Shaddy Installers.

[dishcomm]

Igator: it's hard to tell from pics, but I have the same sort of situation with a small clearing between trees where all the sat's other than 119 are located. I lost 119 when the leaves came in.

What is the total length of cable run that you have from dish to receiver? Did you use RG6 or something better? Did you use conduit?

I've had a procession of installers too who, all of them so far would not do the needful: site survey and relocate the dish. I was actually told by a D* rep that they got paid only $15 (is that possible?) for an instal, so I can see why the 3 that came out to fix things left without doing so. I'm told that my next visit will be setup as a custom instal and that more time (read payment?) will be allocated to do the job. I asked for a call by the supv. before they come out for them to go over what I think is needed to ensure that they can do it. So far no call, but instal is this Friday and I hear that the job gets allocated on the day of the instal. So I'm wondering if I would be better off to get someone locally and get assurance or wait and find out once again that they won't do it.

I would gladly pay for a custom install, but what astounds me is that D* will happily continue to schedule service calls without meeting the customer's needs and without any communication with their installation company. I still don't understand why a phone call to D*'s install desk cannot create a service call that will provide exactly what you are asking for. It seems to be left entirely to who comes out on that day and what he might decide to do or not do.

The pay rate for a service call sounds about right. When I left D* for E* a service call paid $17...So it is not a mystery as to why the techs that came out ddin't want to do what was needed. $17 for a couple hrs work is slave wages..It is difficult at times for D* techs to be granted custom work status on a job such as yours...The thinking by D* is if the customer has to pay a penny, they will cancel...This is the number one reason why I left the D* HSP I worked for..It sucks for the techs and it really sucks for the customers..
You stated that you'd be willing to pay for custom work..That's great!...Sadly you are an extreme exception to the norm...Most people want everything free of charge...Because of the perception amongst a majority of customers that labor and materials should be provided free of charge many good people are no longer working directly for both D* and E*. Or they may be leaving the business entrely. Many of the skilled knowledgable people are working for themsleves and will not touch warranty work...
Bottom line is this...The old premise that you get what you pay for is coming home to roost in the satellite bsuiness..For far too lpong both E* and D* have tried to control programming fees on the backs of the people who install and service the EQ....The backlash is beginning...

 

[axg9504]

Dishcomm: the last guy who came out was the best of the lot, he did what he was supposed to: find an alternative location unlike the one before who first of all came when it was pitch dark, 5 hours late and said he was 'coming back the next day'. The one who came last was quitting the next week for all the reasons you quote. It is shortsighted policy by D*, they should pay for retention of the customer.

Everything you say dishcomm, makes me think, I ought to cancel my 5th service call and contact someone on my own who will do exactly what is needed and get paid a reasonable fee.

 

[chadzx11]

I think you missed understood me. No I expect to pay a private contractor. This was the first one that wanted 45.00 up front. I've never heard of that. Perhaps it is a common practice else where.

I had a service call once. Non warranty on an old D* dish. I was to be paid $49 at the time service was rendered. The bolts on the dish were loose, and the dish was out of line. The Mrs. "didn't have" the checkbook, her husband did. This means I had to make a second trip back to get my money.

He is a lawn care guy. He starts bitching me out about wanting the money and not sending a bill. He bills his customer. He does NOT like it when I point out that his job is recurring, he sees his customer every 2 weeks or so, whereas, if I do my job right, I'll be lucky to see my customers again at Walmart. Then he tries to balk at paying because the bolts shouldn't have been loose, its DirecTv's fault. He gets more pissed when I point out that

a) I am a contractor, not a directv employee
b) he requested ME by asking a mutual friend for a recommendation

I listen to his BS, and then drop science on him:

Me: You were unable to watch TV this morning, correct?
him: yes
Me: You are able to watch TV now, correct?
him: yes
Me: If you don't feel that I have earned my pay, I will be more than happy to restore your equipment to the condtion I found it in.

He broke out the checkbook. I don't like taking checks, but this was afterhours, and I was betting that I could make it to his bank when the doors opened, before he had an opportunity to put a stop payment on it. I did.

This was in a Richie Rich Subdivision with old growth trees in Monroe, La near Neville High School. Trees were not his problem.

