NE NJ install company blows

[drewcatc]

they were 5 hours late on the back end of the install window and now have missed three service calls to fix the relocation of the directivo. Good service company.

Drew

[Mertzen]

What's the company name ?

[drewcatc]

What's the company name ?

Directech NE I beleive

Drew

[theslag]

Were in NJ are you...my father in law lives in woodbridge NJ and he had nothing but problems unill the last guy that came. The first time, two guys came in a lexus with a folding ladder than asked my father in law if he had another ladder. For the second line for his tivo, they drilled a hole in the side of his house and ran it via the floor....needless to say, DTV is repairing it for him...but the last guy that came intalled a 5lnb dish and his HR20 and they were rock solid....I guess one out of 4 aint bad. I live in PA and Ironwood does my intalls and they have been nothing but helpful. Even let me help them because I wanted to learn how it all works so I can troubleshoot and correct issues myself....

RB

[drewcatc]

I live in Bergen County. Attempt nuber 4 is supposed to occur any minute.

Drew

[missparker10]

I live In Sayreville, NJ and directTech is my service company as well and I have had nothing but issues with them. Not showing up, not calling, not bringing the equipment, refusing to do what the DTV rep told him to do and also being rude, storming out and cursing at me.

[theslag]

you all need to get out of NJ and move to PA....save money on your taxes and have great direct installs to boot...LOL....

New Jersey is slowly turning into CUBA...

[drewcatc]

I live In Sayreville, NJ and directTech is my service company as well and I have had nothing but issues with them. Not showing up, not calling, not bringing the equipment, refusing to do what the DTV rep told him to do and also being rude, storming out and cursing at me.

well I "had"an arrangement with them to show up with a supervisor at 3:30 today....guess what happened?

if Verizon fios tv was in town D* would be coming to get this **** out of my house. All of this for a cable run that could have been done the first time.

[theslag]

FIOS looks cool, but do the math with their programing and cost of leasing the receivers, same price as the cable company. But then again, if I had to go through what my father inlaw went through I would toss all the receivers out. I feel your pain....

[drewcatc]

well I "had"an arrangement with them to show up with a supervisor at 3:30 today....guess what happened?

if Verizon fios tv was in town D* would be coming to get this **** out of my house. All of this for a cable run that could have been done the first time.

well the guy shows at 5pm and won't run the wire thru the house. wants do run it outside and drill another hole into our bedroom (in front of house) to run the second tuner wire. I say no, he should run it thru house and I will call D* (they want to speak to him and he tells them to hold on while he is on the phone with his supervisor and they hang up)

I call Directech and while on the phone with them, he splits!

I am PISSED. I may do to the dark side unless D* comes thru big tomorrow with me. I also told them that Dtech isn't coming back to my house and if I cancel D* they are paying to repair the holes in my roof. She agreed.

Drew

[ajiovine]

I've had difficulties with Directech. In December, they missed five consecutive appointments to install an HD DVR. When I finally cooled down after the Christmas season, I called them to set up another appointment, this time on Saturday, February 10th, which the installer arrived considerably late, but I had to run to church since I am clergyman and had service that evening. I ended up, in haste, canceling my service.

Soon after, the installers at Directech continued to call me regarding my installation problems. I spoke to many of them and they urged me to return to Directv. After speaking with them, and representatives at Directv (not the customer service representatives), I was assured that I would not have installation problems again.

I've rescheduled my appointment for Monday, April 9th. I hope and pray that Directech will get the job done.

[shadyridr]

Ive had 3 installs. 2 buy Directech, one by a private installer (with no Directv logos on his van). The Directech installations were MUCH smoother and more professional than the private one. Go figure.

