Tivo customer service

That's exactly spot on. Somebody who never had laid eyes on a TiVo (except via a computer screen) is not likely to be a tech support with TiVo.

Having said this, there are still US-based tech support people with TiVo. If you get a Filipino tech support, hang up and dial again. You are more likely to get a US based support person during regular PT business hours, Monday to Friday.

 

You must not call support services very much if this was your worst experience. However, I feel your pain and wasting time always sucks.

I always request a higher level of support if I don't believe the front line, with Tivo, Apple, HTC, westinghouse, anyone.

I very much doubt the individual you were speaking with "knowingly" gave you wrong information. I very much doubt most CSRs working for any outfit actually use the devices they support.

 

Silly me--I would think that should be a no-option requirement. What, they don't get a company discount?

 

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Yes, but they don't want to deal with the TiVo CSRs

 

They are likely contractors even if situated in the US. And, corporate discounts are not always what you would expect.

How much do you think these CSRs would be making? Tivo, even with a discount, is a significant expense. If they received a free employee box, it would not surprise me to find many of those sold into the secondary market.

 

I was only half-serious as to the company discount. But totally serious that every tech. rep. has to be fluent with the article as to which help is being offered, through use.

 

Nice pie-in-the-sky thought but, coming down to earth now, what is a practical mechanism for enforcing that?

 

Umm, like any job, you hire the person and if the person doesn't have the capability, you train him/her? And with a consumer electronics product, for heaven's sake, you could leave the person alone in a room with the product for some hours/a day to get the basics down, if not much more.

 

They know nothing about networking and never did. SAD. "N" error codes? I have broadband and use Moca. Only problems usually ARE THEM! I called on Tue for the first time in a very long time to complain about the guide data (I had had it when all the late night shows did not record on monday and never called since they switched to Rovi and I did connect in the afternoon) and they have some new number and I did get a lady with an accent and she was useless and I asked for a supervisor and I got a guy who was in Sales Retention! Now he knew a lot and told me he even had a Series 2 in his basement. He took the complaint. We had a nice chat.

The person who started this thread never said what Tivo he had or his connection type. Whatever. We just have to hope they get better and stay in business. I love my Roamio Pro, even though I think the video quality is not as good as the X1. At least that is my observation from my friends X1. His flatscreen is a bit better than mine, but there should not be that big a difference. We are both on Comcast, although not on the same Head End.

I COULD WRITE A BOOK ABOUT TIVO TECH SUPPORT AS WELL AS MANY OF YOU OUT THERE TOO...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

 

But I said a practical mechanism. Doing what you say, even if enough workers of the required quality could be found, would cost so much that TiVo would have to double all their prices, for boxes and services.

 

I currently have X1 and TiVo Bolt+ connected to same output -i haven't seen any meaningful difference. I did notice banding in the grey fade backgrounds on the opening credits of westworld on the TiVo. I forgot to check if the X1 is the same.

What format are the .tivo files? Does the tivo save the stream native (like a windows media center box does) or does it transcode to some other format to save to disk?

 

It would "cost so much" to train workers on how a TiVo works, for a day or less? As I said, put 'em in a room with the device for half a day or day and let them self-discover. Or actually have someone walk them through the device, for half a day. This would "double all their prices"? Really (and with what many of these workers get paid)?

And then problems might actually get solved when customers call, shortening the time the TiVo reps. have to spend with them and lowering the price of the support. Avoiding returns--ever notice how some manfs. put a bright-colored notice in the box with a consumer electronics good essentially begging consumers to call tech. support rather than returning the item?--and actually garnering further sales.

 

Yeah, I stick with my comment. I think you're way underestimating what it would take. Just teaching someone "how a TiVo works" is barely the beginning. They have to learn all the ways TiVo can NOT work and how to troubleshoot. And paying them more just makes it cost more, of course. And don't forget the additional cost of managerial time to plan and administer the training. If you say "Well that's no additional cost, the existing managers can just add that to their workload", you will hear loud derisive laughter in the halls of TiVo, I think.

No, bare minimum tech support has proved to be a necessary part of the business model for relatively low cost technically complex products with moderate production volumes.

 

Well, yes, it will cost something. But, no, it will not double the cost. And costs will be recouped, to a degree, through increased sales, returns not being made, and satisfied customers. There has to be a happy medium--and tech. reps. who do not know how the machine works and who never have operated one is not it.

 

OK, maybe doubling the cost was an exaggeration. But hiring, training and managing the really good support you want would add substantially to cost, perhaps 20% or more. That would decrease TiVo sales a lot. Most consumer electronics customers don't consider quality of tech support when they purchase a product, and thus won't pay more for it. The amount of attention support quality gets on this forum isn't representative of typical TiVo purchasers.

 

Well, I'm not even talking that level of support--I'm talking the reps. who never have even touched the machine! Just put 'em in a room with the box for a day . . . .

 

You must have no experience in managing a customer facing operation. It's very easy to say how a human operation should work. But humans, being what we are, make things much more difficult than writing up guides and requiring training.

 

And something is better than nothing, thanks.

 

One would think!

I can't even imagine taking a job as a tech person, yet having no knowledge of the exact hardware/software I'm teching for. That just doesn't even compute for me. Either you come in with, or obtain, experience with the hardware/software or you have extensive training which, I would imagine, also involves engaging in the use of said machines. Is that just old thinking from when I was younger and expected to know my job? Has that become obsolete? </rhetorical>

I've learned years ago, regarding all different types of machines, that calling customer service or tech service is generally an exercise in futility. I'm hard-pressed to even do so until I cannot figure something out on my own or find the answer online on my own.

But, Tivo used to have very good customer and tech service. Those days seem to be gone for about a year now.