# The most shocking interaction with a CSR I have ever experienced in my entire life!



## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

I haven't been around for a number of months and after my account was at zero balance I proceeded to suspend the account for four months. I decided that D* was a no longer good value for me and today contacted the customer retention department and proceeded to inform the CSR that I was cancelling my account effective today. 

The CSR was rude, obnoxious, and belligerent as well. I was polite and level headed the entire time even though I should have told him off. Clearly OUTRAGEOUS behavior on the part of the CSR and a case of abuse of the customer. 

He continued to asked me what it would take to remain a customer even after I clearly told him I simply wanted to cancel, and I told him the terms that would keep my account active and in use. He could not meet the price I mentioned and once again told him clearly I wanted to cancel this occured no less than TEN times. During the discussion.

I have been dealing with customer service representatives for almost 30 years now and without a doubt this is the absolute worst encounter I have ever had in my life. 


This individual could do damage to my credit information so I made sure to remain calm and polite throught the conversation .

I firmly believe that this situation needs to be referred to the CEO of the company as well as the FTC. 

I will be sending a Return Receipt Requested Certified Letter to the CEO and the FTC describing the event. Luckily the recording is definite proof of the SHOCKING attitude and behavior of the CSR.

Most importantly I was a customer in GOOD standing for two and a half years with never a late payment and (auto pay) and never had any other serious issues with D*

BUYER BEWARE!


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Same thing happened to me the other day when I tried to cancel a credit card. Must have asked me 6 or 7 times why I wanted to cancel and what the benefits of the card were, etc. A 30 second call ended up taking 10 minutes, but no biggie.


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> The CSR was rude, obnoxious, and belligerent as well. I was polite and level headed the entire time even though I should have told him off. Clearly OUTRAGEOUS behavior on the part of the CSR and a case of abuse of the customer.
> 
> He continued to asked me what it would take to remain a customer even after I clearly told him I simply wanted to cancel, and I told him the terms that would keep my account active and in use. He could not meet the price I mentioned and once again told him clearly I wanted to cancel this occured no less than TEN times. During the discussion.


Although you're not specific about the rude, obnoxious and beligernet behavior that was clearly outrageous, I am guessing it is what you state in the next paragraph.

The Retention Department is called Retention because it's their job to figure out what it would take to retain you as a customer. So asking you what they can do to keep you from cancelling is their job. OK, so you had to tell them 10 times, I don't think it's something to get that worked up about. You should try cancelling a credit card - took me almost 15 minutes and having to listen to every pitch in the book.

I'd have been shocked if they didn't try to keep you as a customer and just cancelled the account.

Anyway, it seems like you got to cancel, so you accomplished your goal.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Same thing happened to me the other day when I tried to cancel a credit card. Must have asked me 6 or 7 times why I wanted to cancel and what the benefits of the card were, etc. A 30 second call ended up taking 10 minutes, but no biggie.


I hope you will be sending a Return Receipt Requested Certified Letter to the CEO and the FTC describing the event.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

At least it seems in your situation that the CSR was at least respectful in his effort to do this job, I even mentioned to this individual that I understood his effort to keep me as a customer was part of his job BUT this attitude and over all behavior was as will be found in the recording ....OUTRAGEOUS!

It wasn't his persistence as much as his attitude, which was HORRIFIC!

Not that it shouldn't have taken me 30 minutes to get cancelled. But you disrespect me as a upstanding customer and you have definitely bought yourself trouble. I might have considered returning to D* in the future if he would have been professional but now I never will also my parents were able to hear the entire conversation and they were considering D* now they never will and they will tell their friends to stay away.

I forgot to mention that the initial time I called to cancel I was "accidentally" disconnected .....

*This isn't about his persistence it is about his behavior and attitude. Which most of you are ignoring.*


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## mavs-fan (Aug 31, 2011)

When you want to cancel tell them you no longer have a TV. They won't know how to respond and just cancel your account.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

mavs-fan said:


> When you want to cancel tell them you no longer have a TV. They won't know how to respond and just cancel your account.


LOL:hurah::lol:


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> At least it seems in your situation that the CSR was at least respectful in his effort to do this job, I even mentioned to this individual that I understood his effort to keep me as a customer was part of his job BUT this attitude and over all behavior was as will be found in the recording ....OUTRAGEOUS!
> 
> It wasn't his persistence as much as his attitude, which was HORRIFIC!
> 
> ...


So, you're basing all future possible business dealings all on how a single CSR allegedly treated you? Man, it's a tough world out there...I hope that you're tough because some people aren't nice. I was in Kroger once and the sacker & cashier weren't nice...neither greeted me with a smile or asked how I was...but I'm ok and can take it. I even shopped there again.


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## Justin23 (Jan 11, 2008)

dubber deux said:


> At least it seems in your situation that the CSR was at least respectful in his effort to do this job, I even mentioned to this individual that I understood his effort to keep me as a customer was part of his job BUT this attitude and over all behavior was as will be found in the recording ....OUTRAGEOUS!
> 
> It wasn't his persistence as much as his attitude, which was HORRIFIC!
> 
> ...


I don't think anyone is ignoring that....but can you be specific on what this CSR said?


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

Sigma.....

You don't say that they were obnoxious though. Being business like (impersonal) and belligerent are two entirely different things. 

Also you didn't have a contract with that grocery store that was worth many thousands of dollars to the company either. 


You are comparing apples and oranges .

Of course we all know you are D* biggest fan around here. LOL


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

Justin23 said:


> I don't think anyone is ignoring that....but can you be specific on what this CSR said?


Justin23:

As soon as I send the letters to D* and the FTC I will go into the details. Sorry for the delay in the specifics.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> Sigma.....
> 
> You don't say that they were obnoxious though. Being business like (impersonal) and belligerent are two entirely different things.


You still haven't explained how they were.



> Also you didn't have a contract with that grocery store that was worth many thousands of dollars to the company either.


They've received thousands from me. You can break contracts.



> You are comparing apples and oranges .
> 
> Of course we all know you are D* biggest fan around here. LOL


No, there's bigger fans. Thanks though.


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## usnret (Jan 16, 2009)

Dubber - why are you telling us this??


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

I once had a call with DirecTV much like this [though I wasn't trying to cancel]. I simply called again, got another rep and expressed my concerns. They asked when I called, checked the log, pulled up the recording and passed it to a supervisor for their attention.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

dubber deux said:


> *This isn't about his persistence it is about his behavior and attitude. Which most of you are ignoring.*


I get it. There are duds everywhere. 
But to cut yourself off forever from a company because of that is shortsighted. Almost regardless of what business it's in.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Dubber -- I suggest you send an email to DirecTV's VP of Customer Service: [email protected]. Make sure you give them the date and time you called so they can pull up the recording.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> I get it. There are duds everywhere.
> But to cut yourself off forever from a company because of that is shortsighted. Almost regardless of what business it's in.


