Late appointment - Why the need for professional install?

[chachster]

Well, I was waiting at home between NOON and 5PM for the installer to come out with my bright and shiny new HR20.

Had a call earlier saying that the tech would be out at 4PM. Okay, that's fine, it's within their window, no big deal.

5:30PM rolls around, I call the number the install place left if I had any questions. Call and sit on hold for 30 minutes, get a rep and they say that he is running behind and should be out between 7PM-8PM. I just said ok.

7PM the tech arrives. He asks where the new receiver is going. I show him. He says, oh, you only have one line, we will get another line ran for you. I politely say, NOPE, he writes on the order, Customer Declines 2nd Line install, I and I sign by it. I will either wait for SWM or run my own line (yes, I'm picky about how cables are ran). He goes out, get the HR20 (-100, oh well, I hoped for another 700) He plugs it all in and goes back out to his truck to do some paperwork. I get it to the setup and run through it and begin the software update. He comes back in and says "Did you select 5LNB? because there are five even though it may only 'look' like three" I tell him yes and that I forced the update to get the latest code (He looked amazed that I was that far) Get all that going and he calls in, they activate and everything looks good. To test that both tuners are happy (ran other line from other room) I try to record and behold "You do not have DVR service" another call to DTV and then do what they have to (either remove and re-add or just resend auth) and that works. He was done and left the multiswitch with me even though I already have the Zinwell WB68 and Slimline dish. Guess I will have a spare just incase! He apologized for running late and said he was a job earlier and they had said all the rooms were cabled, however, they were all split. He asked if they called to let me know he was running late, I said no, again, not his fault, be apoligized agian.

I'm just waiting for the day that DTV will actually just ship the HR20 rather than insist on "professional install"

Anyhow, rant over, just wishing that DTV would ship the new reciever if the customer says they would prefer to self install. Got a spare multswitch out of the deal! :) Oh well, just wanted to rant a bit.

[ubermykeus]

well dropshipping is risky on our part most of the time. DirecTV doesnt ask the right questions and sometimes the customer has the wrong answers. The main reason they send a technician out is because if they send you the receiver directly, anything that happens can not be under warranty. If they send out a technician then it's covered with the 90-day warranty.. It's actually good on your part.

you lucked out on the technician having you sign it off on the work order. I typically dont allow that because of liability issues. no matter how picky you are or not on the wiring. the technician should of setup the receiver then done the paperwork also.

[phat78boy]

I have to agree, I wish they would let people install equipment themselves. I know not every one is technically/mechanically inclined, but for those who are, there is nothing worse then having someone who knows less then you messing with your stuff. lol. I would even be up for signing/agreeing to having to pay for the install if I could not activate my equipment in 30 days.

[Milominderbinder2]

Back when self installs were allowed, people were going through as many as 6 "bad" HR20's before DIRECTV would require an installer to come out.

The Site Survey back in early February found that over 20% of self installations got a "bad" HR20. The costs to DIRECTV often included the costs of the receivers, refurbishing, credits to a customer, and in the end often still having to do the install anyway.

Now that DIRECT has switched to requiring all HR20's be installed by a technician, the number of people reporting being shipped a bad unit has dropped dramatically. One recent survey showed it might be around 5% now.

Bottom line: It is too expensive to allow customers to install their own HR20's.

- Craig

[chachster]

Great points. As for the second line, I'm not sure why I would be required to have that when I was able to provide a second line to the receiver for the tech to ensure it functioned properly on both tuners. Most of the ranting was probably due to my wait. Now if he said I have a 700 if you let me run the second line well we would have had a deal!

[glennb]

I went to circuitcity, paid $300 for the HR20, bought an AT9 dish for $85 from a dealer on EBAY, installed it all on my own time.

Didn't wait xx weeks for an install date, didn't take a day or half a day off work, didn't have any problems doing it myself. It was well worth the $385 I paid for the HR20 and dish.

A lot of people come here all excited about how they only had to make 10 phone calls to DIRECTV to get the HR20 and slimline for $19.99. Then they come back here and rant about the waiting around all day, bad installer guy, having to make a 2nd or 3rd appointmnet to get it right, having to take more time off work.