Hillariously, he called our friend and complained that I was "short" with him. I had no idea what that meant, but when they told me, I was like "no sh*t, I had to wait for him to take a break from bitching me out to get a word in edge wise!" :

BTW, I am a former Marine, and my brain has a bypass valve for bs. I just listen for the highlights.

 

[chadzx11]

The pay rate for a service call sounds about right. When I left D* for E* a service call paid $17...So it is not a mystery as to why the techs that came out ddin't want to do what was needed. $17 for a couple hrs work is slave wages..

Did you work for CommCraft/DirecTech? I quit on them back in 2000 when they called ME and asked ME to go an hour out of MY way in MY truck on MY gas to do a service call that was installed in my area while I was off in California. Pay was $17.50 It was a customer who had, at some point, a stroke, which left him, slow, shall we say. All I had to do, was sit down with him and drill him on the remote for about an hour. Not really "work," but I had 3 hours invested in the guy.

Payday came and my check was $17.50 short. I called BS and unloaded my truck. Woody (the owner), called and asked if I was really gonna quit over $17.50. I asked him if he was seriously refusing to pay me for a job they called and asked ME to go do. He said yes, and I responded that he had answered his own question. That was in the early days of the HSP program, about a month before they shut the primestar bird down.

I started out with CommCraft in July 1998 making $65 NC, $25 SC--by Sept 2000 they were down to $40 NC, $17.50 SC----and this was before anybody ever gave the first freaking satellite away for free!!!!!!

Before CommCraft blew their way into the HSP program, I was making $75/$25 supplying ONLY tools and labor!

 

[dishcomm]

Dishcomm: the last guy who came out was the best of the lot, he did what he was supposed to: find an alternative location unlike the one before who first of all came when it was pitch dark, 5 hours late and said he was 'coming back the next day'. The one who came last was quitting the next week for all the reasons you quote. It is shortsighted policy by D*, they should pay for retention of the customer.

Everything you say dishcomm, makes me think, I ought to cancel my 5th service call and contact someone on my own who will do exactly what is needed and get paid a reasonable fee.

You are one of the few who realize if you want good service/products you will have to pay for them.
Actaully this realy isn't the fault of the customers. many companies D* and E* ioncluded needed way to market their producrt to as many as possible..So they came up wiht the idea that labor and meterial would be provided top the customer free of charge. The cable co's saw this as a threat so they started offering service calls for free. So then the satcos did the same..Whathapppened was the poor schlub doing the work got left out of the equation. To control programing and service costs, the satcos lowered pay rates. E*'s are still reasonable but they allow us to charge for fewer activities. D*'s pay rates are abyssmal.
As a contractor my costs are increasing while the pay rates stay steady and activities I can charge extra for are mandated out by E*...My only recourse id to leave this sector( working for a Dish contractor) of the business. I will contimue to to do work privately but at MY rates. If the customer does not agre to pay, thye can get someone else.. Meanwhile I am trasitioning into another business and within a year or so, that's it for this horsecrap..I hate to think what this business is going ot look like in 10 years.. Iam sure many bright eyed newbies wil come on baord willing ot make a go of it. So full of piss and vinegar they will be. 5 yrs later, they too will be fed up with it all....
The bottom line if the customers are going to have to fish or cut bait..They will have to decide between free and good service...Can't have it both ways.

 

[axg9504]

What's irritated me as a customer is that it took me 4 wasted visits to figure out that I wasn't getting my problem addressed because the service call didn't fit the pay. I would have preferred learning at the outset what it would cost and paid it if D* didn't want to. Why can't they see that I could be their customer for the next 20 years? Pay scales are mind boggling. Piddling $15-$17 for a dish instal, $120 for 5 minutes of plumbing. And why do customers think nothing of blowing several hundred bucks at a professional ball game or a Britney Spears concert but won't pay the dish installer a living wage? Which is providing the longer duration entertainment. (OK don't pile on me sports fans). I think the problem is that customers see this product like a commodity, like a PC, you should be able to buy a box and plug it in and watch TV, what happens outside is not considered. I think 10 years from now something like FIOS will be the answer.

 

[Todd Humphrey]

Why would my neighbor call DTV and have their underpaid installers come out? Because he thought I would be the one they call since I am next door. Could'nt take 2 minutes to call me first.

