[psymn]

I had a new roof installed in July and as a result I needed my dish to be reinstalled. I setup this through Directv, but, when the installer arrived, he had no idea why he was here. Is this typical? Is the communication breakdown at Directv's end or the installation company?

The first guy did a terrible job of aligning my dish and I had low signals on 103 (70's), and when 99 lit up it was in the 30's. Obviously, this led to pixellation problems on HD channels. Another installer was dispatched, and he showed up with a new DVR and B-band converters. It took me several minutes to convince him that my DVR was OK, and he needed to get on the roof and align my dish.

After 10 minutes he managed to lower the signals to 60% on 103 and 20% on 99. He then told me that he had to install the new DVR, a HR21, which I quickly called BS on. I explained to him that my DVR was working great before the new roof, thus the problem was not the DVR, but the dish alignment. He tried to convince me that my dish was "perfectly aligned" and I needed to upgrade my dish to new equipment. I asked what was this magical equipment, and he had no answer.

I offered a compromise: install the HR21, but if the signals were still low, give me back my HR20-700. He mumbled some garbage about how he wasn't authorized to do this. After several seconds of tense silence, he stormed out, slamming my door and got back on the roof. Ten minutes later I had signals in the high 80's on both 103c and 99c.

I can't believe the level of incompetence at Mastec. I've had over 10 of their employees come out over the last 5 years, and all but 2 of them were either lazy or incompetent or both.

Is there a complaint process other than Directv CSRs?

-Matt

 

[litzdog911]

Certainly complain to both DirecTV and Mastec. You might get some compensation from DirecTV (programming credits, etc). Unfortunately these stories are all too common.

 

[BattleZone]

I had a new roof installed in July and as a result I needed my dish to be reinstalled. I setup this through Directv, but, when the installer arrived, he had no idea why he was here. Is this typical? Is the communication breakdown at Directv's end or the installation company?

If you aren't having new equipment delivered (new install, upgrade), the work order is just going to say "service call" with no other details, so the tech isn't going to have any idea what's going on. Most are dish repoints, bad receivers, or bad connections, so most techs expect to be able to fix them quickly, and aren't happy to have to do a full dish reinstall for lousy service call pay. Most contract techs make about $25 for a service call, and have to pay for their gas and supplies out of that. You can see why they lack motivation...

 

[PicaKing]

If you aren't having new equipment delivered (new install, upgrade), the work order is just going to say "service call" with no other details, so the tech isn't going to have any idea what's going on. Most are dish repoints, bad receivers, or bad connections, so most techs expect to be able to fix them quickly, and aren't happy to have to do a full dish reinstall for lousy service call pay. Most contract techs make about $25 for a service call, and have to pay for their gas and supplies out of that. You can see why they lack motivation...

Either do the job well, or don't do it at all. This is a ridiculous argument that they don't get paid enough so they have an excuse to be "not motivated" They know what the pay is when they take the job, and if they don't, that's their fault. I doubt they are under long term contract so they can quit if they don't like it.
Bottom line--if you are going to do a job, do it well, otherwise don't do it at all. Enough already with the "poor installers--they don't get paid well". If that's the case, don't do us any favors--go flip burgers.

 

[Birdman79]

Either do the job well, or don't do it at all. This is a ridiculous argument that they don't get paid enough so they have an excuse to be "not motivated" They know what the pay is when they take the job, and if they don't, that's their fault. I doubt they are under long term contract so they can quit if they don't like it.
Bottom line--if you are going to do a job, do it well, otherwise don't do it at all. Enough already with the "poor installers--they don't get paid well". If that's the case, don't do us any favors--go flip burgers.

Oh yeeahh.Up to 3 to 4 yrs ago we didn't have none of this 5lnb/install upgrade/run all 4 lines/dither/close out jobs at customer house/more paper work//less pay.
Customers want everything for free.
CSR will tell you anything you want to hear.
And please don't say"well if you don't like it ,quit"
Economy is at its lowest point in god knows how long,we all have family,mortgage,expenses,tools,materials invested in this job.
We all gotta survive one way or the other.If i did everything by the book,then i 'd be better off flipping burgers.And if that makes me a hack so be it.

 

[jdspencer]

...
Customers want everything for free.
....

Don't lay this on the customer. Customers want a working installation. Afterall, they have PAID for it.

 

[Birdman79]

Don't lay this on the customer. Customers want a working installation. Afterall, they have PAID for it.