[ubermykeus]

Great points. As for the second line, I'm not sure why I would be required to have that when I was able to provide a second line to the receiver for the tech to ensure it functioned properly on both tuners. Most of the ranting was probably due to my wait. Now if he said I have a 700 if you let me run the second line well we would have had a deal!


well the majority of the people that dont get a second line and sign off on the work order create a repeat service call on the technician because they thought about it and now want that second line. on the technician side, if the technician comes back out on that service call .. considering its a repeat. the technician has to pretty much reroll for free.. thats like asking for heinz ketchup then getting all the way back home then deciding you dont want that brand but another.. so you have to go back up the store for the different brand. if another technician rerolls on that repeat service call.. that technician can backcharge the previous technician for the whole job and the installation technician didnt make nothing from that work order. no matter what that technician will be backcharged some way or another.

[HDTVsportsfan]

Part of the reason as well (does not apply to OP), is that the AT9/AU9 can be quite a bit more difficult to setup and get good signals on all 5 SAT locations.

Like many,over the 12 years I've been w/ D*, i insatlled all of my own dishes, cabling, and moves. It was disappointing to find out there were no self installs. Unless you obtained the equipment on your own.

As previously mentioned, it is more cost effective for D* to do it this way., even though it may not appear so w/ someof the bad install stories you see here.

[phat78boy]

I understand that there is increased risk by allowing customers to install a dish or receiver themselves, but it could be greatly reduced with a few simple rules. Such as signing off that you would have to pay for an install if you can't do it yourself. This would stop people who really can't do it, but figure they would try anyway. Also, if you already have a 5LNB, they should not require a tech to come out and help you install your HR20. If you call with problems, then send a tech. I know its just a niche group that enjoys/can do installs themselves, but depending on the size it could actually save them some money.

[memory]

Well, I was waiting at home between NOON and 5PM for the installer to come out with my bright and shiny new HR20.

Had a call earlier saying that the tech would be out at 4PM. Okay, that's fine, it's within their window, no big deal.

5:30PM rolls around, I call the number the install place left if I had any questions. Call and sit on hold for 30 minutes, get a rep and they say that he is running behind and should be out between 7PM-8PM. I just said ok.

7PM the tech arrives. He asks where the new receiver is going. I show him. He says, oh, you only have one line, we will get another line ran for you. I politely say, NOPE, he writes on the order, Customer Declines 2nd Line install, I and I sign by it. I will either wait for SWM or run my own line (yes, I'm picky about how cables are ran). He goes out, get the HR20 (-100, oh well, I hoped for another 700) He plugs it all in and goes back out to his truck to do some paperwork. I get it to the setup and run through it and begin the software update. He comes back in and says "Did you select 5LNB? because there are five even though it may only 'look' like three" I tell him yes and that I forced the update to get the latest code (He looked amazed that I was that far) Get all that going and he calls in, they activate and everything looks good. To test that both tuners are happy (ran other line from other room) I try to record and behold "You do not have DVR service" another call to DTV and then do what they have to (either remove and re-add or just resend auth) and that works. He was done and left the multiswitch with me even though I already have the Zinwell WB68 and Slimline dish. Guess I will have a spare just incase! He apologized for running late and said he was a job earlier and they had said all the rooms were cabled, however, they were all split. He asked if they called to let me know he was running late, I said no, again, not his fault, be apoligized agian.

I'm just waiting for the day that DTV will actually just ship the HR20 rather than insist on "professional install"

Anyhow, rant over, just wishing that DTV would ship the new reciever if the customer says they would prefer to self install. Got a spare multswitch out of the deal! :) Oh well, just wanted to rant a bit.



drop shipping will never ever happen cause do you knwo how many times I have went to a house and they said ohhh no problem ill run the second line and yada yada and guess what the next week a fellow tech or myself have a service call to run second line to reciever and then BOOM I have a service within 60 and from wha tyou said the tech sounded very professional and courteous

[ubermykeus]

yeah i understand where you are coming from and it would really help us out in the workload but it's hard to seperate the knowledgable to the non-knowledgable people.. you do have a massload of people that can read about something for 5 minutes then automatically they know more about your job than you do. insulting. but funny.