Why did YOU call DTV and not a local shop (assuming you have one).

Why are consumers so willing to ignore the fact that China imprisons those that speak against the government and allow BILLIONS in software piracy to take place just so they can get that $19 pair of jeans at Walmart.

This is not all consumer fault. It is also the fault of dealers who are too stupid to work together to market LOCAL shops as superior to the corporate installer.
It is also the fault of installers who continue to work for crappy wages and lack any integrity to do a decent job, or quit because they not allowed to do a decent job.

Consumers want CHEAP. They want cheap until they realize they cheap does not meet their needs, THEN they say they would be willing to pay for quality.
Consumer loyalty to local businesses has been in decline for years. Consumers will, as a group, select the largest company, the lowest price, the fastest service (next day, 30 minutes or less ect...) over local, slightly more expensive, quality products and services.

And every marketing company knows this!!!!

 

[dishcomm]

What's irritated me as a customer is that it took me 4 wasted visits to figure out that I wasn't getting my problem addressed because the service call didn't fit the pay. I would have preferred learning at the outset what it would cost and paid it if D* didn't want to. Why can't they see that I could be their customer for the next 20 years? Pay scales are mind boggling. Piddling $15-$17 for a dish instal, $120 for 5 minutes of plumbing. And why do customers think nothing of blowing several hundred bucks at a professional ball game or a Britney Spears concert but won't pay the dish installer a living wage? Which is providing the longer duration entertainment. (OK don't pile on me sports fans). I think the problem is that customers see this product like a commodity, like a PC, you should be able to buy a box and plug it in and watch TV, what happens outside is not considered. I think 10 years from now something like FIOS will be the answer.

It's only going to get worse..Pay rates are stagnant and the responsibilties (the job itself) is getting more complex..Plus customers are demanding more services and less willing ot pay...I could give a littany of examples of sh*t just in the last few weks of instances where DISH has waived fees the cusomer should have paid just so the CSR who took the call didn't have to hear the complaint..
CSR's are telling customers all kinds of crap that the tech will do this or that for free..We get there and the customer's first words out of their mouth are "They said you....."
Bottom line is you get what you pay for..

 

[igator99]

It's only going to get worse..Pay rates are stagnant and the responsibilties (the job itself) is getting more complex..Plus customers are demanding more services and less willing ot pay...I could give a littany of examples of sh*t just in the last few weks of instances where DISH has waived fees the cusomer should have paid just so the CSR who took the call didn't have to hear the complaint..
CSR's are telling customers all kinds of crap that the tech will do this or that for free..We get there and the customer's first words out of their mouth are "They said you....."
Bottom line is you get what you pay for..

The guy who did my dish install use to work for Charter. He said he went from making 50,000 a year to 35,000. He found a good D* employer that lets him keep most of what he makes for an install. I know a few Charter customers and that had similar stories to satellite customers. I guess they will get away with it for as long as they can. That guy worked his rear off and I tipped him because I appreciated the hard work he did. If you want something for nothing that is going to be exactly what you will get.

 

[igator99]

I had a service call once. Non warranty on an old D* dish. I was to be paid $49 at the time service was rendered. The bolts on the dish were loose, and the dish was out of line. The Mrs. "didn't have" the checkbook, her husband did. This means I had to make a second trip back to get my money.

He is a lawn care guy. He starts bitching me out about wanting the money and not sending a bill. He bills his customer. He does NOT like it when I point out that his job is recurring, he sees his customer every 2 weeks or so, whereas, if I do my job right, I'll be lucky to see my customers again at Walmart. Then he tries to balk at paying because the bolts shouldn't have been loose, its DirecTv's fault. He gets more pissed when I point out that

a) I am a contractor, not a directv employee
b) he requested ME by asking a mutual friend for a recommendation

I listen to his BS, and then drop science on him:

Yep people wanting something for nothing and I'm not surprised they were rich. They are usually the worse ones. D* needs to be up front with there installs. If you have an easy slap it up and point job they will do it for free. If you might have problems with LOS then you better pull out your checkbook and be ready to pay. I took the attitude that if others get it for free why not me. Through this board I now know and don't blame the Bruister people from running. Instead of painting a room it was like I was asking them to put a new addition on to my home.

