The rest of the story...

In that last post I just really needed to vent. Amy was right, there is a story. I was on hold with DishNetwork for the hundredth time, catching up on blogs and what-not on the computer so I wasn't dwelling on the fact that those stupid people were ignoring me AGAIN. I was so ready to get all Grandpa Sampson on them and start placing calls to the CEO (assuming, of course, that I could find his contact information somewhere). So here's the rest of the story:

I ordered DishNetwork last week (switched from directTV, the reasons for which I will explain at another time, perhaps an occasion when I feel my blood pressure is getting dangerously low) and set up a time for installation. Wednesday between 12 and 5, because unlike normal people in the world, satellite installation technicians are incapable of making REAL appointments (ie., 3pm on a Tuesday, or 1:30 on Wednesday). NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, they must give you a range, so that you are held hostage in your own home until they decide to show up. Anyhoo, on Wed. I raced home so I could be there at exactly noon (they called that morning to say their schedule was packed, so don't be late or they would leave). I followed all their directions (move very large, very heavy entertainment center into middle of room so they had room to work), and then sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Now, on Wednesday it really wasn't that bad because I was studying for an exam anyway - no big deal, until they called at 4:30pm to say that at the rate they were going they wouldn't get to me until midnight, so please call and reschedule. Fine. I did. Waited on hold for 30 minutes. Talked to non-english-speaking customer service rep in phillipines. I made a Friday appt, but gave explicit instructions that there was NO WAY I could be home before 1pm. They said no problem. Moved very large, very heavy entertainment center out of middle of the room. So Friday comes, and again moved very large, very heavy entertainment ctr into middle of room. Went to take nasty, nasty physics test. I drove into the driveway at 1:01pm. And there's a phone message left at 11:50am saying technician will there in 10 minutes. At 12:00. Not 1:00. Huh. Called dishnetwork, waited on hold for 30 minutes. talked to non-english-speaking customer service rep in phillipines, am told the tech is ON HIS WAY (from where, I don't know. Maybe south africa. on foot.). Held hostage again in own home for another 5 hours, and tech is, again, a no-show, only this time no calls. Called dishnetwork, waited on hold for another 30 minutes, talked with non-english-speaking customer service rep in phillipines. She gives me phone number of installation company, and am told that either a technician or an area manager will call me that night. Leave msg at phone number I'm given. Wait for call... and..........nothing. Move very large, very heavy entertainment center back against wall. At this point I'm considering not having TV at all, as it's not worth the frustration.

Saturday morning rolls around, and I can't deal with those people anymore, so go out to Best Buy to return a memory card and get the right one for Dylan's new camera (birthday gift). Take camera in to BestBuy customer service rep, show her the memory card that we need (I mean, she actually HAD IT IN HER HAND, AND READ THE SPECS ON IT), and am given a different box by woman, with assurance that it's the right one. Wait in line for 20 minutes (with impatient children in tow) to exchange the damn memory card. Make transaction successfully. Go to bank to open savings accounts for kids. Wait in lobby with impatient, HUNGRY children for 45 minutes (!!!!!!) before being helped with banking business. Drive home. Open new memory card from best buy to install in camera, only to find out that it's the WRONG ONE (in fact, it's the SAME ONE I HAD JUST RETURNED!!). Utter some VERY colorful language, directed at stupid woman at best buy. Scare my children with said colorful language (oops, did I say that out loud?!).

Later in the afternoon, decide I can deal with dishnetwork again (still no call from tech or area manager), so call, wait on hold for 30 minutes, talk with non-english-speaking customer service rep in phillipines and request a chat with her manager. In the process of transferring the call, she disconnects me. Think to self, "DEEP, CLEANSING BREATHS, SELF. YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT BURSTING A BLOOD VESSEL OR USING SAME COLORFUL LANGUAGE THAT FRIGHTENED CHILDREN ON POOR NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REP IN PHILLIPINES!"). Call back, wait on hold for 30 minutes (which was when I wrote previous post) and FINALLY got through to helpful, southern-accented Bill, who speaks fluent english and is NOT in the phillipines, who credits my not-yet-established dishnetwork account $80, sets yet another 12-5 appointment for Monday, and comes across as if he genuinely feels sorry for me (I so needed some empathy at that point). Feeling somewhat satisfied, poor big glass of wine and hang with my babes before getting very restful sleep so I can face another day of dealing with all the incompetents in this world.

As for the satellite, really, if they screw it up tomorrow, I'm done. No TV in this house, and my children will grow up to be all the better for it. And they'll have a mother who is sane.

And somewhere there is a prozac pill that's screaming my name...