# DirecTV Installer Arrives, Poops, And Leaves, But Doesn't Install DirecTV



## newsposter (Nov 13, 2003)

http://consumerist.com/tag/directv/...s-poops-and-leaves-but-doesnt-install-directv

It's hard to fit everything you need to do into an average day, but this ingenious DirecTV installer found a way to show up late to his appointments, take a break for lunch, and drop the kids off at the pool-all before 5pm! Now if only he'll remember to bring a ladder with him the next time so he can actually complete the installation.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

thats gross:lol:
and a hilarious title


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## Elephanthead (Feb 3, 2007)

What a crappy installer.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Oh dear. Makes it hard for the good guys to get ahead.


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## captain_video (Nov 22, 2005)

Sounds like he did his doody and all you got was crap for DirecTV.:lol:


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## Ed Campbell (Feb 17, 2006)

The sort of mediocrity I'd expect from the consumerist...more than matches the installer's cautionary tale.


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## Steve Robertson (Jun 7, 2005)

Love the title

Sorry about your install


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

Sounds like _hit and run.


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## Canis Lupus (Oct 16, 2006)

Rest ass ured - he'll get his in the end.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

dave29 said:


> thats gross:lol:
> and a hilarious title


everyone poops


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## PressureContent (May 5, 2008)

With this type of customer service, D* will drop to number 2.


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## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

newsposter said:


> Now if only he'll remember to bring a ladder with him the next time so he can actually complete the installation.


Last year we ordered a refrigerator online and it was shipped to us by a freight company. They were told they needed a truck with a liftgate or a ramp because it's a residence.

Well, the guy shows up -- very late in the day, like almost 7 PM -- and asks if I had something to lift the appliance off the truck...because it didn't have a liftgate or a ramp.

Sure, buddy -- my garage has a receiving dock -- just back into it! :lol:

Long story short, they had to truck it back to Austin (75 miles) and try again the next week, with a liftgate this time.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

But did the installer bring his one toilet paper?Next time i have a installer scheduled
i will remove all the toilet paper and when he asks to use the bathroom i will say with 
a  sure.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Unfortunately everything in this story is blamed on the installer. There is no excuse for not having a ladder. 
Everything else is not necessarily his fault.
1. This guy actually took his time to call the customer. Several times so she wouldnt have to wait all day. He had too many jobs, he was overrouted, he had to drive 150 miles one way. We dont know whats the case. Customer didnt bother to specify. Believe me nobody wants to sit all day and do nothing just to be late and piss customer off. 
2. He took a lunch. Yes believe it or not we also need to eat. Surprise! 
3. He had to poop. After you eat at Macdonalds (where else can an installer eat?) you do have to poop. He could find a public restroom but then he would be late another 1/2 hour.
4. His work order said customer had an existing receiver and two standard receivers. Is this his fault??? Absolutely not. We get work orders from Directv so please blame those who made a mistake.
5. Customer didnt return a receiver when she was a student. Is that also installers fault??? Is that Directv's fault??? This part is ridiculous. Can I rent a car from a rental company and then "forget to return it" for 3 years? Thank you.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

gfrang said:


> But did the installer bring his one toilet paper?Next time i have a installer scheduled
> i will remove all the toilet paper and when he asks to use the bathroom i will say with
> a  sure.


You might want to also remove the towels, bathmat, rugs, carpet...


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Unfortunately everything in this story is blamed on the installer. There is no excuse for not having a ladder.
> Everything else is not necessarily his fault.
> 1. This guy actually took his time to call the customer. Several times so she wouldnt have to wait all day. He had too many jobs, he was overrouted, he had to drive 150 miles one way. We dont know whats the case. Customer didnt bother to specify. Believe me nobody wants to sit all day and do nothing just to be late and piss customer off.
> 2. He took a lunch. Yes believe it or not we also need to eat. Surprise!
> ...


Problem I see from reading installation war stories threads and comments from installers is that there is no ownership of the job. DirecTV, to the customer, is the installer and the person on the phone. The customers don't know the difference between an HSP and a DirecTV installer. Don't give the customer a hard time because when the installer shows up (likely the only person linked to DirecTV that the person will ever meet) he/she expects that person to take some responsibility. Don't be upset that the customer wants someone to take control of the bad situation (missing boxes) and the installer is the guy in front of her, with DirecTV on his truck and lapel. I'm not saying who's at fault here, but it's certainly not the customer.

