DirecPC has Great but Mis-Managed Tech Support
I finally got my PCI card and CD in the mail to
upgrade my ISA card and older version software
in the hopes it would finally stabilize my ISP
connection, and I'd get my moneys worth from them.
Gosh, what a nightmare...
instead of writing a blow by blow exactly how this
process is such a in-sufferable mess, I'll just write
this message as a suggestion to any Officials at
Huges that might actually be reading this.
Now that you've officially started the
upgrade campaign this past April 1st,
you MUST do the following:
1. Officially inform current customers who qualify for an upgrade
2. Inform them that this procedure involves DRAMATIC changes to
their installation, and is not a simply card and software change.
3. Correct and enhance the support information on your Web Site:
direcpc.com
contains very little, and consequently INCORRECT information.
(DPC is NOT found in that part of your Registry, you morons!)
4. Use this upgrade as an opportunity to get customers to increase
their service to include the DUO service for Television reception.
5. In markets where you are currently offering free DirecTV Dish
installation, you should be doing the same FREE DirecPC upgraders.
6. ANY customer who you have on record as having to repoint their
Dish when your Satellite FAILED last year, should get repointing
service offered FREE when their ISA/PCI card upgrade is done.
(after 2 days of HELL trying to get this damn thing to work,
I was finally informed, only by 'matter of fact' that the PCI card
works off a different Satellite then my old ISA card, thus I am
now forced to spend more money for the THIRD time in three years
to get this damn Dish pointed in the right direction.)
7. Management MUST get more feedback from tech support as to how
to implement such technical upgrades; most of the techies were good
and sympathetic, and KNEW how screwed customers are by lack of info.
8. Registry changes such as irradiating all references to DPC,
DIRECPC, and BICNDIS are much too dangerous to be left to the end
user to do manually. You MUST develop software Utilities to do
a better job automatically. DPC occurs very often in the context
of MicroSoft's InterNet Explorer, and an end user can EASILY
screw up their computer, considering how IE is so tightly integrated
with Windows'95/98.
9. You Must FINALLY establish a network status web page on your
support site. The one you "had" link is dysfunctional. Several
times during the upgrade procedure, it was YOUR Network causing
my problems, and I wasted hours for nothing because of this.
All major ISP's have this information available in real time to
their end users, and your ISP services should be handled that way.
I install/upgrade computer related software/hardware for a living,
and only see such mis-informed support from SHAREware providers,
not Multi-Billion Dollar Corporations. You should be ashamed.
The only winners here are the tech support guys who have a Job;
and the LOSERS are you Customers! -not the way to run a business.
Drew now has @Home Cable Modems, and I have
ADSL in my area now. Don't think for one
second that you are not vulnerable to losing
market share for high speed ISP access. You
may be signing up record numbers of DirecPC
users, but that's only because of the secondary
Retail distribution partners like Cosco getting
a cut, and the installers you are subsidising
to make getting it free to the end user. The
DirecPC users like me are probably the only
place left that you'll actually turn a profit,
if only you'd stop mishandleing us so severely.
This year RCN will be putting my whole area
on fiber, and I'll get TV, ISP, and phone service
from them on one neat bill, and I can kiss that
disgusting Dish on my roof good bye forever.
My Nephew's eyeing it for a sleigh next Winter... |
