Quick Install

[Bogy]

My mom has DirecTV. She waited to tell me she hadn't been able to make her TV work all afternoon until after a Bible Study at our church last night. I'm the pastor, and she hadn't wanted to bother me on Palm Sunday. She figured she had pushed a button on the remote and screwed things up, so I went over to see if I could figure out the problem. The screen was showing the "searching for signal" display. I rebooted the receiver a couple of times, with no effect. So I gave the installer a call. She lives in an apartment building, and the owner has an arrangement with a local installer to provide service for residents who want it. My mom was the second resident to get connected. At least a couple more now are also connected. The installer came this morning and found that evidently one of the residents did not check with the owner, who would have directed him to call the local guy, but must have called DirecTV, who sent out one of their own installers, who disconnected my mom, and connected the new customer instead. The local guy also figures the owner is not going to be happy, because while he has taken the time to run the cables through the building, the installer yesterday ran his cable all around the building.

No real question here, other than, how stupid does an installer have to be to disconnect a existing cable in an apartment building to make it easier to hook up his own install?

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

Welcome to the new generation of installers, they don't care! why should they? they make minimum wage (or less). so what do you expect?

 

[basshive]

Welcome to the new generation of installers, they don't care! why should they? they make minimum wage (or less). so what do you expect?

Shouldn't feed you, but I will.

They make whatever wage they make by choice. No one is forcing an installer to become one, they did so at their own choosing. This is not to say that they should not be paid more or anything but using that as an excuse for doing sh!tty work is pathetic.

If I am a paramedic and I think I have a lousy wage is it ok for me to not care? cmon.

 

[jckm78]

Shouldn't feed you, but I will.

They make whatever wage they make by choice. No one is forcing an installer to become one, they did so at their own choosing. This is not to say that they should not be paid more or anything but using that as an excuse for doing sh!tty work is pathetic.

If I am a paramedic and I think I have a lousy wage is it ok for me to not care? cmon.

yeap, you are right, but lower wages bring lower skills of work. The top techs are getting out of this business and finding different kinds of work.

"No real question here, other than, how stupid does an installer have to be to disconnect a existing cable in an apartment building to make it easier to hook up his own install? ""

Really stupid, I would try to get a hold of his tech number and make a compliant about this technician. If you don't he well keep doing it and wil piss off alot more customers and other techs.

 

[Bogy]

I'm letting the local guy who originally installed the equipment take care of it. I'm guessing he has a few thoughts for somebody.

 

[FED-UP-INSTALLER]

Shouldn't feed you, but I will.

They make whatever wage they make by choice. No one is forcing an installer to become one, they did so at their own choosing. This is not to say that they should not be paid more or anything but using that as an excuse for doing sh!tty work is pathetic.

If I am a paramedic and I think I have a lousy wage is it ok for me to not care? cmon.

to use your analogy (sp?) good paramedics (who care) are being replaced with not so good paramedics (who don't care) because they're willing to do the work for less money.

on the humerous side - isn't a paramedic just someone that isn't good enough to be a doctor? - no offense intended, just kinda popped into my head

 

[ranmic]

on the humerous side - isn't a paramedic just someone that isn't good enough to be a doctor? - no offense intended, just kinda popped into my head

That's a good one Fed-Up. Just try not to say that if one is ever helping YOU out......as long as you're conscious.

 

[Liquidforce88]

They make whatever wage they make by choice. No one is forcing an installer to become one, they did so at their own choosing. This is not to say that they should not be paid more or anything but using that as an excuse for doing sh!tty work is pathetic.
QUOTE]

No actually alot of guys did not have a choice. Many have been doing this work for years. Suddenly without any say in the matter their pay is cut 30%. The pay has gotten so bad that in many cases you could make more at wal-mart are Mcdonalds. As such many of the better techs have left the field, leaving the guys that just don't care because they are not paid enough, and the new techs that just don't know any better.

Another thing many of these guys have to deal with is HSP/RSP company's that don't care about anything other than get the job done. Roll up to an apartment building and customer does not have landlord permission to install, ok use an existing system so I don't cause any damage and get the job done. Again because it's a new guy or a guy that just don't care any longer.

Is what the installer did right....Heck no! The problem lies with the satco's, they are cutting the pay so bab that you have nothing but people that don't care doing the work.

 

[tychipman]

Shouldn't feed you, but I will.

They make whatever wage they make by choice. No one is forcing an installer to become one, they did so at their own choosing. This is not to say that they should not be paid more or anything but using that as an excuse for doing sh!tty work is pathetic.

If I am a paramedic and I think I have a lousy wage is it ok for me to not care? cmon.

We didn't always make crap money. Alot of us have thousands of dollars and alot of time invested in the industry. Those of us that started 10 or more years ago are making less than half of what we started at while working the same amount of time or more.

 

[Joe Diamond]

to use your analogy (sp?) good paramedics (who care) are being replaced with not so good paramedics (who don't care) because they're willing to do the work for less money.

on the humerous side - isn't a paramedic just someone that isn't good enough to be a doctor? - no offense intended, just kinda popped into my head

Paramedics are there because someone has to do the really important work on the golf courses, yacht decks and ski resorts......or not.

The role of doctors and installers is being redefined. About a week of training and you can do a superior Directv installation. Antenna, radio & TV techs with low voltage certifications can do more...but it is not needed. Installers are not engineers. Paramedics are not doctors.

AND the control of the original situation is the owner of the building. He can charge the unauthorized installer with trespassing, remove the wire etc and sue to get paid for the removal. Then he can give anyone he chooses permission to work on the cable in HIS building.

The HSP will be glad to back charge the tech and pay to fix things rather than be sued (again).


Joe