i think the installer tried to call today...

[Lkr]

so no one was home today, and i got home and checked the call log, and two of my missed calls were "toll free number"s. i googled both numbers out of curiosity since they were the same number, and it was a directv number. now i'm not sure if this was the actual guy they're sending to my house as it wasn't a local number, but will it cause a problem since my install is scheduled for monday morning?

 

[HIFI]

probably our automated calling system sending reminder calls out to you.

 

[HIFI]

Don't be surprised if you get 3 or 4 more before the tech shows up on monday.

 

[Joe Diamond]

so no one was home today, and i got home and checked the call log, and two of my missed calls were "toll free number"s. i googled both numbers out of curiosity since they were the same number, and it was a directv number. now i'm not sure if this was the actual guy they're sending to my house as it wasn't a local number, but will it cause a problem since my install is scheduled for monday morning?

PLZ report in here Monday each hour of the AM with what is happening.

Joe

 

[Lkr]

PLZ report in here Monday each hour of the AM with what is happening.

Joe

Joke post? lol

Thanks for clarifying, i wasn't sure if there was an automated system or not, because I have heard people saying that the installer himself will call and verify he is going to the right place, has the right equipment, etc

 

[Joe Diamond]

Joke post? lol

Thanks for clarifying, i wasn't sure if there was an automated system or not, because I have heard people saying that the installer himself will call and verify he is going to the right place, has the right equipment, etc

No really,

As an installer, I would always call before driving and sometimes as the day went on. There was a constant discussion about driving to an address where nobody ever answered the phone number on the work order. There were problems with this but most of the time the customer knew when I would arrive. As cell phones became more common some aspects of this issue became more simple. It would be interesting (to me & maybe others) to see how it goes Monday.

I recently ran across a superior routing system for appliance repair but am unaware any of the sat or cable companies use it.

Good luck Monday.

Joe

 

[Hutch1814]

No really,

As an installer, I would always call before driving and sometimes as the day went on. There was a constant discussion about driving to an address where nobody ever answered the phone number on the work order. There were problems with this but most of the time the customer knew when I would arrive. As cell phones became more common some aspects of this issue became more simple. It would be interesting (to me & maybe others) to see how it goes Monday.

I recently ran across a superior routing system for appliance repair but am unaware any of the sat or cable companies use it.

Good luck Monday.

Joe

What was this routing system? We're currently using a system called FS scheduler and it's a joke !

 

[Lkr]

No really,

As an installer, I would always call before driving and sometimes as the day went on. There was a constant discussion about driving to an address where nobody ever answered the phone number on the work order. There were problems with this but most of the time the customer knew when I would arrive. As cell phones became more common some aspects of this issue became more simple. It would be interesting (to me & maybe others) to see how it goes Monday.

I recently ran across a superior routing system for appliance repair but am unaware any of the sat or cable companies use it.

Good luck Monday.

Joe

Oh ok, I thought you were making fun of me for a second because I'm a worry wart lol

I was able to answer it today, and it was an automated call.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Don't know a name.....bnut is was used by a national company called Appliances Unlimited.

When a stove purchased and still under warranty broke I was directed to them from the phone number on the sales receipt. On that same call I was given a tentative ETA for the tech to come fix the stove. I received an immediate e-mail confirmation of the call. That same hour I received another call from a company they had contacted to report they could not travel to my location...so i was directed to get another tech and I repeated the process one time.

On the night before the second service call I received an e-mail tentative ETA and the note I would receive updates during the day with a call from the tech when enroute. The day of service I got a GPS map of where the tech was. It showed all his stops and when he would probably arrive. He called to say he was on his way and he hit the time exactly........... he ordered a part during that visit......the process was repeated a week later after the part arrived.

Pretty cool!..............I'll post more info if I can find it.

Joe

 

[Hutch1814]

Don't know a name.....bnut is was used by a national company called Appliances Unlimited.

When a stove purchased and still under warranty broke I was directed to them from the phone number on the sales receipt. On that same call I was given a tentative ETA for the tech to come fix the stove. I received an immediate e-mail confirmation of the call. That same hour I received another call from a company they had contacted to report they could not travel to my location...so i was directed to get another tech and I repeated the process one time.

On the night before the second service call I received an e-mail tentative ETA and the note I would receive updates during the day with a call from the tech when enroute. The day of service I got a GPS map of where the tech was. It showed all his stops and when he would probably arrive. He called to say he was on his way and he hit the time exactly........... he ordered a part during that visit......the process was repeated a week later after the part arrived.

Pretty cool!..............I'll post more info if I can find it.

Joe

Yeah that sounds pretty good, we use to know our jobs the night before. Now we wake up and have 1 at a time. If we finish our AM work done early we sit until 12 or if we get a job that says come closer to 4 and we get it at 12, you guessed it! We sit! It's the worst idea ever, we use to drive 200 mikes a week, I've out 2,600 on my truck in 2 weeks!!! It's unbelievable how horrible it is

 

[Joe Diamond]

Yeah that sounds pretty good, we use to know our jobs the night before. Now we wake up and have 1 at a time. If we finish our AM work done early we sit until 12 or if we get a job that says come closer to 4 and we get it at 12, you guessed it! We sit! It's the worst idea ever, we use to drive 200 mikes a week, I've out 2,600 on my truck in 2 weeks!!! It's unbelievable how horrible it is

That is about where I got off the bus. DirectSatUSA offices were sending installers into my area from several locations. Whole routes would be double booked........arrive the day after another tech arrived (or didn't). The best deal I had was receiving 12-15 WOs on a weekend with the expectation I would send back ETAs within a few days and have them all installed by the end of the week. Worked great. Customers loved it. Why spend every day in several zip codes when you can just route yourself in some efficient manner?

