Yes, nothing compares! #Sarcasm
Wow, I just got off another one of those customer service nightmare phone calls after going through three operators because their menu options DID NOT include “If you wish to cancel your service!” I’m appalled at the way so many contemporary companies such as DISH care ONLY about their bottom line. Is customer loyalty really that dead and buried?
Part of the “fun” with DISH is that one hand clearly has NO IDEA what the other hand is doing. Along my journey, I was notified by email that I was getting sent packages with instructions on how to return my digital DVR boxes. I never requested them. When I spoke with the DISH reps on the phone and, later, via Twitter, I was told I had to keep the boxes even though I was trying to cancel my service altogether
In fact, though I’m building a home in the State where I have DISH and am in escrow on the one with DISH, I’m NOT ALLOWED to cancel according to them, though I’ll have NO RESIDENCE in that State! But, they generously said I should keep the equipment – store it somewhere I suppose – and pay a nominal fee of $5.00 a month for the “privilege” of putting my service on “suspension.”
However, that “suspension of service” is only allowed for nine months. After that I have to pay the regular fee for the remaining months on my “contract.” And, of course, the contract is also “suspended” during the suspension purpose. When I said that the house we’re building was not likely to be completed in nine months, I was informed that I could simply pay the FULL MONTHLY service after the nine months, per the contract.
Really? How generous of them!
By now, I was irritated just a bit. Angry: a LOT. I began my anti-DISH campaign that I’ve sadly done before with other so-called customer-service-friendly utility companies that offer services we all usually require or actually need (think electricity).
In the past, when I’ve “gone public” using my extensive network of Social Media and Old Media forums, I’ve gotten pretty quick results. One cable company called me within 24 hours of my “campaign” about them with a miraculous offer of a special reduction in my service and a promise to fix the original problem immediately (which they did).
I’m happy that I have the means to get these kind of results but I don’t like it one bit. These companies need to “own” their responsibility to their customers and their ridiculous promises we all see in their incessant advertising. Not everyone has a public forum to embarrass and/or criticize these companies as I do. That is not fair nor is it good business practices as far as any measure I can think of!
With DISH, the jury is still out. As of now, they’ve found an “exemption” for the $5.00 monthly suspension fee, but are still holding to the nine-month time limit on the suspension.
What do I do with the equipment now that I’ve received TWO packages of return materials and instructions? I have no clue.
Thank you DISH. It’s been a pleasure…
UPDATE AUGUST 25, 2011:
I got a threatening email from DISH about being past due on my bill. This, even though I’d been put on “Pause” and promised a waive of the monthly “Pause” fee. After getting shuffled around, the new “customer service bot” (they really are bots) was nice as can be but found NO RECORD of the previous conversations – documented above. He repeatedly repeated the same company mantra of its policies. Got nowhere. Though previously PROMISED in an email that that “pause (aka extortion) fee” would be waived, he couldn’t do that so I paid it simply to protect my credit. More to come…
