Tipping the installer

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kschramm

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Aug 25, 2006
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My D* was installed this week. pretty easy setup. two HR24's hooked up via HDMI no wiring through house was necessary, he was here about 1 1/2 hour. All I had on me was a $20 so that it what I tipped. Yesterday another guy came out to install the broadband DECA (I didn't realize I needed it till after the first install) he was here for like 15-20 minutes. I gave hime $10. I am just curious. what is the general rule of thumb when tipping the installer.
 
The first installer we ever had was great when we first got Dish. I didn't tip him, but really wish I had. I would have problem given him $20-30. He did a great job in the freezing cold snow storm. I really wish I had tipped him.

The next time was when I upgraded from a Dish 500 to a Super Dish. I had ordered one from the Dish Store right when Dish called me to offer me a free one. Lucky for me Dishstore.net was understanding and let me cancel the order. Dish was offering me one for free since I could now get locals with it, yet they insisted their installer had to install it for me. This installer was an idiot to put it nicely. I did not nor would I even consider tipping him. I was at work when he came the first time and my mother was here to let him in. They ended up calling me at work asking me how to turn the TV on. No problem as maybe he didn't realize how to get to the input channels. So my mother called me a little later to tell me that they were done and had left. I get home only to discover that I'm not really getting the channels from the 129 satellite and that the installer had left their phone at my house. I called Dish and they sent the technician out again to get his phone and to fix the install of the Dish. So he comes back, tells me he found the problem. I was using a 501 receiver and a 721 at the time. I had kept these as I didn't want to pay DVR fee's. I told him great. Next thing I know he is acting like he is going to unhook my 721 that I owned. I asked him what he was doing. He told me the problem was that my receivers were too old and he was going to upgrade me to a newer DVR that I not only had to pay a monthly fee for now, but that would also be leased and that he was going to take my units I owned. I told him that I didn't think so and to just leave my equipment there and I'd get it sorted out on my own.

Dish could have not only saved paying an installer two trips to my house that time, but also saved me a ton of hassle had they just mailed me the Dish and let me install it myself.

If I ever get another installer I will tip depending on the job he did. It seems like some installers are great while others suck.
 
My D* was installed this week. pretty easy setup. two HR24's hooked up via HDMI no wiring through house was necessary, he was here about 1 1/2 hour. All I had on me was a $20 so that it what I tipped. Yesterday another guy came out to install the broadband DECA (I didn't realize I needed it till after the first install) he was here for like 15-20 minutes. I gave hime $10. I am just curious. what is the general rule of thumb when tipping the installer.

I would say that's a generous tip. My rule of thumb: depends on the quality of service and courtesy.

My last installer deserved a tip but dismissed the notion of receiving one. I was perplexed at that. He admitted my install was his first WHD with Internet Connection and he was happy to do it and show me his work and discuss his training. IIRC, he said it was all diagrams with no hands-on. I have no issues or complaints of the install or the h/w.
 
I have no idea what's appropriate. I tipped a DISH installer $20. He did a pole mount 1000.4. I dug the hole, mixed the quick-set, sunk and leveled the pole, made the 130' trench for the coax. Therefore, his physical labor was minimal.

My signal strengths were marginal, so a few days later, I called DISH out again for a re-peak. The initial installer had only done 2 1000.4 installs. The second tech got much better signal strengths on all three satellites. I tipped him $10.

I didn't have to pay DISH anything for these jobs as it was a forced upgrade from my hybrid system.

I wonder if my tips were appropriate?

The first guy ($20) accepted it graciously. I can't say how long he was here because he left my house twice: once to make 3 hour round trip back to his home office to pick up the correct dish. He had not been told I needed a 1000.4 dish, therefore all he had was 1000.2. Then when he discovered I needed to take down one more tree to optimize line-of-site, he left for another job since his 3-hour round trip for the correct dish threw off his schedule. It was while he was gone the second time that I mounted the pole (cutting down the tree didn't take long). He'd told me he couldn't dig the hole because "dig test" hadn't been there to approve it, but that I could dig it thereby circumventing their rules. So he left me with 2 bags of quick-set. When he returned the second time, all he had to do was mount and aim and connect the coax which was as simple as taping the new feeds to my old coax and pulling it through the wall (I did the pulling). He was very kind and respectful of my property and was a hard worker.

The second guy ($10) only worked maybe 10 min, but we stood around and talked for another 30 min. He really tried to discourage the tip (beyond the typical polite, "That's not necessary."), citing he only had to repeak and it was quite easy. But ultimately, he accepted it.
 
I have no idea what's appropriate. I tipped a DISH installer $20. He did a pole mount 1000.4. I dug the hole, mixed the quick-set, sunk and leveled the pole, made the 130' trench for the coax. Therefore, his physical labor was minimal.

My signal strengths were marginal, so a few days later, I called DISH out again for a re-peak. The initial installer had only done 2 1000.4 installs. The second tech got much better signal strengths on all three satellites. I tipped him $10.

I didn't have to pay DISH anything for these jobs as it was a forced upgrade from my hybrid system.

I wonder if my tips were appropriate?

The first guy ($20) accepted it graciously. I can't say how long he was here because he left my house twice: once to make 3 hour round trip back to his home office to pick up the correct dish. He had not been told I needed a 1000.4 dish, therefore all he had was 1000.2. Then when he discovered I needed to take down one more tree to optimize line-of-site, he left for another job since his 3-hour round trip for the correct dish threw off his schedule. It was while he was gone the second time that I mounted the pole (cutting down the tree didn't take long). He'd told me he couldn't dig the hole because "dig test" hadn't been there to approve it, but that I could dig it thereby circumventing their rules. So he left me with 2 bags of quick-set. When he returned the second time, all he had to do was mount and aim and connect the coax which was as simple as taping the new feeds to my old coax and pulling it through the wall (I did the pulling). He was very kind and respectful of my property and was a hard worker.

The second guy ($10) only worked maybe 10 min, but we stood around and talked for another 30 min. He really tried to discourage the tip (beyond the typical polite, "That's not necessary."), citing he only had to repeak and it was quite easy. But ultimately, he accepted it.

Why did you tip the guy that pointed your dish ?
YOU did ALL the work, I hope ya had a BEER for your self.
 
If the installer brings 2 HR24's and does a good job then I plan on tipping a $20. I didn't tip when I first got Dish 8 years ago but should have since he did a good job.
 
I must be in the wrong business.

I do get tipped occasionally, but never expect it.

Too bad you install in NW Ohio instead of SW Indiana. I'd give ya a big tip at this point. (no pun intended)
 
A co-worker of mine "moved" years back one town over to get locals. When he was upgraded to HD and a SL5 dish he tipped the installer $50. The installer called him first, my "buddy" fessed up and gave the installer the correct address, the installer had no problem with it and upgraded him to HD.

The installer who came by earlier this year to fix some bad wiring in my home under the protection plan, sold me a complete SL3 dish w/ support arms out of his truck for $50. I gave him an extra $20.:)
 
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