Where does an installer draw the line?

[Doctor Bob]

Thank you very much for the slap on the wrist. I did leave a detailed note and left my number for him to call me if he felt he waned to speak to me. But he never called, he just left a note saying he couldn't improve signal because of trees, rather than calling me to discuss options. Let me stress, I have no problem with what he did.

What I'm going to do is call and see if I can get someone here on Saturday. If not, I will make an attempt to try it out myself.

So we can end this thread, since all it's turning out to be is pepole taking this as me flaming the installer, and then you guys reprimanding me. Let's move on.

Sorry PaulieORF, no slap was intended!!! Had you fully explained, leaving a detailed note for the Tech, you probably would have gotten a different response...

I never thought you were flaming anyone, and I wasn't intending to reprimand you either... Sorry you took it that way...

 

[PaulieORF]

Sorry PaulieORF, no slap was intended!!! Had you fully explained, leaving a detailed note for the the Tech, you probably would have gotten a different response...

I never thought you were flaming anyone, and I wasn't intending to reprimand you either... Sorry you took it that way...

No problem. The part where I was being accused of flaming the installer was from someone else who tried to say that I was saying the installer did not do his job.

 

[vgsantiago]

You should have been there!!! Why would anybody have any service technician come to their home or office, without being there, to assure satisfaction with the service call???

You goofed, and now you will have to make some arrangements to make sure you are there next time...

Kinda like saying the dealer must allow me back in the garage to make sure the car is fixed right.

All that is required is an adult present. And we assume as customers it gets done right (assuming there is more that can be done in this situation)

So for arguments sake there is more that could have been done and he'll get a better signal, this is totally on the installer.

And imagine all the unsuspecting customers who have been robbed of a better signal because they not be as savvy as we are.

 

[grydlok]

No problem. The part where I was being accused of flaming the installer was from someone else who tried to say that I was saying the installer did not do his job.

I said it, You don't know what he did because you won't there. If the home owner isn't home we don't move dishes. How do you know you have good line of sight for the 119?

 

[PaulieORF]

I said it, You don't know what he did because you won't there. If the home owner isn't home we don't move dishes. How do you know you have good line of sight for the 119?

I moved the dish yesterday evening and am now getting a good 119 signal, along with improved 101 and 110. 99 and 103 TPs I get are still between 90-100.

 

[jpn]

I don't know why you people seem to think I'm attacking the installers on this one...

Title-aside, it's in your post. You question why he didn't move your dish, and you question why he left you with an "awful signal". Sounds a lot like complaining that your dealer didn't give you a new car when the tire blew out.

FYI: I've been told by a reputable installer that one should not pay unless the installer is able to improve your signal.

 

[PaulieORF]

Title-aside, it's in your post. You question why he didn't move your dish, and you question why he left you with an "awful signal". Sounds a lot like complaining that your dealer didn't give you a new car when the tire blew out.

FYI: I've been told by a reputable installer that one should not pay unless the installer is able to improve your signal.

You are correct, I questioned that stuff. That was the whole reason behind this post, was to get answers to those questions.

BTW: He did drill holes while I was not there, he installed the support arm which did not come with my dish, drilling two holes in my roof.

 

[jpn]

BTW: He did drill holes while I was not there, he installed the support arm which did not come with my dish, drilling two holes in my roof.

Adding the support (and drilling to install it) were the right thing to do.

My initial response questioned him moving the dish, not drilling holes. Had he moved the dish, you could try to hold him responsible for filling your original holes; and for any leaks through his patching. It was the potential liability (headache) that, IMO, make it unfair to question why he didn't move it right away.

 

[PaulieORF]

Adding the support (and drilling to install it) were the right thing to do.

My initial response questioned him moving the dish, not drilling holes. Had he moved the dish, you could try to hold him responsible for filling your original holes; and for any leaks through his patching. It was the potential liability (headache) that, IMO, make it unfair to question why he didn't move it right away.

You're right. But all is well now that I've got my signal. I'm happy, and DirecTV will be keeping me as a customer, so that's a happy ending to this. I'm kind of glad I got to do it myself, I learned a little more about this stuff.

 

[uboatcmdr]

You are correct, I questioned that stuff. That was the whole reason behind this post, was to get answers to those questions.

BTW: He did drill holes while I was not there, he installed the support arm which did not come with my dish, drilling two holes in my roof.

