Comments for Vermyndax's Lair http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax Don't let serenity fool you. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:35:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Dish Network Customer Service: A poor first impression by scottm http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/24/dish-network-customer-service-a-poor-first-impression/comment-page-1/#comment-276 scottm Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:21:54 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=505#comment-276 Having been a Dish Network customer for about 9 years (after dumping DirecTV for poor customer service after they bought PrimeStar, and forced me to convert), I can say that what you've experienced isn't typical of what I've seen. My father and brother both have Dish Network, and have had few problems with them. Sounds like most of the trouble you are having is around an on-site installation issue. Because they contract out to small service providers around the country, your mileage with that side of the service will certainly vary. In California and Arizona, I've had pretty good luck with local installers. Having been a Dish Network customer for about 9 years (after dumping DirecTV for poor customer service after they bought PrimeStar, and forced me to convert), I can say that what you’ve experienced isn’t typical of what I’ve seen. My father and brother both have Dish Network, and have had few problems with them.

Sounds like most of the trouble you are having is around an on-site installation issue. Because they contract out to small service providers around the country, your mileage with that side of the service will certainly vary. In California and Arizona, I’ve had pretty good luck with local installers.

]]> Comment on Dish Network Customer Service: A poor first impression by creth95 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/24/dish-network-customer-service-a-poor-first-impression/comment-page-1/#comment-275 creth95 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:49:32 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=505#comment-275 I'm stunned. We've had 8 years of stellar service from Dish Network. Seriously. I’m stunned. We’ve had 8 years of stellar service from Dish Network. Seriously.

]]> Comment on Dish Network Customer Service: A poor first impression by vo0 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/24/dish-network-customer-service-a-poor-first-impression/comment-page-1/#comment-274 vo0 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:40:26 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=505#comment-274 oh, and if you do get a helpful rep, get a supervisor on the phone and tell them how helpful the rep is. It will make at least 2 people's day. Day in and day out, everyone in a call center gets abused and screamed at and told they're incompetent. It's a great treat when someone asks to speak to a supervisor to compliment a rep. oh, and if you do get a helpful rep, get a supervisor on the phone and tell them how helpful the rep is. It will make at least 2 people’s day. Day in and day out, everyone in a call center gets abused and screamed at and told they’re incompetent. It’s a great treat when someone asks to speak to a supervisor to compliment a rep.

]]> Comment on Dish Network Customer Service: A poor first impression by vo0 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/24/dish-network-customer-service-a-poor-first-impression/comment-page-1/#comment-273 vo0 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:38:19 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=505#comment-273 I worked for a 3rd party place who handled direcTV's customer support and directly for charter cable. I also worked the phone's for a third party that handled capital one's phone calls. Here's how customer service works in general: The focus is on giving the quickest answer that is accurate and follows company procedures. Notice I put the quickest part first. In all 3 jobs I was in danger of losing my job due to moving "too slowly". I wish I could remember what they wanted you average handle time to be, but I don't. I know it was ridiculously short if you're actually going to thoroughly deal with a problem. If someone asked to speak to a supervisor, we were supposed to discourage it by saying that they would tell the customer the same thing, and in at least one of the places, if they still demanded, we were supposed to take down their name and tell them they would be called back. In fact, at directv, if there was a bizarre, repeated problem that had not responded to conventional means, then we would fill out some form. I may has misheard, but I'm pretty sure that I was told later on that filling out the form and telling the customer their issue would be looked into and corrected by a technician on our end within 30 days was really just a way to get the customer off the phone and hope that the problem fixed itself. The first two people probably didn't check with dispatch because they're probably not supposed to do that, or they didn't know they could because it's not standard practice. You may have also gotten lucky and gotten someone on the phone who "leads" on occasion, so they knew a few ins and outs better. Also, the monkeys in the call center weren't lying when they said they have no connection to the actual installation process. Most likely, they put it in a computer system (probably the same one we used, called ACSR) and that's the last they know about it. We scheduled installs all the time and never ever spoke to dispatch or an installer. At directv, we didn't even know who the installers were by company or anything (they didnt want us telling the customers I think). At charter, we knew after it happened, but couldn't tell the customers. We had one contractor who was consistently a mess. It was so bad that one time I was told by a lead to tel the customer that the contractor was "resolving internal issues" that day and would not be coming out. We didn't know that, we just knew they were past their appt and they were likely not working that day (it was a weekend or a holiday). I think the best way to maneuver that system is to be polite, jump through the hoops that they want, and THEN ask for a supervisor. Bonus points if you tell the supervisor what a good job their little monkey did of following the script and being friendly (assuming this is true). Don't let the monkey convince you that a supervisor will call you back or whatever... get them to get someone else on the phone. Also, like I said, be polite to everyone you talk to, BUT don't back down. If you have to be pushy, go ahead. BUT, start out nicely so that they don't immediately get the impression that you're hostile. If you ask for a supervisor right off the bat, you often get labeled as hostile or unwilling to work with people. This then gets you less help, which then makes most people really hostile. I worked for a 3rd party place who handled direcTV’s customer support and directly for charter cable. I also worked the phone’s for a third party that handled capital one’s phone calls.
Here’s how customer service works in general: The focus is on giving the quickest answer that is accurate and follows company procedures. Notice I put the quickest part first. In all 3 jobs I was in danger of losing my job due to moving “too slowly”. I wish I could remember what they wanted you average handle time to be, but I don’t. I know it was ridiculously short if you’re actually going to thoroughly deal with a problem. If someone asked to speak to a supervisor, we were supposed to discourage it by saying that they would tell the customer the same thing, and in at least one of the places, if they still demanded, we were supposed to take down their name and tell them they would be called back. In fact, at directv, if there was a bizarre, repeated problem that had not responded to conventional means, then we would fill out some form. I may has misheard, but I’m pretty sure that I was told later on that filling out the form and telling the customer their issue would be looked into and corrected by a technician on our end within 30 days was really just a way to get the customer off the phone and hope that the problem fixed itself.
The first two people probably didn’t check with dispatch because they’re probably not supposed to do that, or they didn’t know they could because it’s not standard practice. You may have also gotten lucky and gotten someone on the phone who “leads” on occasion, so they knew a few ins and outs better.
Also, the monkeys in the call center weren’t lying when they said they have no connection to the actual installation process. Most likely, they put it in a computer system (probably the same one we used, called ACSR) and that’s the last they know about it. We scheduled installs all the time and never ever spoke to dispatch or an installer. At directv, we didn’t even know who the installers were by company or anything (they didnt want us telling the customers I think).
At charter, we knew after it happened, but couldn’t tell the customers. We had one contractor who was consistently a mess. It was so bad that one time I was told by a lead to tel the customer that the contractor was “resolving internal issues” that day and would not be coming out. We didn’t know that, we just knew they were past their appt and they were likely not working that day (it was a weekend or a holiday).
I think the best way to maneuver that system is to be polite, jump through the hoops that they want, and THEN ask for a supervisor. Bonus points if you tell the supervisor what a good job their little monkey did of following the script and being friendly (assuming this is true). Don’t let the monkey convince you that a supervisor will call you back or whatever… get them to get someone else on the phone. Also, like I said, be polite to everyone you talk to, BUT don’t back down. If you have to be pushy, go ahead. BUT, start out nicely so that they don’t immediately get the impression that you’re hostile. If you ask for a supervisor right off the bat, you often get labeled as hostile or unwilling to work with people. This then gets you less help, which then makes most people really hostile.

]]> Comment on Dish Network Customer Service: A poor first impression by aquatix http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/24/dish-network-customer-service-a-poor-first-impression/comment-page-1/#comment-272 aquatix Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:58:23 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=505#comment-272 Whoa, that's pretty awful. I hate it when you don't have a choice and have to put up with shit like this (excuse le mot). Here's to hoping the rest of the service will be smooth. On a lighter note: a very nice holidays to you and your loved ones! Whoa, that’s pretty awful. I hate it when you don’t have a choice and have to put up with shit like this (excuse le mot). Here’s to hoping the rest of the service will be smooth.

On a lighter note: a very nice holidays to you and your loved ones!

]]> Comment on A few random words by Posts about Wordpress 2.7 as of December 16, 2008 | The Lessnau Lounge http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/16/a-few-random-words/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Posts about Wordpress 2.7 as of December 16, 2008 | The Lessnau Lounge Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:05:24 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=503#comment-270 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> Comment on Bun’s Bedtime Story by cybermage http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/12/02/buns-bedtime-story/comment-page-1/#comment-269 cybermage Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:52:07 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=499#comment-269 D00d! I thought only my kids were that cute! Love your shirt, btw. lol. D00d! I thought only my kids were that cute!

Love your shirt, btw. lol.

]]> Comment on Flickr Challenge by cybermage http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/11/22/flickr-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-268 cybermage Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:39:09 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=496#comment-268 Darnit, the link didn't drop in that post... http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonymaro/2832023696/in/set-72157606426264398/ Would have been funnier had it embedded... Darnit, the link didn’t drop in that post…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t.....426264398/

Would have been funnier had it embedded…

]]> Comment on Flickr Challenge by cybermage http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/11/22/flickr-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-267 cybermage Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:38:34 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=496#comment-267 Oh, and how hard can it be to look at self-portraits? I mean, I'm a hottie, right?: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonymaro/2832023696/" title="40/365 Horse Face Day by Tony Maro, on Flickr" rel="nofollow"></a> Oh, and how hard can it be to look at self-portraits? I mean, I’m a hottie, right?:

]]> Comment on Flickr Challenge by cybermage http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/2008/11/22/flickr-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-266 cybermage Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:37:27 +0000 http://galaxycow.com/blogs/vermyndax/?p=496#comment-266 I made it through 75 days before work overcame my ability to accomplish the 365 day project. Nearly 25% through. I'd be willing to try to take up the challenge again though! I made it through 75 days before work overcame my ability to accomplish the 365 day project. Nearly 25% through. I’d be willing to try to take up the challenge again though!

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