Installation Nightmare (ongoing)!

[jcd148]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice. The saga starts yesterday. I am scheduled for an a.m. installation of a new Directv HD dish. I currently had standard Directv service, and I got an HD receiver for xmas. All I needed was Directv to come out and install the new dish. Contractor calls me around 11, says he is having car trouble. Ok, he will be there by 1. Comes out, starts to take down my old dish and put together the new HD dish. Comes to the door and says he has to run and meet another installer to get another LNB, and he will be back in 20 mins. This is at 1:30. So around 4pm I call Directv to see if he is coming back. No one can get a hold of him. Meanwhile, he dismantled my old dish, and I am without service. Many calls last night got me nothing but $100 credit and assurance that they can't come back to fix it until Tuesday. So here I am with no service. My question is, I keep calling and getting transferred to regional communications places, and everyone says something different. So should I keep calling Directv? Is there a # that will get me results or get my problem escalated? In need of some help. Thanks in advance and happy holidays.

 

[charper1]

The installers are NOT DirecTV employees, they are hired hands of local or regional contractors on contract companies. Do you still have the installers or his company's information? Like the name and/or phone number? You need to call & hound them (if it gets to it, threaten a BBB or a SAG complaint). That is all the DirecTV CSR is doing. They likely are taking your call, have to forward that report to another department, then that department tries calling the contract company.

NEVER let them dismantle anything before taking with them and getting a run-down of what needs to or is going to be done. This should also allow a non-efficient installer such as this guy to reexamine his needed tools and parts as well as knowing exactly what you want and expect BEFORE he does one thing. If this would have been done, he likely would have noticed he was not prepared.

Everyone needs to remember these are your homes they people are messing with; a huge investment. Take the time to know what is going on and don't be afraid to tell then what you want and do not want. Not having a TV install a few days sure beats being totally dissatisfied or having something go very badly regarding your home and its integrity.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I would get on the phone with customer retention and cancel your service over this. When they want to know the reason, tell them that their idiot installer left you without service till Tuesday on a botched HD Upgrade that he never completed.

Once you made your point, tell them that you don't need Directv anymore since the DISH Network will be out in a few hours to install a brand new system.

They will either call the sub contractor and they will get someone out there immediatly or give you even more credits.

If they bring up the $100 credit again, I would tell them its a Joke because DISH Network is giving you a $200 credit to take their new service, and say if Directv still wants your business they better do better than that!

One thing about Directv customer retention is if you mention DISH Network, they absolutly hate it and will do anything to get you back as a customer especially if you always pay on time.

 

[charper1]

I agree I would call and complain to retention & threaten cancellation. I was not meaning to not call DirecTV at all.

At best DirecTV needs to be made very aware of a horrible install company.

My fault for not being more clear. I was only offering the idea that the customer should try hounding the actual install company directly to expedite getting service back up as before and to let them know what their employee did to him. I am sure it was the guys way of bailing out for the holiday.

 

[jcd148]

Thanks for the quick responses. I tried calling the local contractor, and they say no one can get out here til Tuesday. My only fear with calling and threatening to cancel is that I had to renew for 2 years to get the HD installed. I'm guessing the Dish $200 would cover some of that and they would still not call my bluff.

 

[jcd148]

Sorry to post again, but is there a direct # to retention, or should I go through the main #?

 

[thiggin2]

My only fear with calling and threatening to cancel is that I had to renew for 2 years to get the HD installed.

But they didn't install it yet so I would guess that contract cant be enforced yet??

 

[Claude Greiner]

Thanks for the quick responses. I tried calling the local contractor, and they say no one can get out here til Tuesday. My only fear with calling and threatening to cancel is that I had to renew for 2 years to get the HD installed. I'm guessing the Dish $200 would cover some of that and they would still not call my bluff.

The HD was never installed because the installer never finished the Job, so therefore your not under contract! Did you sign any paperwork before the guy left?

BTW, one other reason why you want to Call Directv and complain is because they will hound the contractor for you.

