

Tech support said "you need Advanced Tech Support" and transferred me.

Advanced Tech Support told me that was hogwash which I already knew. There is no NBR for 721's. "However, when it is available they will announce it".

I called back their telemarketing people and chewed out the person who answered. Then got transferred to supervisor. Chewed them out even more for all my time wasted with them. Told them I was losing money talking to them and having me "call tech support and have NBR turned on". Told them I charge $125 per hour - minimum 1 hour per each of their calls and asked where do I send the bill to? "Someone has to pay for my time."

Supervisor was very apologetic. Ended up with a free month for my time - and a lot of satisfaction of chewing out a lot of people who had no clue what they were saying.

NBR is.....?

 

[dishcomm]

If the techs are on here - would be kool....

Oh please don't get me started on that!......I have got some stories..I am sure they are nothing compared to the stories of guys who have been in the business since C-Band...

 

[Smith P.]

NBR is.....?

Name Based Recording vs current Time base Recording

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Hey, how come P. Smith has the exact same avatar as Scott G?

 

[Smith P.]

Hmm, it is generic and available for any SG member.

 

[becketma]

There are so many.

My 510 transmits a signal up to the satellite.

The 510 does not have any software problems. I need to hire an electrician to check the electricity for a problem that the tech cannot name, or describe.

My unit malfunctions because electrical lines may be touching my dish antenna (I have underground utilities!)

The 10 gauge grounding wire is for direct lightning strikes.

My unit stops recording, while I’m watching a recorded show, and programming to record in the future, because my fingers are fat and hitting two keys at once.

Static electricity, from the dish, changes the software, causing my unit to malfunction, when it is recording, I’m using playback, and programming it to record in the future.

They will send me a 508 as a replacement for the 510 I own, because the 510 uses software from the 508 which cannot access the larger drive in the 510.

I have problems because it isn’t grounded according to NEC. If the installer didn’t ground it properly, I have to pay for another installer to ground it correctly. When I ask what NEC is for grounding it, silence. I describe how the installer grounded it to the earth ground on an electrical out let on my roof and ask why that isn’t better than NEC, silence.

My 510 malfunctions because there is something wrong with the coax. When I ask what can be wrong with the coax if the signal is always strong enough to record what it is programmed to. Silence.

I explain that if the coax is shorted the amplifier, and block converter won’t work properly. If the coax has an open circuit, the block converter and amplifier won’t work at all. Since the signal is always strong enough to record, what would be the problem with the coax. Silence.

I threw the first installer off my roof when he told me they were going to use rg59 from my TV antenna into my house. When I pointed out the line loss would be really high for sat signals, he told me they wouldn’t hook up to the rg59 because the satellite signals would burn it out. This transpired even after I told them they would not mount the dish above my TV antenna. The installer was insistent that mounting the dish above my TV antenna wouldn’t effect my TV reception.

The way to solve the daily malfunctions is to upgrade to the 522/625. If I follw their advice, upgrade to the 522/625 is not appreciably more stable than my 510, they will replace it with another 522, but won’t let me send it back, and cancel the 18 month commitment.

 

[swatson1]

Recently a complete moron at E* told me I could use a 2 separators (kind of like diplexers) to combine the cables out of the dp34 switch, then separate it into 2 cables just before the receiver (on a vip 622). This obviously didn't work. I then appropriately bought a dpp 44 switch and used a single separator correctly.

 

[Pepper]

Maybe we should just all agree that the most stupid thing a CSR can say is:

"yes, I can help you with that"

 

[Purogamer]

They say that? Isn't that against the rules?