Now is really not the time you wanna pushmy buttons DishNetwork
I love Dish, have for years, but they are really getting ready to get a round of .357 through the dish on my roof and a note to come pick up their receiver out of my front yard.
Transcript goodness (forwarded to support and CEO Charlie Ergen) We'll see if I get a response.
Dear Sir,
As a very happy and loyal Dish customer for quite a few years, I started receiving calls several times per day, day after day from one of your numbers. Finally I was in a position that I had time to deal with it and answered. It was some recording telling me to call Dish at 1-888-383-3727 (not a number I have ever seen associated with Dish) to get news about some kind of antenna upgrade or another for my HD programming. I called and spoke to a young lady that told me that "something" on the dish would need to be replaced, and she would be happy to schedule an appointment to have that done. I reluctantly agreed, as I am a busy person. She took some information and placed me on hold. Within a few seconds the call was dropped. I waited a moment and called back, this time getting a young man on the line. He told me a completely different story about what needed to be done and was very anxious to schedule a time to do it. He proceeded to offer to upgrade my two basic receivers and multi-dish antenna for free. I informed him that I only had one dual-tuner DVR-HD receiver and a single antenna. He seemed to be extremely confused. Again I was placed on hold and the call was dropped.
I bit less than enthused by the attention and service I had received (Dish has always had stellar support before), sent an email on the "Contact us" page of your web site. Your web site, by the way, knows exactly what equipment I have. Your CSR's might be better served surfing the web instead of whatever it is they are currently doing.
I didn't get a response from my email to support, and proceeded to forget about it for a couple of months.
Now calls have started again and today I received an email about "upgrading my antenna" again or, horrors!, my HD programming may disappear into thin air! Oh no, what am I to do?
I went to the web site and opened a customer support chat window to get some information about the issue. I will paste a transcript of the chat here for your amusement>>> ( I removed my PIN number for privacy)
Please wait while we find a representative to assist you...
Welcome to DISH Network Chat.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): How may I help you today?
Mike Stirewalt: Hi, I received an email about reconfigiring my HD antenna today and wondered what that was all about?
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I'd be happy to assist you with your request.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Please give me just 1-2 minutes while I check on that for you.
Mike Stirewalt: ok
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you for your time.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): For security purposes, can you please verify the PIN on the account?
Mike Stirewalt: I think it is ****
Mike Stirewalt: been a long time since I used it
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): That e-mail is regarding receiver (box) upgrade.
Mike Stirewalt: From the email--
Mike Stirewalt:
URGENT ACTION REQUIRED
PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID SERVICE INTERRUPTION OF YOUR HIGH-DEFINITION PROGRAMMING
Dear Valued Dish Network Customer,
We would like to notify you of very important information regarding your DISH Network satellite antenna. Due to improvements to our system’s technology, it is necessary to reconfigure your DISH antenna.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Let me check.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Okay.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I can replace your 2 old receivers with new HD DUO DVR receiver.
Mike Stirewalt: OK, this happened a few monthsd ago and your CSR's dropped my call twice, then no one would contact me back. I don;t have two receivers. I have ONE VIP622 dual tuner HD/DVR receiver and a single Dish 500 antenna.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): We have a great Existing Customer Lease Program, Dish'n It Up available with a 24 month agreement and a credit card qualification. This allows you to upgrade your existing receiver or add a new receiver.
I see you are one of our best customers. We really value your business and want to show our appreciation. I can upgrade your equipment free of charge.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I can replace your 2 old receivers with new HD DUO DVR receiver for free.
Mike Stirewalt: That's amazing! Especially since I DON"T have two receivers!
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Do you need only one DVR or 2 DVR receivers?
Mike Stirewalt: I don;t need any receivers. I don;t need anything, you guys keep calling and emailing me telling me that I need things, then try to give me the wrong things for the wrong equipoment.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I am sorry for that.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): But, I am upgrading receivers for free.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Mike Stirewalt: Why should I upgrade my receiver that is working perfectly? Evidently not, but DirecTV certainly would like to.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I am sorry.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I will take care that you will not be receiving any e-mails about the upgrades or interruption.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Please do not worry.
