I Hate Providers!!!!

[Binnatics]

Today I decided I wanted to watch some TV. I hardly watch any TV normally, but when I occasionally do, I want things to w@&k properly. Of course, the two canals that are most popular by men (action movies and such) were having a "too high fault frequency" to be able to watch what was on. What the f@#k!!??!?!?!?
And of course it's too late already to call for assistance. I don't even WANT to call assistance, because I know what they will tell me... "Your CI+ module is not supported by our company, so any problems that might be related to that module, WILL be related to that module since we are a lazy company that doesn't do s#!t for its customers unless they force us to".
I'm a customer for almost 10 years now to that bitch-a$$ company, and they still treat me like lowlife scum on the streetcorner. Everytime there is something wrong they blame ME for it, and have me dig up every fucking wire in my home before they start to even think THEY might have caused the problem.

Now, this time I'm going to approach this problem differently, here's what I'll do tomorrow: I'll phone those sorry-a$$ call-center workers to tell them about the problem and will clearly remember their name. If they don't come up with a solution within 5 minutes, I'll ask them to check my record; how many years am I a customer? (...9 years, sir) How many complaints are already solved in the past? (...20, sir)(or something like that) How many were my fault? (...zero, sir) "Now get that FUCKING TV to w@&k properly or I'll immediately switch to another provider!!!!!! And I WILL drop your name when ending the deal >:(( >:(( >:(( >:( >:( >:D

If they don't solve the issue I WILL go on and change provider, because i'm done with this. I'm so tired of not getting proper attention that I will suffer what's necessary to change to some other system. That will probably be glass-fiber connection for the whole deal, which means a new installment of lots of in-home cables, but I DON'T GIVE A s#!t!!!!!!! \:/

[PZ]

I feel your pain, Binn. I ditched my satellite provider as soon as I found a wireless internet provider and have never regretted it one minute.

Then there was the DirectTV incident.  I'd been a subscriber for about 3-4 years or so, and noticed that they had a cool in home recorder system that I wanted.  I called and they said that I would have to purchase the thing for $300 because the deal (plus the reduced monthly rate) were for new customers only - typical for these companies.

I told the representative that I wanted the deal because I'd been a long time customer and she said that she could not.  "Cancel my subscription" I replied, which she did.  I then explored other TV options, and was almost going to sign with Dish when I received a call from a supervisor saying "We hate to lose your business, what can we do to keep you?"  "Give me the new customer deal, and I want the fancy new whole home recorder that can simultaneously record 5 different channels" I replied.  He said "We can't do that sir, because that recorder is so new we are reserving them for our new customers"  "Well" I replied "treat me as a new customer then".

You know that those people had to do a weeks worth of manual futzing with their system to allow them to do that for me?  I eventually got it, but it had to go all the way to the top of their service center.  In the meantime I was fine without their service - I really didn't care one way or the other, which is likely why they gave it to me.

[Art Blade]

what I learned is this: file in a complaint not through service but straight to the board of directors or something similar, the TOP of the company. They hate bad publicity and usually have a department dealing with those complaints in favour of the customer, even if the customer wants something he isn't entitled to. Don't be rude but clear about what you want and if you had problems with the service before, mention it. In the end, they want to improve, too.

[Fiach]

Never heard of a problem like this, my provider gives me TV and Interwebz and I never had a problem unless they were doing some line w@&k that is flagged in advance, or maybe something like severe weather caused a glitch somewhere like flooding screwing up electrics.

I dont watch much TV, but I would change supplier if I was faced with such bad service.

Hope you get sorted out soon :)

[Binnatics]

Well, here's what happened today:

I called the customer support. After a small error in the menu choice I got connected with a young lady that was over-motivated to help me. I explained here my problem and the first thing she asked me was; what type of TV do you have? I told her (Loewe.) and she asked for the serial number. I told her and she started to explain that she can't do anything for me, since it's a non-certified TV I use. "Yes, I know, you guys told me that before" I said, "But I want help no matter what type of TV you guys certify or not." She explained to me that the company couldn't help that certain TV factories don't let their TV's certify by the company, which is why the company can't have the right knowledge to understand and guide me through the variety of settings the TV has to offer in order to do a proper exam of my issue.
I told her that when she'd still refuse to help me, I pointed her at my 9 years of customer-ship, I would resign from their services and go look for another provider. You know what she said? "If you like so, I will forward your call immediately to the resigning department so you can arrange that right away" What the f@#k??!!!!

Well, I have one more option, although I don't want any business with this company anymore, and that is to indeed write to the complaint department. I'l do the same I did once with an energy company: Solve the problem within 2 weeks without any costs and I WON'T resign. Don't do it and I WILL resign. In the mean time I will go looking for a better deal >:(

[Fiach]

I told her that when she'd still refuse to help me, I pointed her at my 9 years of customer-ship, I would resign from their services and go look for another provider. You know what she said? "If you like so, I will forward your call immediately to the resigning department so you can arrange that right away" What the f@#k??!!!!