That's the way I see it. I've encountered jerks from Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Dell, Amex, different stores, etc... That doesn't stop me from continuing business or bother me. Maybe I'm just "too laid back?" :whatdidid Companies are filled with thousands of people; you're going to encounter jerks eventually.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> You still haven't explained how they were.


I guess the words "belligerent", "obnoxious" don't get the idea across, how about hostile, and yes when I refused his offer that was not what what I indicated would retain me he was YELLING at me. It should not take ten times of telling a so called CSR professional that I am cancelling 30 minutes plus to get it through his head.



> They've received thousands from me. You can break contracts.


I'm glad you have the hundreds of bucks to break those contracts, most people today do not have that loose change hanging around.

I was no longer under any contract at this time. BTW.

One of the little sneaky things he tried to pull was stating (probably for the recording ) that I was with them since 2010, when it was clearly 2009, as the information was staring him right in the face. In the chance perhaps that somehow D* could claim I had not completed my term as agreed to. Amusing how he didn't get any other account details wrong. I am darn glad I held onto ALL my receipts for the start of my original agreement.

Anyhow,I honor contracts, it is the HONORABLE thing to do.



> No, there's bigger fans. Thanks though.


Could have fooled me.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

trh said:


> Dubber -- I suggest you send an email to DirecTV's VP of Customer Service: [email protected]. Make sure you give them the date and time you called so they can pull up the recording.


Thanks trh: I will be doing this as well. Have all the details time, date, the CSR operator number, ect.

The strange thing to me also was how when I called to cancel originally (just minutes earlier) I was "disconnected" and in the almost three years I have had D* I have NEVER been disconnected, ever. Yeah it is JUST a coincidence I'm sure.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Fun thread. I am not sure what the point of it is but it's a fun read.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

SPACEMAKER said:


> Fun thread. I am not sure what the point of it is but it's a fun read.


The point is that when good customers are abused not respected the public (especially folks considering D*) have a right to know. This is the perfect place to let folks know since many potential D* customers will research here before buying.

The worst thing fr D* is that I might have returned in the future as a customer but I certainly won't now, if this is how good customers are treated. They cut their nose off in this case. Yeah I'm just one consumer but I'll be letting my friends and family know about my experience. BAD FORM.

*Again to reiterate, I have dealt with CSRs that gave poor service but nothing else has even been this horrifically outrageously bad, by a wide margin, I've never experienced anything like it in over 30 years. *


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## blaqhauq (Dec 13, 2010)

You keep saying he was obnoxious, etc. But you never explain how, just that he tried to keep you as a customer. What you consider hostile sounds like what mist people would consider "pushy" and just doing his job. I would think something was wrong with his attitude if you said "hi, I want to cancel my account" and the csr replied " ok. Thanks. You're all set, your account is now closed. Good bye" then hangs up without ever trying to save you. Sounds like you want people to do what you want when you say with no questions asked. Your way or the highway. An that's fine but remember he has a job to do and most likely a family to support. What if that call was being listened in on by his boss and he never tried to keep you and he got suspended without pay. I guess you could sleep better at night knowing little Joey won't have dinner tomorrow cause his hard working dad was suspended. You might need anger management.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

blaqhauq:

You didn't read my posts thoroughly. 

I'll add that he was patronizing, and snide as well.

Thankfully the tape recording will reveal all. It is not pretty.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

I predict that nothing will come of this. Seems as if the OP is venting and wanting others to feign similar outrage. I am not defending the CSR or D* here but I think it's safe to say that everyone has their own ideas of what they consider bad treatment.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

SPACEMAKER said:


> I predict that nothing will come of this. Seems as if the OP is venting and wanting others to feign similar outrage. I am not defending the CSR or D* here but I think it's safe to say that everyone has their own ideas of what they consider bad treatment.


I predict you are wrong.

The recording will prove that this CSR is due for termination.

The certified letter to the CEO should tell you something. The tape will corroborate with the evidence. The behavior on the part of the CSR was outrageous, and totally unacceptable. Such behavior needs to be nipped in the bud by D*.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dubber deux, I'm sorry you experienced this; no matter what company it had been with. The call centers I've worked in very likely would have classified this as immediate termination. (I don't want to completely ignore the possibility the CSR is normally very good and something was very, very wrong today. Serious therapy can do wonders.)

I hope DIRECTV resolves the issue(s) promptly, humanely, and correctly. You may never know the ultimate result, yet I expect they will give you an apology.

Cheers,
Tom


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Out of curiosity, are you referring to a recording that you made, or are you referring to a recording that you assume DirecTV might have made?

If it is a recording that you made, did you properly identify to all parties of the conversation that it was being recorded (and of course, is that on the recording)? If not, I would be hesitant to reveal the fact that you made such a recording.

As an aside, I believe it is legal to say the call may be recorded when you don't record it, but it is not legal to record it without saying it is being recorded. So just because there was an announcement that the call may be recorded is no guarantee that it was in fact recorded.

And, because I mention legalities, I'll add the disclaimer that I am not a lawyer and I am not providing legal advice. Just food for thought.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

I find it odd that several people in this thread have asked the OP to explain in SPECIFIC detail what the CSR did and so far, OP has ignored all requests or just responded with "they were rude and I'm mailing the CEO". Did he call you names? Did he yell at you? Did he curse? ... or we he just using high pressure to try to get you to stay? (which is his job ). If he didn't do any of these things, what exactly did he do? I would like to suggest that perhaps you can post a few quotes of what you considered beligerent??

EDIT: just for giggles, I ran a "Find More Posts" on the OP and I see that basically he has been extremely negative on DirecTV for 2+ yrs. So I'm going to take this with a grain of salt .


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

carl6 said:


> As an aside, I believe it is legal to say the call may be recorded when you don't record it, but it is not legal to record it without saying it is being recorded. So just because there was an announcement that the call may be recorded is no guarantee that it was in fact recorded.


Certainly no one can gainsay the latter point! It's somewhat like road signs saying you "may be subject to delays"! One's always subject to them.....

On a less whimsical note, I wonder if there're exceptions for customer/provider conversations.

I tend to doubt that our OP has a recording in any event that he'll ever prove to any of us. Posting a link to it would certainly clear up a lot!


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

Sledge:

I don't think you want to actually digest what I clearly stated, you did not read my posts thoroughly, you just want to help "mitigate" the CSRs behavior in this thread.

*How about actually READING my posts and comprehending them too. *


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

@ Tom Robertson:

Thanks for the consideration and kind comments regarding my situation. 

I am actually a very patient and tolerant customer most of the time, and indeed even though this CSRs behavior was beyond belief I still maintained my cool and was polite and business like during the entire episode., I even commented to the person that "I understood that being persistent with me was part of his job to attempt to keep me as a customer", but the response from this individual was absolutely reprehensible and inexcusable in totality.

I am awaiting my e mail (which I specifically asked about) confirming that they put the order through for the cancellation, but I haven't seen it yet, why do I have the feeling that I will need to call in yet again to get it taken care of? 

