I need some advice.. DishN isn't looking so hot right now...

[mburgess]

I called last week to sign up for Dish Network Home Advantage offer. Was informed that a tech would be out Wed between 12-5 for standard professional installation.

I headed off to work Wed. while my wife stayed at home for the installer. I had informed her of all the details... This is the story that I received from my wife when I got back home.


The installer called her shortly before coming to the house.

Here is a summary of the conversation:

Installer: Do you have a ladder, I don't have my VAN with me
My Wife: I don't have a ladder but my landlord does. I don't think that the ladder is in good shape
Installer: I'll bring someone with me to help hold it.



The installer (an overweight young female) shows up a little later with her 14 year old sister!!!!! My wife said she walked around the yard with some equipment (I assume something that reads a signal w/o installing the Sat.) Came back to the door and said she was sorry I don't have a good line of sight and would not be able to get Dish Network. She then informs my wife that I could install a 6x6 on my deck and then call them back for installation.


WOW!
Professional installation at it's best...



I called Dish Network.. reached customer service and explained the situation and the woman said "so you want to cancel?"


I told her.. NO! I would like to get the service I KNOW there is someone in my yard that has a clear line of sight... she then informs me that they could send another tech out to my house but there is no guarantees that it won't be the same tech.



Anyway after 2 more calls I was finally told someone would be out Monday and it would not be the same tech.

I really want dish network service but this isn't looking good!!!

 

[Cascade]

I called Dish Network.. reached customer service and explained the situation and the woman said "so you want to cancel?"


I told her.. NO!

That's where you screwed up.

Sour grapes from me today.

Edit: In any other situation I'd have said that this was an isolated incident but I can't.
Others would say bide your time until Monday and see what happens, it's up to you and how badly you really "need" Dish.

 

[ShadowEKU]

I called last week to sign up for Dish Network Home Advantage offer. Was informed that a tech would be out Wed between 12-5 for standard professional installation.

I headed off to work Wed. while my wife stayed at home for the installer. I had informed her of all the details... This is the story that I received from my wife when I got back home.


The installer called her shortly before coming to the house.

Here is a summary of the conversation:

Installer: Do you have a ladder, I don't have my VAN with me
My Wife: I don't have a ladder but my landlord does. I don't think that the ladder is in good shape
Installer: I'll bring someone with me to help hold it.



The installer (an overweight young female) shows up a little later with her 14 year old sister!!!!! My wife said she walked around the yard with some equipment (I assume something that reads a signal w/o installing the Sat.) Came back to the door and said she was sorry I don't have a good line of sight and would not be able to get Dish Network. She then informs my wife that I could install a 6x6 on my deck and then call them back for installation.


WOW!
Professional installation at it's best...



I called Dish Network.. reached customer service and explained the situation and the woman said "so you want to cancel?"


I told her.. NO! I would like to get the service I KNOW there is someone in my yard that has a clear line of sight... she then informs me that they could send another tech out to my house but there is no guarantees that it won't be the same tech.



Anyway after 2 more calls I was finally told someone would be out Monday and it would not be the same tech.

I really want dish network service but this isn't looking good!!!

Dont stress too awfully bad. I had an area clearly picked out that had perfect line of sight and the installer that came out said i wouldnt get signal at all... I told him to put 20 down on it and he agreed (I used to install D* I knew i was right) so he puts together the dish and gets a 301 out of his truck and I hold it and aim it the direction i knew would get signal... I hit 50 on 119 on the first try and with some quick tweaking in my arms i got over 100. I got a free dish install and 20 dollars that day.

And that thing he walked arond with was likely a compass.

 

[PSB]

I am the first person to jump all over bad installers, but because the installer was over weight and female should have nothing to do with the quality of an install, lets not go that direction.

Any installer that shows up at an install without a ladder should be dismissed from your home at once, same with if they have no drill or signal meter. A site survey tool (compass/inclinometer) is a must for evaluation of a locations line of sight to the satellites, again if an installer does not have one get a second opinion. I am afraid there are a lot of installers out there who take on WAY too many installs every day with the consequence being the hard installs or late in the day installs have "no line of sight" It takes time to do a quality install and if anyone says it does not there are lying, I do two installs a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, sure I could squeeze another one or two in but I would rather err on the side of quality rather than quantity.

 

[OdiOdin]

Surely you can find someone else to install it. Perhaps even with their own equipment, and even a brain!

There are more dealers around here then I can count.

 

[ShadowEKU]

I am the first person to jump all over bad installers, but because the installer was over weight and female should have nothing to do with the quality of an install, lets not go that direction.