Customer service revolves around the customer, not the war going on between the installers and the company.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

tcusta00 said:


> Customer service revolves around the customer, not the war going on between the installers and the company.


How true. If only these companies could get that through their heads.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> Problem I see from reading installation war stories threads and comments from installers is that there is no ownership of the job. DirecTV, to the customer, is the installer and the person on the phone. The customers don't know the difference between an HSP and a DirecTV installer. Don't give the customer a hard time because when the installer shows up (likely the only person linked to DirecTV that the person will ever meet) he/she expects that person to take some responsibility. Don't be upset that the customer wants someone to take control of the bad situation (missing boxes) and the installer is the guy in front of her, with DirecTV on his truck and lapel. I'm not saying who's at fault here, but it's certainly not the customer.
> 
> Customer service revolves around the customer, not the war going on between the installers and the company.


Well thats why I am writing here so hopefully some customers would read and understand whats going on. If I have a service person at my house no matter how mad I am at the world I am not gonna blame him for things he isnt responsible for. And trust me there are a lot of people who will listen and understand. And then there is that 1% is *****y complaining female customers that are always grumpy no matter how hard you try.

And by the way I agree that pooping at the customers home and leaving a smell is disgusting. But she wouldnt even mention it if installation went flaweless.

Now please remember one thing: if she returned her receivers on time years ago all this mess wouldnt happen. Exept the poop of course


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

> Now please remember one thing: if she returned her receivers on time years ago all this mess wouldnt happen


Except she says that the receivers were returned three years ago, and DirecTV didn't record the return. The "three years ago" part seems strange, since I think it was before the leasing program started, and therefore it wasn't necessary to return receivers to DirecTV. But the "DirecTV failed to record the return" part sounds like standard operating procedures for DirecTV. In the past 2 years, I've returned three faulty R15s to DirecTV. Every single time they failed to record the return and charged me an non-return fee. I needed the FedEx tracking proof of delivery to show DirecTV that they actually had received the receivers.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

Upstream said:


> But the "DirecTV failed to record the return" part sounds like standard operating procedures for DirecTV. In the past 2 years, I've returned three faulty R15s to DirecTV. Every single time they failed to record the return and charged me an non-return fee. I needed the FedEx tracking proof of delivery to show DirecTV that they actually had received the receivers.


Same here. Fortunately I only returned one receiver to them and thanks to this forum I knew they would pull this stunt so I kept all my paperwork to prove the receiver was sent back.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

ironwood said:


> He could find a public restroom but then he would be late another 1/2 hour.


1/2 hour? That's one wicked deuce.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Well thats why I am writing here so hopefully some customers would read and understand whats going on. If I have a service person at my house no matter how mad I am at the world I am not gonna blame him for things he isnt responsible for. And trust me there are a lot of people who will listen and understand. And then there is that 1% is *****y complaining female customers that are always grumpy no matter how hard you try.
> 
> And by the way I agree that pooping at the customers home and leaving a smell is disgusting. But she wouldnt even mention it if installation went flaweless.
> 
> Now please remember one thing: if she returned her receivers on time years ago all this mess wouldnt happen. Exept the poop of course


You missed my point - who is the customer _supposed_ to blame? Not all customers are privy to the inner-workings of every company, so the person standing at their home with the DirecTV logo on their shirt is the person who she's going to take up her case with. This is the problem with customer service in the world today - everyone's quick to point the finger and transfer the call to someone else. Take ownership of the problem and help her fix it, regardless of fault.

This goes for _any_ industry. You're ALWAYS going to have *****y customers. It's part of the cost of doing business. Deal with the problem and move along, everyone will be happier and you may even get a raise.


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## evan_s (Mar 4, 2008)

ironwood said:


> Now please remember one thing: if she returned her receivers on time years ago all this mess wouldnt happen.


Not sure on that



> Customer service kept telling me that I was a previous customer and still owned one of their boxes. (As it turns out, when I was in college, a roommate got us DirecTV and put me on the account - we returned the boxes three years ago, but apparently no one ever updated the system.)