Wow! Not exactly a customer focused company, definately leave would be my suggestion, even if they sort the problem free, I would let them sort it out, then tell them to f@#k off.

I was in a queue in a Dublin sports shop a few years ago and the guy in front had paid something over a €100 for a pair of runners, he said to the girl as he turned away,I would at least expect a thank you for a purchase like that and the girl said (chewing gum) "I dont have to it's on the fuckin receipt."

I never shopped there again myself.

[PZ]

Wow... an unsupported TV - first time I have ever heard that one.  Other than the switch to digital from analog, I've never encountered a TV that was incompatible with any provider.

[Art Blade]

good luck, Binnatics. I'm glad I don't watch TV at all :-D

However, I had that sort of trouble only once back when software was distributed on 3.5" disks. First they came and took my PC with them in order to fix it and returned it one week later but it wasn't fixed and I had no backup software (the original disks were corrupted). I called them and I was furious. I told them that I would write a letter to the company's boss if they didn't solve the problem immediately. Funny: The next morning I had an envelope in my letterbox containing new disks which worked. The envelope didn't have a stamp on it which means they actually had a courier deliver it to my home :-() The other issues with other companies, including my 20-year-old business relationship with my current provider, had always been resolved properly but more than once it did take some serious negotiation skills and a mean attitude to get what I wanted. I always got it  :-D

[Binnatics]

I checked for the complaints department; they don't have any!!!! No e-mail address, no postbox, no special phone number, NOTHING!! They always direct me to the same shitty service number.
I'm currently orienting myself on other options and there are quite a few. I think I will finally step over to my glassfiber connection I got installed a few years back. I checked some offers, and one that seems pretty tempting offers internet of 50MB downl./50MPps upl. speed. quite impressive  8)

[PZ]

A company without a complaint department is one of the following:

• The best company in the world - they never have complaints because there are none
• The worst company in the world - they have so many complaints that their entire business would be focused on nothing but complaints

Good luck, Binn

[Art Blade]

still, there will be a CEO. And bigger companies will have at least the chairman and usually the rest of the board of directors listed on any official letter or publication together with the company's address and all that.

Go to the top, mate, and be polite but determined and mention the facts about what went wrong.

Never a bad idea to start with something like, "I have been your customer for nine years" and perhaps "I am willing to maintain our business relationship if (you help me / you fix the problem)."

If you are really fed up, finish your letter with something like, "otherwise please consider this letter as my cancellation of our contract at the next date possible in which case I am expecting your confirmation in written."

[mandru]

Well, here's what happened today:

... she started to explain that she can't do anything for me, since it's a non-certified TV...

I'm not sure what this certified TV thing is that's causing the service problem but it looks like you have two choices if you want to continue with this provider:

1 Lie about the TV type but only  if it's not the thing causing the problem.
2 Get the right TV type

Otherwise find a provider that will consider your TV certifiable.  The whole situation sound certifiable to me.  ????

[Art Blade]

real service would have been, "sorry to hear that you don't have a certified TV because it means I can't help you with your TV settings but we will check whether we can find a problem on our end and if we find something we will sort it for you."

[Fiach]

  The whole situation sound certifiable to me.  ????

/threadwin :)

[Binnatics]

Thanx for all the good advice and feedback :)

@Art:
I know your idea of writing the directors is a good one, but I'm just so tired of this company (it's not the first time they play tricks like this on me) that I only want to get rid of them asap. Something else that I've considered though, and I might do that anyway, is causing bad publicity. Too bad I don't have a twitter account with a couple of thousand followers. My lousy fb account only has like 40 or 50 ppl connected :'(
It seems that companies like this have entire teams searching social media the whole day for bad publicity and contacting ppl who do so to solve there problems :-\\

God-damn, sometimes I hate this world

[Art Blade]

bah, fb.

Instead, you could go public by writing to a BIG tech mag that either specialises in "providers" or TVs or some such. They are often very influential and will get an opportunity to launch a nice story, whichever way it pans out: They could contact your provider and tell them about your case which should w@&k miracles right away and they can publish "after we spoke with them they immediately offered a solution" or, "they ignored us" which is that kind of bad publicity that will w@&k miracles regarding customer awareness, as in "beware of that provider."

[nexor]

Do a google search Binn, a while back i had bad service from a supplier and just couldn't get any results so I did a google search and stumbled on a local site called hellopeter.com where people post their gripe with whatever company, within a day after posting my gripe I got a response from the company in question, my gripe was sorted within three days. The beauty of this site is that anyone can read up on bad service of companies.

[Binnatics]

I might do that Nexor, thanks.  :-X

Not that I think they will sort it out, but it's good to inform others about these bastards indeed :)