My DirecTV installation horror story

[FlyingJ]

Hate to set this off, but, I have had, let's see 4 installs so far with D*, yup, some a bit more smoother than others, but all fairly well done especially my last one which was last Thursday for my new HR20 and H20. This one was, well....excellent. Got the call regarding the appointment the evening before. Installer called, said he would be there in about 15 minutes..etc..etc...all perfectly done to my satisfaction. But, if it wasn't, guess what? I wouldn't be running over to my PC and writing a book about my misadventure. These install horror stories for any company, D*, E*, cable, I don't care which one, are starting to make me sick. I swear I am starting to wonder about everyones communication skills and just what sets everyone off. If the guy either didn't show or told me some garbage when they got here, I would deal with it. We all have issues with plumbers, landscapers etc.... enjoy your freebies for all of your trouble and move on. Damn! I realised years ago that this was a subcontracting situation which in my book means anything can happen. Deal with it.

 

[JAG72]

More Patron anyone?

After your day you might need a couple more.

Hope your next install goes just a little better.

 

[Jamey K]

After your day you might need a couple more.

Hope your next install goes just a little better.

Thanks. I'm sure it will.:up

 

[FlyingJ]

Actually I should have added that too. Hope it get's better for you too, I am certain that eventually it will!

 

[Jamey K]

I wouldn't be running over to my PC and writing a book about my misadventure. These install horror stories for any company, D*, E*, cable, I don't care which one, are starting to make me sick. .

To set the record straight:

1. I wasn't writing a book about my misadventure-I was asking for help. I'm leaving town for about a week and I didn't want to start this all over, especially with the installer willing to help if he could.

2. I HATE the Phillies.

 

[Jamey K]

Actually I should have added that too. Hope it get's better for you too, I am certain that eventually it will!

Thanks....I'm sure it will.

Patron for the Phillies fan!!

 

[Joe Diamond]

Blame D",
Of all the installation deals I have been involved with the only one that works for the customer and the installer..D is already fine.......is: Send the tech a pile of sold orders in his area. He will call and make the installation appointments........if something comes up with either the customer or the tech there is only one call to make.
Would you believe that with the last installation company I worked with there were three to five calls per customer at the beginning of the day and then at the end of the day. I accounted for four hours a day on the phone. Try working from a ladder with a phone in your hand.
This was DirectSatUSA, the improved replacement for MASTEC in my area. Over the years D' had improved the activation of the equipment process so it goes pretty smooth. However, there are so many levels of contractors ....nothing happens .......the money goes.The CSRs (call center representatives) force the system and promise the customer anything.........installers just walk away.
The CLANG BIRD was a mythical creature of great power. It could out fly everything in the sky. But it would chase its' own tail feathers. So It would increase speed and decrease the arc of the turn. They would disappear up their own anus with a loud "CLANG!!!!!"
Now I do phone work and fish.

Joe

 

[raoul5788]

I brought this on myself?

LOLOOLOL....ok....I'm busting out the Patron. Would you like some?

Clearly you missed my point entirely. Oh well.

 

[FlyingJ]

2. I HATE the Phillies.

Lol

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I hate the Cowboys !!!

 

[penguinmike87]

Well, I have to say, everything went pretty smoothly yesterday. They were right on time. Oddly, they decided the guys that installed the last dish were wrong and that a better place for it was on the roof, not in the yard. They said they tested signal strengths and it works better up there. It is a very narrow shot through trees, though, so we'll see.

However, thanks to reading these forums, I was more knowledgeable than the tech on a couple things. The guy that seemed to be the crew leader was unaware that the OTA antenna would not work through the new diplexer. One of the other guys was, and they did install it properly. He also was trying to convince me that the signal coming in OTA was not digital and thus would not be as high a quality as the D* signal. Okay...whatever.

But all is working just fine right now. I got up in the middle of the night when it was raining very hard and it was still working. The old 3 LNB dish would rain fade at even a light shower.

And, oh, BTW, that "inferior" analog OTA signal (whatever he was talking about) is just a tad better than the D* one.

 

[raoul5788]

Well, I have to say, everything went pretty smoothly yesterday. They were right on time. Oddly, they decided the guys that installed the last dish were wrong and that a better place for it was on the roof, not in the yard. They said they tested signal strengths and it works better up there. It is a very narrow shot through trees, though, so we'll see.

However, thanks to reading these forums, I was more knowledgeable than the tech on a couple things. The guy that seemed to be the crew leader was unaware that the OTA antenna would not work through the new diplexer. One of the other guys was, and they did install it properly. He also was trying to convince me that the signal coming in OTA was not digital and thus would not be as high a quality as the D* signal. Okay...whatever.

But all is working just fine right now. I got up in the middle of the night when it was raining very hard and it was still working. The old 3 LNB dish would rain fade at even a light shower.

And, oh, BTW, that "inferior" analog OTA signal (whatever he was talking about) is just a tad better than the D* one.

Great news, penquinmike! I'm glad you got it done right!

 

[charper1]

The guy that seemed to be the crew leader was unaware that the OTA antenna would not work through the new diplexer. One of the other guys was, and they did install it properly. He also was trying to convince me that the signal coming in OTA was not digital and thus would not be as high a quality as the D* signal. Okay...whatever..

Glad it all went well; maybe they (he) was simply trying to discourage you from adding the OTA antenna so they could save time by not messing with it?

 

[penguinmike87]

Glad it all went well; maybe they (he) was simply trying to discourage you from adding the OTA antenna so they could save time by not messing with it?

Could be. It was the last install for them. But the antenna was already there. All they needed to do was put in a new outlet for it. Took them 10 minutes.

