Direct TV Revisited (yes, another episode)

Putting it bluntly, I do not like calling Direct TV.  Like so many other companies, you call in and have to give a computer your information.  You then get sent to a live operator - after pressing 0 numerous times to get the computer to shut up and get to a real human being.

The person that answers the phone wants you to give the exact same information that you already gave to that freaking computer all over again.  You already know the person you are talking to isn't going to be able to help you - at all - unless it's a very simple problem.  The woman that answered the phone today?  Her English was so poor it was unintelligible 50% of the time I was listening to her speaking.  I won't even attempt to try to get anything done with a person that doesn't fluently speak the language that I am speaking, it is a complete waste of my time. However, she transferred me to the technical support department.

THAT person asked me the SAME information AGAIN.  NO.  WHY can't you people get software incorporated into your computer system to pass along the fact that I have already, completely, thoroughly identified myself at least twice before I got to YOU?  Yes, I did ask her that.  I have asked alot of Direct TV associates that same question over the years.  I expect, but I hate it.  It's very irritating to have to be passed from one person to another AND have to fully identify yourself every time.

This woman got rude with me, so I asked her her name and employee ID number.  "Well I want YOUR name first!".  That was enough of that.  I declared to her that she had made a huge mistake in treating me that way, I am relentless in my quest for "revenge", if that's even the correct word, when verbally assailed by a customer service agent.  I demanded to speak to her supervisor.

Lots of yada yada yada not worth going into and this guy gets on the phone.  I start telling him my issues, including the previous woman - when he starts talking over the top of me.  I usually go silent when that occurs  as I did this time.  I wait for him to finish and then I proceed, again, to inform him of why I had called since he had asked.  He starts talking over the top of me again.

This is one of the most aggravating, irritating and confrontive types of things you can do to a customer, or at least to this customer.  This means, to me anyway, that that person does no want to hear anything I have to say, he is right and I am wrong, it doesn't matter what my problem is and he is superior to me.  At least in his own eyes.  I asked him the location of corporate headquarters and informed him that I would reporting him, as well and what is HIS ID number?  He gave me it.  He told me corporate headquarters is in Colorado.

GONG.  LIAR.  I remembered it was in California somewhere, I just couldn't remember what town.  El Segundo, when I saw it, it rang the bell as I have called that number before.  Back and forth, I dialed the number and got on the phone with a person.  I tell him that I am on the phone with a supervisor.

I know, it sounds like too much to go through, but, these ordeals net me wins every time.  You see, I got my new DVR today.  It's a nice little unit, looks brand new - but who knows.  Works great is what I can say.  But what was not in the box were the 2 extra remotes I had asked for.  I'll admit that the man I was speaking to a few days ago did not actually agree to send me 2 remotes for free, but he NEVER said he wouldn't.  I had brought the subject up 3 times and he danced away from that subject and was only focusing on the issue with wanting to quit Direct TV and what would appease me to stay with Direct TV.  That day was a score, so was today, though at no small amount of aggravation.

Long story short.  No, of course not, it's already been a long story.  But - besides getting the card activated - I also got the 2 remotes for free.  This whole thing started earlier this week when I saw my bill and saw that they had raised my rate - even though I had been promised it would not.

It's a never-ending story with this company.

Wednesday 3/16/2011

Ummm, sooo. I can't really do anything that I want to do with the ponds until my new pond liner arrives in the mail/fed ex/whatever. I was thinking of putting all the Koi that I got yesterday in that pond. 

Next door - probably illegal alien - "neighbor" starting trouble again. He won't start the crap with me, he starts it with my tenants. This time, it was with the "kid". He had pulled up "too far". 

Let me just say here that there is no law on the books that I know of that says a vehicle has to be parked in front of the person's house where that vehicle's owner is staying or visiting. As long as you are not blocking a person's driveway or a fire hydrant, there isn't any law that says if someone moves 2 inches beyond a person's fence line, that is considering illegal, somehow.

So, this "man" comes running out, apparently, from his house as soon as the guy parked his car. He just stands there looking at him. I wasn't out there or I would certainly have made some nice comments directed towards this guy who has a hard-on for starting trouble. 

The kid thought that maybe it was because of that guy's driveway and the car that was parked in it. No, it isn't. They don't use that car, it never moves out of that driveway. Even if they did, you aren't anywhere NEAR blocking it or the gate. 

The kid had moved his car way back and I told him not to do that - another car won't be able to park behind his and then MY driveway will be blocked and I won't be able to get out in the morning to go to work. I also said not to let that man intimidate you - lol, THAT got him going. "I am NOT intimidated by ANYONE". Okay then, let's just park our vehicles as we have been parking them and if that guy wants to start trouble, let him call the police. Otherwise, I suggest you ignore him. 

I will be parking my old car there whenever the spot is open at this point. Oh, and to give an idea of this guy's garbage, HE had his van parked about half a foot into my side of the fence last week for several days. I didn't say anything - that's because I DON'T CARE. I don't sit at the window, waiting for someone to park "wrong" and then go running out having a cow about NOTHING.

As for the situation with Chase bank - and their giving me the wrong account number AND the wrong routing number, written down on paper - the mortgage payment finally went through. I was mad 2 days ago about this situation - I am still very unhappy with it. I have not heard back from the bank - they will be hearing from me. 

Anyway, time is running out and I want to read about Japan and also Libya - just enough time to squeeze that in, I think.

Good day.

ben