I understand people have bad days but you can't let it get out of hand. If one is under that much pressure they need to refrain from attempting to perform a job that requires serving the customer. 

Tom, I guarantee you that I was as nice and pleasant a customer that this person has probably even spoken to, but my decency was thrown back in my face, it was shocking and sad as well.

Regards, 

B


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

dubber deux said:


> Sledge:
> 
> I don't think you want to actually digest what I clearly stated, you did not read my posts thoroughly, you just want to help "mitigate" the CSRs behavior in this thread.
> 
> *How about actually READING my posts and comprehending them too. *


Why would I care about DTV or the CSR? I don't work for DTV and couldn't care less about them or if the CSR gets fired.

I just re-read your posts for arguments sake and all I saw was that it took you saying "no" 10 times and 30 minutes and that he was "snide", "obnoxious" and "beligerent" and that he was yelling at you. Did I miss anything? I still didn't see any post where you actually gave a real example of how he was any of these things. Thats all I was saying. I understand what yelling is , but all the other adjectives you used are all subjective.

EDIT:

Ok, I re-read them a 3rd time even closer and see that you were "accidently disconnected" one time and that he claimed you were with them since 2010 and you said 2009 and that he yelled at you. Thats all you have actually given full examples of.

Pretty much everybody else in this thread is asking you for the same info I did... so none us must be able to read very well .


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> On a less whimsical note, I wonder if there're exceptions for customer/provider conversations.


No, there isn't. When I was in a position where I was making outbound calls, I had to say at the beginning of every call "this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes." To not do so on a call that was evaluated was an immediate 0 on the call.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Newshawk said:


> No, there isn't. When I was in a position where I was making outbound calls, I had to say at the beginning of every call "this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes." To not do so on a call that was evaluated was an immediate 0 on the call.


I don't doubt what you say, but that information doesn't bear on the possible exception to a customer making a recording with an agent of a service provider, not the other way around.

And I love the "for quality assurance purposes".. . yeah, well, sometimes. Maybe at some places, a lot. I've always understood it to be so the company has its bases covered if there's a dispute with the customer. YMMV.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

Seems like it would have been easy enough to simply terminate the call with "rude and obnoxious" rep, and call back to speak with someone else. I guess your mission is to see to it that this person is fired?


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## TwoPhases (Jul 20, 2010)

After a rough conversation with any CSR from any company, the first & only thing I do is get over it.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

This thread might simply be proof that some people aren't good at communicating, or interpreting, or both, and I mean anyone and everyone. 

This thread seems to hint that a front line entry level individual in a company, while absolutely representing said company, should be looked at as the sole representative of not only the company, but also a firm representation of all the companies inner thinking and workings and processes. That boggles my mind.

The situation sucks, and I'd love to hear a few real examples of what the csr said that so offended the op, not simply that he offended you, which is what others are asking. I get your offended, but we would like the actual offending words. Transcripts and recordings could be a lot of fun to if you have them. 

I do think that the FTC and CEO letters will make the op less credible, rather than just going strait to Ellen's office, which is the appropriate place to take this particular incident at this time. I know the op won't like reading that, but jumping that far up the chain for a first complaint about this issue, without any previous issues with this, at least from what has been presented, and going to the FTC will give the FTC and the CEO a certain perception of the op (especially if its worded the way the posts in this thread have been with a lack of specific words and sentences that where said) that his complaint is more based on an emotional reaction rather than a factual one. Hopefully the call was recorded and will be listened to by the powers that be so that's not the case, but I sincerely doubt the CEO or the FTC will do any of the looking into of this situation.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"litzdog911" said:


> Seems like it would have been easy enough to simply terminate the call with "rude and obnoxious" rep, and call back to speak with someone else. I guess your mission is to see to it that this person is fired?


And no one here, especially the op, will ever know if that person gets reprimanded or fired, nor should we.

Personally,I have had nothing but great conversations with the last few csrs I have talked too, which makes me think that the company does not systematically train employees to be rude and such, another reason the FTC has no business being copied on this.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Well the OP has been upset with DIRECTV for over 2 years now and every post is almost the same thing. So hopefully the OP is happy wherever he ends up. 

However if you're done with a company canceling your service says more than writing a letter in but if it makes you feel better then go ahead. However all a letter says is that you still want contact with the company you just canceled. Seems more like a last ditch effort to try and have them do something you wanted them to do. However let me save you some money. The FTC has nothing to do with this situation nor does any other federal regulatory organization. If a company wants to be rude to customers they can as long as they don't do anything illegal.


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## TEN89 (Jun 27, 2003)

I guess the CSR didn't say yes sir no sir to him and he didn't like it. so that was rude to him


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

litzdog911 said:


> Seems like it would have been easy enough to simply terminate the call with "rude and obnoxious" rep, and call back to speak with someone else. I guess your mission is to see to it that this person is fired?


My thought exactly. There's no excuse for the kind of customer service experienced by the OP, but there's no guarantee that a recording of the call was made by D*, as only a percentage of calls are monitored.

As for the OP involving the FTC....too funny.....the principal mission of the FTC is the promotion of consumer protection relating to the elimination and prevention of what regulators perceive to be harmfully anti-competitive business practices, such as coercive monopoly.

The OPs experience with an unprofessional CSR doesn't really fit the remit.


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## caseyf5 (Mar 22, 2009)

Hello carl6,

Looked up phone taping laws. I knew some states allowed one party knowledge of a taped conversation was surprised that it is the majority until I found out the Federal rules on phone taping. Federal law allows recording of phone calls and other electronic communications with the consent of at least one party to the call. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia permit individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so. Twelve states require, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. Those jurisdictions are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. Be aware that you will sometimes hear these referred to inaccurately as “two-party consent” laws. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

I just love thin skinned people. They're so emotional and melodramatic.


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

All he had to do was hang up and call again informing the new CSR about the previous call. Then, when his account was cancelled, he should have e-mailed [email protected] and made her aware of his experience.

But why do it the right way when you can act like a Drama Queen.


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## Kevin L (Nov 16, 2005)

In the words of Sgt. Hulka, "Lighten up, Francis."

Geez, get a life. You sound as if you were physically assaulted. Using terms like shocking, sad, horrifically outrageous seem a bit extreme for a bad phone call. You sound like you're on a vendetta rather than righting a wrong.


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## bobvick1983 (Mar 21, 2007)

Another good way to cancel without them hounding you to death is to just tell them that you are moving to Canada. I have did this in the past with Dish Network. It went very plesant and was easy to cancel quickly. Since they cant offer you service in Canada, they have no where to go with the retention BS.


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## Kevin L (Nov 16, 2005)

bobvick1983 said:


> Another good way to cancel without them hounding you to death is to just tell them that you are moving to Canada. I have did this in the past with Dish Network. It went very plesant and was easy to cancel quickly. Since they cant offer you service in Canada, they have no where to go with the retention BS.


Great idea!


