GFiRe said:
Well, it doesn't sound like the system is set up for the installer to get there by noon either. How many installers are going to get to their 3rd customer by noon?
Installer Late! Compensation from Dish?
- Thread starter hperry
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 52
- Views 9K
Well, it doesn't sound like the system is set up for the installer to get there by noon either. How many installers are going to get to their 3rd customer by noon?
Tom Bombadil said:
I have heard this many times and I often wonder myself why this is so common. Regardless, it has nothing to do with your expectation of the work being finished in the timeframe. Perhaps Dish does need to figure out a better method of scheduling techs, but guranteeing a job will be finished by a certain time is impossible when it depends on the length of the jobs before it which is completely unpredictable.
I have had the same problem with a dish mover, a comcast high speed data install, and a qwest phone line install. It is definitely not a dish only problem.
For every customer complaining about an installer being late, there was a previous customer who was not home or had a difficult/unreasonable job. Kind of like you with your "hide my dish where nobody can see it" and "lets just do a couple quick wall fishes". If you want timely service, get out your wallet. Good installers will make a real appointment for you, I do, for $50 and I'm always 10-15 minutes early, and the custom work is ~$75/hour, or it's getting done the cable company way.
In my case, all I needed was for the installer to show up at the door and hand me my 622 and new LNBs. And after he showed up almost an hour late, that is exactly what he did.
Then while he filled out two pieces of paper and made two phone calls, I installed the 622 into my A/V cabinet and went out and replaced the LNBs & switches on my dishes. He didn't install anything, in fact, he never even touched a cable nor did he inspect my work before calling in the activation.
If E* had shipped me the stuff directly, I could have been up and running three weeks earlier.
Then the next day, I reconfigured my in-house cables and put in an old receiver into a 2nd room to a 2nd TV. Although I had to wait 3 days to get a yellow card to activate it.
I do appreciate that many installs turn out to be much more complicated than described. In my case, it was far simpler!
To E*'s credit, they called me three times in the two days prior to the "installation" to make sure I knew and agreed to the schedule. So they worked hard to prevent a no-show customer situation.
Then while he filled out two pieces of paper and made two phone calls, I installed the 622 into my A/V cabinet and went out and replaced the LNBs & switches on my dishes. He didn't install anything, in fact, he never even touched a cable nor did he inspect my work before calling in the activation.
If E* had shipped me the stuff directly, I could have been up and running three weeks earlier.
Then the next day, I reconfigured my in-house cables and put in an old receiver into a 2nd room to a 2nd TV. Although I had to wait 3 days to get a yellow card to activate it.
I do appreciate that many installs turn out to be much more complicated than described. In my case, it was far simpler!
To E*'s credit, they called me three times in the two days prior to the "installation" to make sure I knew and agreed to the schedule. So they worked hard to prevent a no-show customer situation.
my installers are required to call the customer and let them know if he is going to be late. i cant expect them to be on time everytime... i know how it is, some jobs just take longer than expected sometimes.
So if a repair guy for your washer or dryer didn't show up on time you'd ask for maybe the part free or labor for nothing? The guy who doesn't show up on time for that 2 o'clock repair on your fridge should just turn around and go away because you'll find someone else to fix it when it is Sat afternoon and no one else will come out until Monday! Some people are just never satisfied and want everything given to them. YES, my time is important but I don't demand the world just because the guy showed up late. There isn't a repair story out there on any product where the guy either shows up very late or doesn't have the part to fix it. Go ahead and cancel, see if Dish really cares! For everyone of you that cancel because something didn't go their way there will be 50, like me, that is very happy with their service and have very little to complain about, I have been with Dish for almost 10 years! I don't think you should get anything more than an apology.
I had called Dish to repoint my 105 Super Dish as I my locals kept dropping out. We setup the appointment for 12-5. 12-5 came and went and no one showed up.
Called Dish and the CSR said they can not reach the tech's service center and all they can do is reschedule. I was pissed as it has been about a week without locals and they tell me I have to wait another 9 days. I spoke to the CSR's supervisor and he said sometimes they run late and try to give it them and hour. I told him if no one showed up I am cancelling.
I waited another hour and no one showed up. I was done with Dish at this point and was going to call around that evening to cancel. Low and behold at 8:45PM E* paid some local retailers to come out and do the service call.
The original service center never called to confirm the appointment or call to say they were going to be late. This service call has pretty much put me off of Dish.
My HDTV is arriving and I want to Dish it Up to 622 $199 promo. But I am very reluctant, who knows if the installer will even show up?