 

[axg9504]

I had no reason not to call D* when I upgraded to HD. I had their SD dish for 8 years, it worked great, no problems. I did check with E* first because of their expanded HD service but their installer told me right off that my location would not work. So back to D* and why would I not believe that whoever they send is adequately paid to get the job done and is going to do what is needed. I didn't require him to show me how to use the remote, so he was out of there in an hour after telling me that my trees would not be a problem in the spring (and also not configuring my receiver to receive locals which took another half day because of the half wit tech support who asked me to change my dish setup to 3 LNB when I had the slimline).

So I don't think anyone who is calling 1-800DIRECTV is looking for cheap, they are using the avenue that is advertised. I didn't realize that D* paid their installers less, how would I know. And if I were to look up someone locally in the book (which I did - see next) they are also providing the same authorized D* install at the same 4 rooms free rate. The problem in my case is that no one wanted to do a custom install at an additional rate.

So I finally paid $50 for a local company to come out and do a site survey. He confirmed the location that the last installer from D* gave me but I didn't get a feeling that they would trench and bury cable and go under my sidewalk. One benefit, which was due to my asking, of the survey was that moving the dish from one edge of the roof back to the front of the house at the same level might work, judging from the elevations at that point. We're stepping back about 25 feet from the tree that's blocking 119 and therefore getting more elevation. Again that's because I asked, no one so far even thought of looking into it. Apparently you have to install a dish at that position and take readings before you can be sure. I liked the guy, gave me some other good info, so I guess it was worth the $50. BTW he told me that the D* installers were making $50 at least for the first receiver and $15 for each additional, he said no way anyone's working for $15. I also had a supervisor at Mastec tell me on the phone that they (I don't know who that is) made $200, so go figure. Maybe it's $15 for a service call (adjustments)

Personally, I'm not rich, but I always buy what I think is good value for the money, not the cheapest and if I can get American made, all the better.

 

[dishcomm]

I had a service call once. Non warranty on an old D* dish. I was to be paid $49 at the time service was rendered. The bolts on the dish were loose, and the dish was out of line. The Mrs. "didn't have" the checkbook, her husband did. This means I had to make a second trip back to get my money.

He is a lawn care guy. He starts bitching me out about wanting the money and not sending a bill. He bills his customer. He does NOT like it when I point out that his job is recurring, he sees his customer every 2 weeks or so, whereas, if I do my job right, I'll be lucky to see my customers again at Walmart. Then he tries to balk at paying because the bolts shouldn't have been loose, its DirecTv's fault. He gets more pissed when I point out that

a) I am a contractor, not a directv employee
b) he requested ME by asking a mutual friend for a recommendation

I listen to his BS, and then drop science on him:

Yep people wanting something for nothing and I'm not surprised they were rich. They are usually the worse ones. D* needs to be up front with there installs. If you have an easy slap it up and point job they will do it for free. If you might have problems with LOS then you better pull out your checkbook and be ready to pay. I took the attitude that if others get it for free why not me. Through this board I now know and don't blame the Bruister people from running. Instead of painting a room it was like I was asking them to put a new addition on to my home.

When ever I do side work the first question I ask the customer before I take a tool off the truck is" and how will you be paying for the service today?"...I am not kidding. I use those exact words.. One time I got the I don't have the checkbook routine. I said ok....I pointed out to you that payment is expected upon completeion of the work.. you can go the bank and get cash...I got my money....ANother time I have a guy ask me if my terms were ...get this...Net 30 days....I almost laughed ion his face..He then tried this 'I have been in business for ..' I told him yeah, me too..You do business your way, I will do mine my way....I looked him straight in the eye and said If you had any intentions of paying me ,you would have not brought(BTW I was putting my stuff back on the truck) upo this issue"..I said as I got into my truck,"Lose my phone number"..
Moral to this story, never try to be a nice guy and put yourself in a position to get burned..Oh yeah, I do not take checks unless the customer provides me with the check before I work.I calll the issuing bankl to see if the check is good...I have a "no checks" policy on weekends and holidays...
If the person is desperate and I don't want to lose the job, i will take a check but with a stern warning in writing that there is a $50 returned check fee and if the check is returned twice I will make a bee line to the magistrates office to file charges. NC is very tough on check kiters..They will throw your ass in jail for writing bad checks.As for your scumbag deadbeat. I would have told him,"if you do not pay me I will simply undo the work I have done and when you are ready to pay me I will be more than happy to come back and fix the problem....