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## richall01 (Sep 30, 2007)

You never said what you wanted to stay with Directv, and you are mad at not getting what you want!


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> I once had a call with DirecTV much like this [though I wasn't trying to cancel]. I simply called again, got another rep and expressed my concerns. They asked when I called, checked the log, pulled up the recording and passed it to a supervisor for their attention.


Maybe they passed it to a supervisor, but A REP "pulled up a recording?" I think the only thing they pulled up was your leg on that one.  I think that was they did was try and placate you.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

carl6 said:


> Out of curiosity, are you referring to a recording that you made, or are you referring to a recording that you assume DirecTV might have made?
> 
> If it is a recording that you made, did you properly identify to all parties of the conversation that it was being recorded (and of course, is that on the recording)? If not, I would be hesitant to reveal the fact that you made such a recording.
> 
> ...


That depends on what state you live in. The majority of states permit "1 party recording" where only 1 party has to be aware of the recording. That one party being the peron doing the recording. I record all calls with any company where I am transacting "phone" business of any significance and save it for about 6 months. I even record conversations I have in person when any "major" business that involves verbal "promises" are being transacted. Smartphones are great for that.

I learned it is OK to do that, at least here in NJ, from Judge Judy. :lol:

Here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#One-party_notification_states


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## dirtyblueshirt (Dec 7, 2008)

I think another key thing to remember here is that this is a classic he said/she said argument. We obviously do not have a recording of the call available to the forum here, so we have no way of knowing what was said or how either party conducted themselves. Both parties are going to play themselves the victim regardless of what happened, and expect us to swarm to their side. These threads are obviously created for sensationalistic purposes and there will always be people who respond in varied, usually polarized ways.

Just let the man rant, ignore it, and move on. Remember, for every 1 angry vocal customer, there are hundreds of happily satisfied customers who remain silent. We like to complain, we don't like to compliment. It's sad, but it's human nature.


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## dirtyblueshirt (Dec 7, 2008)

caseyf5 said:


> Hello carl6,
> 
> Looked up phone taping laws. I knew some states allowed one party knowledge of a taped conversation was surprised that it is the majority until I found out the Federal rules on phone taping. Federal law allows recording of phone calls and other electronic communications with the consent of at least one party to the call. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia permit individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so. Twelve states require, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. Those jurisdictions are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. Be aware that you will sometimes hear these referred to inaccurately as "two-party consent" laws. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping.


In previous postings, he's mentioned he lives in "Upstate SC" (reference). According to your research, South Carolina does not require all-party consent.

Either way, I don't see if he's responded as to wether or not he recorded the call. I'm going to assume he did not, as he's not mentioned he is in possession of any such recording.


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## Crow159 (May 23, 2007)

TBlazer07 said:


> That depends on what state you live in. The majority of states permit "1 party recording" where only 1 party has to be aware of the recording. That one party being the peron doing the recording. I record all calls with any company where I am transacting "phone" business of any significance and save it for about 6 months. I even record conversations I have in person when any "major" business that involves verbal "promises" are being transacted. Smartphones are great for that.
> 
> I learned it is OK to do that, at least here in NJ, from Judge Judy. :lol:
> 
> Here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#One-party_notification_states


Every time I've called Directv, the automated menu tells me that the conversation may be recorded. At that point, I could record because both parties have been notified by Directv themselves.


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## Jon J (Apr 22, 2002)

carl6 said:


> As an aside, I believe it is legal to say the call may be recorded when you don't record it, but it is not legal to record it without saying it is being recorded.


I believe in some states, mine for example, it is legal if one participant in the conversation (me) is aware the call is being recorded.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jon J said:


> I believe in some states, mine for example, it is legal if one participant in the conversation (me) is aware the call is being recorded.


And what state is it? Several claim a music city.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> And I love the "for quality assurance purposes".. . yeah, well, sometimes. Maybe at some places, a lot. I've always understood it to be so the company has its bases covered if there's a dispute with the customer. YMMV.


The last company I worked at actually used the recordings for quality assurance. In your weekly review they chose 3 of your calls to listen to and if they found issue with any of them they brought you into a room and played it for you and discussed what you've done wrong.

And to the OP, not all calls are recorded.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

TBlazer07 said:


> Maybe they passed it to a supervisor, but A REP "pulled up a recording?" I think the only thing they pulled up was your leg on that one.  I think that was they did was try and placate you.


Depending upon the system being used it's possible for a rep to locate and flag, aka "pull up", a recording. They just can't do anything with it as far as delete or probably even listen to.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Crow159 said:


> Every time I've called Directv, the automated menu tells me that the conversation may be recorded. At that point, I could record because both parties have been notified by Directv themselves.


You are correct. If one side gives notification and both parties agree then both parties can record.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Crow159 said:


> Every time I've called Directv, the automated menu tells me that the conversation may be recorded. At that point, I could record because both parties have been notified by Directv themselves.


Good point. Thanks (and to those who noted the variation from state to state). I'm in a "both-party" state which obviously influenced my perspective.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

spartanstew said:


> Same thing happened to me the other day when I tried to cancel a credit card. Must have asked me 6 or 7 times why I wanted to cancel and what the benefits of the card were, etc. A 30 second call ended up taking 10 minutes, but no biggie.


SiriusXM is the worst. Get a new vehicle with it installed, so you call to drop the old radio, and they do everything in their power to keep you from dropping it. Apparently you should keep paying for it even though it is in a vehicle you no longer own.

So then they want to "give" you a new radio which you don't need because you new vehicle already has one and you have a free trial. Then they go on about adding one to your house.

The problem is their system is not smart enough to add the radio that has a free trial to begin billing you after the free trial, and not smart enough to allow you to add the best of Sirius to an XM radio on a free trial.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> And to the OP, not all calls are recorded.


You might be surprised. Every company I have worked for has used the same line "calls recorded for quality assurance" and the company line to the employees has always been "we record randomly". I have later found that every call actually is recorded.

Oh and to the OP, I highly doubt there was anything shady about the disconnect. I got disconnected *upgrading* my system. CSR's everywhere are notorious for dropping calls during a transfer.


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## Newshawk (Sep 3, 2004)

TBlazer07 said:


> I even record conversations I have in person when any "major" business that involves verbal "promises" are being transacted.


If you are in Maryland, even that is illegal if all parties do not consent, as is videotaping without all parties consenting.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

say-what said:


> I'd have been shocked if they didn't try to keep you as a customer and just cancelled the account.


That's exactly what a CSR did to me the other day. After I pointed out that new customers get the big incentives (Sunday Ticket, whole-home free) and existing subs get $5 off on programming, it was starting to make sense to just cancel DirecTV and take advantage of someone else's promotional come-ons. His response: "Well, why don't you just do that, if that's what you want?"

:nono2:


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

dirtyblueshirt said:


> Either way, I don't see if he's responded as to wether or not he recorded the call. I'm going to assume he did not, as he's not mentioned he is in possession of any such recording.


