Directv Service Call dispute problem

[toolman90]

I am a new customer with DIRECTV now, I am having an issue trying to get them to credit a service call charge that I never agreed to. They had to come out a total of three times just to get my service to work correctly. The third time is when I ran into a problem. In my basement there is a door where my gas and water meter is at including the shut offs. When DIRECTV used dual cable that they ran when I was last with them one of the clips holding above the meter door came lose and the wire blocked me from getting into the door. I called DIRECTV to set up an appointment for the installer to come back out to fix this problem. No mention of any charges. Plus I also had the protection plan on the account when I signed up and I am still under the 30 day installation Guarantee. They came out March 5, the tech fixed the problem real quick and had me sign the standard paperwork to say they completed the job and he was on his way. No mention of any charges or additional fees. He also left his number if their was any problems with the work he did. A couple of days later their is a Service Call Charge under recent activity on my online DIRECTV Account. I thought this was a billing error so I called their billing department on March 10 around 10:00 P.M. EST. They refused to refund the charge because the technician noted on my account that he explained that this was not covered under the 30 day installation Guarantee and that I agreed to pay for the service call. When I told the billing department that the technician was a liar and that I would have never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
agreed to an additional charge, I would have fixed it myself and sent them packing. They kept on reinterating what the tech noted and that they were not going to refund the service call charge. The service was originally installed on February 13 2012. The contractor for the Cincinnati Ohio area is Multiband. I don't know what to do. I have a feeling that lying S.O.B. tech screwed me out $49.95 plus $2.75 for tax's making it a total of $52.70.

 

[Jimbo]

March 10th is today ....

 

[toolman90]

I just logged in the my online account and found the charge I do not check my account very often I use it mostly to pay my bill online

 

[toolman90]

I found the link to contact the office of the president at DIRECTV. They called back and told me the reason I was charged the tech put on the account that it was customer damage that the clip holding up the cable wire came out of the drywall. "That is BS". But they were willing to credit the charge because of all the appointments it took to get the service to work correctly.

 

[Hutch1814]

Not shocking there. If the same tech has been out or if they're just in a crabby mood he could've stuck it to ya just to be an ass. The ONLY time I use that resolution code is 1) customer lied to me about something they did and I realize if before I leave or 2) something they could've avoided like a dog chewing all the cable or something like that and the only time number 2 implies is if we've already been out once to fix the same issue. It's kind of wrong in a sense techs have the option to tag a 49.99 charge on you regardless if you have DPP or not

 

[toolman90]

I think this why this happened to me, because the tech who did the install screwed it up and I didn't find it out until the Multi Room Viewing did not work, pixalation, and audio drop outs on all channels. I called Directv who put in a request for Multiband to call me back. They called back set up an appointment. They sent out a different tech who thought it was going to be an easy fix he found out it wasn't. Three of the existing wires was copper plated steel which is not supported by DIRECTV and was told it would not work with SWM system by the tech. In addition they used my existing SWM 3 sat on my roof which I told them that was OK but I told them to replace the LNB head which he did not do. The tech called his supervisor asking if I could reschedule the appointment so the orignal installer could fix it because he did not want to come out on his day off and I told them no I am not going to take another day off for somebody else to fix the issue. He was there from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. to fix the multiple problems with the install. What even mad me mad that they hinted that I should pay some gratuity for the job that should have been done right on the install. When they left the box they replaced said invalid access card. So he came out the next day to exchange the box. Then everything was working until the clip came out of the drywall then he had to come out to fix that no mention that their was going to be a charge than I about hit the floor when I got a service call charge. SO their was a total of four appointments including the original install to get the service working. I think they did it so they could just get paid twice for a botched install.

 

[Hutch1814]

I think this why this happened to me, because the tech who did the install screwed it up and I didn't find it out until the Multi Room Viewing did not work, pixalation, and audio drop outs on all channels. I called Directv who put in a request for Multiband to call me back. They called back set up an appointment. They sent out a different tech who thought it was going to be an easy fix he found out it wasn't. Three of the existing wires was copper plated steel which is not supported by DIRECTV and was told it would not work with SWM system by the tech. In addition they used my existing SWM 3 sat on my roof which I told them that was OK but I told them to replace the LNB head which he did not do. The tech called his supervisor asking if I could reschedule the appointment so the orignal installer could fix it because he did not want to come out on his day off and I told them no I am not going to take another day off for somebody else to fix the issue. He was there from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. to fix the multiple problems with the install. What even mad me mad that they hinted that I should pay some gratuity for the job that should have been done right on the install. When they left the box they replaced said invalid access card. So he came out the next day to exchange the box. Then everything was working until the clip came out of the drywall then he had to come out to fix that no mention that their was going to be a charge than I about hit the floor when I got a service call charge. SO their was a total of four appointments including the original install to get the service working. I think they did it so they could just get paid twice for a botched install.