Called Dish and the CSR said they can not reach the tech's service center and all they can do is reschedule. I was pissed as it has been about a week without locals and they tell me I have to wait another 9 days. I spoke to the CSR's supervisor and he said sometimes they run late and try to give it them and hour. I told him if no one showed up I am cancelling.
I waited another hour and no one showed up. I was done with Dish at this point and was going to call around that evening to cancel. Low and behold at 8:45PM E* paid some local retailers to come out and do the service call.
The original service center never called to confirm the appointment or call to say they were going to be late. This service call has pretty much put me off of Dish.
My HDTV is arriving and I want to Dish it Up to 622 $199 promo. But I am very reluctant, who knows if the installer will even show up?
webbydude said:
Actually yes; I paid $199 for the privilege of leasing a HD DVR and it comes with composite cables? what a joke.
I also get limited time from work for vacation so I get extremely annoyed when I wait in the entire day not able to go anywhere on my day off for an engineer that doesn't bother to show up.
shodobe said:
Its a repeated and completely different analogy; but never the less, if someone is paid to do their job and I have to take time from mine then they should show up and do as they are paid to do. It seems of late that mediocrity and poor customer service are running rampant in every industry.
Wired said:
The luck of the draw you have it. Today's nano second society we all live in certainly helps things... not only can you talk on your phone, it'll do email, take pictures, record movies, replace your daily planner, play your favorite MP3's all at the same time you can hit up McDonalds and stuff yourself with cheeseburgers and milk shakes.
Let's face it, as one poster mentioned for $50 custom appt, ~$75/hr custom labor, that may change things.
I'm pretty good about making my times, however sometimes it goes far and beyond... I show up to do a nominal 3 hour job 2 room install 110/119, oh nonono... make that a 4 room 61.5/110/119 on top of being a 1800's house were TV's are on one side of the mansion with tree's all over turning it into a 7 hour job.
It happens.
Granted; things happen, but in my field that costs money. There is a severe lack of communication from these companies about what is going on; its all about setting customer expectations.
I had a recent DSL install, line didn't work, called, went through the usual script and eventually got an engineer scheduled. Never turned up, no call, no apology, nothing. I calll verizon and they pass me around continents before telling me to call another number. I have emailed, sent forms via their website, even used the chat facility all to no avail - its just constant poor service from giants who feel they can mistreat customers because of a lack of alternative choice.
My point is, time is money, perhaps installs shouldn't be so close together; or perhaps dish should communicate the install requirement the customer asked for when ordering?
I had a recent DSL install, line didn't work, called, went through the usual script and eventually got an engineer scheduled. Never turned up, no call, no apology, nothing. I calll verizon and they pass me around continents before telling me to call another number. I have emailed, sent forms via their website, even used the chat facility all to no avail - its just constant poor service from giants who feel they can mistreat customers because of a lack of alternative choice.
My point is, time is money, perhaps installs shouldn't be so close together; or perhaps dish should communicate the install requirement the customer asked for when ordering?
I have more of a problem with people being late when the appointment is not at a specific hour, but a block of 4-5 hours. If someone is supposed to get to a house between 8AM-Noon, a 4 hour window, then they should be able to make it. It isn't like the appointment was for 9:30 but they showed up at 10:15.
A 4 hour window is an inconvenience to the customer to begin with. Who wants to sit around waiting for 4 hours for someone to show up? And then they don't even make it, showing up an hour late and acting like that is fairly acceptable. Hey, by that time the customer has been waiting for 5 hours. There are not many situations where a customer who has been waiting for 5 hours is going to be a happy customer.
Then they may have to wait another 1-2 hours for the job to be finished. So by the time the installer wraps up, the customer has been tied up waiting for 6-7 hours. This is a recipe for dissatisfaction, especially if the install is anything less than perfect at that point.
Also mind that these are not emergency appointments, they are scheduled appointments, sometimes scheduled out 2-3 weeks in advance. So you need to factor in that the customer has already been waiting several days for the install appointment.
So I think it is important for an installer to see things from a customer perspective. Someone who has been waiting for 2 weeks for the installation, and now has been waiting for 5 hours for the installer to show up. Then if anything about the install isn't to satisfaction, it can be irritating.
A 4 hour window is an inconvenience to the customer to begin with. Who wants to sit around waiting for 4 hours for someone to show up? And then they don't even make it, showing up an hour late and acting like that is fairly acceptable. Hey, by that time the customer has been waiting for 5 hours. There are not many situations where a customer who has been waiting for 5 hours is going to be a happy customer.
