Tips on getting installer to complete install

[Zynergi]

Look at this from a Customers Standpoint... InstallerY comes over, knocks on the door says "Nope wont work, bye" Sup comes out, says same thing (Sup has no reason to say no, in fact he would love to make InstallerY re-roll and install on the white X he just painted). Customer is pissed. InstallerX from Bob's Big Boy SatComm comes out and and with a wheat stem hanging from his chew stretched mouth, says "We-ill-puter-righ-here-maam" You have great signal for 5 months, loving every minute of it, then that Oak grows a bit more and bam no TV, and that Oak is on on Old Man Jenkins property who will shoot you before he trims a tree. Well you are now locked into a 18/24 month contract

Still I understand your frustration, My parents went through it when they moved. 3 Directv guys say no, 2 Dish guys say no, then on a last effort some kid pulls up and walks all over the property for LOS, sets up a ka/ku on a tripod to test the signal, and its worked great ever since. (2 years now, on same pole.)

When I pull up to a house, I know where the signal should be, I also try and see homes nearby and where they are pointed to get a quickie reference. Most techs will know if its going to be questionable before they put their cig out and sip their Dr Pepper. But a good tech will "try" and find LOS and I even offer my inclometer to the customer to see where I need a LOS from, they can also gauge what trees would need to be dropped/topped. But, I am not going to spend 30 minutes on a lost cause. If there is a LOS I will get it for you.

Do this.. plug your address into Dishpointer.com and make sure your on your property so you can "see" the signal path. LOS has to be guaranteed for your entire contract length, so they will need 5 degrees up/down/lef and right to account for growth/wind.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Look at this from a Customers Standpoint... InstallerY comes over, knocks on the door says "Nope wont work, bye" Sup comes out, says same thing (Sup has no reason to say no, in fact he would love to make InstallerY re-roll and install on the white X he just painted). Customer is pissed. InstallerX from Bob's Big Boy SatComm comes out and and with a wheat stem hanging from his chew stretched mouth, says "We-ill-puter-righ-here-maam" You have great signal for 5 months, loving every minute of it, then that Oak grows a bit more and bam no TV, and that Oak is on on Old Man Jenkins property who will shoot you before he trims a tree. Well you are now locked into a 18/24 month contract

Still I understand your frustration, My parents went through it when they moved. 3 Directv guys say no, 2 Dish guys say no, then on a last effort some kid pulls up and walks all over the property for LOS, sets up a ka/ku on a tripod to test the signal, and its worked great ever since. (2 years now, on same pole.)

When I pull up to a house, I know where the signal should be, I also try and see homes nearby and where they are pointed to get a quickie reference. Most techs will know if its going to be questionable before they put their cig out and sip their Dr Pepper. But a good tech will "try" and find LOS and I even offer my inclometer to the customer to see where I need a LOS from, they can also gauge what trees would need to be dropped/topped. But, I am not going to spend 30 minutes on a lost cause. If there is a LOS I will get it for you.

Do this.. plug your address into Dishpointer.com and make sure your on your property so you can "see" the signal path. LOS has to be guaranteed for your entire contract length, so they will need 5 degrees up/down/lef and right to account for growth/wind.

Jeff,
You got it..reasonable & competent survey of what is going on ......BUT...."Gotta love MASTEC"......??.......You gotta explain that. They are an expensive hobby. Even after the bleeding stops the pain remains as a reminder NOT to work for.....you know who.

Joe

 

[Zynergi]

I have worked for Mastec for a bit over a year now and made regular tech (2nd tier) in 3 weeks but was 1% shy on responder rate to make lead oO

So I got fed up and gave myself an ultimatum, make Lead or Make Sup, well I made Sup, the 2 Months later (now) they made A LOT of cutbacks and put 4 Field Sups back in the field, 1 tracking Sup in the field, 2 Load Managers and let go of alot of techs that haven't been able to move up from apprentice in 6+ months.

So the "Gotta love Mastec" is in reference to the hierarchy I went through to make Lead (top tier) Tech. I enjoy doing the work and would become a sub, just don't have the capital to start. Besides if I was going to open my ow business I would go back into Modern Portraiture

 

[Joe Diamond]

MASTEC reminds me of the Clang bird. This is a huge bird that flies faster and faster in a decreasing arc. As the speed increases and their circular flight gets tighter they disappear up their own ass with a loud "CLANG".

Joe

 

[msingh]

Installed!

To close out this saga... Had another installer come out and he looks skeptical. But he agreed to climb up on the roof to check to see what things look like. Climbs down and says, waddya know - you'll be able to get a clear shot at all the satellites!

I ask if there are trees that could grow in to block LOS and he confirms that the only questionable tree is the one where 119 would be. But he also says that he doesn't think that would even begin to be a problem for many years.

So the install proceeds and right now I'm installed and have 95+ on all birds with 98 on 119!

This makes me a very happy camper and very glad that I pushed for a third look.

 

[cforrest]

Congrats, enjoy your D*. Sucks the previous installers didn't want to even try the install. Not to mention that 119 won't be an issue at all in another year or so with D12 and Slimline-3 dish coming out.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Congrats, enjoy your D*. Sucks the previous installers didn't want to even try the install. Not to mention that 119 won't be an issue at all in another year or so with D12 and Slimline-3 dish coming out.

C

The refusal to even try is built into the HSP system. When you get paid for results (completion rate) you pass on the questionable jobs. No, techs cannot just say no, but they can find ways to dump jobs. And they do.

Then there is the constant turnover; the guys who could have made it work...... do not work for HSPs, as a generalization. I mention to customers that my first few hundred installations were a bit daunting, but now they just happen. This work is not real tough but experience helps. Doing it all day today and a little of yesterday is not quite it.

And the phone thing Jeff mentioned; "non responders.".............if you disconnect the phone line Jeff can't feed one of his kids until he finds another customer who will leave the phone line connected.

Grrrrr!

Joe