Freeview retune on Sept 30th

[E31Shrew]

You may or not have seen that their is a retune on all Freeview enabled sets and boxes on Sept 30th. I've already had over 30 calls about this, from older customers who think the world is ending on that day.

What would you think is a reasonable charge for going out to a customers house and retuning? I was thinking in the region of £20.00.

It's a shame our illustrious government arent't assisting with the cost of this roll out

I just wish we could go back to the days of 5 analogue channels, and if you wanted more you paid for them, from the likes of Sky. I sometimes think this whole Freeview nonsense hasn't really been thought out in advance.

The next major hurdle will be the advent of Free HD through Freeview. How many customers will call saying they cant see the Free HD? Little seems to have been said about the need to buy an HD box to go with it.

[randlemarcus]

Not to be rude, but isnt this a great business opportunity for you?

Clients you're unlikely to sell anything to can either be happy at your customer support (its a simple task - can it be delegated to a nice smiley, professional minimum wage type?), or accept some generic guidance for free (pre-printed instructions)

Upgraders get it for free - you give them a nice simple timeline of the future upgrades etc, and sell them stuff to support the HD upgrades etc etc.

I'd be tempted to agree about the timetabling, and general organisation of things, but then its not a centrally funded thing.

[telecat]

What's difficult about it?? Sky do exactly the same when shifting their channels around and they do it more often!!!!

[randlemarcus]

telecat said:

What's difficult about it?? Sky do exactly the same when shifting their channels around and they do it more often!!!!

I suspect that its the fact that Sky have a single way of doing it across their different physical boxes, so its a simple press button x, y & z operation. Most freeview boxes do it completely differently, so anyone who was scared about VCR timesetting might be a little intimidated.

[E31Shrew]

telecat said:

What's difficult about it?? Sky do exactly the same when shifting their channels around and they do it more often!!!!

Nothing difficult if youre over 18 and under 60. Sold over 3000 tellies since 2005 and 99% of them have been delivered and set up as part of the transaction FOC. Most of our clients are over 60 and the thought of them ever sitting down and reading install instructions are way beyond them!
Sky changes are carried out over , in the main, the same type of generic boxes. We've got Loewe, Panasonic, Pioneer and Samsung....All different...Should be fun!

Edited by E31Shrew on Thursday 24th September 14:49

[headcase]

E31Shrew said:

You may or not have seen that their is a retune on all Freeview enabled sets and boxes on Sept 30th. I've already had over 30 calls about this, from older customers who think the world is ending on that day.

What would you think is a reasonable charge for going out to a customers house and retuning? I was thinking in the region of £20.00.

It's a shame our illustrious government arent't assisting with the cost of this roll out

I just wish we could go back to the days of 5 analogue channels, and if you wanted more you paid for them, from the likes of Sky. I sometimes think this whole Freeview nonsense hasn't really been thought out in advance.

The next major hurdle will be the advent of Free HD through Freeview. How many customers will call saying they cant see the Free HD? Little seems to have been said about the need to buy an HD box to go with it.

It all depends on how far they are away from you! £20 seems fair to them but is it really going to cover your cost? I work for a company that has a large rental base aswell as sales now this is going to be a nightmare for us because we have to do it for free!! (the rental ones anyways) ive been spending the last 3 weeks trying to demo retunes to the over 60's and to be fair most of them seem to have got the hang of it. I know what you mean about their world ending, we get several calls from the old folk on a weekly basis when the Panasonics say 'New channels have been found press ok to continue' OOOO I just dont know what to do!!
This isnt the last of it also, we have this retune todo then the Granada switchover in a few weeks also!

[E31Shrew]

headcase said:

E31Shrew said:

You may or not have seen that their is a retune on all Freeview enabled sets and boxes on Sept 30th. I've already had over 30 calls about this, from older customers who think the world is ending on that day.

What would you think is a reasonable charge for going out to a customers house and retuning? I was thinking in the region of £20.00.

It's a shame our illustrious government arent't assisting with the cost of this roll out

I just wish we could go back to the days of 5 analogue channels, and if you wanted more you paid for them, from the likes of Sky. I sometimes think this whole Freeview nonsense hasn't really been thought out in advance.