[TheDurk]

Basking Ridge, NJ here. I had my AU9 pole mount and HR20 installed by AllSat, who were subbing to DirectTech. Organizational disaster. Five appointments, NOT ONE appeared within window. First two did not appear by dark and had to reschedule. On third try, someone showed up 4 hours late and determined pole mount was required. Polemount was scheduled, and on visit #4 installer showed up two hours past window with no clue pole was required. (WO was same text as first visit). Finally#5 visit (only 1 hour past window!!!!) got the job done. I was prepared with dispatcher's cell phone (it was a Sunday). The assistant did not know input side from output side of multi-switch--I had to show him ("These go to dish; other side goes to boxes.....:confused: "

Lead installer was competent, friendly and ready to quit. Said DirectTech was scheduling WAY too many installs per day (as many as 8 or 9) and that WO's were always wrong. I love satellite because I never have needed a tech (since I installed my Dish300 in 1996). Hopefully I will never need a 'professional installation' :lol: again! Avoid DirectTech if at all possible. Bright side: AU9 locked in 90+ all five sats and HR20 works (pretty much).

[TheDurk]

Chapter II (Chap I above)
I am resurrecting this thread because I really am frustrated with these people. So the trees leaf in, and I lose Satellite 119 completely. I try to call AllSat but they don't return my calls and scheduler is always on phone when I call. (I am still trying to get my cables buried and grounded as ground was frozen when originally installed so its lying on the grass. My 50 year-old K&E surveying compass (does elevation,too) and the location of 119 off the Dish network site--can't find on D*) shows 70 foot tulip square on azimuth bearing. I end up calling Mother D*, who sends DirectTech tech, who says, "Yup, tree" and they get AllStar out here. They were told by DirectTech that pole-mount had to be moved, but they have no pole. Promise to call back same day (yesterday). No call. I call today and NUMBER IS DISCONNECTED!!! I call DirectTech and they get through--apparently disconnection was temporary. I am back to waiting for call back. What a group of clowns!!!

[compnurd]

I had Directech NE up here and they were great.

[Duffycoug]

I had Directech....guys showed up on time first appointment....he swaps my HR10-250 for my HR20-100 and says, ok, sign here...LOL....I tell him I am supposed to have the 5LNB dish installed, as well as the Multiswitch..he says it's not on the work order....numerous calls to D*tv, I tell them either it's installed today or I get a massive credit...guy pulls a dish from another order and installs it perfectly....90+ on all sats....I learned to make sure you're the FIRST install of the day, because if things go wrong or don't work they pull from the other orders.

[fratwell]

Had DirectTech upgrade my dish to an AT9 in Dec 06 later in the afternoon just minutes before sunset and they did not even mount the dish on a rafter/stud on the roof, just into 25 year old 1/2" plywood. The April NorthEaster knocked out my service and I ended calling a local satellite repair service. I saw that they were able to rock the AT9 left and right even with the monopoles installed. He had to patch up the holes, remount the AT9 onto a rafter, and fix other issues left by DirecTech. The local repair service also provides antenna/satellite work for some of the local New England TV stations. I will never use DirecTech again.

[JAYPB]

I finally took the plunge and decided to work an HR20 into my current HD setup. I didn't want to give up any of my HR10-250's....so I requested a new 5 LNB Dish installed with 2 runs to an HR20....and I requested a new 6x16 MS so the fella could add my other 4 HR10-250 runs onto the new dish/MS....so that when/if I eventually decide to upgrade those receivers....I'm all set other than getting the new receivers.

So....the first appointment date....the dude shows up....with an HR20...and a 4x8 MS....and his work order shows NO 5 LNB dish installation....as well as a "swap out" of the 10-250! Most excellent....especially since my wife stayed home all afternoon...with 3 kids...and the dude shows up at 7:50...on a 4-8pm window! NICE! :nono:

So....he calls his supervisor....and then calls Directv...the guy is having a hard time *communicating* with anyone....his English wasn't too....uh....good. He tells my wife...that WE need to call DirecTV back after he leaves and "fix" this because a new order will have to be put in to the system and he can't install something that's not on his paperwork. So I get home...and call DirecTV and the rep I speak to tells me that the work order that THEIR system shows....reflects a new dish/receiver install...AND shows a 6x16 Zinwell M/S on the order as well. Excellent again....of course it shows the "right stuff"...because everything I had confirmed with the original retention rep 2 nights before WAS what I was expecting to get.