It sounds like this customer may not be responsible. Her roommate signed up for service and it sounds like she didn't even know she was listed on the account at the time. It also seems that as far as she knows all the receivers where returned. We've heard plenty of stories about DirecTV saying they didn't receive stuff that they did.

I do agree that there were probably screw ups in the system largely unrelated to installer that actually showed up to do the install.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> You missed my point - who is the customer _supposed_ to blame? Not all customers are privy to the inner-workings of every company, so the person standing at their home with the DirecTV logo on their shirt is the person who she's going to take up her case with. This is the problem with customer service in the world today - everyone's quick to point the finger and transfer the call to someone else. Take ownership of the problem and help her fix it, regardless of fault.
> 
> This goes for _any_ industry. You're ALWAYS going to have *****y customers. It's part of the cost of doing business. *Deal with the problem and move along, everyone will be happier and you may even get a raise*.


Ahahahahhaha you are a funny guy :lol:


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

evan_s said:


> Not sure on that
> 
> It sounds like this customer may not be responsible. Her roommate signed up for service and it sounds like she didn't even know she was listed on the account at the time. It also seems that as far as she knows all the receivers where returned. We've heard plenty of stories about DirecTV saying they didn't receive stuff that they did.
> 
> I do agree that there were probably screw ups in the system largely unrelated to installer that actually showed up to do the install.


Or maybe customer is lying. Or maybe she forgot what happened untill one day she decided to get Directv again.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Ahahahahhaha you are a funny guy :lol:


I rest my case.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

ironwood said:


> Or maybe customer is lying. Or maybe she forgot what happened untill one day she decided to get Directv again.


Could be. We know that some customers lie. But we don't know if this specific customer lies.

But we do know that this specific satellite company repeatedly fails to acknowledge that they have received returned equipment.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Sirshagg said:


> You might want to also remove the towels, bathmat, rugs, carpet...


!rolling This was my exactly thought!


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## SDizzle (Jan 1, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Or maybe customer is lying. Or maybe she forgot what happened untill one day she decided to get Directv again.


Who cares if she was lying? The outline of her story went like this: Installer is late....then later....then later....arrives and drops a fatty......then has no HD receiver....then had NO LADDER!!!!!! Please help me understand how this goes back to being the customer's problem?!?


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> !rolling This was my exactly thought!


There is no way i would remove the toliet:eek2:


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## Dave (Jan 29, 2003)

It seems like lately all the installers are suppose to be great people. When in fact they seem to be very unprofessional at there profession. They are disrespectful to the customers, uncaring, do a poor job, and all seem to want to blame the customer for there, the installers problems. From what I see on here lately, we have more horror stories of lousy installers than good installers. Some of you may be good installers. But to come on here and take the part of a bad installer you have never even laids eyes on, and to blame a customer and call them a lier, is the most unprofessional talk ever. This is what gives all installers a bad name. They all seem to say, well the customer lied, or the customer wasn't home or the customer did this. Remember the installer did not want to do his job. HE, THE INSTALLER FORGOT his ladder or was to lazy and to unprofessional to do his job. Why doesn't the installer step up and be a MAN and take responsibilty for his lack of doing a professional job. Or his lack of professional experience.


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## Grydlok (Mar 31, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Or maybe customer is lying. Or maybe she forgot what happened untill one day she decided to get Directv again.


Nobody can stick you on Directv account. You are either the account holder or not.
D wouldn't look for IRDS from 94 since they would be old RCA's or Sony's. Those IRDS where probably from newer since D was intent on finding them.

The pooping was wrong, and I bet he told her after he looked around he didn't have a ladder tall enough to get on the roof. Some town homes are 3 story and most 28ft ladders won't reach. 
I go through this all the time. People only hear what they want to hear and will forget key facts when retailing the story.


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## Grydlok (Mar 31, 2007)

Dave said:


> It seems like lately all the installers are suppose to be great people. When in fact they seem to be very unprofessional at there profession. They are disrespectful to the customers, uncaring, do a poor job, and all seem to want to blame the customer for there, the installers problems. From what I see on here lately, we have more horror stories of lousy installers than good installers. Some of you may be good installers. But to come on here and take the part of a bad installer you have never even laids eyes on, and to blame a customer and call them a lier, is the most unprofessional talk ever. This is what gives all installers a bad name. They all seem to say, well the customer lied, or the customer wasn't home or the customer did this. Remember the installer did not want to do his job. HE, THE INSTALLER FORGOT his ladder or was to lazy and to unprofessional to do his job. Why doesn't the installer step up and be a MAN and take responsibilty for his lack of doing a professional job. Or his lack of professional experience.