Where in my post did you see me blaming customers.When i said they want free things,i meant free outlets,pole mounts,wall fishes,relocates,running lines in crawlspaces,hiding cables to where it gets silly,etc.This all comes from DTV telling their CSR to say that so the customer signs up for the install.This is 2008 last thing i checked was customers get free basic STANDARD installation.

 

[BattleZone]

Either do the job well, or don't do it at all. This is a ridiculous argument that they don't get paid enough so they have an excuse to be "not motivated" They know what the pay is when they take the job, and if they don't, that's their fault. I doubt they are under long term contract so they can quit if they don't like it.
Bottom line--if you are going to do a job, do it well, otherwise don't do it at all. Enough already with the "poor installers--they don't get paid well". If that's the case, don't do us any favors--go flip burgers.

See, that's the problem: the good installers who would do a good job DID leave to go do something else, because they couldn't afford to keep doing more and more work for less and less pay. So, a big percentage of the installers that are working today are the ones who either have no other option (no one will take them) or who have no problem shortcutting.

I'm not suggesting that this is the customer's fault; it's DirecTV's fault for their failure to manage their installation division. I'm just explaining why it is what it is.

My company only does good work, because me and my business partner insist on it. That's why we don't work for DirecTV anymore, even though we like DirecTV as a TV provider. You can't make a living in many markets with their low pay and constantly increasing demands. And the other business owners I know who still work with DirecTV can't keep any good people for the same reason. The guys they can keep are the short-cutters. The HSP program encourages this, despite the fact that they also punish it at the same time.

The only time we deal with DirecTV now is higher-end custom installs and/or commmercial installs, where we get paid fairly. We rarely get call-backs, and it's usually either a customer who screwed up a setting they didn't understand, or a hardware failure.

 

[Mike500]

A reinstall after reroofing should be one of the easiest service calls of all.


First, the technician needs to talk to the customer. If the install was perviously done right and the signals were originally good. all the rech needs to do is to mak sure that the pole is perfectly plumb and peak it by setting the azmuth for the highest signal level.

If the customer is SMART, he or she should NEVER let the roofer cange any of the original settings on the dish. He can disconnect the cables, and take the mount of the pole, ad then remove the pole.

That would facilitate the reinstall.

 

[deboxer1]

A reinstall after reroofing should be one of the easiest service calls of all.

First, the technician needs to talk to the customer. If the install was perviously done right and the signals were originally good. all the rech needs to do is to mak sure that the pole is perfectly plumb and peak it by setting the azmuth for the highest signal level.

If the customer is SMART, he or she should NEVER let the roofer cange any of the original settings on the dish. He can disconnect the cables, and take the mount of the pole, ad then remove the pole.

That would facilitate the reinstall.

True, it could be easy, but that is not a service call , it is an upgrade relocate odu.

 

[joe diamond]

Several of the "service calls" I have rejected were actually repairs to customer property caused by previous techs. This is what insurance is for. One guy even told mE I was not leaving until this mess was corrected. Yeah right!. Another was actually a reinstallation because none of the windows and doors would close with coax running through them and the alarm system would not work. Thirty bucks, yeah.right!

Someone led these folks to believe my time was free.

Joe

 

[Johnnie5000]

Where in my post did you see me blaming customers.When i said they want free things,i meant free outlets,pole mounts,wall fishes,relocates,running lines in crawlspaces,hiding cables to where it gets silly,etc.This all comes from DTV telling their CSR to say that so the customer signs up for the install.This is 2008 last thing i checked was customers get free basic STANDARD installation.

Preach on brother! :hurah:

 

[psymn]

I spoke to the folks at D* today, and they of course were all apologies.

Everything was satisfactorily resolved, I think.

I had no idea that they paid installers so little, and provided such vague information regarding service calls. I guess DirecTV needs to improve their communications to everyone involved, both employees/contractors and customers. I for one am really tired of CSR apologies that are the result of poor communication as this is the standard method of customer service in America. I'm not only talking about DorecTV here, this applies to many industries.

It seems to me that they would want to pay the installers a higher wage, so that every experience is a positive one. The installer is the only face most customers will every associate with DirecTV; retention might improve if customers had a positive experience.

Of course, I know that there are many good installers out there; this forum is proof of that.