The next major hurdle will be the advent of Free HD through Freeview. How many customers will call saying they cant see the Free HD? Little seems to have been said about the need to buy an HD box to go with it.

It all depends on how far they are away from you! £20 seems fair to them but is it really going to cover your cost? I work for a company that has a large rental base aswell as sales now this is going to be a nightmare for us because we have to do it for free!! (the rental ones anyways) ive been spending the last 3 weeks trying to demo retunes to the over 60's and to be fair most of them seem to have got the hang of it. I know what you mean about their world ending, we get several calls from the old folk on a weekly basis when the Panasonics say 'New channels have been found press ok to continue' OOOO I just dont know what to do!!
This isnt the last of it also, we have this retune todo then the Granada switchover in a few weeks also!

I think it just depends on how much attention and care you give your clients. To some the telly is the hub of their life, especially the over 70s! I did hear the Granada switchover was going to be fun from our Pana rep...Good luck!

[OldSkoolRS]

I know that using a PVR proved too much for my parents, so I can quite understand the retunning causing them to panic. Actually I find it a bit of a pain, because I've sorted my channels in a particular order (to push the dross to the bottom of the EPG) and my TV doesn't make it easy to resort them after a retune.....

[HiRich]

E31Shrew said:

I think it just depends on how much attention and care you give your clients. To some the telly is the hub of their life, especially the over 70s! I did hear the Granada switchover was going to be fun from our Pana rep...Good luck!

Since you do seem to care for your clients, perhaps a different approach:

• Email a warning (if you have addresses).
• Draw up idiot guides for the most common systems. Perhaps post on the website, and print off for when the calls start.
• Field phonecalls on a 1) read your manual, 2) phone back if you are still lost, 3) Send or talk through the idiot guide, all "part of the service for our valued customers, ma'am".
• If all else fails, you can go out, but it will cost. Perhaps have staff on call for the weekend?
• Make notes for the next time (keep guides, take email & phone numbers)

You have shown you care, and weeded out all but the most fearful.

[headcase]

The only problem with the phone calls is that you cant charge for your time and each call will take quite a while.

[Alfahorn]

headcase said:

The only problem with the phone calls is that you cant charge for your time and each call will take quite a while.

Unless of course you have an 0870 number.

[E31Shrew]

Thanks for the advice chaps! Onwards and upwards. Crikey it's early

[Killer2005]

A quick bump in case anyone's forgotten

[sonic_2k_uk]

Have just done a bit of research on this one, seems the retune affects ~18m people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8280067.stm

For more specific info you can see http://www.tvretune.co.uk/

But the thing im pissed off about is "as a result of these technical changes, viewers in areas that have completed switchover who receive their signal from a local relay transmitter will no longer be able to receive ITV3 and ITV4 on Freeview."

I've found myself watching quite a few films on ITV4 recently so not to impressed to suddenly lose it

[headcase]

Yup, its gunna be fun. This comes into effect after dinner time, basically a few stations are switching multiplex's so 5 has better coveravge and making space for HD broadcasts but some people on relay stations will loose some stations that they got before.

[E31Shrew]

headcase said:

Yup, its gunna be fun. This comes into effect after dinner time, basically a few stations are switching multiplex's so 5 has better coveravge and making space for HD broadcasts but some people on relay stations will loose some stations that they got before.

24 calls today! Yippeee

[E31Shrew]

Crikey....fun day had!
I notice on Comets site that they tell their customers to call the manufacturer re the retune....Should be easy calling Samsung and Panasonic!

[eldar]

headcase said:

Yup, its gunna be fun. This comes into effect after dinner time, basically a few stations are switching multiplex's so 5 has better coveravge and making space for HD broadcasts but some people on relay stations will loose some stations that they got before.

True. Retuning no problem, just fewer channels.

No ITV, ITV4, Dave or film4.

Progress my arse.

[Hereward]

eldar said:

...No ITV, ITV4, Dave or film4...

Seriously? That's crazy.

[eldar]

Hereward said:

eldar said:

...No ITV, ITV4, Dave or film4...

Seriously? That's crazy.

Yup. Seriously

Just the minimum.

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/di...