 

[dishcomm]

I had no reason not to call D* when I upgraded to HD. I had their SD dish for 8 years, it worked great, no problems. I did check with E* first because of their expanded HD service but their installer told me right off that my location would not work. So back to D* and why would I not believe that whoever they send is adequately paid to get the job done and is going to do what is needed. I didn't require him to show me how to use the remote, so he was out of there in an hour after telling me that my trees would not be a problem in the spring (and also not configuring my receiver to receive locals which took another half day because of the half wit tech support who asked me to change my dish setup to 3 LNB when I had the slimline).

So I don't think anyone who is calling 1-800DIRECTV is looking for cheap, they are using the avenue that is advertised. I didn't realize that D* paid their installers less, how would I know. And if I were to look up someone locally in the book (which I did - see next) they are also providing the same authorized D* install at the same 4 rooms free rate. The problem in my case is that no one wanted to do a custom install at an additional rate.

So I finally paid $50 for a local company to come out and do a site survey. He confirmed the location that the last installer from D* gave me but I didn't get a feeling that they would trench and bury cable and go under my sidewalk. One benefit, which was due to my asking, of the survey was that moving the dish from one edge of the roof back to the front of the house at the same level might work, judging from the elevations at that point. We're stepping back about 25 feet from the tree that's blocking 119 and therefore getting more elevation. Again that's because I asked, no one so far even thought of looking into it. Apparently you have to install a dish at that position and take readings before you can be sure. I liked the guy, gave me some other good info, so I guess it was worth the $50. BTW he told me that the D* installers were making $50 at least for the first receiver and $15 for each additional, he said no way anyone's working for $15. I also had a supervisor at Mastec tell me on the phone that they (I don't know who that is) made $200, so go figure. Maybe it's $15 for a service call (adjustments)

Personally, I'm not rich, but I always buy what I think is good value for the money, not the cheapest and if I can get American made, all the better.

$50 for the first and $15 for each additional is about right..When I left MASTEC a couple of years ago, I was getting $48 plus $15 for each additinonal...That guy who claimed MASTEC techs aget $200 for a 4 tv deal is so full of (favorite synonym for fertilizer) his eyes stunk....$200!!!!..Ha! What a laugh!
The bottom line is this:..A good tech will look round the property thoroughly before declaring no line of sight..It does not make sense to walk away from a doable job.Hiowever ,many times the customer will not allow the dish to be installed in a place where it can be seen from the street..Many of these instances result in a no line of sight I plead with them and even go as far as to tell them what type of shrub they can plant to hide the dish..But usually that does not fly...
On to non standard work....this is where things get sticky..Most customer are understanding and I f the tech does not get crazy with the numbers they will pay..But some 25% may be are unwilling to compensate for what is obviously custom work..Those and the ones that look like all day affairs I am sorry to say I will walk away from..I get paid by the job and I buy my own materials. I am in busienss for myself...So why would I do a job if I am not going to make a profit?.. The answer is I wouldn't..It's stupid..And it's bad busienss. Do not get me wrong..I am one of those guys that goes the extra mile for just about everyone..If the customers are pleasant and appreciative they get the 5 star treatment. If they are unpleasant, they get standard service...

 

[axg9504]

So I finally paid $50 for a local company to come out and do a site survey. He confirmed the location that the last installer from D* gave me but I didn't get a feeling that they would trench and bury cable and go under my sidewalk. One benefit, which was due to my asking, of the survey was that moving the dish from one edge of the roof back to the front of the house at the same level might work, judging from the elevations at that point. We're stepping back about 25 feet from the tree that's blocking 119 and therefore getting more elevation. Again that's because I asked, no one so far even thought of looking into it.