He hasn't responded to *anything*. Like what exactly the CSR said to him that got him all offended, etc. All of his responses have been pretty much berating the responder for not understanding him. His responses also seem to indicate that he is *very* easily angered, so I'm gonna go with my gut here and just call this a over-reaction / drama-queen situation as I can't fathom any CSR at any company just outright insulting a customer .

The fact that OP seems to have recorded the call seems equally fishy. Who the heck calls CSRs intending to record the call???


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

usnret said:


> Dubber - why are you telling us this??


He needs to vent. Happens a lot on the forum.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Newshawk said:


> No, there isn't. When I was in a position where I was making outbound calls, I had to say at the beginning of every call "this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes." To not do so on a call that was evaluated was an immediate 0 on the call.


I've always assumed that if I hear a message that states the call my be recorded, I'm not gonna be breaking any laws if I choose to record that call myself. Is this not true? I'm not really sure, I know some states have laws that specifically address this issue in different ways.

Not that I'd bother to record a phone conversation, just curious.

Rich


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

dubber deux said:


> blaqhauq:
> 
> You didn't read my posts thoroughly.
> 
> ...


I'd pay to get this tape up on YouTube.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

SledgeHammer said:


> He hasn't responded to *anything*. Like what exactly the CSR said to him that got him all offended, etc. All of his responses have been pretty much berating the responder for not understanding him. His responses also seem to indicate that he is *very* easily angered, so I'm gonna go with my gut here and just call this a over-reaction / drama-queen situation as I can't fathom any CSR at any company just outright insulting a customer .
> 
> The fact that OP seems to have recorded the call seems equally fishy. Who the heck calls CSRs intending to record the call???


The TS is probably very sorry he started this thread. This is just getting worse and worse, for him.

The last time I called up to cancel my Premier Package, I got a CSR that was determined to keep me on that plan and wouldn't take no for an answer. Thought it was kind of amusing and ended up getting the Premier Package for half off the normal price. I just noticed it is back to $114 a month (or whatever the cost is) and I gotta call up again.

Rich


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Carl Spock said:


> I'd pay to get this tape up on YouTube.


Well, a quick upload and a link would do, as I've asked/cajoled/challenged the OP to do.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

Laxguy said:


> Well, a quick upload and a link would do, as I've asked/cajoled/challenged the OP to do.


I kind of doubt any such tape exists :sure:. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to mail the CEO either. Just another rant.

OP if you want us on your side, at least post your "recording".


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Can someone please post a quote from the OP where he said that he made a recording? Everything I've read he just mentions "the" recording.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trh said:


> Can someone please post a quote from the OP where he said that he made a recording? Everything I've read he just mentions "the" recording.


I don't recall him specifying anything but "the" recording.

Rich


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## Jon J (Apr 22, 2002)

Laxguy said:


> And what state is it? Several claim a music city.


"Several" may claim but only one really has.



> Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-601: A person who is a party to a wire, oral or electronic communication, or who has obtained the consent of at least one party, can lawfully record a communication and divulge the contents of the recorded communication unless he has a criminal or tortious purpose for doing so. Violations are punishable as felonies with jail sentences of between two and 12 years and fines not exceeding $5,000. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-13-602, 40-35-111.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

carl6 said:


> Good point. Thanks (and to those who noted the variation from state to state). I'm in a "both-party" state which obviously influenced my perspective.


I'm in a "both-party" state too (CT). However, I've read that just because I continue the call, there by completing agreement by both parties, it's unclear whether or not I then have to inform the CSR that I'm recording also. As far as I can tell it's never been taken to court to there doesn't seem to be any case law.

It seems to me that logically if both parties have already given consent that it should apply both ways...experience has taught me that logic as most people would see it doesn't always apply to the law. :grin:

As to the continuing question of who recorded whom. The TS never said he recorded the call so I'm not sure why everyone would want him to produce it. I don't know the TS's intentions but is seems he is counting on DIRECTV to retain their recording.

<Mod Hat> Until the TS posts something about recording please stop asking him for it. There have been enough requests already so stop asking. Further, even if it's just about venting, there's nothing wrong with that either so let's be nice. 

Mike


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

dubber deux said:


> Anyhow,I honor contracts, it is the HONORABLE thing to do.


Personally, I think if there is an exit clause in a contract, if you follow that clause to get out of the contract, then it's fair game. Both sides agree to the contract, and it's weighted in favor of the other side in the case of a contract you sign with a company.

If you have a cell phone, the contract is that you stay with them for two years. But there's nothing dishonorable about paying the ETF and getting out of it. You're not hurting the company, they have protected themselves for that situation.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> I get it. There are duds everywhere.
> But to cut yourself off forever from a company because of that is shortsighted. Almost regardless of what business it's in.


Well I tend to give most things two strikes not three with some exceptions. For example:

If a eatery is dirty or can't keep their bathrooms clean and fresh smelling I'm outa there. Same with Roach or rodent infestations. And yes I've seen plenty of both in NYC, NY state including L.I. and NJ and PA.
If it doesn't have a satisfactory health inspection I'm gone bye bye.

I just heard about a local eatery where their cooler isn't working and the health inspector found them with meat stored in it. They were told to throw out the meat. They claimed it had just gone bad and that they were getting it fixed the next day. I wouldn't go there.

A near bye Fast food chains franchise had bad cooling fans in their freezer for most of the summer since they didn't want to spend money fixing something they were planning to replace that fall. You could see from the condition of the products boxes that they weren't being kept cold enough.
Even for free I wouldn't eat anything from there that was supposed to be stored frozen.

If I go to a store and can not get anyone to help and it is not the only one of its kind around, I'm outa there.

Bottom line is that there are very few businesses around that are irreplaceable. 
For example I have a choice of D*, E*, Fios & cable for TV. Fios, DSL, Cable & (Yuck) Dialup for internet. Plenty of Phone services available these days, same with banks.

No need to sit there and be unhappy with something.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Just reading between the lines and the OP's post history, it's my opinion that he called D* looking for a fight and ended up with a CSR who stood up for himself and his company. At that point the CSR decided to have some fun with him. I'm not saying it's right but I may have treated especially whiny and overly dramatic people the same way back when I was a CSR at a large company. We used to mute our phones and laugh at the people having meltdowns over petty issues. Good times.

Just sayin'...


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## JeffBowser (Dec 21, 2006)

I feel for you Dubber. Most of my calls with DirecTV have left me wanting to pull my hair out by the roots, so I have managed to avoid calling them at all since last December. I've also learned that this is not the forum to state this if you don't wish to be roundly abused. No matter, looking forward to seeing if you have anything further you can share once this has settled.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

"JeffBowser" said:


> I feel for you Dubber. Most of my calls with DirecTV have left me wanting to pull my hair out by the roots, so I have managed to avoid calling them at all since last December. I've also learned that this is not the forum to state this if you don't wish to be roundly abused. No matter, looking forward to seeing if you have anything further you can share once this has settled.


