Is it safe to assume my installer's not coming?

[colt45allstar]

It was supposed to be at around 10:00 AM... it's now 3:42 PM.

At around 12:30 I got an automated voice mail stating that the installer would call me 30 minutes before arriving... that made me think they might show up after all.. but as 4:00 PM a full six hours after the scheduled installation arrives, I start to doubt it.

As my previous message entitled "signed up over a month ago, still no service" indicated I am not at all happy.

On the plus side I finally called Direc TV themselves and was told that my account is in fact showing up.

Was starting to worry that these guys were scammers www.directsattv.com/directv and that the installers they are using Installs R US Inc might be as well.

However with my account showing up in Direc TV's computers, that must not be the case.

I was told that if things don't change within the next couple of days that I can call Direc TV and cancel the original installation and then they can reschedule through Direc themselves, my problem with that is as follows:

I've already waited... and waited... and waited and they were unable able to give me a firm date if I were to decide to go that route. They did say that they were unable to come and complete the job, due to having work scheduled through DirectSAtTV and Installs R Us.

The two pieces that were re shipped due to one being missing and one being broken were The DirecTV Slim Line LNB Integrated SWM and The DirecTV SWM 2 Way Splitter 2-2150 Mhz 1 port power passing with weather boots.

I can't imagine those two pieces being hard to install... especially with The Dish itself already being mounted. That's what the installer was supposed to come and do today.

I guess I'm just frustrated. When you pay this much money for something.. you want it hooked up and functioning... When you pay full price for ESPN Full Court... you kinda well expect to be able to watch it.

Sorry about being so long winded in this rant, but is it safe to assume there will be no installer today, or have you heard of them being 'this' late? (almost six hours as of this typing)

 

[rad]

Never know, I once had a 10AM to noon install, he finally showed up around 8:30PM.

I'd call DirecTV, raise a bit of a stink and ask for a $100 credit for the delay, AFAKI they're supposed to do that if they're more then a couple hours late.

 

[colt45allstar]

I think I will call and ask about that 100 credit... especially since this has been more like a week's delay.

The first two times over a month ago were not their fault.. bad weather one time and me having to work at the last minute the other time.

Them not being to install on last Monday due to a missing piece and a broken piece, as well as this delay today... assuming it gets set up at all is.

 

[branchbouncer]

Install tomorrow

I have an install set for tomorrow, placed the order 3 days ago, will be interesting too see if they show up. Set for 12:00-5:00pm

 

[colt45allstar]

If you went through Direc Tv themselves (like I should have done) I doubt you will have a problem.

I think my problem was going through a reseller. If they do show up on Sunday count your blessings and be thankful.

This ordeal's been going on for over a month now.

 

[branchbouncer]

Thats way too long, we had the same problem back in Northern VA, we had D and wanted to get Voom also took about 2 1/2 months for them too get it together

 

[Zynergi]

colt45allstar: If your account is active then teh install company has closed the job and gotten paid for it.. I would definitely keep raising a stink over it... hell try and get it escalated to ISS/Case Management and suggest to the tech that comes out to take before and after pictures so he can charge back the original installers.

Job is closed and paid so these techs are like meh whatever this guy is out of luck.

As I stated in yor other post, write a physical letter of discontent on the situation.. you would be surprised how serious D* takes that. (from my understanding when I was in management D* fines or pulls contracts to the install company for crap like this)

 

[colt45allstar]

This whole situation just plain sucks.

I'm going to call installs r us one more time... try to schedule one more time and if something 'comes up' this time, then I'm going to contact DirecTv and I'm going to ask for the case management department and do everything in my power to get this situation rectified.

I'm not in the mood to deal with this anymore and my frustrating is growing by the day.

You are likely right that since the job is closed they don't care, but they 'will' get in trouble for it if I have my way.

If it's not installed on my next day off (not until Thursday unfortunately ... and promptly at that, no more of this waiting around all day for someone who doesn't show up crap) then I won't rest until they are either fined heavily or the contract is pulled.

I also better get a partial credit for this whole debacle (simply getting a partial refund for my ESPN Full Court would suffice.. since I have already missed half the season)

If DirecTV wants to keep me as a customer this will all be done, in the meantime.. perhaps because I've been accused of being too nice a guy, I'm going to give installs r us one more 'final' chance.. as mentioned above.

The ball's in their court... and if they don't come through the ball's then in Direc's court, at least if they want to keep me as a customer.

 

[Spize]

This is why you ALWAYS go to a retailer and don't trust DirecTV to have a clue what the HSPs are doing.

