Dns Installation What's Really Free?

[JohnTenn]

Okay, let me start by stating I am a DNS Contractor. This means I must meet all Dish Network installation requirements. Recently, an issue has come up where several contractors working for me who have charged a customer for "Custom Work", have been told they could not do it. When I asked why not, they explained we couldnt' charge the customer for any part of the install. I spoke to EODN regarding this and finally somebody decided to prove it to me. They hesistated then read it out loud, "Effective Jan 1, 2004, Wall FISH's are no longer included in a basic install". I won this particular battle, but I ended up looking pretty stupid in the customers eyes. What I am looking for is something from Dish Network, (not a retailer), that states exactly what's included in a "FREE" installation, and what the tech is allowed to charge to a customer.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Liquidforce88]

You will never get that answer from Dish. They want you to do it all for free.

 

[JohnTenn]

You will never get that answer from Dish. They want you to do it all for free.

I know they "want" it for free, but I have looked ever several Retailer sites, and they all charge for custom work. I am told that these items are not included in the basic install, but when I ask if a contractor can charge, they say no. I then ask on what do they base this decision. That's where they can't answer me. Nobody seems to be able to give a straight answer. I've spoken to the Installation Managers Internally. Their techs call in a modify work orders, but they don't charge, or pay their techs for custom work.

 

[bcshields]

We charge for custom work. Interior wall fishes are included for free, 1 wall fish per receiver. Exterior wall fishes are charged. Employees are charging $59/hour, contractors can charge anything up to that amount.

Mirror lines are chargable.. including outputting TV2 to a distribution center.

Pole mounts are free if it's the only line of sight. If it's for cosmetic reasons, or because the customer wants to be an asshat, it can be charged. Trenching is included up to 50 feet, we charge after the 50th foot. Relocating a dish after a customer signed off on the location is charged, unless it's for line of sight reason, except if the customer was an asshat and demanded it be put where the trees were in the way.

This is my favorite charge.. if a customer is not home on the third trip out there in a row, we charge a trip fee to go out there a fourth time.

Edit: Oh, one wall = one wall fish, if it breaks a corner or goes between two floors, it's 2 wall fishes. For example, a wallfish to the crawlspace is one fish, a wallfish from the crawlspace to the second floor is two wall fishes.

What you get in a free install, to me, is a mast mounted dish, pole if only line of sight. Up to 50 feet of trenching, line to each rcvr and TV2, it all set up, running and education to one person, who is expected to train the rest of the family. My DVR Cust education took 25 minutes.... if i have to come back to explain something I'll be upset.

 

[HCI]

I know a guy who charges for crawling under houses and in attics 40 bucks a pop. When I asked him why he explained it is a risk. I told him he should get out of the satellite business. Heres my thing if I can put my 2 cents in.

A basic install consist of mounting the dish to an exterior surface. Running up to 125 feet of coax to each rec. Drilling through one exterior wall per rec or droping the cable through a closet then out the inner wall. Customer education. And all the basic; program remotes to tv, one trip out, etc. etc.

Wall fishes no matter if inner or outside the charge is $20 to $100 depending on how hard and how big of a a$$ the customer is being about it. Pole mounts start out at "even if it is a line of site issue dont get payed enough to buy a pole and give it away" $20 and that includes up to 15 feet of trenching. Phone lines are $10. Any other hooking up of other equipment starts at $10. Dvd's and Vcr's no charge. If the cutomer is not home the FIRST time $20 to come back I HATE when I get to a job and no one is home, I could %&^*%$.

I also explain to the customer after the education about the 90 day warrenty and it does not include me coming back and fixing there tv if it is on the wrong channel and I cannot explain it to them over the phone, I make certian the know when I leave if it is not an installation issue and I have to come back there will be a service charge.

I dont work for dns but I believe these charges are fair for everyone who is in the satellite business. These charges are for Direc and Dish also.

Feel free to post anything I missed.

 

[mattnstacy]

I was just told a couple days ago by an installer (from a Dish Network hub) that he would not do any wall fishes. He stated liability reasons.

Honestly I probably wouldn't expect or want them to do it anyway. I'd rather have someone I know and trust do it.

 

[bcshields]

You never know what you're drilling into. In the older houses where farmer John did the electrical upgrades, you'll never know where a line will be run. (For instance the house I grew up in was wired backwards, white hot, black ground.. and only in some rooms)

Even though there is some risk... and I have seen times where a tech has drilled into a water line that wasn't supposed to be there, I myself drilled into an air duct because my flex bit punched through to fast and went through. It happens, that's what the liability insurance is for.

 

[Jared Twomey]

I know a guy who charges for crawling under houses and in attics 40 bucks a pop. When I asked him why he explained it is a risk. I told him he should get out of the satellite business. Heres my thing if I can put my 2 cents in.

A basic install consist of mounting the dish to an exterior surface. Running up to 125 feet of coax to each rec. Drilling through one exterior wall per rec or droping the cable through a closet then out the inner wall. Customer education. And all the basic; program remotes to tv, one trip out, etc. etc.

Wall fishes no matter if inner or outside the charge is $20 to $100 depending on how hard and how big of a a$$ the customer is being about it. Pole mounts start out at "even if it is a line of site issue dont get payed enough to buy a pole and give it away" $20 and that includes up to 15 feet of trenching. Phone lines are $10. Any other hooking up of other equipment starts at $10. Dvd's and Vcr's no charge. If the cutomer is not home the FIRST time $20 to come back I HATE when I get to a job and no one is home, I could %&^*%$.

I also explain to the customer after the education about the 90 day warrenty and it does not include me coming back and fixing there tv if it is on the wrong channel and I cannot explain it to them over the phone, I make certian the know when I leave if it is not an installation issue and I have to come back there will be a service charge.

I dont work for dns but I believe these charges are fair for everyone who is in the satellite business. These charges are for Direc and Dish also.

Feel free to post anything I missed.

i agree with almost all of that, at my company we do things about the same way, for a pole mount we charge $25 to cover the cost of the pole and my time and having to put up with the people working at Lowes to get a pole cut.... o, and we don't do any trenching, unless i am in a very good mood... and most customers never have a problem with that, they just have one of their kids go out and do it

also, i only do wall fishes on interior walls, and i have to run a stud finder over it first just to make sure there are no blocks in it.... and only on real framed houses...
you'd be surprised how many people want us to fish lines in trailers and "modular homes" around here, and i won't do it, too much or a pain dealing with all the insulation and such...
just my opinion