Mike Stirewalt: Thank you for that.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I’m sorry you had to take time out of your day to chat with us, but I’m glad we were able to resolve.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): It was a great pleasure chatting with you and I honestly appreciate your understanding!
Apparently this has nothing to do with antennas or HD programming, he very quickly pointed out that this was all about upgrading my TWO RECEIVERS, which I still do not have. Even after explicitly telling him that I am not in need of any equipment, mine is functioning perfectly, he still tries to get me to agree to an upgrade to a DVR that I already have. And apparently the only thing we "resolved" was that his incompetence didn't allow him to sell me something I didn't want or need. (even after reading the excerpt from the email about upgrading antennas, he tells me that this is about upgrading receivers - Maybe my reading comprehension is off?)
This is a seriously bad view of what was once an excellent company. I might be interested in a new DVR with more storage or features, but you couldn't pry one into my house now if you tried. The approach your reps used in these attempts are nothing short of dishonest and shady to say the least. If I do need a real upgrade to my antenna or equipment due to a change in technology or some other legitimate reason, then by all means let me know. I work in a technical field and understand that sometimes technology changes and the old dish we have may not fit the new ways of delivering the signal. Do not, however, expect me to sit back and let your CSR try to slip in some kind of an upgrade to equipment I don't even own. The really sad thing is that I did at one time have two separate receivers before the dual tuner DVR models came out. Unfortunately, they were strictly SD equipment. If you have an antenna bolt on that will make them show HD over the RF/Coax or S-Video outputs on the back of them, that's something I WOULD very much like to see.
I can tell you that my parents and my sisters all use DirecTV and if there is another incident of this, so will I. Also with Netflix streaming over my BluRay player, Hulu, Voodoo and now Crackle along with Google TV, I'm seeing less and less reason to continue to pay you the exorbitant fee I shell out each month. Your excellent customer service used to seal the deal for me, but that apparently is wearing thin.
Feel free to call me during the day if you would like to discuss any of this.
Mike Stirewalt
(###)###-#### home
(###)###-#### cell/daytime
Transcript goodness (forwarded to support and CEO Charlie Ergen) We'll see if I get a response.
Dear Sir,
As a very happy and loyal Dish customer for quite a few years, I started receiving calls several times per day, day after day from one of your numbers. Finally I was in a position that I had time to deal with it and answered. It was some recording telling me to call Dish at 1-888-383-3727 (not a number I have ever seen associated with Dish) to get news about some kind of antenna upgrade or another for my HD programming. I called and spoke to a young lady that told me that "something" on the dish would need to be replaced, and she would be happy to schedule an appointment to have that done. I reluctantly agreed, as I am a busy person. She took some information and placed me on hold. Within a few seconds the call was dropped. I waited a moment and called back, this time getting a young man on the line. He told me a completely different story about what needed to be done and was very anxious to schedule a time to do it. He proceeded to offer to upgrade my two basic receivers and multi-dish antenna for free. I informed him that I only had one dual-tuner DVR-HD receiver and a single antenna. He seemed to be extremely confused. Again I was placed on hold and the call was dropped.
I bit less than enthused by the attention and service I had received (Dish has always had stellar support before), sent an email on the "Contact us" page of your web site. Your web site, by the way, knows exactly what equipment I have. Your CSR's might be better served surfing the web instead of whatever it is they are currently doing.
I didn't get a response from my email to support, and proceeded to forget about it for a couple of months.
Now calls have started again and today I received an email about "upgrading my antenna" again or, horrors!, my HD programming may disappear into thin air! Oh no, what am I to do?
I went to the web site and opened a customer support chat window to get some information about the issue. I will paste a transcript of the chat here for your amusement>>> ( I removed my PIN number for privacy)
Please wait while we find a representative to assist you...
Welcome to DISH Network Chat.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): How may I help you today?
Mike Stirewalt: Hi, I received an email about reconfigiring my HD antenna today and wondered what that was all about?
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I'd be happy to assist you with your request.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Please give me just 1-2 minutes while I check on that for you.