Just like their are customers out to get as much free stuff as they can. They are rude and obnoxious. They don't properly plan where the irds are going. Fail to have tv's or even on movers connections their own receivers. Once they find out that custom work will cost them they turn into the biggest 3 year old's on planet earth. If they do agree to pay better get your money upfront because customers will skip out on you or play dumb. Funny that if you skip out on a 50 dollar meal at a restaurant you go to jail but the thought never crosses that same person mind when the refuse to pay or skip out on the bill. Yeah it a 2 way street it's just as many crappy cust. as crappy installers.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

Their are no crappy customers,without customers they would be no business and no employees.


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## william8004 (Oct 6, 2006)

It may have been a long day for him. He was pooped out.


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## Grydlok (Mar 31, 2007)

gfrang said:


> Their are no crappy customers,without customers they would be no business and no employees.


Yes there are. D* changed their credit requirements so less than desirable customers need not apply. Companies are finding ways to get rid of them all the time. Comcast with throttling and capping. Sprint let plenty of them go a year ago. Verizon dumped 3 states that weren't profitable. If your are not generating a profit for any company your crappy.

Not crappy = 1st being a sub and paying your bill on time(also not whining for free stuff)


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## Matt6578 (Jun 17, 2008)

Other than stinkin up the customers bathroom the tech did what he needed to do as far as calling the customer and keeping them in the loop. With the receiver issue not being on his work order I have had this happen to me before it takes a little more time but I would call DirecTV and have the w/o canceled and a new one created and then call the now defunked Premier Communications dispatch office and pull the new work order forward and get the install done so I could hopefully get paid. How ever not having a ladder??? How does any tech get anything done without a ladder. I use mine just about everyday.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Matt6578 said:


> Other than stinkin up the customers bathroom the tech did what he needed to do as far as calling the customer and keeping them in the loop. With the receiver issue not being on his work order I have had this happen to me before it takes a little more time but I would call DirecTV and have the w/o canceled and a new one created and then call the now defunked Premier Communications dispatch office and pull the new work order forward and get the install done so I could hopefully get paid. How ever not having a ladder??? How does any tech get anything done without a ladder. I use mine just about everyday.


What you just described doesnt take "a little more time", it can take up to 1 hour if the work order is for a brand new customer created through Directv on the first place.

It can take up to 2 hours if the work order was created through say Verizon and customer insists on saving 3 dollars a month on combined phone/dsl/tv bill. It goes like this: call Directv to cancel, call Verizon (phone company) to create a new one, they mess it up, call dispatch to verify that WO is screwed up, call Directv to cancel, call Verizon to create a new one with right equipment and so on and so forth.

It can take even more if customer claims he/she was promised something extraordinary like discounts on this and that, rebates, free receivers and so on. They will eventually get it but you will lose time waiting for their negotiations.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

gfrang said:


> Their are no crappy customers,without customers they would be no business and no employees.


You forgot to apply something called logic. You said there are no bad customers because customers create business. So if those two come together what you saying is ultimately "every customer is a bad customer". Now even I would disagree with that


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Grydlok said:


> Nobody can stick you on Directv account. You are either the account holder or not.
> D wouldn't look for IRDS from 94 since they would be old RCA's or Sony's. Those IRDS where probably from newer since D was intent on finding them.
> 
> The pooping was wrong, and I bet he told her after he looked around he didn't have a ladder tall enough to get on the roof. Some town homes are 3 story and most 28ft ladders won't reach.
> I go through this all the time. People only hear what they want to hear and will forget key facts when retailing the story.


Thank you brother I am glad somebody can read between the lines. Would it be funny if the truth was that installer actually never pooped in her house at all and she made this all up just to take revenge?


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## JimAtTheRez (May 9, 2008)

tcusta00 said:


> Customer service revolves around the customer, not the war going on between the installers and the company.


tcusta, that may be the best response I have ever read on here.