 

[Mertzen]

Relocate work orders are the worst. Sometimes they just state 'upgrade'. which leaves us clueless and looking like idiots arriving at the customer. But that still is no excuse for shoddy work.

 

[Johnnie5000]

It seems to me that they would want to pay the installers a higher wage, so that every experience is a positive one. The installer is the only face most customers will every associate with DirecTV; retention might improve if customers had a positive experience.

Of course, I know that there are many good installers out there; this forum is proof of that.

Our pay generally sucks. We're not in this line of work for the money thats for sure. But I like the way you think

Relocate work orders are the worst. Sometimes they just state 'upgrade'. which leaves us clueless and looking like idiots arriving at the customer. But that still is no excuse for shoddy work.

Yeah pretty much.

 

[Mike500]

I spoke to the folks at D* today, and they of course were all apologies.

I had no idea that they paid installers so little, and provided such vague information regarding service calls.

It seems to me that they would want to pay the installers a higher wage, so that every experience is a positive one. The installer is the only face most customers will every associate with DirecTV; retention might improve if customers had a positive experience.

Of course, I know that there are many good installers out there; this forum is proof of that.

Thta's why I havent installed for them in 5 years. I have my own business, now, and do all custom work for dealers and individuals, who really care about and are willing to pay for the best materials and craftsmanship.

And, my business is good.

 

[lander215]

Either do the job well, or don't do it at all. This is a ridiculous argument that they don't get paid enough so they have an excuse to be "not motivated" They know what the pay is when they take the job, and if they don't, that's their fault. I doubt they are under long term contract so they can quit if they don't like it.
Bottom line--if you are going to do a job, do it well, otherwise don't do it at all. Enough already with the "poor installers--they don't get paid well". If that's the case, don't do us any favors--go flip burgers.

+1

Economy sucks for everyone...that doesn't give them a right to do crappy work, regardless. You don't like it your job? Don't like your pay? Get in line and get the heck off my property you fool.

So we should equate installers to the low paid cops and teachers now? Maybe we should provide tax incentives just for this new "class" of crappy service providers?

Good grief...enough with the whining already. You have a job to do, do it or quit. If you get sent out to fix something that another tech did...guess what? That's your job. Get over it or get the hell off the reservation.

 

[paulman182]

+1

Economy sucks for everyone...that doesn't give them a right to do crappy work, regardless. You don't like it your job? Don't like your pay? Get in line and get the heck off my property you fool.

No, the working conditions don't give them the right to do crappy work, but it does make some people have a little more sympathy and understanding for them.

I once saw the world in terms of black and white, too.

My installers were all very good. The first one probably worked six hours at my house.

 

[Mike500]

Basically. I quit doing fullfillment work on account of the move to quantity rather then quality.

The so called "top performers" know what they can get away with, when cutting corners; and the "buddy buddy" brownnosing system.

They hire some who would be better at flipping burgers and would be better off doing that. They would make more money.

Then, there are some veterans, who refuse to lower their standards and the time necessary to comprete the job properly.

It's the culture or, more importantly, negative culture, of many fulfillment companies that turns me off to them.

 

[Birdman79]

+1

Economy sucks for everyone...that doesn't give them a right to do crappy work, regardless. You don't like it your job? Don't like your pay? Get in line and get the heck off my property you fool.

So we should equate installers to the low paid cops and teachers now? Maybe we should provide tax incentives just for this new "class" of crappy service providers?

Good grief...enough with the whining already. You have a job to do, do it or quit. If you get sent out to fix something that another tech did...guess what? That's your job. Get over it or get the hell off the reservation.

There's a difference in doing 1)crappy work,2)a standard working installation,3)an installation that is out of this world,which isn't by any means FREE!!!.Just did one of those yesterday in a apartment rental office,in which i had to pole mount a dish and run the cable along a 3 car garage into the attic and fish a dual line to one of the rooms for the dvr.I had a LOS from the balcony but she wanted the dish and cables hidden as much as possible.She didn't mind paying for custom work,since it wasn't part of the installation.One of the maintenance people liked the work,now iam going back next week to install her system and she don't mind paying for the pole mount either.

Now as far as fixing someone else's screwup,it depends.How long ago was the job done,how long is it going to take from my precious time.If the job was done along time ago,then yeah ill spent as long as it takes within my reach to get it fixed.Now if it was done recently,needs major work,and the tech is still employed,I am not touching that job,and that by all means include you screaming threatening to cancel,till you turn blue in the face...