Who mounted the AT9 dish on the roof in the first place? You call the installer out to fix your mess then gripe because he didn't relocate the dish while you were not there, now you gripe because he gave you the support your dish was missing and anchored the dish the way it was supposed to be. Have you ever heard the saying, "you'd b!tch if your ice cream was cold"?

 

[PaulieORF]

Who mounted the AT9 dish on the roof in the first place? You call the installer out to fix your mess then gripe because he didn't relocate the dish while you were not there, now you gripe because he gave you the support your dish was missing and anchored the dish the way it was supposed to be. Have you ever heard the saying, "you'd b!tch if your ice cream was cold"?

I don't know what crawled up your butt and died this morning. Please read closer, I haven't griped, and I've stressed that I wasn't griping. Where did I gripe about the support arm? I did not. And "cleaning up my mess"... I've installed other dishes before, including the phase 3 dish and gotten good signal from the same location. I did not call for an installer to clean up my mess, but rather to see if he could get any better signal than I could since I'm not a professional installer. He simply said a better signal was not possible because of trees. I have since gotten the desired signal by moving the dish to a different location on my roof.

In case you don't understand, the meaning of the post was to find out if it was standard for an installer to say "hey man, you can't get good signal from where the dish is now. You should try from a different spot." It's not about me wanting him to move the dish to a different spot on his own. Do you understand now? I was not bitching at any point during this thread, well maybe except in response to posts like yours.

 

[PaulieORF]

By the way, can we please get a moderator to close this thread? It's turned to complete garbage.

 

[uboatcmdr]

I don't know what crawled up your butt and died this morning. Please read closer, I haven't griped, and I've stressed that I wasn't griping. Where did I gripe about the support arm? I did not. And "cleaning up my mess"... I've installed other dishes before, including the phase 3 dish and gotten good signal from the same location. I did not call for an installer to clean up my mess, but rather to see if he could get any better signal than I could since I'm not a professional installer. He simply said a better signal was not possible because of trees. I have since gotten the desired signal by moving the dish to a different location on my roof.

In case you don't understand, the meaning of the post was to find out if it was standard for an installer to say "hey man, you can't get good signal from where the dish is now. You should try from a different spot." It's not about me wanting him to move the dish to a different spot on his own. Do you understand now? I was not bitching at any point during this thread, well maybe except in response to posts like yours.

What crawled up my butt? Your constant whining and then claiming you have not been whining about anything. Go back and read the thread, you whine and someone says something about your whining then you say "I'm not whining, but...". If you weren't b!tching then what was you reason for posting this story in the first place? Why did you make it a point to mention the technician said the dish needed to be relocated yet didn't do it? Why did you in the end add that he drilled two holes in your roof to mount the support arm while you weren't there unless you were whining about what he did or didn't do?
Yes, you did call a professional to clean up your mess, you apparently felt that you had not done something right, otherwise you wouldn't have called someone would you? Just as you felt the technician had done something wrong, otherwise you would not have posted this story here.
A lot of people have successfully installed satellite systems themselves, that is true, they can also take a Micky D's burger boy and have him running around in a DTV van installing systems in a weeks time but that does not mean that he or the do-it-yourselfer has the system properly installed. I've seen crap a homeowner has done (and was proud of) that would get a professional fired. What you may think looks professional might have made the technician run in horror (see my earlier post regarding some companies rules about techs being required to bring systems "up to code").
So, now you have moved the dish and gotten a signal you are happy with, good for you, If you called DTV and had them send someone out to do the dish upgrade in the first place then you probably wouldn't have gone through all this. So instead of asking "where does an installer draw the line?", ask yourself, "why didn't I call in a professional and get it all done right in the first place?"

 

[igator99]

Uboat commander

What crawled up my butt? Your constant whining and then claiming you have not been whining about anything. Go back and read the thread, you whine and someone says something about your whining then you say "I'm not whining, but...". If you weren't b!tching then what was you reason for posting this story in the first place? Why did you make it a point to mention the technician said the dish needed to be relocated yet didn't do it? Why did you in the end add that he drilled two holes in your roof to mount the support arm while you weren't there unless you were whining about what he did or didn't do?
Yes, you did call a professional to clean up your mess, you apparently felt that you had not done something right, otherwise you wouldn't have called someone would you? Just as you felt the technician had done something wrong, otherwise you would not have posted this story here.
A lot of people have successfully installed satellite systems themselves, that is true, they can also take a Micky D's burger boy and have him running around in a DTV van installing systems in a weeks time but that does not mean that he or the do-it-yourselfer has the system properly installed. I've seen crap a homeowner has done (and was proud of) that would get a professional fired. What you may think looks professional might have made the technician run in horror (see my earlier post regarding some companies rules about techs being required to bring systems "up to code").
So, now you have moved the dish and gotten a signal you are happy with, good for you, If you called DTV and had them send someone out to do the dish upgrade in the first place then you probably wouldn't have gone through all this. So instead of asking "where does an installer draw the line?", ask yourself, "why didn't I call in a professional and get it all done right in the first place?"