But why? Most of us have had good experiences when calling. Why would your calls be consistently disturbing. Type of issue?


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> But why? Most of us have had good experiences when calling. Why would your calls be consistently disturbing. Type of issue?


I haven't always gotten what I wanted out of them. I called them a few months ago about how my grandfathered "HD Courtesy Pack" fell off and nobody knew what the hell I was talking about. So I lost a channel or two. Dunno if I would count that as beligerent or snide .

Sure I got transferred to 5 people and wasted 30 mins and none of them knew what the HD Courtesy Pack was, but still...


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

tonyd79 said:


> But why? Most of us have had good experiences when calling. Why would your calls be consistently disturbing. Type of issue?


I'm sure Jeff can answer for himself, "but" dealing with DirecTV can be a challenge. 
I had a dose of this just this week. I'm going to be moving and while that part went well, I also wanted to suspend a receiver for a while until I get settled, which didn't turn out so well.
While you can suspend your account for six months, and keep your leased receivers, you can't suspend a receiver very long as you get 1-2 months before you're charged for not returning it.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

tonyd79 said:


> But why? Most of us have had good experiences when calling. Why would your calls be consistently disturbing. Type of issue?


Other than frustrations with billing errors, which are a pain with every company to fix, I've always had fine experiences when calling.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

RunnerFL said:


> Depending upon the system being used it's possible for a rep to locate and flag, aka "pull up", a recording. They just can't do anything with it as far as delete or probably even listen to.


 Well, I haven't been "inside" in over 2 years so I guess things could have changed.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

RunnerFL said:


> The last company I worked at actually used the recordings for quality assurance. In your weekly review they chose 3 of your calls to listen to and if they found issue with any of them they brought you into a room and played it for you and discussed what you've done wrong.


 Absolutely. We used to do that all the time. That's the best QC and sometimes quite a shock for the rep.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Newshawk said:


> If you are in Maryland, even that is illegal if all parties do not consent, as is videotaping without all parties consenting.


Correct. That's why I clearly stated that it depends on the state law. Judge Judy made that very clear.  Maryland is one of the 11 that DOES NOT allow it.

2-Party States:


California
Connecticut
Floridahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#cite_note-10
Illinois (questionable)
Marylandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#cite_note-11
Massachusettshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#cite_note-12
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
Pennsylvaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#cite_note-13
Washingtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws#cite_note-14


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Herdfan said:


> SiriusXM is the worst. Get a new vehicle with it installed, so you call to drop the old radio, and they do everything in their power to keep you from dropping it. Apparently you should keep paying for it even though it is in a vehicle you no longer own.
> 
> So then they want to "give" you a new radio which you don't need because you new vehicle already has one and you have a free trial. Then they go on about adding one to your house.
> 
> The problem is their system is not smart enough to add the radio that has a free trial to begin billing you after the free trial, and not smart enough to allow you to add the best of Sirius to an XM radio on a free trial.


Which is why when you cancel they offer it to you for half-price (just like ON-Star) . Been paying $77/year for years for Sirius and now XM. Every time I cancel they make me an offer I can't refuse (and I seriously intended to cancel). This year they even threw in online listening.


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## dirtyblueshirt (Dec 7, 2008)

A note to the OP:

_Well, and to anyone else ever writing a letter or an email to executives to resolve a problem..._

Even if you do follow-through and email Ellen Filipiak, the CEO, the FCC, NASA or the UN; I'd suggest you make sure you try to get this resolved through normal customer relations channels just once.

From experience, executives are more likely to sympathize and are to go out of their way to help you if you've shown that you've taken the effort to reach a satisfactory response to this through normal channels. *This shows rational thinking, patience, and sincerity in your complaint*. Otherwise (and I don't mean this to offend) you just look like someone who's being irrational and looking to vent.

Also, write the letter when you're calm, and do your best to keep emotional phrases out of the letter. Stick to the facts, and follow up your rationalized complaint with a solution. What can DirecTV do to make you happy in this situation (and try to be realistic, they probably won't give you free TV for life)? Basically, the letter should flow like this:


Introduce yourself.
Briefly set up the situation leading to the problem.
Describe the problem in detail. Provide names and times of people who you spoke to on the phone. Be exact, do not paraphrase, and above all do not get emotional (it will be difficult)!
Describe what resolution steps you have taken already, and why they did not meet your expectations.
Describe what can DirecTV do to "make things right" with you (again, set realistic goals).
Thank the person for their time.
If you follow this flow, you're more likely to stick out in their mind. They get several complaints a week. Most of them are rants and emotional outbursts. Insert some calm into that storm, as cheesy as it sounds.


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## Justin85 (Jun 16, 2010)

OP, unless the policy has changed, not all calls are recorded. I was able to review my calls weekly, and saw the list of my recorded calls regularly, and it seemed like less than half got recorded. 

Again, may have been just my D* call center, and it might have changed since then.

but please, don't just assume your specific call was recorded, because that might not be the case.


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## y2k02c5 (Sep 15, 2006)

So what kind of a deal did you get with your new service provider, that DirecTV couldnt match?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> But why? Most of us have had good experiences when calling. Why would your calls be consistently disturbing. Type of issue?


I've had a lot of disturbing calls, Tony. I've learned to avoid calling on weekends and holidays. But, I've also learned to just hang up and call back and get a different CSR. There's no reason to put up with what you feel is an abusive CSR.

Rich


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## JeffBowser (Dec 21, 2006)

I hesitate to reply, as others, including VOS and Rich, cover eloquently.

It's not the destination, its the journey. I've never had an issue that wasn't resolved. Eventually, and somehow. I have, however, been taken on some very needless pathways to get there.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

JeffBowser said:


> I hesitate to reply, as others, including VOS and Rich, cover eloquently.
> 
> It's not the destination, its the journey. I've never had an issue that wasn't resolved. Eventually, and somehow. I have, however, been taken on some very needless pathways to get there.


It certainly has been a journey. I gotta say that I've been very well treated by D* for the past couple years. If you were to go back to my posts from the time I found the forum in early '06 you'd see how frustrated I was. Took a long time to learn how to deal with the CSRs. The only thing that seems to work is politeness and persistence. I rarely call them about anything anymore, I've found other avenues that have made my dealings with D* a lot easier.

Rich


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

rich584 said:


> I've had a lot of disturbing calls, Tony. I've learned to avoid calling on weekends and holidays. But, I've also learned to just hang up and call back and get a different CSR. There's no reason to put up with what you feel is an abusive CSR.
> 
> Rich


Absolutely. No phone conversation with a CSR is worth the elevated blood pressure. I always just hang up and call right back. I've also found calling late at night you get some educated CSRs.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Tom Robertson said:


> dubber deux, I'm sorry you experienced this; no matter what company it had been with. The call centers I've worked in very likely would have classified this as immediate termination. (I don't want to completely ignore the possibility the CSR is normally very good and something was very, very wrong today. Serious therapy can do wonders.)
> 
> I hope DIRECTV resolves the issue(s) promptly, humanely, and correctly. You may never know the ultimate result, yet I expect they will give you an apology.
> 
> ...