HSPs set their numbers of installations based on 4 installs per installer. While a veteran installer CAN get 4 installs done in a day (done correctly) about 90% of HSP techs are not what you can call veterans... So what happens if they are short staffed or the installs are not geographically equal to the technician locations? Some poor 2-3 month out of training tech gets 3 morning installs and has 4 hours to do them... by Murphy's law these always tend to be on a day where that same tech is scheduled to go to the warehouse to pick up equipment.

A retailer on the otherhand typicall knows his installers personally and will call them to confirm they are available during the time to be scheduled... one nice thing about retailer installers is that they are typically independant contractors that have the ability to say no if someone asks them to take on more work than they can handle... HSP techs just don't have that option and generally if they tell their dispatcher or head tech the answer is "tough, just get it done"

Before anyone gets upset at me, I don't dislike HSP Techs, I dislike HSP Management.

BTW, pretty much the same thing goes for these installation companies that do work for retailers. When you have people controlling the install routing and scheduling that don't interact with customers or installers this is what you get.

 

[marly]

I had the same problem getting an installer to show up, here’s my story.

I get the impression from reading all of the different forums that the people who do their own install are the most happy.

When I first got DirecTV around ’95 or so I did the install myself. I had no clue how to setup a dish at all (I was 13 or 14 at the time). I took it out of the box and read the directions it came with and I was all set. Then when the triple LNB dishes game out I purchased that and did the install myself.
Finally, I needed the Slimline dish because I wanted to upgrade all my equipment. Long story short the issues with getting an installer to show up and all the headaches made me cancel my subscription. I’ve been a subscriber for over 10 years.

After some thought, I bought a 5-LNB Slimline off the Internet, it came a few days later. FedEx delivered it and I put it together ready to install it the next day. I was sitting there and I looked at the lag bolts and I wondered if they’d be too long for where I wanted to mount it. I went outside to check and they seemed fine. I noticed that with the porch light on I could see pretty good so I said to my wife, “You busy?” She said, “No, why? ”.

Anyway 30 minutes later we had DirecTV on the Slimline all in the 90’s for signal. I mounted the post to our deck; I put the dish on it, and pointed it to what I thought the Azimuth was. I hooked it up to the receiver and I was getting signals all in the 90’s and a 100 on a cloudy snow night.
Long story short, if I would have just installed it myself, I would have been much happier to begin with.

Anyway, wish I could have gotten my “free install”, but I had to pay for the dish and install it myself just to get the service I wanted. – Go figure.

marly

 

[Joe Diamond]

This is why you ALWAYS go to a retailer and don't trust DirecTV to have a clue what the HSPs are doing.

HSPs set their numbers of installations based on 4 installs per installer. While a veteran installer CAN get 4 installs done in a day (done correctly) about 90% of HSP techs are not what you can call veterans... So what happens if they are short staffed or the installs are not geographically equal to the technician locations? Some poor 2-3 month out of training tech gets 3 morning installs and has 4 hours to do them... by Murphy's law these always tend to be on a day where that same tech is scheduled to go to the warehouse to pick up equipment.

A retailer on the otherhand typicall knows his installers personally and will call them to confirm they are available during the time to be scheduled... one nice thing about retailer installers is that they are typically independant contractors that have the ability to say no if someone asks them to take on more work than they can handle... HSP techs just don't have that option and generally if they tell their dispatcher or head tech the answer is "tough, just get it done"

Before anyone gets upset at me, I don't dislike HSP Techs, I dislike HSP Management.

BTW, pretty much the same thing goes for these installation companies that do work for retailers. When you have people controlling the install routing and scheduling that don't interact with customers or installers this is what you get.

Spize,
Them days are gone. As an installer I had been selling and installing DTV through American Satellite and Entertainment, Inc. I would find customers, do a site survey and call them to enter the customer's credit info, place the order and ship the equipment to me for installation.

Last Friday, I called American to enter an order. At the end of the process their CSR told my customer....hold a minute and I'll get you an installation date........I said, not necessary, I will do the installation, just ship the equipment.

They are not doing fulfillment work anymore! Their sales now go to DTV for installation.

My customer canceled.......good credit.....liked everything he saw in the DTV program.......The American CSRs did their usual great job.......but the customer just did not want to deal with the HSP bozoos!

Every customer I signed up had some kind of bad experience with the local HSP. I had convinced them that I would be the one doing the installation and that was enough to get them back. This includes a home theater company that had MASTEC techs damage new work to do installations.

So now I am to motivate my neighbors to give MASTEC or DirectSatUSA another chance?

DTV has worked hard to make the HSP program what it is.

I'm done.

Joe