Tata Sky DTH Installation!

Let me share my experience with the Tata Sky installation process.

This was long time back. But it’s very relevant in the context of this blog. We had bought “Tata Sky” through a dealer. After the purchase, within the stipulated time committed by the dealer, we received a call from the TS installation team, confirming our purchase, address etc.

The team was prompt, they landed up within the time committed. I was at my place when they arrived. They identified themselves through their official TS ids. They came across a professional set of guys, absolutely clear of their tasks in the implementation process. They started with the assessment of the installation site (the place where the Tata Sky Digicomp (Set Top Box) needs to be placed (which is in my house close to the TV) and the place where the dish needs to be installed (the terrace of our building).

I accompanied them to the installation site along with the security personnel of our building. We had also taken the necessary permissions (from the secretary of the building etc) to plant the dish. The TS team was accurate in their analysis in terms of how high the dish needs to be from the ground, what direction it needs to face and so on. The process was on track.

Not for long though. The secretary of our building (he is one whimsical character) turned up. He likes to exploit his power in such situations where residents need his permission (read blessings) to install dish antennas, park an extra car in the compound etc. True to his character, he intervened here and told us that we would not be able to put the dish at the identified spot. This is because according to him there was too much of “crowding of signals” in that area, he had some convoluted logic to explain that, I’ll not get into it. I have my doubts about the educational qualifications of this man. I actually wonder if he has even been to a primary school. Crowding of signals?!...the logic he gave vindicated my assumptions about his educational qualifications. But the obstinate being that he is, you dare not argue. You might just insult your intellect in the process. You just have to find a way around him. I was contemplating just that.

Quite interestingly the Tata Sky guys took over. They explained to him the consequences of putting the dish elsewhere in terms of conflicting with other mobile signals (emanating from the cell trans-receiver...which is basically one of those huge apparatus that you see atop buildings, to regulate and manage cell phone bandwidth in that area, there is one mounted on top of our building as well) and stuff like that. To cut the long story short, they overpowered him. Basically they managed to convince him. I didn’t see that as any lesser a task than getting Chandrayaan into orbit!

They installed the dish. They also plugged the wire against the walls (the wire that goes from the dish into the set top box), to avoid letting it hang loose and create nuisance. Overall the entire installation was a neat job.

Post that they demo-ed the product, which was self explanatory enough for a tech freak that I am, nonetheless they did their job. The installation was satisfactorily done. The TV was now Tata Sky powered. Life was going to be B-E-A-U-T-iful (as Jim carry says it in Bruce Almighty).

The point I am making in this post is that the way the installation process was managed by the TS team (with such sense of ownership and grit) goes a long way in realising the quality of training they would have received from Tata Sky. Continuing this thought, the quality of training is clearly the outcome of the way TS would want to deliver a complete positive brand experience to the end customer. This makes one realise that great brands are not just built by great technology or great communication, but they are built on how the complete consumer experience with the brand is managed.

Installation process management to me is an important element of the consumer experience of the brand “Tata Sky”, and I thought TS did a great job at that, reinforcing my belief in the brand and it’s promise of making your life jingalala!