Then they may have to wait another 1-2 hours for the job to be finished. So by the time the installer wraps up, the customer has been tied up waiting for 6-7 hours. This is a recipe for dissatisfaction, especially if the install is anything less than perfect at that point.
Also mind that these are not emergency appointments, they are scheduled appointments, sometimes scheduled out 2-3 weeks in advance. So you need to factor in that the customer has already been waiting several days for the install appointment.
So I think it is important for an installer to see things from a customer perspective. Someone who has been waiting for 2 weeks for the installation, and now has been waiting for 5 hours for the installer to show up. Then if anything about the install isn't to satisfaction, it can be irritating.
Oh trust me, I *do* hear you. As if things weren't murky and tense enough, here's some info to add to the mix. As a tech, I'm actually mandated to do new connects 1st and THEN trouble/service calls. The reason being? (you'll love this) Once a customer is subscribed, most often they're already locked into a contract. The big money is new connects...not service calls.
As an example, if a customer is scheduled between 8 - 12 for a service related issue. Most often you should expect your technician to show up towards the later part of said time frame. And trust me, it's not like any technician has a sick or twisted side and actually gets off on hearing how late he is if it happens he shows up at 11AM for the 8 - 12 appointment. This is why most techs will try to brush off or otherwise smooth over any bad feelings.
As an example, if a customer is scheduled between 8 - 12 for a service related issue. Most often you should expect your technician to show up towards the later part of said time frame. And trust me, it's not like any technician has a sick or twisted side and actually gets off on hearing how late he is if it happens he shows up at 11AM for the 8 - 12 appointment. This is why most techs will try to brush off or otherwise smooth over any bad feelings.
Last edited:
My installer WAS going to be late but he called me several times to tell me about his problem.. then called me back telling me he now would be early since his second appointment was not home so I became second. this was a local dish installer company and not dish techs. what a great installer...
webbydude said:
:up Absolutely. This original poster is completely out of his mind on this aspect. I've never heard of someone complaining that their receiver supports something more than what they're getting. Plus, if you never put an OTA antenna on the order, how will the techs know that they'll have to install one? Not every tech knows how to install OTA antennas.
Wired said:
I don't like how DISH decided to shortchange the ViP622 customers on the component cables, either. They should supply component cables for the ViP211 and 411 receivers, too, but at least for the ViP622 customers.
I think in the past few years, many cable companies out there had a time guarantee (Comcast did in my area). If Comcast didn't come out within the appointment window, you were given around $30 credit, I believe. They stopped that shortly after starting it and I don't hear about it anymore. I'd love for DISH to start that, but the reality of the lack of manpower, logistics, and difficulty enforcing that on retailers prevents that from happening. Unlike cable, satellite installations often take longer to complete.
With Dish there is no time guarentee, they promise an am time frame of 8-12, and a pm time frame of 12-5. All installs go in the same way pretty much, but with the layout of everyones house being different and what it really takes to put the job in can create a nightmare sometimes. Us as installers are only human, and we can only do so much before we run out of time. I really do make it a practice to be ontime but that just can't happen all of the time. I know people take time off of work according to when dish tells them when the installer will be there, but its not our fault if your the last install of the day and have been waiting around all day for us to show and when we do show, the job can't go in because of tree blockage or for other reasons of line of sight. There are installers that simply say this is a no sight without checking all possibilities, i am not one of those, nor will i ever be one. But all I have to say hperry, is that your job went in, sit back and relax, watch your new dish system and be happy. As for some kind of compensation, don't expect something for nothing, cause in dishes eyes, we did our part for you.
SummitAdvantageRetailer said:
UGH. The analogy about the installer bringing a TV is way off target. The DISH Network is in the business of streaming content to homes. Thinking that they would bring me a tv is ludicrous. Thinking they might have an OTA antenna to mount with the dish they're putting on my house is not. In fact, D* does offer this with their installs and often the OTA antenna is thrown in for free.
The thing I'm really fuming about is they don't give you any hint that although you'll get the OTA HD locals (once you install your own antenna), there won't be any guide data...at least not on the VIP622. HELLO? Welcome back to the days of manual VCR recording. At this point, it's a serious tossup between Dish and going back to TWC and the utilitarian 8300HD...it's like an 86 volvo station wagon - might not look good but it gets you where you need to go.
Last edited:
Similar threads
Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)
Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)
Latest posts
-
T
-
-
-
-
I