Installer Not Coming - How to Get Resolved?

[Puryear]

Newbie here. Planned to switch from E and install scheduled this afternoon. Got a call 1 hour into my window from the installer telling me there is no way he will be here and I'll just have to reschedule. My work/travel schedule makes that almost impossible for almost a month, so this install has to happen today or I probably just stay with E,

I've called around a lot of people and got numbers for the field supervisors, but after one told me he'd see what he could do and call me back, its been silence and now no one is answering their phones.

Any advice?

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys!

There probably isn't anything that can be done for today, but if you use this email: ellen.filipiak@directv.com and tell them your problem, they may be able to get you a quicker install date.

 

[Puryear]

Thanks for the suggestion. Email sent. Looking more and more like I'll just stick with E.

 

[Puryear]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

 

[detroit_fan]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

good stuff!

 

[raoul5788]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

Wow! I figured they could help, but that's crazy!

 

[harshness]

Wow! I figured they could help, but that's crazy!

Totally awesome!

That being said, it is unfortunate that the OP had to go to the whip to get what they were promised.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

Good. I would hate to see you have to keep dish

 

[Joe Diamond]

Totally awesome!

That being said, it is unfortunate that the OP had to go to the whip to get what they were promised.

Gotta wonder what happened to the first guy. As management just forces jobs into a schedule that cannot be accurately predicted you lose the incompetent real fast. Then you overwork the good guys until they too are gone. Then you run another ad.

Joe

 

[Jimbo]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

AWESOME !!!

 

[Tampa8]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

Quite impressive.

 

[Mr Tony]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

very cool

 

[whitewolf8214]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the email suggestion. Within 15 minutes of sending my email, I got a call and installation rescheduled for this afternoon.

Congrats and glad you got taken care of and that was fast

 

[dishcomm]

to Satelliteguys!

There probably isn't anything that can be done for today, but if you use this email: ellen.filipiak@directv.com and tell them your problem, they may be able to get you a quicker install date.

That would be nice. I think the OP said he will not be available again for a month.

 

[dishcomm]

Newbie here. Planned to switch from E and install scheduled this afternoon. Got a call 1 hour into my window from the installer telling me there is no way he will be here and I'll just have to reschedule. My work/travel schedule makes that almost impossible for almost a month, so this install has to happen today or I probably just stay with E,

I've called around a lot of people and got numbers for the field supervisors, but after one told me he'd see what he could do and call me back, its been silence and now no one is answering their phones.

Any advice?

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time. Yes, scheduling issues, longer than expected service on site duration, flat tires, etc are really NOT the problem of the next customer in line, but things do happen. With techs loaded up with work and spread out thin due to the limited availability of good people to do the work, and you have a potential sh!t storm if ONE thing goes wrong with a technician's day. I did this stuff for 12 years. My biggest gripe was there simply no room for the slightest thing to go amiss in the scheduling.
For example. If a job was for say three tv's which most techs can knock out in a couple hours even if they have to run a full compliment of cabling. If that job turns into 4 or 5 hours for whatever reason, every job the tech has after that gets backed up.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time. Yes, scheduling issues, longer than expected service on site duration, flat tires, etc are really NOT the problem of the next customer in line, but things do happen. With techs loaded up with work and spread out thin due to the limited availability of good people to do the work, and you have a potential sh!t storm if ONE thing goes wrong with a technician's day. I did this stuff for 12 years. My biggest gripe was there simply no room for the slightest thing to go amiss in the scheduling.
For example. If a job was for say three tv's which most techs can knock out in a couple hours even if they have to run a full compliment of cabling. If that job turns into 4 or 5 hours for whatever reason, every job the tech has after that gets backed up.

That is what I saw,
Add to that dispatchers who can't or won't read maps. You look at a route in the morning and just know the last two stops have to be after dark. So you get on the phone and get the customers to accept different times, thus saving hours of zig zag routing. Still some error in the Work Order will streach a job....stuff that cannot be foreseen happens. One of my favs is rolling into a job and discovering it had been compleated the day before. And there are always techs running way ahead looking for another job.

Joe

 

[Hutch1814]

That is what I saw,
Add to that dispatchers who can't or won't read maps. You look at a route in the morning and just know the last two stops have to be after dark. So you get on the phone and get the customers to accept different times, thus saving hours of zig zag routing. Still some error in the Work Order will streach a job....stuff that cannot be foreseen happens. One of my favs is rolling into a job and discovering it had been compleated the day before. And there are always techs running way ahead looking for another job.

Joe

And this is the purpose of the new "FS scheduler" directv is running. Only get 1 job and from there the jobs shift from tech to tech. So if you have a 4 box sitting on you (they call it soft booked) and you get behind the scheduler will automatically drop that job on to the next closest tech. In a perfect world this sounds like a great idea, it's crap! Lol

 

[Joe Diamond]

Hutch,
The only scheduler I ever saw that worked was me. I got several days of your out of my fax machine. I contacted the customers and scheduled them. Then I informed the installation company what I had arranged. Part of the deal was to keep in touch and immediately inform him of any changes...call in completed jobs when done.

Worked for me,

Joe

 

[cwahl]

Joe diamond that system is long gone, Like mentioned earlier with this new fs scheduler suppose to stop this make it easier on the tech, start with farthest job then work way home load of crap, like today for example, first job 1.5 hours south of my home, get done with it at noon ( yes was a big job) wait an hr for them to give me another job 45 min north from previous job, next job back 45 min south ( same area I waited an hr for the next job) which still leaves me 1.5 hrs from home.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Joe diamond that system is long gone, Like mentioned earlier with this new fs scheduler suppose to stop this make it easier on the tech, start with farthest job then work way home load of crap, like today for example, first job 1.5 hours south of my home, get done with it at noon ( yes was a big job) wait an hr for them to give me another job 45 min north from previous job, next job back 45 min south ( same area I waited an hr for the next job) which still leaves me 1.5 hrs from home.

Does all this happen to you guys as employees or are ypou self employed contractors?
As a contractor I would want to be able to refuse to drive an hour and a half to a first job. I used to say no on a regular basis and stick the WOs back in the fax so they could get somebody closer.

As an employee I would want the time clock ticking on the way to the first job. When low on fuel I would expect to use the company CC and when the company vehicle was parked expect the time clock to stop.

How are things these days?

joe