Saturday, July 15, 2017

When FTD Takes Over (UPDATED 7/18)

I have mentioned, many times, in previous blogs about how so many things can become way to complicated for someone with FTD. This past week has been a perfect example of this. My brain is not working well after a week of frustration, so I hope I can relay this so it makes sense.

We have used DirecTV for about 10 years and we were pretty happy with it. Then they merged with AT&T. I could no longer call and speak to someone in the U.S. This was never a problem pre-FTD. I was good at understanding dialects and accents, but not anymore. Also, even if someone knows how to speak English, they don't always understand the proper meaning of some of our words. So, for the last five years or so, I would request to speak to someone in the U.S. if it was difficult to understand them.  Since the merger, they could no longer do that.  They did transfer me to three different people at their location until I got one I could understand. Oh, and this was after the first one hung up on me.

The language issue was livable. It was frustrating, but I got through it. The worst part was that now that I was getting a separate bill from Direct instead of it being on my phone bill, I realized that a discount that I was promised a few months prior was not reflected. $45. a month was worth complaining about. They kept saying that "he should not have done that." Okay. But he did do that. They also kept saying there was a record that I called, but not of what was said or done. That was a huge clue that something was wrong. Even with FTD I figured out that how could they be saying he should not have done that, if they were not seeing a record of what he had done. Plus, I have always been amazed at the notes they enter with every call.

The entire experience was one frustration after another. I must admit here, that since I have had FTD, I get angry more readily. I was actually surprisingly calm on the phone with them. However, I was angry enough that I contacted Dish Network and signed up for service with them. I even spoke with someone in the U.S.! We worked out a good package for our needs and we will be saving nearly $50 a month. Pretty darned close to the $45 discount that Direct was refusing to acknowledge. I asked my husband if he was in agreement and he had no problem with it.

Two days later they came to install Dish. Oh, first I should say that I called that morning to cancel DirecTV and they offered me even a better deal to stay with them, but not enough to change my mind. The interesting thing, remember that $45 discount I was promised? Miracles of all miracles, he could see the record that I was promised that and insisted it was handled incorrectly and we should have received the price reduction all along. Duh! Anyone who knows me knows I am just a tad stubborn (read that as extremely). I still discontinued Direct.

That afternoon, the install went really well. They guys were really nice. The picture quality was amazingly better. They gave me a very quick explanation about the remote that went totally over my head. I was quite confused but was reassured that I could use the instruction card for the remote and that there was channel somewhere that would help. Believe me, neither one helped. It's been three days and I still have trouble even watching anything.

I need a remote where I can push the Record button if I want to record and the Delete button to delete something. Certainly need a single button to watch a show I have recorded. No, that takes five clicks of different buttons. To delete a recording, it takes three. To record takes at least three.

The stress of having two guys there working in three different rooms plus the garage and outside was enough. I was frazzled beyond belief. There were questions about where to put things, where they could access connections and more. It turned out that their dish had to be moved 12 feet away from the old one. There were boxes of old equipment, new equipment and a pile of instruction books. I had to decide where they should put all of the equipment. They needed a short extension cord. We could not find our box of extension cords. We ended up taking a 2-foot cord off something in the basement until we could find them. When they were done, they gave me a quick rundown of using the remote. They realized I wasn't comprehending so they assured me all the instructions were in the remote guide. Note to self: just because there are instructions, it doesn't mean you can understand them.

In my already frazzled state, I tried to operate the system. I kept trying and trying. I know, I should have waited until the next day when I wasn't so exhausted and frazzled. But, come on now, the Pirates were playing. I had to find them and figure out how to record the game so I could watch it later.

By time I gave up, it was nearly 9:00. We had not had dinner. Come to think of it, I don't think I had any lunch either. I could not talk sensibly. I was stuttering and struggling at the beginning of every word. I was skipping words and struggling to find the right ones. My husband kept trying to help me, but that made it worse. A friend called and I explained that I could not talk and would talk the next day. She wanted to discuss our lunch plans for the next day. I could not find or get out the right words that, no, I cannot talk... literally. I finally said "Call tomorrow." It was extremely frustrating for me.

My husband offered to go pick us up something to eat but I could not think of anything. He kept trying to suggest that I go with him but finally backed off that idea when I yelled "No, cannot." Not sure how forceful it comes out when it sounds like "N-N-N-N-N-N-No, ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-cannot." I am not a big fan of fast food, but I finally got out "Big Mac, you go."

People get new TV equipment installed every day. Five years ago, it would have been a drop in the bucket of my day. Instead, I was so frustrated, embarrassed, exhausted and broken that I was done in. I admitted defeat. I knew I should take a couple days and do nothing to get recharged, but felt I must go to lunch with my friend. She had gone through an upsetting event that week and I knew she needed to spend some time with someone who loves her. I enjoyed the time with her, but just going out to lunch and talking wore me out very quickly.

Today, two days after the install, I am still struggling for words, still cannot figure out the remote and am totally weary. Tomorrow and maybe the next day, I will do nothing so I can try to recharge. Well, unless something comes up.

I contacted Dish Network to see if they had a different remote that was easier. Of course not, that would be too easy. So now, I think all the way back to being upset over the bill and realize that I should not have let that anger allow me to make a questionable decision to switch. Now I wonder if I should contact Dish Network to see how much it would cost us to get out of the contract or if they would be kind enough to let us out of it because I can't use it. I don't have much hope on that last one.

I did, though, send an email to them to see if they can provide me with straight forward step by step instructions on using the remote to accomplish the functions I need. That might do the trick. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned needing to learn all new channel numbers. Ei-Yi-Yi, thanks FTD!

UPDATE:  Wow! I talked to Dish on Monday. They sent me to the office of the President. I spoke with a young man there who spent at least 2 hours on the phone with me. By that morning, I was so stressed I could barely speak and was stuttering all over the place. He was so patient and actually listened. He said he would let me out of the contract if necessary, but could we talk through it and see if he could come up with an answer that would work for me. Long story short, the local technician brought me out an old style of remote that is so much easier, more like what I was used to. One button for records, etc. The young man called me yesterday evening to check up with how it was going and promised to call me again in a few days. Now, that is the way service is supposed to be!!!




No comments: