Excessive wait time for an engineer booking

[JifJaf]

What is the current standard wait to get an engineer (Satellite TV service) callout? I have suddenly been getting 'no satellite signal' errors and channels cutting out completely. It has to be a dish/LNB/Q box issue as I am getting low signal (50 strength, 30 quality). Went online as it's the weekend and there's no actual support available, the very earliest appointment to get a technician out is 30th of July, so 23 days from now!

I have no TV channels, and I am expected to wait over 3 weeks just to get someone to look at it? That's unacceptable, if anyone else has had to wait so long did you get a rebate on your subscrition for the loss of service? No way I am paying a full month's cost if I can't receive the service for over 3 weeks!

[PandJ2020]

3 weeks is not unusual nowadays.

Once it's fixed you can ask Sky for a credit to cover the period from reporting to fixing.

[Daniel0210]

@JifJaf 

Billing will continue as normal but once the problem is fixed contact Sky to ask for a credit on your account for the time you were without service.

You will have been offered the earliest available engineer visit in your area. Be aware there is (or is going to be) a reduction in Sky engineers countrywide. 

[JifJaf]

Thanks, but you say they are going to reduce their available engineers? When wait times are already unacceptable? Where did you get that info from?

That is just pure greed, no wonder more folks are just switching to streaming services instead. Charging a premium price for a terrible service is no way to retain customers.

[Daniel0210]

@JifJaf 

Its been in the media. Sky not longer supporting Sky+ / Sky+HD issues will be one reason

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/30/sky-cut-1000-jobs-customers-move-pay-tv-internet

[TimmyBGood]

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@JifJaf wrote:

Where did you get that info from?

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https://news.sky.com/story/sky-to-cut-1-000-roles-this-year-amid-shift-from-satellite-services 

I'd observe that summer holiday time is a potential issue for installer availability too.

[TimmyBGood]

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@JifJaf wrote:

no wonder more folks are just switching to streaming services instead. 

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" A spokesperson for Sky said: "The launch of Sky Glass and Sky Stream represents a shift in our business to deliver TV over IP (an internet connection) rather than satellite.

Increasingly, customers are choosing Sky Glass and Sky Stream which don't require specialist installation, and that has led us to change the number of roles we need to deliver our services. "

[PandJ2020]

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@JifJaf wrote:

no wonder more folks are just switching to streaming services instead

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Sky have just such services... however, being an existing customer switching from Q doesn't seem to attract generous offers...

[JifJaf]

I agree (removed). They have certainly not reduced the subscription cost for a service they are degrading and no longer seem to care about. What about the people who cannot receive a good enough internet connection to support an IP-only service? It's bad enough when the internet connection goes down too, it would be so much worse now that it will mean losing internet, TV and phone service all at once.

A company is only ever as good as its customer service for me, and as soon as that becomes an issue I am out.

Moderator note: Removed inappropriate language

[JifJaf]

Not sure how they can justify reducing engineers for a service though with already unacceptably long wait times, maybe trying to force people into taking on the streaming service instead? If so there's a lot more competition than in the satellite broadcast market.

I wonder if someone was to become a 'new customer' how long you would have to wait to get an install visit? 3 weeks+ ? I would walk away.

[TimmyBGood]

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@JifJaf wrote:

If so there's a lot more competition than in the satellite broadcast market.

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Sky has no choice but to switch to streaming provision because the trio of satellites they currently use (but do not own) are unlikely to be replaced when they reach the end of their operational life in a few years time.  Satellite television broadcasting is a 1990s technology, long before high speed internet was a thing.