This isn’t necessarily coupon-related, but it’s certainly customer-service related..!
Last month, on July 1st, Dish Network dropped several channels from its subscription service, including the popular AMC network. For fans of hit shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, this decision has not been well-received.
But no worries, Dish subscribers… CEO Charles Ergen doesn’t think you need to watch AMC or any other channels they’ve dropped. In a recent interview with Advertising Age, he stated that he himself has never watched those shows, so they’re not worth watching. And, incredibly, he goes on to insult his entire customer base, stating that Dish subscribers all live on “farms and ranches” and don’t care about zombies or Madison Avenue:
“I’ve had satellite television for as long as satellite television has been around and there’s never been one minute that I know of anybody in my family, or anybody who’s came to my house, has ever watched one second of any of those channels,” Mr. Ergen said during a conference call with analysts.
AMC shows such as “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead” have won high praise from many viewers and critics, but Mr. Ergen said they aren’t necessarily showing the same pull with Dish subscribers as elsewhere.
Dish customers aren’t thinking about zombies stunts in New York City, Mr. Ergen said during the call. “They live in farms and ranches,” he said. “They have no clue about zombies and New York.”
Seriously? Charles Ergen appears to be taking a page from JC Penney’s CEO Ron Johnson, who famously compared Penney’s sale-oriented shoppers to drug addicts.
VJB says
I was recently looking for an alternative to Comcast but changed my mind when I heard about the different dish companies dropping AMC and Nickelodeon channels. I was looking at the different packages to make sure the channels we regularly watch were included but whats the point if they drop them while I am locked into a contract. So unfortunatley I stuck with the lesser of the evils (well atleast the one I am familiar with).
I would also like to add this Mr. Ergen doesn’t seem to have any vision of expanding his customer base. He is making decisions based on the figures of the current customers instead of tailoring the company to attract more customers away from cable. Believe me if everything was equal and I did not have to worry about losing channels I would switch.
CollegeCouponer says
did anyone see the video stunt that was created to protest? It went viral! Zombies walking around New York. Some citizens thought it was funny, some were scared. And in the end, they drag a DISH network satelitte dish around. It’s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPMocTmC08