I know I'm crazy by many standards, but hear me out. Wouldn't it be possible to create an interactive scheduling database that allows installers/retailers to insert the days/hours they are available in advance? The customers could then choose an available time slot out of all the manhours alloted for a given day/week/month. Even if their is no time slot available (say, on Sundays) they could put in a REQUEST for an install, then wait to see if an installer accepts it... It is entirely possible to build a database with that functionality... heck, I could and would do it for free if I knew it would be used.
It would do the customers a WORLD of good. I hear so often that there is "no available installation dates until 3 weeks.... blah blah blah" when an installer (myself) is sitting at home posting on a forum because he has nothing else to do. The customers would have access to the installers ACTUAL SCHEDUAL, and wouldn't even have to do a 8-12 or 12-5 deal. They could set it up for a SPECIFIC TIME (give or take 30 min). Heck, they could even do SAME DAY ordering/installing with this method. I don't know how dishnetwork determines isntallation scheduals now, but I KNOW it doesn't make as much sense as my method. Dishnetwork sure as heck doesn't ask me what my schedual is. Right now, the customer is waiting for an install 2 weeks from now while I'm waiting 2 weeks to do the install.
It also would do the installers a WORLD of good. They could take vacation days almost on a whim (so long as they have no installs scheduled for that day) with no negative side effects to Dish or the customers. And they wouldn't have to SIT AROUND, just HOPING for jobs that they only find out about the night before... It's terribly frustrating putting your life on hold for a part time job.
Edit: Customers could even leave feedback on how an install went, and future customers could PICK OUT high 'ranking' installers based on that feedback... Customer satisfaction would go THROUGH THE ROOF! oooh man, I'm getting myself all worked up now.
Seriously, how do they do it now?
It would do the customers a WORLD of good. I hear so often that there is "no available installation dates until 3 weeks.... blah blah blah" when an installer (myself) is sitting at home posting on a forum because he has nothing else to do. The customers would have access to the installers ACTUAL SCHEDUAL, and wouldn't even have to do a 8-12 or 12-5 deal. They could set it up for a SPECIFIC TIME (give or take 30 min). Heck, they could even do SAME DAY ordering/installing with this method. I don't know how dishnetwork determines isntallation scheduals now, but I KNOW it doesn't make as much sense as my method. Dishnetwork sure as heck doesn't ask me what my schedual is. Right now, the customer is waiting for an install 2 weeks from now while I'm waiting 2 weeks to do the install.
It also would do the installers a WORLD of good. They could take vacation days almost on a whim (so long as they have no installs scheduled for that day) with no negative side effects to Dish or the customers. And they wouldn't have to SIT AROUND, just HOPING for jobs that they only find out about the night before... It's terribly frustrating putting your life on hold for a part time job.
Edit: Customers could even leave feedback on how an install went, and future customers could PICK OUT high 'ranking' installers based on that feedback... Customer satisfaction would go THROUGH THE ROOF! oooh man, I'm getting myself all worked up now.
Seriously, how do they do it now?
