Verizon FiOS TV → Worst Guide ever - 2009 guide thread

NBC WGRZHD Guide currently shows High school Football from the Alamodome with Football night in America coming on at 5.00. It shows the game coming on at 5.30

AZ just scored their first touchdown.

Is this really a TV Company or what?

Hob

Indeed it is awful. I don't think a day goes by that they don't get multiple listings wrong for Fox College Sports. I can't tell you how many times a generic COLLEGE Football is listed while an NCAA Hockey game is going on.

I missed a half of the Jets- Patriots NFL Network game on my DVR because FYI didn't list the game until sometime that afternoon, after I had already scheduled the DVR using the WRONG listings for those 3-4 hours already there.

They also seem to be screwing up NHL Network like clockwork. Today is awful showing NHL on the FLY or Classic while they have the Junior Hockey Championships. Not just that but I'd like to schedule the Montreal- Rangers game at 7:30 pm Eastern this coming Wednesday 1/7 but it still doesn't list the game. A game that has been on the NHL Network TV listings for weeks(months).

I know that sports on TV can have late minute changes but most of this wrong data has been on the individual networks' schedules ALL WEEK, in the least!!! How many people actually work for FYI? DO they actually check the websites of the sports networks that have up to date TV schedules? It's just an underfunded or under-resourced company with no time to do this legwork or just plain laziness/incompetence! It,too, goes for the ridiculously inaccurate or incomplete movie and TV series descriptions too. Fine, you have to hire folks to write blurbs or purchase them but there's no reason to not list years and actors with a quick imdb research. Very frustrating especially knowing that they will be keeping FYI for another year.

Really people, if you're going to beat a dead horse at least do it in one thread.

»Cure for the guide?

That was last years thread.

This is This years thread.

But thanks.

Hob

You need to complain to your local NBC affiliate, then. This isn't Verizon's doing - my guide data looks just fine for the game.

Hi,
I would suggest you/I/We write a letter. I will put my ESP page mode to "Karl Bode" maybe by the grace of god he can help.
Lee

Really?

The local NBC affiliate controls the guide data for Verizon?
Time Warner's was correct incidentally.

Hob

No.

Verizon's guide data provider (FYI) is responsible for all the information you see in your program guide. It is their responsibility to integrate program information from the parent network (i.e. NBC) with the program information for any local-specific programming from your affiliate.

"Verizon's guide data provider (FYI) is responsible for all the information you see in your program guide. It is their responsibility to integrate program information from the parent network (i.e. NBC) with the program information for any local-specific programming from your affiliate."

Thank you. I guessed as much.

Also today the Buffalo Sabres game did not show up in the guide for MSG. To record the game you needed to try and figure out how many 1/2 hour and hour long shows you needed to record.

For Gods sake get it right already.

Hob

This morning on NBC Weather Plus, which by the way I thought was going off the air, they had two hours worth of guide data for kids shows! Who knows where that came from?

Here is a link to the Contact Us page at FYI:

»www.fyitelevision.com/co ··· ctus.asp

Since Verizon does not seem to want to change providers, maybe if we all send complaints about specific errors directly to FYI we can get them to improve (and if we could copy some Verizon executive on the emails it would probably work better, anybody know a good email address to use?).

I believe I should complain to the company I pay money too.

Its a real shame that such a simple thing can undermine what is a reasonable service.

Hob

Oh, like a new thread is going to result in a better guide? We weren't even close to the 1000 rant, er, post limit in the old thread.

so that's a reason to stop?

If anything it should be a sticky. People often come in here and should know the issues.

Hob

Okay guys, back to topic.

No sticky.

I'm the one who decided to have new thread for the new year. You all may commense in beating me up via IM.

I am paying for accurate guide data by which to make my viewing choices.
If i have to oversee the guide to report back to the supplier about the inacuracy of the guide i am doing someone elses job and I should be getting paid to do it. When Verizon or FYI starts paying me to do the job they should be doing i will gladly make a usless list of whats wrong with the guide as such a list would be after the fact.
They do not need to be told what WAS wrong they need to make sure the guide is accurate to start with.