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## betterdan (May 23, 2007)

What a load of crap!


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Grydlok said:


> Just like their are customers out to get as much free stuff as they can. They are rude and obnoxious. They don't properly plan where the irds are going. Fail to have tv's or even on movers connections their own receivers. Once they find out that custom work will cost them they turn into the biggest 3 year old's on planet earth. If they do agree to pay better get your money upfront because customers will skip out on you or play dumb. Funny that if you skip out on a 50 dollar meal at a restaurant you go to jail but the thought never crosses that same person mind when the refuse to pay or skip out on the bill. Yeah it a 2 way street it's just as many crappy cust. as crappy installers.


As has been said before... Part of your job is to put up with the whiny 3 year old customers. Smile, nod, do your job and head on your way. You are, after all, in a SERVICE industry.

No one is discounting the fact that there are *****y customers. But, frankly, if you worked for me, then the old adage "the customer is always right" is the bottom line. In my office - you treat a customer with disrespect and you'll find yourself a new job. I don't care what the customer said or did.

If you came to my house without the proper equipment or tools, I'd probably get pissy too. If you told me "I understand, let me give DirecTV a call and see if I can clear this up for you"... you'd earn yourself a nice tip - even if you weren't able to fix the problem on the spot.

As an installer, you're acting as an "agent of DirecTV", and how you respond to the situation has alot to do with how happy the customer is going to be. If you suck it up and spend the extra time and extra headaches to try and remedy a problem (which, granted YOU had no part in creating), you might just earn yourself a customer for life... and more customers for DirecTV means more work for you, the installer.


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## betterdan (May 23, 2007)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> As has been said before... Part of your job is to put up with the whiny 3 year old customers. Smile, nod, do your job and head on your way. You are, after all, in a SERVICE industry.
> 
> No one is discounting the fact that there are *****y customers. But, frankly, if you worked for me, then the old adage "the customer is always right" is the bottom line. In my office - you treat a customer with disrespect and you'll find yourself a new job. I don't care what the customer said or did.
> 
> ...


Well said but above all else, as an agent of Directv you should never take a stinky steaming dump in a customers crapper.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

gfrang said:


> Their are no crappy customers,without customers they would be no business and no employees.


Only if the customer ask to use my PortaPotty!.

What does she think?.DirecTV installer's have Depends on?.

And while I'm at it."Hey Lady"!."Get some good magazines in that bathroom and a few matches wouldn't hurt"!."Especially if the smell makes you randy"!.:lol:


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> As has been said before... Part of your job is to put up with the whiny 3 year old customers. Smile, nod, do your job and head on your way. You are, after all, in a SERVICE industry.
> 
> No one is discounting the fact that there are *****y customers. But, frankly, if you worked for me, then the old adage "the customer is always right" is the bottom line. In my office - you treat a customer with disrespect and you'll find yourself a new job. I don't care what the customer said or did.
> 
> ...


How did you go from "*****y customer" to "treat customer with disrespect". This sounds very familiar. I am sure every installer knows what I am talking about. Customer is always right. Installer is always wrong. If customer complains - installer was disrespectful. If customer is *****y - installer was disrespectful. Installer = disrespectful. Dont you know that.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Dave said:


> It seems like lately all the installers are suppose to be great people. When in fact they seem to be very unprofessional at there profession. They are disrespectful to the customers, uncaring, do a poor job, and all seem to want to blame the customer for there, the installers problems. From what I see on here lately, we have more horror stories of lousy installers than good installers.


This is possibly true, and here's why: most of the good, experienced, dedicated, knowledgable installers have LEFT THE INDUSTRY, or at least left DirecTV's world. If you are a competent installer, you will end up on "clean up duty" for low pay, because you are the only one ABLE to fix the problems. Meanwhile, the unprofessional idiots get all of the good-paying installation work, because it's easier than problem-solving, and those idiots hack their way through 5-6 jobs a day for a month or two until they get fired. Meanwhile, the competent installer gets to go back and spend hours and hours fixing those hacked installs for less than minimum wage in many cases, so that the next group of unprofessional idiots can go out and do more hacked installs, repeating the cycle.

The good guys eventually figure out that they are losing money rather than making money, and they quit; driven out of the market by mismanagement, low pay, and outright fraud. So, each month, the average experience level of the techs drops, and IMO, the level of professionalism drops, because the people who DO put up with the system are the types who aren't professional enough to get something better.