I then have the rep I speak to "confirm" with the "installation department" that what WE are speaking about....goes on the work order that is SUBMITTED to the technician who shows up at my house. Bottom line: The "disconnect" seems to be at the level where the D* rep submits the order to the install department (which in my case seemed to not be D* install department per se....but the DirecTech install department). So....the D* rep has a 3 way call going with me, the install department and himself...and he has to repeat everything 3 times...because she wasn't *getting* it....and he then had her tell him what was on the original install work order for the dude who showed up at my house that night...and there WAS NO 5 LNB dish on her order screen...nor was there a 6x16 M/S request....and it showed a "swap" of receivers. Wrong on all accounts!!! Very nice to quote Borat. I hang up having been assured that the guy would come out with the "right stuff" this time. Excellent.....:sure:

Fast forward to the 2nd install attempt on a Monday...and the guy does indeed show up on time.....but he has a 6x8 M/S (which my wife didn't inform me of because she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and a 3 way splitter). I tell her that I want the guy to install the new dish...but I also want him to leave the old 3 LNB dish INTACT and UP because....as it turns out....it's the same guy from the first attempt and I wasn't too confident in his...uh...abilities. I tell her I want to talk to him...and she says "forget it, no one who he talked to on the phone the other night could understand him, so I'll tell him"! We discuss that I want him to hook up the existing HR10-250 lines (there are 8 of them) to the new M/S so this way IF there is a problem with the 5LNB dish install I still have the existing 3 LNB dish to use as a backup.

No problem she says. So, she explains to him what we want. He finally finishes the dish install....and puts the M/S up...and runs to the 2 lines for the HR20...and tells me wife that he's ready to do the activation on the new unit in the basemnt. Turns out that it literally takes him around one hour with not just an activation rep....but with several levels of tech support. He has to repeat himself many times....and the whole time my wife is trying her best not to take the phone from him and "help" him get his point across. He finally gets the thing activated....and my wife signs off on the paperwork...after she checked the existing 4 HR10-250's to make sure everything was kosher with them (i.e. still working on all 3 sats/still activated)...and then she checked the new HR20...and that was working on all our channels/packages/recording, etc....

I get home...and go to check out the install itself. And it turns out he ONLY ran the 2 new lines to the (little did I know) 6x8 M/S....and he left the existing 8 lines for the HR10-250's on the existing 4x8 M/S I had! He must've realized that his work order didn't have the right M/S (I don't have a "copy" of his W/O in my possession but I KNOW what I spoke to the D* rep about). His install of the 5LNB dish also missed a rafter on each part of the mounting plate...as well as the 2 bracing feet (nice eh?). I backed in some 2x4 "blocks" to give the install a little more support on the inside of the roof after the fact.

Other than that the install went fine.....:lol: As far as I can tell the transponders I've checked/viewed have a high signal strength...and my rain fade doesn't seem *as* bad as with my 3LNB dish (which has been up since 2003) and my round dish (which has been up since 2000). And signal strength hasn't been an issue on any of the windy nights since it went up.

So...bottom line....confirm with the D* rep you speak to just WHAT you are getting. Ask him to contact the install department before you hang up with him to CONFIRM that what is on HIS SCREEN....is on THEIR screen/work order as well. Document WHO you talked to....and hope that you get an install tech who's competent enough to understand what you want....and competent enough to install it...uh competently.

Man that was a long rant....but one I've been festering over for almost 3 weeks now!!!

Feel the joy......:D

[surfbird]

I will apologize in behalf of the "lack of" dish.. it seems that the ordering system did not add that for a couple of weeks (end of April & couple of weeks in May) When you order, our order system sends all the necessary requirements to the work order software system.

All hsp were made aware of that issue & they should not have given you a hard time at all because all reps KNOW that the hd units have to have a 5lnb dish added IF your area has hd locals.. I myself went in & altered actual work orders when I had cust call w/that issue while tech still there. It comes in handy knowing more than what u were actually trained <wink>

Honestly.. anytime installer issue w/no resolve contact retention for installer issue & follow up w/a quality check" we don't know ur issues unless u tell us.. The main purpose of a Retention Specialist is to resolve that issue - technical, billing, equpment not working (not just give u a cheap price of it) when it seems that no one else can fix.. WE CAN -- our purpose isn't to give you whatever you want. WE fix a problem.. not order equipment cheaper because "you feel you deserve it"