Appointment made on 9/17 for 10/2 install, by Ironwood.
Mon 10/2 8-12 install window: They call at 8:15 and say they don't have any HR-20s. New install scheduled for 10/3, 8/12. This is cool as I still get to work at reasonable time.
Tue 10/3 8-12: Call comes at 10:30 that they don't have any HR-20s. Given choice of Thur/Fri/ or Sat install. I take Thur and tell them to call me before 10:30 next time they're not coming. She says she'll note that to the tech. I say "That should be common sense."
Thu 10/5 8-12: No one, no call by 10am. I check my orders on D* site. Says that the install in scheduled for Sat, 10/7. I guess she put down the wrong appt. I call D* Retentions and complain. No chance of getting them out that day because they're out of HR20s again. D* gives me $200 credit. After the $150 taken off of the initial purchase, this makes the whole thing free and I was not a previous HR10 owner, though I have been with D* for 7 years and get Sunday Ticket and Gameplan every year.
Sat 10/7 8-12 install. Tech calls around 10:00. Says he'll come at 11:30. At 11, he calls and asks if he can slip me to the PM because of existing customer problem. No problem I say. I had to take my kid to soccer and record Clemson-Wake Forest anyway. 3pm he shows up.
About 2 hours putting up the dish and 1.5 hours getting HR20 working. Part of that is my fault because the two new wires I ran from the dish (before he got there) didn't work. Also the new multiswitch didn't work and he didn't have another one.
So we just take the two old wires that are good and run straight into HR20. It's 6:30 and I have people over and I have picture. I tell him I know how to use it and I'll setup the remote and do the software download later, so he leaves. He says that he'll definately bring new multiswitch by ASAP.
Sun/Mon - I get up in the attic and fix all of the wiring. Get HR-20 and old TiVO working without multiswitch.
Mon 10/9. I call D* to make sure I get new multiswitch. They tell me they can stop by 10/10 with new one 12-5.
Tue 10/10. About 3:30pm, the first installer shows up with the new switch as promised. I say, "Wow, they sent you again." He doesn't know what I'm talking about, says he was just delivering on his promise. Doesn't know about existing work order. So he calls in and cancels the other guy that was supposed to show up. New multiswitch works with HR20, old Philips TiVO, and old Sony A series.
Anyway, Ironwood is definately understaffed.
They don't seem to reliably have stock to cover their appointments. Maybe they have a supply issue and it's not their fault. Maybe they're just always optimistic.
I don't know who's job it is to look at stock and decide who gets their appointment kept vs cancelled, but that's definately not happening in time. By 8am on the morning of an install, they should know what they can do that day. Calling at 10:30 doesn't cut it. But at least they called I guess.
My tech was good and had many years of experience with Comcast. Nice guy, dealt with my crappy wiring, didn't complain, and brought the switch like he said. He didn't try charge me extra for anything. I was really ready for trouble with the dish location or the wiring, but he worked with me.
If I had gotten the troubles some people have said, I would taken the new dish and receiver in my house and told them to leave - "I'll take it from here". But I didn't have to pull that move.