This guy I paid $50 to do a site survey turned in an estimate of $750 to install a standard pole in the yard and run about 98 ft of RG6 underground to connect up to the wiring at my roof location. Add $200 if I wanted RG11. So I thought I'd wait till the D* service call a few days later. Mind you I had spent about 30 mts talking to someone in retention about possibly needing trenching and a pole in the yard. The guy who set up the service said he was noting all of these requirements, sending e-mails to a bunch of higher ups about my travails, the people who came next would have all the equipment needed, blah blah blah. Guess what, nothing of the sort, I asked the guy who showed up what his work order said and he said simply "relocate the dish". He promptly rejected the idea of the pole in the yard, he said it was too far. He had no equipment to do what the rep. said would be attempted. Finally in frustration I asked him to check out the new location on the roof, in the same plane as the previous one, at the front of the house. Sure enough it has worked, I'm getting 119 now which I was missing, and all readings are in the 90's on all sat's. The only problem is that there is some cable running across the roof which he stuffed partially into the leafguard gutter. I don't think this is OK, I need to come up with some way to tuck it under the gutter. I actually tipped this guy thanks to all of you bellyaching (lol) about how underpaid techs. were.

What have I learned? Not one of the 5 people who came to fix the LOS problem that the first installer created was motivated to fix my problem, except for the paid installer who could only think of an expensive fix. D* will tell you either lies or misinform you about what the local install office can do. It has been absolutely frustrating to talk to them and get assurances and then hear the same routine from the guy who comes out to the site. It's as if nothing is ever communicated to them.

In the end, it's because I got some education from sites like this and the one on directv that I was able to figure this out. So thanks to you guys. Come to think of it, thanks to the internet there are a lot of companies out there that are lowering their customer support costs by relying on experienced users.

 

[dishcomm]

So I finally paid $50 for a local company to come out and do a site survey. He confirmed the location that the last installer from D* gave me but I didn't get a feeling that they would trench and bury cable and go under my sidewalk. One benefit, which was due to my asking, of the survey was that moving the dish from one edge of the roof back to the front of the house at the same level might work, judging from the elevations at that point. We're stepping back about 25 feet from the tree that's blocking 119 and therefore getting more elevation. Again that's because I asked, no one so far even thought of looking into it.

This guy I paid $50 to do a site survey turned in an estimate of $750 to install a standard pole in the yard and run about 98 ft of RG6 underground to connect up to the wiring at my roof location. Add $200 if I wanted RG11. So I thought I'd wait till the D* service call a few days later. Mind you I had spent about 30 mts talking to someone in retention about possibly needing trenching and a pole in the yard. The guy who set up the service said he was noting all of these requirements, sending e-mails to a bunch of higher ups about my travails, the people who came next would have all the equipment needed, blah blah blah. Guess what, nothing of the sort, I asked the guy who showed up what his work order said and he said simply "relocate the dish". He promptly rejected the idea of the pole in the yard, he said it was too far. He had no equipment to do what the rep. said would be attempted. Finally in frustration I asked him to check out the new location on the roof, in the same plane as the previous one, at the front of the house. Sure enough it has worked, I'm getting 119 now which I was missing, and all readings are in the 90's on all sat's. The only problem is that there is some cable running across the roof which he stuffed partially into the leafguard gutter. I don't think this is OK, I need to come up with some way to tuck it under the gutter. I actually tipped this guy thanks to all of you bellyaching (lol) about how underpaid techs. were.

What have I learned? Not one of the 5 people who came to fix the LOS problem that the first installer created was motivated to fix my problem, except for the paid installer who could only think of an expensive fix. D* will tell you either lies or misinform you about what the local install office can do. It has been absolutely frustrating to talk to them and get assurances and then hear the same routine from the guy who comes out to the site. It's as if nothing is ever communicated to them.

In the end, it's because I got some education from sites like this and the one on directv that I was able to figure this out. So thanks to you guys. Come to think of it, thanks to the internet there are a lot of companies out there that are lowering their customer support costs by relying on experienced users.

A little education about contractors...BTW doesn't matter what trade. This is done all the time..The guy that you hired and wanted $750 or whatever...He wanted to get out of there. In other words he looked at a job that he felt was going to be a nightmare so he over bid it hoping to chase you away..Obviously he was successful...
One thing I can't understand though is if all you needed was for one dish to go to the front part of thre roof, what the hell was the big deal?..