Hey man get rid of that avatar. That Pancho Villa on crack pic is starting to haunt me. DirecTV and Dish want to compete with cable and they do offer a better channel lineup and better service but they need to support their installers better and get rid of the pretender techs. The sat providers are doing a great diservice to themselves and their workers. I setup my own mult-sat dish from DirecTV but that doesn't make me an expert. You guys need a certification process and perhaps a union. I figured out that DirecTV has made 9,000 plus dollars from me over the last ten years. How much did the original installer get for his work? We (the customers) are on the same side. It's the companies that need to upgrade their labor force and pay them what they are worth.

 

[PaulieORF]

What crawled up my butt? Your constant whining and then claiming you have not been whining about anything. Go back and read the thread, you whine and someone says something about your whining then you say "I'm not whining, but...". If you weren't b!tching then what was you reason for posting this story in the first place? Why did you make it a point to mention the technician said the dish needed to be relocated yet didn't do it? Why did you in the end add that he drilled two holes in your roof to mount the support arm while you weren't there unless you were whining about what he did or didn't do?
Yes, you did call a professional to clean up your mess, you apparently felt that you had not done something right, otherwise you wouldn't have called someone would you? Just as you felt the technician had done something wrong, otherwise you would not have posted this story here.
A lot of people have successfully installed satellite systems themselves, that is true, they can also take a Micky D's burger boy and have him running around in a DTV van installing systems in a weeks time but that does not mean that he or the do-it-yourselfer has the system properly installed. I've seen crap a homeowner has done (and was proud of) that would get a professional fired. What you may think looks professional might have made the technician run in horror (see my earlier post regarding some companies rules about techs being required to bring systems "up to code").
So, now you have moved the dish and gotten a signal you are happy with, good for you, If you called DTV and had them send someone out to do the dish upgrade in the first place then you probably wouldn't have gone through all this. So instead of asking "where does an installer draw the line?", ask yourself, "why didn't I call in a professional and get it all done right in the first place?"

You are completely out of line here, completely. Get your facts right: If you read the thread, you'll see that the installer DID NOT suggest moving the dish, that was my idea. Maybe it was my choice of words for the title that got you all riled up. It should have been this: "Should my installer have suggested a better dish location?" All I wanted to know was if it's his job to suggest moving the dish, or if I should have brought it up to him as a possibility. THAT'S IT. The reason I brought up the support arm thing (which I'm very happy the installer did) was because someone else had posted that installers are not supposed to drill holes in your roof while the homeowner is not there. I was jut pointing out that because I gave him permission to do so in the note I left him, that he did it. That's it. You're turning it into support for your pointless argument, when it's not even a factor.

I love your part about the installer probably being frightened by my setup. Now you want ot make this a personal attack on me, eh? Well, all of the wiring and whatnot was originally done years ago by a DirecTV installer, all I did was switch out the mast and dish, so I highly doubt he was "frightened".

The difference between your post and my original post is that mine was based on questions, yours was based on assumptions and bad information (support arm, you thinking the installer suggested moving the dish, etc).

This thread is done. The original question has been answered, I'm happy because I have my good signal now.

Why does everyone around here seem to want to fight about everything? Everyone just relax and watch some DirecTV.

 

[uboatcmdr]

You are completely out of line here, completely. Get your facts right: If you read the thread, you'll see that the installer DID NOT suggest moving the dish, that was my idea. Maybe it was my choice of words for the title that got you all riled up. It should have been this: "Should my installer have suggested a better dish location?" All I wanted to know was if it's his job to suggest moving the dish, or if I should have brought it up to him as a possibility. THAT'S IT. The reason I brought up the support arm thing (which I'm very happy the installer did) was because someone else had posted that installers are not supposed to drill holes in your roof while the homeowner is not there. I was jut pointing out that because I gave him permission to do so in the note I left him, that he did it. That's it. You're turning it into support for your pointless argument, when it's not even a factor.