No they didn't get paid at all. Multiband gets paid per work order and everytime the tech comes out it eats away that money. That tech that was there from 8 to 6 made $15 that whole day because that's all a service call pays a tech. As for paying the tech, a tip isn't required but remember, he had to go behind another tech and clean everything up and fix everything. Me personally being in the line of work, I would have slipped him so cash. 10 hours for $15 bucks when technically he could have said later and refused the job. Instead he wasted his whole day because of a bad tech

 

[toolman90]

Oh yes he got paid when he listed it as customer damage, because customer damage is not covered under the warrenty so it means directv would have paid him than in return I get charged by directv, even if he didn't Multiband paper work clearly state that this technician does not accept cash. That leads me to believe it is against your companies policy for techs to receive tips or money for additional services performed. If he refused to do the work than I would have simply have called Directv to make somebody come out and if they didn't then I would have canceled service because it was not working. It is not the customers problem that service is not working so why should the customer have to schedule on the techs time when it may be so inconvient for the customer to do so especially if they had to take off work, so you are basicaly penalizing the customer for a mistake your company made. TO be blunt about tips, it is not customary to tip an installer that was dispatched to do an install or a service call. What he gets paid is between him and the company he works for not the customers problem. I forgot him doing his job that he was hired to do was wasting his day????? This is the reason why their is bad techs when you have people like HUTCH1814 sticking up for them when they don't have one leg to stand on. If they don't like their job or the pay they get then quit because that is not the customers problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hutch1814]

Oh yes he got paid when he listed it as customer damage, because customer damage is not covered under the warrenty so it means directv would have paid him than in return I get charged by directv, even if he didn't Multiband paper work clearly state that this technician does not accept cash. That leads me to believe it is against your companies policy for techs to receive tips or money for additional services performed. If he refused to do the work than I would have simply have called Directv to make somebody come out and if they didn't then I would have canceled service because it was not working. It is not the customers problem that service is not working so why should the customer have to schedule on the techs time when it may be so inconvient for the customer to do so especially if they had to take off work, so you are basicaly penalizing the customer for a mistake your company made. TO be blunt about tips, it is not customary to tip an installer that was dispatched to do an install or a service call. What he gets paid is between him and the company he works for not the customers problem. I forgot him doing his job that he was hired to do was wasting his day????? This is the reason why their is bad techs when you have people like HUTCH1814 sticking up for them when they don't have one leg to stand on. If they don't like their job or the pay they get then quit because that is not the customers problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lol I'm not defending anybody. As for anybody getting paid twice, nope, don't happen. As for a wasting his day, yes he did. Techs can and DO refuse N/C rollbacks. They're only required to reroll on their OWN jobs. He took his day to make you a happy customer. This is the point you failed to see. Cancel service? This isn't going to break any company losing 1 sub. I don't really understand why you're so upset with me, I work everyday and do the best I can everyday regardless of the situation or issues. It's not every techs fault that some are horrible. Tips aren't required, never said they were but sometimes it's not a bad idea to tip an cable/dish installer, carpet cleaner, or any other service done as long as you believe they've done you right and you feel like they deserve it. With that said, good day and I hope you see things a little different

 

[toolman90]

I am not upset with you. But I am upset with how DIRECTV and it contractors do business. It is unfair to the customer that have to change their schedule so the original person who did the install can come back out, no mater how inconvient it is to the customer. To respond to your 1 customer won't break any one company remark if you make enough customers unhappy they will cancel and those 1 customers will start to add up. But by they way it might be okay by your companies policy to walk away from the job. But that is not fair to the customer that they will have no TV serivce until the tech decides when he feels like showing up to fix the problem. So the customer is essentially at the mercy of the employee who originally did the install.

 

[Hutch1814]

I am not upset with you. But I am upset with how DIRECTV and it contractors do business. It is unfair to the customer that have to change their schedule so the original person who did the install can come back out, no mater how inconvient it is to the customer. To respond to your 1 customer won't break any one company remark if you make enough customers unhappy they will cancel and those 1 customers will start to add up. But by they way it might be okay by your companies policy to walk away from the job. But that is not fair to the customer that they will have no TV serivce until the tech decides when he feels like showing up to fix the problem. So the customer is essentially at the mercy of the employee who originally did the install.

I agree completely with this. I'll break it down, N/C Rollbacks (No charge) are required to have the same tech roll out since these are non-paying jobs. If another tech takes the job the it will pay only $15 (company looks at it as a service call, unless it is an actual service tech that comes then its a totally different pay scale) if the tech that did the install, upgrade, or whatever reason he/she was there then the company looks at this as a grounds to be termed. Multiband is a good company and will/has worked us to the ground to make sure a sub is happy. I believe you just got mixed up with a bad tech and a bad situation. Sorry you went through the hassles and problems. Hopefully this helps you see from both sides. As I can see from yours, I would be beyond upset if I went through what you've been through.

 

[toolman90]

I agree too. I think what causes the problems is how the employees get paid. If they were paid by the hour instead of getting paid per job, I think you would see a lot of these problems go away. You are right about Multiband being a better company. We use to be serviced by Bluegrass Satellite which was bought out by DIREC TECH and later on was bought out by Multiband. When we had DIRECTV a couple of years ago the company who serviced Cincinnati Ohio was Bluegrass Satellite they were very unprofessional and did not know how to properly align a DIRECTVHD Satellite System which caused us to leave a couple of years ago.

 

[Hutch1814]

That's why I changed from production to service because we he paid per hour. Downfall is to paying everybody per hour is techs would say "nope, no line of sight" or some excuse like that and still get paid for doing nothing. Blue grass here in Indiana was bought out by Multiband too, they pretty much went through and bought them all out then brought all the techs in and completely retrained them. They're very heavy on customer satisfaction and not having repeats on anything. A single repeat regardless of what it is is not taken lightly. I had one when I did an install because the sub couldn't figure out how to change the input back to HDMI and we had to go back to show him. It landed me in a customer education class for 2 days because I didn't cover the inputs with the sub.