New Install Problems (or non-install as it turned out)

[tholt]

I've had DirecTV on and off for years. Currently have had for about 8 months (HD..no DVR ), and love it--would never go back to DishNetwork, even if you paid me.

However, my brother has never had DirecTV and called to have it installed and the install was supposed to happen today.

My brother was not home, but his girlfriend was. He owns a house in a corner lot with a lot of trees. The installer first tells my brother's girlfriend that he cannot install the dish on the house, as too many trees. While this may, in fact, be true, the view to the southwest from his house is relatively free of trees. Then the installer says he cannot install today, as my brother does not have a tripod to install the dish on away from the house.

Shouldn't the installer have the tripod? No mention of any kind of tripod device was made over the phone to my brother, and none has ever been made to me in the three separate installs I have set up with DirecTV over the years.

Then the installer says my brother will have to wait until summer when a hole with a post can be dug somewhere in the yard (we live in Wisconsin...not practical to put a post in the yard in February). NOTE: The installer didn't say that there wasn't a spot in the yard where a usable signal couldn't be found, only that my brother either needed to have a tripod or dig a post hole (both, apparently, the responsibility of my brother to get/do).

And, the kicker in all of this? The installer then tells my brother's girlfriend that they would be better off with cable anyway.

Personally, I think this was an installer that just didn't want to do any work (I'm assuming that DirecTV pays them regardless of whether an install happens or not, just for making the trip) as his entire time at the house was less than 10 minutes.

So, my questions to you are:

1. If, in a situation where a tripod is called for, whose responsibility is it to have one..the installer or the customer? And if one is needed, who is responsible for setting it up in a usable location and burying the cable?

2. What should my brother do at this point? Call DirecTV and demand a new installer? Wait till summer? Buy a tripod?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I would call D* and make them send out another tech! Nothing wrong with a tripod either But that would be last option for me.I wouldn't think you would have to wait till summer,Might not be easy digging ,but I've see concrete poured below freezing. I think the add some type of antifreeze to the mix.

 

[Mike500]

Just go to Radio Shack and get a tripod for $35 and a 1-5/8 galvanized line post for $6 at Home Depot.

Then, use an adapter like this one that my fellow installers developed and sells on eBay;

DirecTV AT9/AU9 KA/KU Adapter for old 1-5/8" pole - eBay (item 150218239927 end time Feb-27-08 20:28:45 PST)

A 2 inch actual pole and tripod to fit it is quite expensive and rarely available. without special order. That's why most installers don't carry them.

 

[nhulst]

Sounds a whole lot like my experience, except there was no possible way I had any line of sight (so the story went) and they got halfway through the install before they came to this conclusion, having already drilled holes in my fence In my case, the installer cancelled the order (which I had originally placed directly with D*) and I promptly turned around and went to a local retailer. That was quite an adventure in itself for a variety of reasons, but long story short, line of sight was just fine, thank you. Different installer time!

 

[tholt]

Thanks for the replies. I've already told my brother to call DirecTV back and demand a different installer come out and try the install, and this time at least make the attempt.

I understand about line of sight and what not, and it wouldn't surprise me if he needed to have a dish away from the house because of the trees, but for the install to make the comment about how he'd be better of with cable anyway? That's just, well, the wrong thing to say for a representative of DirecTV.

Tony

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Thanks for the replies. I've already told my brother to call DirecTV back and demand a different installer come out and try the install, and this time at least make the attempt.

I understand about line of sight and what not, and it wouldn't surprise me if he needed to have a dish away from the house because of the trees, but for the install to make the comment about how he'd be better of with cable anyway? That's just, well, the wrong thing to say for a representative of DirecTV.

Tony

If the Installer is that unhappy,why doesn't he go work for the cable company then. If you don't like D* then they shouldn't work for them! We don't need anymore installers there for just the check! There enough of them already.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I don't get it . With D* and E* you would think they would make their installer put in 110% . I bet they lose a lot of customers ,just because installer don't feel like making an attempt. I'd like to see how many customers had to have a second guy come out to get their system installed. I'm 1 of those customers.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Tholt,

Installers get paid for results. Your brother should have been present to conduct business with the installer. Pretend the installer said $75.00 to install a pole in concrete and two dollars a foot to dig in the cable and $60.00 to return in the spring and redig any unburied cable? So instead of getting into all that with the girlfriend he just hit the road.

The tripod should actually be a non penetrating roof mount. Assemble & put weights on it. No digging required....but you get cable across frozen ground for the winter. The installation company possibly didn't want the exposure.

The "cable company" comment was strange but it may work out to be accurate depending on what will be needed to get the system running.

I remember my impressions when I roll in on a job and determine no line of sight (NLOS) and cancel a second work order. The customer ,"says, you are just like the last one...why can't someone see the holes in the trees and the clear sky in other directions?"

Consider cutting some trees. Spring will thaw the ground and leaves will return to the trees. See what ya got then.

