2 Messages
Tegna Negotiations / Local Channels
Hi everyone, I apologize if formatting is off, I am typing on mobile.
just to begin this, a bit of my story, I work for a call center that takes directv calls whether for stream or satellite.
I will not be putting myself as ‘employee’ as I’m not directly contracted by directv but by a third party.
as many of you or to be many of you, have realized; some local channels are now missing. There is a number on the screen to call and complain, that would be us.
please be mindful that us as agents have no control regarding the on-going negotiations regarding local channels. we have little to no information regarding these negotiations since most call centers are third parties. We cannot give you a date when these channels will be back.
please also be mindful that we are human too. Your words as customers are hurtful. I do not know you and you do not know me, we did not know either of us existed until I answered the call, why are you as a human calling another human “worthless,” or “not deserving of your job”?
I cannot bring your channels back.
if you want to cancel the service, okay, but all tv providers face the exact same thing. Maybe not at the same time but they also have local channel negotiations.
directv is negotiating to keep all local channels free, which they are. If you’ll complain about “paying” for something you’re not getting, please check your bill. “Local channels…. $0.00,” and that is what these negotiations are for. To keep them free.
if you cannot live without these channels, get an antenna or rabbit ears, whatever you call it. You can also go on their websites and stream for free as well.
Please do not try and abse the credits. I get many calls demanding $30+ due to something you are getting for free. I am not allowed, by policy, to give more than $10.
if you threaten us with cancelling if your channel isn’t back up by Monday, then you may as well cancel today. They won’t be back for a while.
these negotiations happen from time to time. They are contracts and agreements.
how can you say you’ve been a customer since ‘98, and are still complaining about these negotiations? You should know by now.
anyways, I just had to vent this out.
neither I or another agent or the supervisor can do anything about it. Sorry, I wish you had your channels but if you really want to watch it, you’ll find a way as well.
if you feel like another provider is better, go for it. Nothing wrong with trying new things and seeing what suits your needs best. But you don’t have to threaten us as agents, we are only doing our job and not even getting paid good enough to be verbally absed by customers every day regarding these negotiations.
bye now.
detuch254
ACE - New Member
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5.2K Messages
1 year ago
Nice to see some commentary from an official agent. I agree with you, this is the stuff we ACEs tell customers as well. This is certainly not ideal but again Tegna is asking double or even triple for channels that can be had for free with alternate methods like downloading the app on a streaming device or setting up the OTA antenna.
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nabukl
ACE - Professor
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2.3K Messages
1 year ago
@anon098 , excuse me but local channels are NOT free with pay TV providers. I also worked for a 3rd party taking directv calls on 2 different occasions and 2 different 3rd party call centers, I also worked for dish network and Comcast there is indeed a charge for locals the ONLY way they're free is over the air with an antenna. My first time working for directv was during a time when not all the dma's were available so the base packages came "with locals" and "no locals" the "no locals " packages were $12.00 less per month because they didn't include locals, since then a lot more dmas have been added so the billing system no longer itemize the locals therefore people don't know that they're paying for locals, you as a current agent should know this. Having said all that, I do agree with the rest of your post
(edited)
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anon098
2 Messages
1 year ago
@nabukl and @Juniper
thank you so much for informing me that local channels do have a cost!
I am still kind of a new agent and I wish I could say our training environment actually taught us anything but unfortunately we learn majority of things from customers educating us.
thank you once again, I will educate my co-workers on this!
and thank you, @detuch254 for being very understanding.
customers like all of you make this job worth it.
I do hope that tegna negotiations end soon, this is my first time experiencing that. With many new agents on the floor starting barely October, negative comments really impact them and multiple have already quit leading to a higher call volume (there may be some long wait times), I’m kind of used to them as I was new during the Nexstar negotiations but I do hope that some customers realize that we are human too and cannot do much, specially as third party agents.
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litzdog911
ACE - Sage
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46.1K Messages
1 year ago
Thanks for your perspective. You're spot-on.
Impacted customers should check out this excellent video explaining why corporate network owners keep demanding more and more money from cable, satellite and streaming providers to deliver FREE off-air TV stations ....
"Local TV Station Blackouts to Happen More Ofter - Here's Why"
https://youtu.be/XXkmWUgllcc?si=eCzrWDxQaw7ncTR3
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DaringD
1 Message
1 year ago
As a customer it's very frustrating. The agreements and negotiations should of been taken care of before any black out of stations. As a customer never has DirecTV let their customers know that there are negotiations going on.. just darkness. This is a avoidable if they truly value their customers. As the negotiations were being done to be renewed DirecTV chose to raise rates $5 more per package knowing full well they were in making agreements and negotiations with Tegna. Why at that time do they raise rates before the negotiation was done with Tegna?? Now we will get to see more increases when this agreement is made? DirecTV has chose to do this to their loyal customers. Bring back my local KTVB.
I feel like a lot of others their is greed on both sides of this!
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litzdog911
ACE - Sage
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46.1K Messages
1 year ago
@DaringD
Watch the video I linked a couple of posts before yours. These outrageous "contract disputes" are killing satellite, cable and streaming providers.
"Local TV Station Blackouts to Happen More Ofter - Here's Why"
https://youtu.be/XXkmWUgllcc?si=eCzrWDxQaw7ncTR3
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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20.6K Messages
1 year ago
DTV raises the rate at the beginning of the year which includes all the price increases that happened the year before, DTV has no idea how much more Tenga will yet until they renew the contract. DTV does start talking long before the end date of the contract and in some cases they settle before the end date.
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