It's posts like Tom's that I appreciate ...

He's not blaming the "victim", nor questioning whether or not there even *is* a victim, he's just commiserating and showing why he's such a good and classy guy. :up:


----------



## SaLance (Apr 4, 2011)

Drew2k said:


> It's posts like Tom's that I appreciate ...
> 
> He's not blaming the "victim", nor questioning whether or not there even *is* a victim, he's just commiserating and showing why he's such a good and classy guy. :up:


+1, Tom is awesome


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

SledgeHammer said:


> I kind of doubt any such tape exists :sure:. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to mail the CEO either. Just another rant.
> 
> OP if you want us on your side, at least post your "recording".


Letter sent to the CEO. Certified return receipt requested, to only be opened by Mr. Michael White. I also sent another copy of the letter(RRR) to the executive secretary of Mr. White.

Depending on what I hear from the executive offices of the CEO at D* I may or may not contact the FTC.

Some of you are absolutely comical in your replies here.

I simply called to cancel my service after over 2.5 years of service from D*. I wasn't looking for any conflict at all or getting a special deal, I have enough things to worry about that "looking for a fight" from some CSR is NOT one of them. Some of you posting here are are as outrageous in your attitude as that obnoxious and belligerent CSR I spoke to. Just to note I called a first time and after being put on hold for about 3 minutes my call was disconnected, I wasn't about to waste time calling back a third time, why should I. CSR roulette is baulderdash, I'm paying good money for their services I nor anyone else should have to play such games.

Also I DO NOT believe that the CSR in question was having a "bad day" , but that this interaction was an "sales angle" they were using, too many things about the call lead me to this conclusion.

I felt intimidated, and threatened by this persons behavior during t he call.

The most telling thing was near the end of the call I very politely asked for their name and operator ID number, almost immediately , like a light switch flipping their behavior changed to impersonal and business like, which it should have been at least in the first place.

I'm not interested in getting this CSR fired, I am more interested in informing the CEO of the practices that are going on at the consumer level. I would bet many executives are shielded by a pretty solid "firewall" at mid levels of the organization. So it is worth trying to go to the top.

Maybe my efforts will help other customers. That is the most I can hope for.

Again, I have never seen such behavior from ANY other CSR in any other business I have ever dealt with in my lifetime. outrageous, reprehensible, and unethical to boot.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> ...
> 
> I simply called to cancel my service after over 2.5 years of service from D*. I wasn't looking for any conflict at all or getting a special deal, ...


You weren't looking for a special deal, huh? Interesting...



dubber deux said:


> ...
> 
> He continued to asked me what it would take to remain a customer even after I clearly told him I simply wanted to cancel, and *I told him the terms that would keep my account active and in use. He could not meet the price *I mentioned...


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> You weren't looking for a special deal, huh? Interesting...


Nope....During the call they persisted on asking me what it would take to keep me as a customer ( I repeated a number of times I wanted to cancel, I also understood that they were trying to do their job and the CSR probably was instructed to ask me (solicit ME) as to what it would take to keep me as a customer. Just to stop them from repeating this question (several times, and with a bombastic attitude as well) I gave them a price I knew they likely couldn't meet, and they could not. Of course this resulted in a berserk response and more nasty attitude from this person.

The CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT ......

ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS CANCEL MY ACCOUNT, NOTHING MORE.

IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CALL AS I REPEATED THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE THE REAL BELLIGERENCE AND HOSTILITY BEGAN ON THE PART OF THE CSR.

Sigma....I gotta believe that the incredible defense you are providing for the inexcusable behavior at D*means that you are more that just a satisfied subscriber. 
Of course you will never admit it, will you?


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## rock819 (Mar 13, 2007)

Ok not that rudness is acceptable but for those of you that dont work in a service based enviroment you should know that companies like directv want the employees to be aggressive and want them to push products/services on the customer and want them to do everything in thier power to keep a customer from terminating service and the pressure from theese companies on its employees is horrible to say the least they dont care about the employees all they care about are the numbers so that then translates to the employee that he/she shouldnt care about the customer but instead care about the numbers because you can give great customer service but if you dont get a certain percentage of customers to keep the service or add new services you are fired anyways because your numbers are low so is it really the employees fault or is it the companies fault for creating that kind of work enviroment?


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

Rock:

I understand what you are saying, and that is why I am contacting the CEO. I really do not believe he knows what is going on, and is being shielded from such issues.

While a few customers will accept this outrageous behavior that may be deliberate .....there are also a number that will not and will take action to prevent it. I still believe that this CSR knew almost immediately that "the jig was up" and nothing was going to retain my business...AT THIS TIME....so I guess he figured just go for the jugular by trying to intimidate and threaten me into staying with ludicrous "angles". I still am very concerned about my personal account information, and have instated a credit bureau "fraud alert" due to my concerns. IWhile I do think it was a sales angle I also think this person is a potential danger to customers personal information and the behavior was that of what I would expect from someone with a character issue, possibly criminal in nature. 

The sorry thing about this is that the company has eliminated themselves from ever being considered as an option for me or my family in the future, which is just plain stupid and short sighted. ALL other service providers when I cancelled were actually polite a few asked a couple of times in a respectful manner what they could do to keep my business, and after I declined cheerfully processed the cancellation order and ended the calls by simply saying that they would be glad to have my business in the future if I chose to return, and guess what I have returned to a number of those providers over time. 

D* has a foot in mouth problem and I am not the only person that has voiced this here or anywhere else, D* has some of the WORST customer NO service in the entire business world bar none.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> ...
> 
> The CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT ......


Have you ever worked retail?



> Sigma....I gotta believe that the incredible defense you are providing for the inexcusable behavior at D*means that you are more that just a satisfied subscriber.
> Of course you will never admit it, will you?


What?? I'm satisfied, otherwise I'd cancel.


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> Have you ever worked retail?
> 
> *What?? I'm satisfied, otherwise I'd cancel*.


I think he's insinuating that you're some sort of secret D* employee !rolling


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> Have you ever worked retail?


Yes I have, I was referring to reasonable expectations, that included my situation.

From my experience 99.5% of the customers I have dealt with are reasonable and rational in their expectations, the other .5% is a very small number of people when you think about the number of consumers.



> What?? I'm satisfied, otherwise I'd cancel.


*You didn't actually answer the question. I knew you wouldn't because you probably can't out yourself. *:lol:

I don't think sigma works directly for D*, but possibly for a PR agency. Very common to see this on the net forums concerning any product today.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

@Rock

I understand what you are saying, and that is why I am contacting the CEO. I really do not believe he knows what is going on, and is being shielded from such issues.

While a few customers will accept this outrageous behavior that may be deliberate .....there are also a number that will not and will take action to prevent it. I still believe that this CSR knew almost immediately that "the jig was up" and nothing was going to retain my business...AT THIS TIME....so I guess he figured just go for the jugular by trying to intimidate and threaten me into staying with ludicrous "angles". I still am very concerned about my personal account information, and have instated a credit bureau "fraud alert" due to my concerns. IWhile I do think it was a sales angle I also think this person is a potential danger to customers personal information and the behavior was that of what I would expect from someone with a character issue, possibly criminal in nature. 

The sorry thing about this is that the company has eliminated themselves from ever being considered as an option for me or my family in the future, which is just plain stupid and short sighted. ALL other service providers when I cancelled were actually polite a few asked a couple of times in a respectful manner what they could do to keep my business, and after I declined cheerfully processed the cancellation order and ended the calls by simply saying that they would be glad to have my business in the future if I chose to return, and guess what I have returned to a number of those providers over time. 

D* has a foot in mouth problem and I am not the only person that has voiced this here or anywhere else, D* has some of the WORST customer NO service in the entire business world bar none.


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

Sure are a lot of D* csr's reading this thread aren't there? :lol:


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

Ok, sorry, but 3 minutes on hold is nothing. Seriously. If being on hold for 3 minutes is what you consider unprofessional, try calling AT&T or any company during prime calling time and you'll be on hold for 10 to 15 min+.

Also, as others have mentioned, disconnects happen. Its just amplified because you were already angry.

The guy simply thought you were trying to negotiate your bill down. You should have simply stated "I'm not interested at any price, I can't afford it at this time" or you could have just left it suspended... not like you were paying anything.

I would say in the future, if you find yourself not getting through to a CSR, you simply ask to speak to the supervisor. Of course, you'll probably be on hold for 10 min for that.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

ndole said:


> I think he's insinuating that you're some sort of secret D* employee !rolling


:lol: I wish...Wouldn't mind free service.


dubber deux said:


> ....
> *You didn't actually answer the question. I knew you wouldn't because you probably can't out yourself. *:lol:
> 
> I don't think sigma works directly for D*, but possibly for a PR agency. Very common to see this on the net forums concerning any product today.


:lol: You're waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off.

Still no explanations of this "outrageous" & "ludicrous" behavior.


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## Justin23 (Jan 11, 2008)

I still want to hear this recording of the call...


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

dubber deux said:


> @Rock
> 
> I understand what you are saying, and that is why I am contacting the CEO. I really do not believe he knows what is going on, and is being shielded from such issues.
> 
> ...


:wave: I'm sure you'll be missed!


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Justin23 said:


> I still want to hear this recording of the call...


The OP's post was removed, but he said he didn't record the call. So I'm guessing that in the posts where he referred to "the recording", he was talking about the one DirecTV makes (or doesn't make) for quality control.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

dubber deux said:


> Letter sent to the CEO. Certified return receipt requested, to only be opened by Mr. Michael White. I also sent another copy of the letter(RRR) to the executive secretary of Mr. White.


Mike White won't sign for, or open the letters, it will be someone who has the power on behalf of him. Usually an admin assistant or a clerk who handles all inbound communications. This is standard procedure for any company as large as DIRECTV.

Your letter will be routed to the department that was already linked in this thread for you to contact. That department will determine the response you get.

Again you should goto ftc.gov and find where it states they handle customer service complaints. They handle fradulant issues and scams. It's your cash, and not to get political here, but if you think the FTC will handle something like this you're incorrect.

You also keep trying to put FUD out there about your credit report. The person you spoke with has no way to impact your credit report. Any charges that are there DIRECTV is required by law to bill you for so you would see anything that could possibly show up. The pizza guy who took your cc over the phone is statistically more apt to steal your identity.

You keep wanting contact back from a company you have done nothing but say how much you don't want. You come back here to argue your point more. If it was really that bad you should just be glad you're done with them and just move on to a happier place.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

MysteryMan said:


> :wave: I'm sure you'll be missed!


As an individual customer it makes little difference but if you are losing other return customers in the near term future than yes it does matter.

I promise you that 97% of other consumer that experience this horrible behavior from D* CSRs will just walk away and never EVER return, ever. That is a LOT of lost revenue in the future I doubt the execs like that aspect of things, it doesn't make good business sense.

At Shades228:

What you claim may or may not be true, unless you actually work in the executive offices, you might be surprised claiming such communications are never seen by the CEO, also I sent a copy of the letter to his executive secretary and she (or he?) will likely be the one that puts the information in Mr. White's hands.

This isn't just about me, it is about all customers, I am certain that the top brass want to know about what is going on and they also know that they are shielded by their underlings so it is not out of the question for top brass to actually read consumers letters. It happens much more often than you think.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

dubber deux said:


> As an individual customer it makes little difference but if you are losing other return customers in the near term future than yes it does matter.
> 
> I promise you that 97% of other consumer that experience this horrible behavior from D* CSRs will just walk away and never EVER return, ever. That is a LOT of lost revenue in the future I doubt the execs like that aspect of things, it doesn't make good business sense.


I did three combat tours in Nam and one in Desert Storm. In both situations people were trying to kill me yet I didn't get half as worked up as you are over this CSR incident. Put a amen to it.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> I did three combat tours in Nam and one in Desert Storm. In both situations people were trying to kill me yet I didn't get half as worked up as you are over this CSR incident. Put a amen to it.


Respect.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

dubber deux said:


> As an individual customer it makes little difference but if you are losing other return customers in the near term future than yes it does matter.
> 
> I promise you that 97% of other consumer that experience this horrible behavior from D* CSRs will just walk away and never EVER return, ever. That is a LOT of lost revenue in the future I doubt the execs like that aspect of things, it doesn't make good business sense.


97%? :lol:

No, 97% of people that experience what you claim to have experienced just shrug it off and move on.


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## dubber deux (Mar 8, 2009)

RunnerFL said:


> 97%? :lol:
> 
> No, 97% of people that experience what you claim to have experienced just shrug it off and move on.


Never to return to D* again. Exactly !:eek2:


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

dubber deux said:


> At Shades228:
> 
> What you claim may or may not be true, unless you actually work in the executive offices, you might be surprised claiming such communications are never seen by the CEO, also I sent a copy of the letter to his executive secretary and she (or he?) will likely be the one that puts the information in Mr. White's hands.
> 
> This isn't just about me, it is about all customers, I am certain that the top brass want to know about what is going on and they also know that they are shielded by their underlings so it is not out of the question for top brass to actually read consumers letters. It happens much more often than you think.


Well by all means hold your breath for Mike White to read the letter.

It's about you and it always has been. All customers are not happy or unhappy. You're not a voice for the masses you're a voice for your own personal agenda. So have fun with this going forward. It's clear at this point this is just some way for you to get some status by saying that either the CEO wooed you back or whatever personal gain you think you'll get. I can't wait to here "the resonse" as I'm sure they'll appoint you on the board for your valiant efforts.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

Ok, this one is done. People need to learn to be civil; to make a point without being personal. Every single point in this thread could have been made and understood without the personal comments. 

Mike


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