Joe

 

[charper1]

I don't get it . With D* and E* you would think they would make their installer put in 110%

Sure, if these people were actually THEIR employees, but they aren't. They have contracts with install companies and THEY hire the people. There must be a history of issues that will allow DirecTV to cancel the contract or "punish" the company. It should be up to the company to train their employees correctly. It should also be the company's responsibility to maintain and control their employees; their professionalism and quality and THEY should take it upon themselves to fire those that do not keep up or do a great job. If not; then DirecTV and Dish should have all rights to cancel; but that still effects the end users.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Sure, if these people were actually THEIR employees, but they aren't. They have contracts with install companies and THEY hire the people. There must be a history of issues that will allow DirecTV to cancel the contract or "punish" the company. It should be up to the company to train their employees correctly. It should also be the company's responsibility to maintain and control their employees; their professionalism and quality and THEY should take it upon themselves to fire those that do not keep up or do a great job. If not; then DirecTV and Dish should have all rights to cancel; but that still effects the end users.

I agree! The number of new subscribers vs the ones that really get installed, would have to be real low I would guess for D* and E* to really do anything about it. Maybe they do though. Maybe subs get fired,But we'll never hear that around here.

 

[dishcomm]

I've had DirecTV on and off for years. Currently have had for about 8 months (HD..no DVR ), and love it--would never go back to DishNetwork, even if you paid me.

However, my brother has never had DirecTV and called to have it installed and the install was supposed to happen today.

My brother was not home, but his girlfriend was. He owns a house in a corner lot with a lot of trees. The installer first tells my brother's girlfriend that he cannot install the dish on the house, as too many trees. While this may, in fact, be true, the view to the southwest from his house is relatively free of trees. Then the installer says he cannot install today, as my brother does not have a tripod to install the dish on away from the house.

Shouldn't the installer have the tripod? No mention of any kind of tripod device was made over the phone to my brother, and none has ever been made to me in the three separate installs I have set up with DirecTV over the years.

Then the installer says my brother will have to wait until summer when a hole with a post can be dug somewhere in the yard (we live in Wisconsin...not practical to put a post in the yard in February). NOTE: The installer didn't say that there wasn't a spot in the yard where a usable signal couldn't be found, only that my brother either needed to have a tripod or dig a post hole (both, apparently, the responsibility of my brother to get/do).

And, the kicker in all of this? The installer then tells my brother's girlfriend that they would be better off with cable anyway.

Personally, I think this was an installer that just didn't want to do any work (I'm assuming that DirecTV pays them regardless of whether an install happens or not, just for making the trip) as his entire time at the house was less than 10 minutes.

So, my questions to you are:

1. If, in a situation where a tripod is called for, whose responsibility is it to have one..the installer or the customer? And if one is needed, who is responsible for setting it up in a usable location and burying the cable?

2. What should my brother do at this point? Call DirecTV and demand a new installer? Wait till summer? Buy a tripod?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

typically a tech will not carry tri pods as they are not a standard mounting device. But, tripods are not that much money and easily purchased by the customer. A pole mount in frozen ground isn't impossible .Just difficult...There are some things that can be done to soften the ground....I have read where the tech will do the site survey and spot where the dish needs to go..Then the customer will build a fire over the placement and use the heat to melt the ice in the soil...Don't know how efficient this is ,but it gives the tech a fighting chance to get the job done. Cable burial will most likely have to wait until the ground thaws.

 

[Joe Diamond]

typically a tech will not carry tri pods as they are not a standard mounting device. But, tripods are not that much money and easily purchased by the customer. A pole mount in frozen ground isn't impossible .Just difficult...There are some things that can be done to soften the ground....I have read where the tech will do the site survey and spot where the dish needs to go..Then the customer will build a fire over the placement and use the heat to melt the ice in the soil...Don't know how efficient this is ,but it gives the tech a fighting chance to get the job done. Cable burial will most likely have to wait until the ground thaws.

Ya know,

Those tripods are not really big enough for the Ka/Ku dish. The mast must be 2 " OD and most on the market now are 1.66; designed fort the much smaller 18" or IIIPhase. Consider that an installer could get an expensive back charge IF a customer calls DTV to for ANY REASON........"Hi, I would like to thank you for the swell installation = $100.00 from the installers's check.......So why would he even attempt to install questionable crap?.............or even consider working for a company that would do what I described?

Joe

 

[dishcomm]

Ya know,

Those tripods are not really big enough for the Ka/Ku dish. The mast must be 2 " OD and most on the market now are 1.66; designed fort the much smaller 18" or IIIPhase. Consider that an installer could get an expensive back charge IF a customer calls DTV to for ANY REASON........"Hi, I would like to thank you for the swell installation = $100.00 from the installers's check.......So why would he even attempt to install questionable crap?.............or even consider working for a company that would do what I described?

Joe

yer right...forgot about that....most of my stuff is Dish but I do a few DTV's each month....I believe there are adapters fo rthe larger requirement of the slimline dish..Come to thimnk of it..I would not want such a large and heavy dish on a tripod either..it's not stable....At this point I would recommend a non pen roof mount and lots of cinder blocks..
yeah there's lotsof pressure to get jobs done no matter what..but then there's the companies that force jobs in and when something goes worng, they smoke the tech that did the job....Fortunately I do not work for one of these criminals....