Word to the wise...don't mention the bombings

in Bombay when you're speaking with your friendly customer service rep named John, who happens to have a thick Indian accent. I made the mistake of saying to my DirecTV rep, "you have my sympathies for the bombings over there this week" and he said, in his automaton response, "thank you sir," before promptly hanging up on me! And this after being on hold for 13 minutes!


...and the saga continues. In my second attempt, I get my friendly (Bangalore) neighbor service rep named Karen. I tell her I want to cancel my DTV NFL sunday package before it automatically renews. She gives me the longest spiel I've ever heard, and then asks what they can do to change my mind. "Have my Titans trade for some receivers, because they will suck for a while!" I told her, to which she responded, "DirectTV's Sunday Ticket is the best blah blah blah." Funny, I don't think she understood me. Amazing.

 

Next time, ask them "When the $%#&%$# are you people going to add The Tennis Channel so I can watch Sania Mirza?"

Seriously, I would like to rip them, but they've been OK by me lately.

Hurricane Wilma ripped my dish off its mountings. They replaced it for free.

I bought an HD receiver, and they gave me a special offer for $99.

Then they sent me a rebate coupon to send back to get  "$200 off the purchase you just made."

I don't think the person sending the coupon realized I got the receiver for $99.

So they wound up paying me $100 to take the receiver.

Next week they're replacing my 3 LNB dish with a 5 LNB dish so I can get local channels in HD, which just became available. No charge.

Now if they would just add the $#%&&$ Tennis Channel . . .

 

The mere acknowledgment that a call center rep is from India will probably get you a hang-up (orders from the American-flag-waving-company bosses who don't want you to know they are outsourcing on the down low).

 

I received my renewal bill yesterday and promptly called DTV to cancel with the full understanding that I wasn't going to cancel.

I received the following:

$41.80 off NFL TICKET
One Free HDTV DVR
Showtime free for 6 months
HBO for $2 for the next 6 months


My rep was a white guy in Idaho.


Still feel like I left money on the table.

 

at least that's what he wanted you to think.

nice score on the freebies though. ;D

 

You've got to be a complete moron NOT to realize all this has been outsourced.

EDIT EDIT EDIT: Not calling Football Bat a complete moron. Just saying the idiot flag-waving bosses have to be morons to think someone could be moronic enough to think this work hasn't been outsourced.

And just because it's relevant: Fuck you, Dell.

 

He was probably pissed that you didn't realize Bombay's name was changed to Mumbai 11 years ago ....

http://www.slate.com/id/2145650/?nav=tap3

 

There's a DirectTV call center in Podunk, Montana. Because of the negative feedback these companies are getting for moving jobs to India, a lot of them are putting call centers in smaller Western cities where they can still save money by paying people significantly less ($9 an hour here), but keep customer goodwill by keeping the jobs in the states.

 

I thought it was funny, sahib.

 

Didja know you can't fast forward through commercials with DTV's newest DVRs? I didn't, until it was confirmed for me yesterday at Best Buy.

 

Thank you. Come again. [/apu]

 

Mmmm-bop.

I always ask if they've seen Osama. "He can't be that hard to miss, he's the tallest guy there."