How am I completely out of line here? I am going off the information you provde, if I am working off of bad information it is because you supplied bad information. Maybe it's because you didn't explain things better up front or your choice of words that your posts come off as you whining about what the installer did or did not do. I haven't seen you mention anywhere before now that you told the installer to put the support arms on the dish in your note.

I love your part about the installer probably being frightened by my setup. Now you want ot make this a personal attack on me, eh? Well, all of the wiring and whatnot was originally done years ago by a DirecTV installer, all I did was switch out the mast and dish, so I highly doubt he was "frightened".

If your going to quote me do so correctly, what I said was, "What you may think looks professional might have made the technician run in horror (see my earlier post regarding some companies rules about techs being required to bring systems "up to code")." No where did I say "probably" or did I say that it was your work which might frighten him. Now where did I personally attack you? Seems you are the one making assumptions. It doesn't matter who did your original install years ago, if it is not up to current standards the tech might have been required by his company to bring it up to code (before you put words in my mouth, I'm not making an asumption, just looking at one possibility) and doing so might have entailed nearly reinstalling the entire system.

You need to read Igator's thread about his problems with an HD upgrade. Seems his gripe is more with the brick wall he's running into with the company than with the installers. But the big difference is he called DTV for the work from the get go, instead of doing as you did and trying to tackle the job himself only to later call out a professional to fix any errors or to try and make things better. Face it, if you were comfortable with the work you had done you would not have called out an installer and if you were comfortable with what he had done you would not have started this thread.

 

[uboatcmdr]

Hey man get rid of that avatar. That Pancho Villa on crack pic is starting to haunt me. DirecTV and Dish want to compete with cable and they do offer a better channel lineup and better service but they need to support their installers better and get rid of the pretender techs. The sat providers are doing a great diservice to themselves and their workers. I setup my own mult-sat dish from DirecTV but that doesn't make me an expert. You guys need a certification process and perhaps a union. I figured out that DirecTV has made 9,000 plus dollars from me over the last ten years. How much did the original installer get for his work? We (the customers) are on the same side. It's the companies that need to upgrade their labor force and pay them what they are worth.

How about the new avatar? I went from "Goldhat" on crack to "Gold Tooth" on crack (from the Alabama Leprechan story that ran on a Mobile tv station a few month ago, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcGl1P92IT4). "Who all seen't the leprechan say, YEAH!"

 

[igator99]

How about the new avatar? I went from "Goldhat" on crack to "Gold Tooth" on crack (from the Alabama Leprechan story that ran on a Mobile tv station a few month ago, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcGl1P92IT4). "Who all seen't the leprechan say, YEAH!"

YIKES! Go back to the Mexican Pancho Villa dude.

 

[uboatcmdr]

YIKES! Go back to the Mexican Pancho Villa dude.

How about the killerbee? Is that better?

 

[PaulieORF]

How am I completely out of line here? I am going off the information you provde, if I am working off of bad information it is because you supplied bad information. Maybe it's because you didn't explain things better up front or your choice of words that your posts come off as you whining about what the installer did or did not do. I haven't seen you mention anywhere before now that you told the installer to put the support arms on the dish in your note.



If your going to quote me do so correctly, what I said was, "What you may think looks professional might have made the technician run in horror (see my earlier post regarding some companies rules about techs being required to bring systems "up to code")." No where did I say "probably" or did I say that it was your work which might frighten him. Now where did I personally attack you? Seems you are the one making assumptions. It doesn't matter who did your original install years ago, if it is not up to current standards the tech might have been required by his company to bring it up to code (before you put words in my mouth, I'm not making an asumption, just looking at one possibility) and doing so might have entailed nearly reinstalling the entire system.

You need to read Igator's thread about his problems with an HD upgrade. Seems his gripe is more with the brick wall he's running into with the company than with the installers. But the big difference is he called DTV for the work from the get go, instead of doing as you did and trying to tackle the job himself only to later call out a professional to fix any errors or to try and make things better. Face it, if you were comfortable with the work you had done you would not have called out an installer and if you were comfortable with what he had done you would not have started this thread.

Seems like neither of us knows what the other is really trying to say here, so let's not even argue about it. Cool?