Mike Stirewalt: ok
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you for your time.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): For security purposes, can you please verify the PIN on the account?
Mike Stirewalt: I think it is ****
Mike Stirewalt: been a long time since I used it
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Thank you.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): That e-mail is regarding receiver (box) upgrade.
Mike Stirewalt: From the email--
Mike Stirewalt:
URGENT ACTION REQUIRED
PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID SERVICE INTERRUPTION OF YOUR HIGH-DEFINITION PROGRAMMING
Dear Valued Dish Network Customer,
We would like to notify you of very important information regarding your DISH Network satellite antenna. Due to improvements to our system’s technology, it is necessary to reconfigure your DISH antenna.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Let me check.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Okay.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I can replace your 2 old receivers with new HD DUO DVR receiver.
Mike Stirewalt: OK, this happened a few monthsd ago and your CSR's dropped my call twice, then no one would contact me back. I don;t have two receivers. I have ONE VIP622 dual tuner HD/DVR receiver and a single Dish 500 antenna.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): We have a great Existing Customer Lease Program, Dish'n It Up available with a 24 month agreement and a credit card qualification. This allows you to upgrade your existing receiver or add a new receiver.
I see you are one of our best customers. We really value your business and want to show our appreciation. I can upgrade your equipment free of charge.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I can replace your 2 old receivers with new HD DUO DVR receiver for free.
Mike Stirewalt: That's amazing! Especially since I DON"T have two receivers!
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Do you need only one DVR or 2 DVR receivers?
Mike Stirewalt: I don;t need any receivers. I don;t need anything, you guys keep calling and emailing me telling me that I need things, then try to give me the wrong things for the wrong equipoment.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I am sorry for that.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): But, I am upgrading receivers for free.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Mike Stirewalt: Why should I upgrade my receiver that is working perfectly? Evidently not, but DirecTV certainly would like to.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I am sorry.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I will take care that you will not be receiving any e-mails about the upgrades or interruption.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): Please do not worry.
Mike Stirewalt: Thank you for that.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): I’m sorry you had to take time out of your day to chat with us, but I’m glad we were able to resolve.
Asgharali (ID: B9I): It was a great pleasure chatting with you and I honestly appreciate your understanding!
Apparently this has nothing to do with antennas or HD programming, he very quickly pointed out that this was all about upgrading my TWO RECEIVERS, which I still do not have. Even after explicitly telling him that I am not in need of any equipment, mine is functioning perfectly, he still tries to get me to agree to an upgrade to a DVR that I already have. And apparently the only thing we "resolved" was that his incompetence didn't allow him to sell me something I didn't want or need. (even after reading the excerpt from the email about upgrading antennas, he tells me that this is about upgrading receivers - Maybe my reading comprehension is off?)
This is a seriously bad view of what was once an excellent company. I might be interested in a new DVR with more storage or features, but you couldn't pry one into my house now if you tried. The approach your reps used in these attempts are nothing short of dishonest and shady to say the least. If I do need a real upgrade to my antenna or equipment due to a change in technology or some other legitimate reason, then by all means let me know. I work in a technical field and understand that sometimes technology changes and the old dish we have may not fit the new ways of delivering the signal. Do not, however, expect me to sit back and let your CSR try to slip in some kind of an upgrade to equipment I don't even own. The really sad thing is that I did at one time have two separate receivers before the dual tuner DVR models came out. Unfortunately, they were strictly SD equipment. If you have an antenna bolt on that will make them show HD over the RF/Coax or S-Video outputs on the back of them, that's something I WOULD very much like to see.
I can tell you that my parents and my sisters all use DirecTV and if there is another incident of this, so will I. Also with Netflix streaming over my BluRay player, Hulu, Voodoo and now Crackle along with Google TV, I'm seeing less and less reason to continue to pay you the exorbitant fee I shell out each month. Your excellent customer service used to seal the deal for me, but that apparently is wearing thin.
Feel free to call me during the day if you would like to discuss any of this.
Mike Stirewalt
(###)###-#### home
(###)###-#### cell/daytime