Someone from Ironwood just called me this week, as Connect Television is being replaced in the Bay Area after having driven 30+ contractors out of business and being sued by dozens of former and current workers. Ironwood is looking for contractors. Yet they have DECREASED the already ridiculously low pay rate compared to 2 years ago, while at the same time, the following changes have occured:

- Gas has more than doubled in price.
- Cable has gone up 50% (a 1000' box of DirecTV-approved solid copper cable now costs $82 delivered).
- Cable usage has significantly increased due to the massive increase in popularity of DVRs
- Most installs require the larger, heavier, harder to build, mount, and aim Ka/Ku dish.
- More people have more complicated setups with many more receivers on average, all of which the tech is responsible for.

Oh, and DirecTV has INCREASED rates to the HSP...

It was all I could do not to laugh as I wished them luck.


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## Grydlok (Mar 31, 2007)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> As has been said before... Part of your job is to put up with the whiny 3 year old customers. Smile, nod, do your job and head on your way. You are, after all, in a SERVICE industry.
> 
> No one is discounting the fact that there are *****y customers. But, frankly, if you worked for me, then the old adage "the customer is always right" is the bottom line. In my office - you treat a customer with disrespect and you'll find yourself a new job. I don't care what the customer said or did.
> 
> ...


That notion that the customer is always right did long time ago and customer is not always right. If I called D* for every wo that is wrong I wouldn't complete any work. Sounds tough but I don't get paid to sit on the phone to order a workorder for someone for equipment I probably don't have or order a workorder change every time that may be *more involved then the original time required*.
Customers have a responsibility to read over what they ordered. If you call the day of to make changes to what you order GUESS WHAT it's too late. If someone on the phone tell you to just tell the installer he take care of it. You just been lied to. Now it becomes a war between the cust and the installer. Now D* created the problem but will not own up to it. I tell people and I would tell you in your face. if the WO is wrong you can call D* now on your phone and talk to them.
I'm done with this. Nobody has seen the holes in that story proves that whining wins.

Also you better car what a customer says to your employee because you have to protect your employee from abuse or you won't have any employees for you run your biz.


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## Grydlok (Mar 31, 2007)

IIP said:


> This is possibly true, and here's why: most of the good, experienced, dedicated, knowledgable installers have LEFT THE INDUSTRY, or at least left DirecTV's world. If you are a competent installer, you will end up on "clean up duty" for low pay, because you are the only one ABLE to fix the problems. Meanwhile, the unprofessional idiots get all of the good-paying installation work, because it's easier than problem-solving, and those idiots hack their way through 5-6 jobs a day for a month or two until they get fired. Meanwhile, the competent installer gets to go back and spend hours and hours fixing those hacked installs for less than minimum wage in many cases, so that the next group of unprofessional idiots can go out and do more hacked installs, repeating the cycle.
> 
> The good guys eventually figure out that they are losing money rather than making money, and they quit; driven out of the market by mismanagement, low pay, and outright fraud. So, each month, the average experience level of the techs drops, and IMO, the level of professionalism drops, because the people who DO put up with the system are the types who aren't professional enough to get something better.
> 
> ...


Hell I'm just using up all my vacation time so I can quit. I only have another 6 days left to use. I been off for 10 days now.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> As an installer, you're acting as an "agent of DirecTV", and how you respond to the situation has alot to do with how happy the customer is going to be. If you suck it up and spend the extra time and extra headaches to try and remedy a problem (which, granted YOU had no part in creating), you might just earn yourself a customer for life... and more customers for DirecTV means more work for you, the installer.


That's big part of the problem. It seems that the installers are NOT agents for DirecTV. They are independent contractors working for independent companies. Those companies have been hired by DirecTV to fulfil DirecTV's obligation to the customer.

The customer may see the installer as an agent for DirecTV, but he is not. And if the installer does a great job, DirecTV may earn a customer for life, but the installer gets no credit.

Meanwhile the installer has to put up with the same lousy DirecTV customer service we all have (inconsistent answers from CSRs, long wait times on hold, policies that change on a whim, no documentation for anything, etc).