Any installer that shows up at an install without a ladder should be dismissed from your home at once, same with if they have no drill or signal meter. A site survey tool (compass/inclinometer) is a must for evaluation of a locations line of sight to the satellites, again if an installer does not have one get a second opinion. I am afraid there are a lot of installers out there who take on WAY too many installs every day with the consequence being the hard installs or late in the day installs have "no line of sight" It takes time to do a quality install and if anyone says it does not there are lying, I do two installs a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, sure I could squeeze another one or two in but I would rather err on the side of quality rather than quantity.

Preach on, I did 3 a day but i was working from 8-6+ thats part of the reason i quit installing.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Dont stress too awfully bad. I had an area clearly picked out that had perfect line of sight and the installer that came out said i wouldnt get signal at all... I told him to put 20 down on it and he agreed (I used to install D* I knew i was right) so he puts together the dish and gets a 301 out of his truck and I hold it and aim it the direction i knew would get signal... I hit 50 on 119 on the first try and with some quick tweaking in my arms i got over 100. I got a free dish install and 20 dollars that day.

And that thing he walked arond with was likely a compass.

That's great! taught him a lesson I hope!

 

[ShadowEKU]

That's great! taught him a lesson I hope!

Ide venture a guess he doesnt do that any more or at least talks to the guy before he says there isnt any signal. I ran all the cables for him so he wouldnt have to... if he had turned around before checking he may have noticed that and not put his foot in his mouth.

 

[mburgess]

...

I could do the install myself but I don't have the dish or the receiver. I've did multiple installs with directv.

I'm sure someone with better equipment and more experience would do it much better but I think I could manage... but dish network won't let me install the equipment or even give me the dish and receiver.. they said with this promotion an professional installer has to install the sat

 

[ajohnson]

About 2 years ago I had dish tell me the same thing for my free 2nd dish - I could not do the install myself. The tech that came out refused to put the dish where I wanted it because he wasn't allowed to walk on tile roofs. I then said I'd be happy to install it myself. The tech had to call dish and get some kind of installation guarantee waiver, but that was fine with me. He left me the dish with plenty of cable and mounting hardware and I put it right where I wanted it.

 

[Wishbone]

The guy who installed my Dish called and told me that he couldn't find my house... My street is in an odd location, but a quick query of MapQuest and MapPoint gave perfect directions... I met him a half of a mile away and led him to my house.. First thing he said when he saw it was "Gee, that's a big house.." The previous owner already had a Dish 500 installed at the highest point on the house. He said "That better be connected right, cause I'm not going up there..." He told me he was afraid of heights.. An installer afraid of heights?

It turned out that only one LNB was connected to the cable jacks in the living room, and since he wasn't going up there, he said that he was going to install another dish lower down.. I suggested that we go in the attic and see what we can do from there.. He went into the attic and he ended up connecting it in there, and putting a wire through a hole and down the side of the house.

Come to think of it, I should have had him install the second dish and kept the first as a backup..

 

[OdiOdin]

Yes, A free dish is a wonderful thing

I wish I had an extree to point at 61.5

 

[videobruce]

an overweight young female) shows up a little later with her 14 year old sister

That's why I would want to install it myself! This is a classic!
This almost sounds like a plot to a X-rated movie!


I did cable and satellite installs many years ago. There isn't enough money it it for all the equipment (including a truck and insurance) you need AFAIC!
Coupled that to any house that isn't a piece of cake (suburban ranch for example) is probably a money looser.

 

[sksatellite]

It showed to me, thats not the profesional installer, they are just the learner technician, paid by hourly. Professional installers can do work in any condition, can't get the LOS, no problem, we find a way to do the installation. I did many of this type of works from those no line of sight.

 

[MarkG]

Is there actually some sort of signal strength meter they use without actually putting a dish in place,to get a quick determination if can get the birds? Or are they just doing a visual survey with azimuth and elevation specs?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Not that I've ever seen. It's real tough to catch microwaves without a dish.

I do quick surveys for 110/119 with just a compass - the elevation is pretty well calibrated into my neck and eyeballs.

 

[Stargazer]

A professional installer can tell you whether you can get a signal in or not, knows what it takes to get it in if takes more work and if it is possible they get that signal in for you, not just put up a SuperDish without getting the 105/121 satellite in because that defeats the purpose.

 

[videobruce]

A professional installer can tell you whether you can get a signal in or not

He uses his eyes...............
If you know directions you have a REAL good idea what is between it (the satellite) and you (the dish). You don't need anything else. If there are buildings; probably forget it, it there are trees; maybe.

 

[mburgess]

He uses his eyes...............
If you know directions you have a REAL good idea what is between it (the satellite) and you (the dish). You don't need anything else. If there are buildings; probably forget it, it there are trees; maybe.

there is one tree... a tall tree yes but it's like 40 yards aways... I thought the elevation would be higher then that....

 

[videobruce]

If there is enough 'overhead' the foilage might not be a issue.
BUT, with the addition of rain it might put it over the edge (or I should say under) and you might loose signal.

BUT, there is always winter, no foilage (at least in the northern half of the country.