So when the crappy routing continued and I had to use the courts to try to get paid I just walked.

Joe

 

[Lkr]

do you guys have any installer horror stories to share with me? my original install went great, hopefully i get someone as good as that time. sometimes you deal with installers that aren't as courteous as others, but this one understood i was just moving into the house and didn't even hesitate when i asked him if he could cut me some pieces of longer coax just in case i needed to move stuff around in the room. the comcast guy gave me a long look when i did that when he was installing the internet. i'm hoping he has an HR24 on his truck...

 

[Joe Diamond]

LKR,

How about some move in horror stories? Here are some quotes: " You idiot, I moved from that address. I expect an installer at my new address now and don't tell me anything but when you or some other idiot will be here.".........."You will have to wait a moment......the truck with our TVs still has not left our old (one day away) old house."............" I can't be there for the installation but the neighbor will let you in,,,(to an empty house with no instructions for where the absent TVs go)................"The painters are still working so you will just have to work around them and the movers."............" Look, you will have to come back later. I am being screwed by this mover and don't have time for you right now."..............." I have all these TVs in the garage and you tell me none of them will ever have Directv because of some damn trees! You explain that to my children. Why did we bother to put them in the truck?"

Any questions?

Joe

And a PS...do not attempt to diplex Directv with CATV internet. The frequencies interfere with each other and you will be kicked off the internet. Verify that the cable guy and the sat guy ran separate lines......+ funny face....

 

[Hutch1814]

LKR,

How about some move in horror stories? Here are some quotes: " You idiot, I moved from that address. I expect an installer at my new address now and don't tell me anything but when you or some other idiot will be here.".........."You will have to wait a moment......the truck with our TVs still has not left our old (one day away) old house."............" I can't be there for the installation but the neighbor will let you in,,,(to an empty house with no instructions for where the absent TVs go)................"The painters are still working so you will just have to work around them and the movers."............" Look, you will have to come back later. I am being screwed by this mover and don't have time for you right now."..............." I have all these TVs in the garage and you tell me none of them will ever have Directv because of some damn trees! You explain that to my children. Why did we bother to put them in the truck?"

Any questions?

Joe

And a PS...do not attempt to diplex Directv with CATV internet. The frequencies interfere with each other and you will be kicked off the internet. Verify that the cable guy and the sat guy ran separate lines......+ funny face....

I have ran in to I think every damn one of these! I always cut extra off when subs asked. I would normally cut a piece for where they want the tv now and then make them a jumper with connectors and a barrel to add on to the original line so the could move the tv

 

[Joe Diamond]

I have ran in to I think every damn one of these! I always cut extra off when subs asked. I would normally cut a piece for where they want the tv now and then make them a jumper with connectors and a barrel to add on to the original line so the could move the tv

Hutch,

The extra cable has never been a biggie with me..........there is plenty in the crawl spaces if you run out. But my fav along those lines was a cx who was in one of those NLOS (NO LINE OF SIGHT) positions unless he kicked in about two hundred feet of cable + cut some trees. So his plan was..."here kid (60+)........take this twenty and let a few boxes of that ($65.00 / 500ft) sh*t fall off yer truck so I can get this done with my people." My response was........"How about just giving me the twenty...you are about an hour out of my day that I will not be paid."

Joe.............another funny face........:sob::sob:

 

[Hutch1814]

Lol! I had 1 that I did the install and 2 days later they set up a service call. Now I knew I should've walked away from the job since when I got there the old home owners were still moving out but it was an 8 box and we was slow so I installed it. But anyways, they set up a service call along the lines of cable routing. I come back in the service call (outta luck) and the wife just slammed the "original" installer saying he did this and that and left cables hanging here and there. The whole time I'm keeping my mouth closed and good thing I did, husband came home and said "hey! Long time no see!" after the wife realized I did the original install she turned white and came clean. She wanted free equipment and thought if she destroyed the install it would fall on me and would have to pony up for it to be fixed and she would get free goodies from Directv. She got a $50 customer caused fee

 

[Lkr]

well i'm hoping nothing can go TOO wrong since I already have my cable internet and directv hooked up, they just have to come in and swap equipment and possibly setup a new dish

 

[Joe Diamond]

well i'm hoping nothing can go TOO wrong since I already have my cable internet and directv hooked up, they just have to come in and swap equipment and possibly setup a new dish

LKR,
Good luck........if the old dish will drive your equipment there is no benefit to a new dish. If they insist...save the old one.......after this visit parts and service are on you. And if you are a tailgate party kind of guy a spare dish makes things EZ.

Joe

 

[Lkr]

So he brought boxes in and I checked the dvr box when he stepped outside. Sure enough it's a hr24!

Sent from my iPhone

 

[Joe Diamond]

So he brought boxes in and I checked the dvr box when he stepped outside. Sure enough it's a hr24!

Sent from my iPhone

So it is going well!
The other thing that is not mentioned enough here = Most but not all installations have always gone in without incident. It is that (1% ?) small number of strange issues that gets all the attention. There will always be problems but on the whole, these installations are not difficult because of good engineering and an improving installation system.

Glad you had a good experience,

Joe