You call the contractor and hound them to come out and fix it, big deal, too bad so sad nobody can be out till Tuesday. You call Directv, have Directv give you a date (Like tomorrow) to send someone out to fix it and the contractor has to do whatver they say.

The contractors live and die on the work that they get from the providers, too many complaints from a paticular contractor and the dispatcher who sends the Jobs to the contractors will send them to somewhere else!

 

[Todd Humphrey]

At this point, you are not obligated to that two year extension. That is not effective until the HD unit is activated. I would call a local DISH dealer and see if DISH can meet your needs. I HATE DTV HD systems. The DISH VIP622 has issues, but is still better the anything DTV has to offer. A local dealer, who installs what he sells, is almost always far better then any DTV contractor. Not always, but more often than not.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Now speaking from experence, I did contract work for Dish once. You where expected to work 363 days per year, and when they send you Jobs you have to accecpt them. I think there is a rule that says even if you can't get in contact with the customer to confirm an appointment, you have to atleast show up between the scheduled time and leave a door hanger showing you where there so the customer couldn't call later and bitch because they claim nobody ever showed up.

Another case and point about a year ago I had a customer who had an installer that was trying to weasle out of doing a pole mount. Told the customer to install the pole himself and he will be back later to finish the Job.

Installer left, we got exective offices on the phone and did a 4 way call...

#1 ME
#2 CUSTOMER
#3 EXECTIVE OFFICES
#4 OWNER OF INSTALL COMPANY.

I told the owner of the company right infront of everyone that my sales people take alot of time to close sales so his company will have work for his installers, and I don't appreciate my Jobs being blown off. He either sends someone else back to complete the Job, I escallate this even higher to upper management at DISH Network.

20 minutes later there was another installer out doing the Job

 

[jcd148]

Maybe I shouldn't even stay with Directv. Are there any really good Dish deals w/ HD right now?

 

[dishcomm]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice. The saga starts yesterday. I am scheduled for an a.m. installation of a new Directv HD dish. I currently had standard Directv service, and I got an HD receiver for xmas. All I needed was Directv to come out and install the new dish. Contractor calls me around 11, says he is having car trouble. Ok, he will be there by 1. Comes out, starts to take down my old dish and put together the new HD dish. Comes to the door and says he has to run and meet another installer to get another LNB, and he will be back in 20 mins. This is at 1:30. So around 4pm I call Directv to see if he is coming back. No one can get a hold of him. Meanwhile, he dismantled my old dish, and I am without service. Many calls last night got me nothing but $100 credit and assurance that they can't come back to fix it until Tuesday. So here I am with no service. My question is, I keep calling and getting transferred to regional communications places, and everyone says something different. So should I keep calling Directv? Is there a # that will get me results or get my problem escalated? In need of some help. Thanks in advance and happy holidays.

Technican here...
First, I would NEVER leave a customer hanging form the ball tree like that...Whoever this tech is, he should be fired immediately and banned from the busienss entirely..
Now, I would call DTV and ask ,no check that, I would DEMAND to speak to someone in a management postition..I would tell that person that you don't care what time it is that you want someone to come back to your house and reconnect your system..And if they can't do that then tell them to come and get their EQ because you cancel. And you tell them just to rub it in that you are going to dish network and you are going to tell everyonme you know that you think directv conduscts business poorly and to avoid directv....Tell them they can use that $100 credit as a suppository if they can't get someone out there to reconnect your EQ..
What you are experiencing is an outrageous situation....The threat of canbcelation and spreding the bad pub usually gets results in your favor.

 

[cybok0]

Maybe I shouldn't even stay with Directv. Are there any really good Dish deals w/ HD right now?

Once you get everything installed and working good Directv is a really good sat. provider.

 

[dishcomm]

Now speaking from experence, I did contract work for Dish once. You where expected to work 363 days per year, and when they send you Jobs you have to accecpt them. I think there is a rule that says even if you can't get in contact with the customer to confirm an appointment, you have to atleast show up between the scheduled time and leave a door hanger showing you where there so the customer couldn't call later and bitch because they claim nobody ever showed up.