 

[Brewer4]

So separate OTA line. Good deal.

 

[troqua]

Stuff happens

I switched to Directtv from that other place, for several reasons, all having to do with that other's places ala carte charges that are included with Directtv, plus no local HD in Austin with the other place. What could have been a horrid installation turned out ok because I stuck to my guns. I had the proverbial 8:30-12:30pm install window. The guy showed up at 11:30pm that night and wanted me to agree to another install date, which he said would be a week or so. I already waited 4 weeks, took a day off work, so I had to say no. After all, they didn't wait to charge me for the equipment order a month ago. He got it done, and I certainly made him dinner. I know he had a rough day, and it wasn't his fault.

The only thing now is I can't get HD activated, despite 4 phone calls and "the system is down and it will be activated in 30 minutes." Fine, I'll just keep calling.

Now, if I could just get my DVR on the standard tv to record while I watch another program, everything will be hunky dory.

I do have to add that I didn't like it that when the technician phoned in to activate they insisted on talking to me to get me to upgrade the package I'd already agreed to with the original salesman. At this point, I'm just confused about the pricing so will have to wait for my first bill and see how it shakes out.

 

[dave29]

Shhhhhh.... this is a secret, don't tell anyone. I am an installer and I can rebuild a work order for anything. Even if it means cancelling the old one and creating a new one over the phone. But that takes forever and I don't have that kind of time and nobody pays us to stand there and talk to an idiot csr for 2 hours. The only reason you should be charged for a pole is if you tell them it has to go on a pole even though there is los on your house. OTA is your problem not mine, if you had an "installer" out there who didn't know you can't diplex through the KAKU system, throw him the F off your property, that is like sat. 101 and he is an idiot. You want seperate lines for your off air welcome to custom charges. We don't carry tons of HDDVR's around because they are expensive and I don't want the liability if they get lifted out of the van. Plus we hate installing dvrs of any type because we don't get paid to run the second line and the hr20 is a pain in the arse to activate. If we are late to your appointment it is because we had 4 other knuckleheads just like you to install that day and they probably all wanted special pretty custom can you route my living room to the bedroom or I want four recievers but only have one tv right now can you just lug it around the house for me issues all day long. You can also blame th HSP's because they have to route whatever d* gives them and if that means 8 jobs in one day for a tech they don't care because the last thing they are going to do is call d* and tell them they don't have the manpower to cover their area. That is the honest truth from one who knows. I try to show up on time and do a good job, I don't want to come back to you house and fix it. I don't cancell jobs unless it is legit or if I can tell that the customer is going to be a royal pain. Then I will look for a reason to cancell it like I don't have that pole or the work order is wrong. So be nice and don't tell anyone.

 

[troqua]

Shhhhhh.... this is a secret, don't tell anyone. I am an installer and I can rebuild a work order for anything. Even if it means cancelling the old one and creating a new one over the phone. But that takes forever and I don't have that kind of time and nobody pays us to stand there and talk to an idiot csr for 2 hours. The only reason you should be charged for a pole is if you tell them it has to go on a pole even though there is los on your house. OTA is your problem not mine, if you had an "installer" out there who didn't know you can't diplex through the KAKU system, throw him the F off your property, that is like sat. 101 and he is an idiot. You want seperate lines for your off air welcome to custom charges. We don't carry tons of HDDVR's around because they are expensive and I don't want the liability if they get lifted out of the van. Plus we hate installing dvrs of any type because we don't get paid to run the second line and the hr20 is a pain in the arse to activate. If we are late to your appointment it is because we had 4 other knuckleheads just like you to install that day and they probably all wanted special pretty custom can you route my living room to the bedroom or I want four recievers but only have one tv right now can you just lug it around the house for me issues all day long. You can also blame th HSP's because they have to route whatever d* gives them and if that means 8 jobs in one day for a tech they don't care because the last thing they are going to do is call d* and tell them they don't have the manpower to cover their area. That is the honest truth from one who knows. I try to show up on time and do a good job, I don't want to come back to you house and fix it. I don't cancell jobs unless it is legit or if I can tell that the customer is going to be a royal pain. Then I will look for a reason to cancell it like I don't have that pole or the work order is wrong. So be nice and don't tell anyone.

Well, first off, I'm not a knucklehead. I think I was pretty patient, and as I said, I even cooked dinner for the guy because I could see he had a rough day.

As to not properly setting up the DVR, if you don't get paid to run the second line so you don't feel like doing it, at least tell the customer what has to be done so the customer doesn't spend hours trying to figure out why the DVR isn't working as advertised.

Now that I understand that you need a line to both tuners on the DVR, I'll just pay to have some local guy come do it for me. I talked to tech support and got another install date for 6 weeks from now to get that second line run. That's just crazy.

Anyway, sorry you hate your job. Maybe with a little communication with the customer you could avoid the knuckleheads. That's all I needed.

 

[iwc5893]

The HSP I work for does pay us to run the second line on an upgrade, does pay us extra to install a DVR on a SD install, and pays higher if we are doing a HD install. We don't get the extra pay to install a HD DVR, but we're paid for an extra half hour of work on those jobs.

If you're not getting paid correctly for the work you do, maybe you should seek out another company to work for.

 

[JAG72]

As to not properly setting up the DVR, if you don't get paid to run the second line so you don't feel like doing it, at least tell the customer what has to be done so the customer doesn't spend hours trying to figure out why the DVR isn't working as advertised.

I don't buy his answer to the problem. The installer should have run you a second line to the DVR during the installation. They get paid to install the DVR and install it properly. If that means to run a second line so be it. I would call D* and raise some hell with them because you should not have to pay to have the second line run.