 

[NiFi]

Sorry for your situation Axg, but yours is the NORMAL way they dispatch and just another reason why we no longer do DTV, as stated in these forums numerous times, us subs only get paid if we do the job, we got sick of rolling onto jobs such as yours several times a week where the customer was expecting someone showing up to do something like yours, but our work order states regular install or something else simple even though you and the previous tech were very clear on what needs to be done.
Or the good old, "ya the other guys that were out said we couldnt get it either, but the salesperson said we could try again" Ya sure you can, on my time and gas.

 

[dishcomm]

Sorry for your situation Axg, but yours is the NORMAL way they dispatch and just another reason why we no longer do DTV, as stated in these forums numerous times, us subs only get paid if we do the job, we got sick of rolling onto jobs such as yours several times a week where the customer was expecting someone showing up to do something like yours, but our work order states regular install or something else simple even though you and the previous tech were very clear on what needs to be done.
Or the good old, "ya the other guys that were out said we couldnt get it either, but the salesperson said we could try again" Ya sure you can, on my time and gas.

How about that......we put all kinds of notes in the account on jobs like this and yet they still send them back to us..That means one of has to roll on the job knoiwng full well it wil be a waste of time and fuel..And at $3 per gallon I am getting mighty fed up of getting zero revenue crap that the company hourly people should be handling..But ah ha !! They don't want to waste their fuel and labor. So they dumop it into the contractor's laps...

 

[axg9504]

Dishcomm wrote:
A little education about contractors...BTW doesn't matter what trade. This is done all the time..The guy that you hired and wanted $750 or whatever...He wanted to get out of there. In other words he looked at a job that he felt was going to be a nightmare so he over bid it hoping to chase you away..Obviously he was successful...
One thing I can't understand though is if all you needed was for one dish to go to the front part of thre roof, what the hell was the big deal?..A little education about contractors...BTW doesn't matter what trade. This is done all the time..The guy that you hired and wanted $750 or whatever...He wanted to get out of there. In other words he looked at a job that he felt was going to be a nightmare so he over bid it hoping to chase you away..Obviously he was successful...
One thing I can't understand though is if all you needed was for one dish to go to the front part of thre roof, what the hell was the big deal?..

Actually I got the quote the following day from the office after the installer went back and reported the situation. I don't think he was trying to avoid it although he told me that he wouldn't be doing the trenching. I'm surprised that they wouldn't have something like a ditch witch to lay this cable underground. I could have the tree cut down for the $750 (actual quote from tree service).

As for the new site, it was not known that this would work, till I thought of it after the 5th visit. I knew nothing about sat. locations when the dish was installed. It was implanted in the same place as the old SD dish. It worked till the leaves bloomed. Then came the revolving door of installers who merely confirmed that 119 was not being received and giving me conflicting info. on what to do. So I did a little reading on forums like these, bought a compass, did a rough elevation of the offending tree and reasoned that if I stepped back to the front of the house, I will be gaining in elevation on that tree and keeping everything else about the same. I asked the $750 installer to check this out with his inclinometer. He told me it might work, can't be sure till you get up there with a dish and even asked "why didn't someone think of this?"

I am entirely unimpressed by Mastec and D* handling of the matter is mind boggling. What really pisses me off is that after each visit, I'll get a phone survey from some outfit from India asking me totally irrelevant questions like "was the installer wearing a badge and dressed properly"

 

[iwc5893]

I'm surprised that they wouldn't have something like a ditch witch to lay this cable underground.

Yeah, why don't they buy that cheap piece of equipment for the 1 in 500 jobs where it would be required? !sadroll

 

[igator99]

A little education about contractors...BTW doesn't matter what trade. This is done all the time..The guy that you hired and wanted $750 or whatever...He wanted to get out of there. In other words he looked at a job that he felt was going to be a nightmare so he over bid it hoping to chase you away..Obviously he was successful...
One thing I can't understand though is if all you needed was for one dish to go to the front part of thre roof, what the hell was the big deal?..

I had a guy that gave the $750 dollar quote over the phone. I was honest with him that it would be difficult. Thanks for the information and it works. Jobs were and still are plentiful around here so I don't blame them for going to something much easier.