Another case and point about a year ago I had a customer who had an installer that was trying to weasle out of doing a pole mount. Told the customer to install the pole himself and he will be back later to finish the Job.

Installer left, we got exective offices on the phone and did a 4 way call...

#1 ME
#2 CUSTOMER
#3 EXECTIVE OFFICES
#4 OWNER OF INSTALL COMPANY.

I told the owner of the company right infront of everyone that my sales people take alot of time to close sales so his company will have work for his installers, and I don't appreciate my Jobs being blown off. He either sends someone else back to complete the Job, I escallate this even higher to upper management at DISH Network.

20 minutes later there was another installer out doing the Job

I cuurewntly do work for a E* contractor..WE are closed on Sunday but to my knowledge the other two contractors in the region do take soem Syunday work..Otherwise you are correct. E* would prefer we had people available 24 hrs per day. WE know that is not going ot happen but in an E* perfect world, they'd love it if it was mandatory to have at least one tech available day and night...To me that is just ridiculous to have people working on a Sunday..It's just tv for Christ's sake...
It is also a requireemnt that we roll on jobs even if there is no communication with the customer..A bad policy IMO because too many times I waste my time and fuel for nothing..There is also a 30 minute wait time rule, but I don't obey thta..If I am on time and the customer is noit there I cal the home and secondary number if applicable, if there's no answer or the customer cannot be home in 30 mins I am out of there. Ia hev other customers to sderve and I am not letting one inconsiderate boob screw my other customers...
Now in this guy's case, there needs to be soem consideration..No call no shows or non communication witha customer that is home and ready for the job to be done is a big fat no-no....

 

[sven_kirk]

Technican here...
First, I would NEVER leave a customer hanging form the ball tree like that...Whoever this tech is, he should be fired immediately and banned from the busienss entirely..
Now, I would call DTV and ask ,no check that, I would DEMAND to speak to someone in a management postition..I would tell that person that you don't care what time it is that you want someone to come back to your house and reconnect your system..And if they can't do that then tell them to come and get their EQ because you cancel. And you tell them just to rub it in that you are going to dish network and you are going to tell everyonme you know that you think directv conduscts business poorly and to avoid directv....Tell them they can use that $100 credit as a suppository if they can't get someone out there to reconnect your EQ..
What you are experiencing is an outrageous situation....The threat of canbcelation and spreding the bad pub usually gets results in your favor.

I love your comments!
I had a wonderful install, after three tries, to get the installer out to my house. But about two hours later, D* fried my receivers. Installer input a DVR install for a regular install, and D* flagged it as fraud.
When I called CS, I admit I was a little bit rude, but I kept an even tone.
Thirty minutes later after I was politely cussing the CS out, I got three DVRs, six months Showtime, and I didn't receive a single bill until like 4 months after.:up

And was a totally new customer. D* made me happy. The installer still is a moron.

 

[stevo/65]

This type of install is exactly what Direct Tv is headed for on their own doing. They have and continue to drive off any of the top installation companys due to consistantly dropping install prices and demanding more be "included" while supplys including copper wiring are almost double what they were just over a year ago.
I see more junk cars and minivans with a ladder strapped to them and a spool of wire with the DIRECT TV INSTALLATIONS magnet stuck to the door.
So who do you have to blame for the sh*t installations? Direct TV, as they are getting what they pay for. Crap

Maybe I shouldn't even stay with Directv. Are there any really good Dish deals w/ HD right now?

I see this was a free DTV Hd uprade with a 2 year extended contract commitment
Sounds like a good deal to me

Now that you have seen the quality of Directv Installers brought to you by Directv
Soon you will also see the quality of Directv HD programing also brought to you by ..... you got it yet ?
Go with Dishnet HD (IMHO)
PS
(IMHO)
Go with good reputable local dishnet retailer..