It's a PHONE company trying to be a CABLE company. That creates a huge vortex of craptastic customer service.

That may or may not be true, but it does not have anything to do with the guide information. The overwhelming majority of all guide data errors are the fault of FYI.

If Verizon were to switch from FYI to Tribune tomorrow, that would instantly upgrade the reliability of their DVRs. Such a switch would arguably do more good for DVR usability and reliability than all the previous software updates combined.

I would suggest everyone email Ivan Seidenberg, or go to the policy blog. The top of the food chain needs to be made very aware of the issue, and be made to answer for it. I think that would work better than calling FYI or Verizon Customer Service.

And it's Motorola's fault for a range of DVR problems.
And it's the Customer Service Rep's fault for giving wrong information over the phone.
And it's the contract company they use to take orders for screwing up the order.
And it's a bad tech's fault when an installation problem occurs.
And it's some untrained employee or glitch in the system that causes every billing problem.

And guess what? This is all VERIZON's fault for running their business this way.

Uh, ok, keep complaining to Verizon, it has obviously worked very well for you up to now....good luck!

"Uh, ok, keep complaining to Verizon, it has obviously worked very well for you up to now....good luck!'

I have complained to Verizon and may continue to do so.

A guide is an integral part of the service and on most occasions it does not really matter, until you need to set DVR recordings.

It also undermines the Wow factor!

Hob

One would hope that if enough people complain about FYI, VZ would take notice.

Unfortunately, I have the feeling that the only thing VZ would notice would be if enough people canceled "because of the poor guide". Frankly, I be surprised if they even ask why people cancel.

According to this post:
»Re: [northeast] New Optimum offer for switching out of fios

quote:

---

3000 people a month in nj are switching back to other providers.

---

That's a lot of unhappy customers in just one state.

Hob, I don't disagree with you at all about the Guide content - it sucks.

My point is that you and others are complaining here about the content, and perhaps calling Verizon, and what good has that done? Not a whole lot that I can see. So I suggested you and the others contact the original provider, FYI. I don't think it can hurt, it might just help, who knows. It can't do much worse that what has happened so far.

Someone suggested we email Ivan; what is his email address? I will be happy to do that.

Does anyone here know the reason why Verizon won't change guide providers? Is it a contractual thing, does Verizon maybe even own FYI, what? I am sure Verizon does know there is a guide content problem, there must be some reason why they don't take any action, I think this is probably the single biggest issue affecting customer satisfaction.

Contacts for Executive Customer Relations (including Ivan's email) are posted here:
»Re: Verizon cannot upgrade me to Extreme HDThis link to this explanation of why they are not considering a change was posted in "last year's thread".
»forums.verizon.com/vrzn/ ··· 7&page=6
It boils down to the only other reasonable option is The Tribune Company, and they have filed for bankruptcy protection.To each his own. IMO, The poor guide is more of an annoyance. Frankly, I can't decide which is worse: customer service, or their billing systems.

1) Thank you for the contacts. I will email them.

2) That post really doesn't tell me definitively the reason, it just says one of the providers is in financial trouble. If Verizon chose to go with that provider, that would help their financial position, wouldn't it? What is wrong with the 3rd provider option?

3) they why are there so many posts complaining about the guide quality? I have absolutely no problem with customer service, it has been great in the 3 1/2 years I have had FiOS. The guide to me is much more than an irritant, the customer service is a total non-issue. As for billing, I have only had a couple of errors in the billing in my entire time with FiOS, each was resolved with a 5 to 10 minute call (including wait time), and my bill has be exactly correct for at least a year - a total non-issue for me.

ivan.g.seidenberg@verizon.com

Verizon set themselves up using advertising as a Top shelf TV service. Picture Quality is fine. When you dig under the surface however it's things like the guide, the not canceling your free 30 days Premiums, the showing up at 3.30 pm for the install instead of 9.00 am that needs the focus.

Sure the technophiles will worship the fibre but as a company they need to get the simple things right.

Hob