DirecTV Adds Eleven New HD Channels for Fall
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jebbj
- New Member
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:11 am
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Customer service seems to be a function of the individual you get on the phone that processes your requests and takes time to connect with your "wants" for the various services. I've been with Directv since its infancy and most of my problems with the services were solved when prompted to read the manual or call the convertor manufacturer. Other problems such as storms and other type outages simply wait it out or reset the receiver. Cable I've had since the late '70's and many of the issues had to do with inside or outside wiring problems, which required a tech visit. Trying to schedule these visits is a slight problem when you work 10-12 hours a day. The problems with signals can be frustrating since it may take a week before the problem is resolved. It seems to me that both services require human interactions and patience when dealing with these issues. Both services have improved over the years but "customer service" still depends on that person who will take your issue and do all to resolve it on the first call. I cannot say one service is better than another and I have 2 dedicated theaters. Picture, sound, channel packages and costs are basically the same. I have 22 HD channels from CC and 18 from DirecTV but they both are increasing the choices. Let them improve their schedules for service visits, technologies and then can enjoy our entertainment in our homes.
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rfowkes
- Major Contributor
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2004 5:05 am
One of my biggest issues with cable TV (I was a subscriber since the early 70's when it was first offered in my area) was that your house is on a distribution system that also goes to many other residences up and down the line. With Satellite, it's just you linking to the birds in the sky (assuming you have line of sight, of course, or all bets are off.) I was lucky enough to "see" all of Dish's satellites to meet my needs.
And the problem with being on a long link with other cable users is that most of the companies hire independent contractors to do the "repair" work. I would find a marked degradation of signal every couple of weeks (sometimes every couple of days.) A technician finally explained it to me. When a service call is made to anyone on the line it is attended to by someone who is usually getting paid per job. One of the last steps in correcting a problem is to "balance" the line again (I'm not sure what the true technical term is) so that people further down the line won't be affected by the changes made by the current repair. Unfortunately, in an effort to crank out most jobs this important "tuning" (or whatever it's called) step is often left out by a lot of contractors. They can get out of there quicker (one less trip up the pole) and their current customer is satisfied and they move on to the next job. The man I talked to (during one of my many service calls) told me that my poor, variable signal could be corrected and he proceded to trace the line all the way back to where it joins the main trunk - adjusting the signal as he went. He also told me that I would be fine until the next repair was made anywhere on the line. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later I saw a man on a pole in the neighborhood and my signal degraded once again.
The tech I had talked to was candid and I made up my mind then and there to switch to some form of satellite service that didn't rely on the kindness of strangers.
This was almost a decade ago and I've never looked back. I might take a chance (on a small scale with Verizon FIOS TV when offered) to see if the paradigm has changed. I notice more "Cablevision" trucks (rather than independent vans) out there so maybe there is a bit more consistency and monitoring of quality control in today's world. If FIOS corrects this situation they will blow away regular cable in my town and probably in others. A little competition can be a beautiful thing.
We'll see.
And the problem with being on a long link with other cable users is that most of the companies hire independent contractors to do the "repair" work. I would find a marked degradation of signal every couple of weeks (sometimes every couple of days.) A technician finally explained it to me. When a service call is made to anyone on the line it is attended to by someone who is usually getting paid per job. One of the last steps in correcting a problem is to "balance" the line again (I'm not sure what the true technical term is) so that people further down the line won't be affected by the changes made by the current repair. Unfortunately, in an effort to crank out most jobs this important "tuning" (or whatever it's called) step is often left out by a lot of contractors. They can get out of there quicker (one less trip up the pole) and their current customer is satisfied and they move on to the next job. The man I talked to (during one of my many service calls) told me that my poor, variable signal could be corrected and he proceded to trace the line all the way back to where it joins the main trunk - adjusting the signal as he went. He also told me that I would be fine until the next repair was made anywhere on the line. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later I saw a man on a pole in the neighborhood and my signal degraded once again.
The tech I had talked to was candid and I made up my mind then and there to switch to some form of satellite service that didn't rely on the kindness of strangers.
This was almost a decade ago and I've never looked back. I might take a chance (on a small scale with Verizon FIOS TV when offered) to see if the paradigm has changed. I notice more "Cablevision" trucks (rather than independent vans) out there so maybe there is a bit more consistency and monitoring of quality control in today's world. If FIOS corrects this situation they will blow away regular cable in my town and probably in others. A little competition can be a beautiful thing.
We'll see.