DirecTV promises the customer standards of installation, but keeps an arms-length distance from the installer so it is not possible for DirecTV to ensure the standards, and it is not possible for the installer to know if anything special has been promised to the customer.

The installer gets paid $25 for an install, no matter how complicated. And the customer is charged $19.99 and locked into a 2-year commitment so DirecTV can recoup their additional $5.01.

Before the installer even shows up, the customer is pissed off, because they have already had the experience of dealing with DirecTV's never-consistent customer service, where they can't get straight answers for anything. Then the installer shows up, and the work order doesn't reflect what the customer requested and DirecTV promised. And the installer, who has been down this road before, realizes that he is not going to get paid for the install. So he considers his options. He can spend an hour on the phone with DirecTV and still not fix the issue. Or he can tell the customer customer to call DirecTV so he can get to his next job and get paid.

The installer makes the decision that helps feed his family.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

Upstream said:


> The installer makes the decision that helps feed his family.


In the short run.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

ironwood said:


> You forgot to apply something called logic. You said there are no bad customers because customers create business. So if those two come together what you saying is ultimately "every customer is a bad customer". Now even I would disagree with that


I never said customers create business i said without customers they would be no business. If you have a business and have no customers how can you make money.I don't believe in the saying the customer is always right. Who is always right?Not me at least i admit it.But if someone takes a job for 25 dollars and it takes them 4 hours to complete whose fault is it, not the customer's.What i am trying to say is the customer and his property should be treated with respect.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

paulman182 said:


> In the short run.


In the long run too.

The installer doesn't share in DirecTV's success. He is two levels away from DirecTV. A good install experience doesn't bring him more business. But staying on the phone with DirecTV for an hour to resolve a problem caused by DirecTV ends up costing the installer money.

And if a good installer gets fed up with DirecTV, it is not like his customers will follow him to Dish. They aren't his customers, they are DirecTV's customers. The customers don't even know his name.

Compare this to my local plumber, who I recently called to replace a hot water heater. I have been dealing with this plumber for years. I am his customer. When he recommended one brand of hot water heater over another, I asked him what made the recommened one better. He told me that they are both good quality, but he had run into issues with the one company's customer service when he tried to get problems resolved. So I took the advice of my plumber, and bought the HWH he recommended. That is because I am his customer, not the customer of the HWH company.

But with DirecTV, I am DirecTV's customer. I don't pay the installer; DirecTV does. I don't get to pick who installs and services my dish; DirecTV makes that choice. And if I have a good or bad experience, I don't get the option of selecting the same installer again, or avoiding him. My only option is to stay or quit DirecTV after my commitment ends.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

Upstream said:


> In the long run too.
> 
> The installer doesn't share in DirecTV's success. He is two levels away from DirecTV. A good install experience doesn't bring him more business. But staying on the phone with DirecTV for an hour to resolve a problem caused by DirecTV ends up costing the installer money.


You mean my bragging to DirecTV about my excellent installers, who went the extra mile and worked hard to get my system going, could be more beneficial to the installer than if I called, *****ed, and moaned about them?

You don't think those that do a good job are more likely to have their job, six months down the road?

I've had excellent installers and told DirecTV about them. I'd hate to think they'll get axed as quickly as some of the low-lifes I read about.


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Upstream said:


> In the long run too.
> 
> *The installer doesn't share in DirecTV's success*. He is two levels away from DirecTV. A good install experience doesn't bring him more business. But staying on the phone with DirecTV for an hour to resolve a problem caused by DirecTV ends up costing the installer money.
> 
> ...


YOu had me right up till "The installer doesn't share DirecTV's success". 

I understand the point in your earlier post that an installer isn't ACTUALLY an agent of DirecTV. But as has been pointed out, the installer is the only "face" that the customer will ever put to "DirecTV".... so to that end, they are, in the customer's eyes, an agent of DirecTV.

And, while the installer may not get extra bonuses, or extra money, or whatever. As with any endeavour... a good install is going to recommend DirecTV to his closest friends/relatives, many of whom will be in the same area, which means more installs for the customer. So, to some extent, an installer WILL share in DirecTV's success, albiet two steps down the line, perhaps. And, the better the install experience, the more likely the customer is going to line your pocket with a little extra.

I understand the installer is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and not very well taken care of in the event of a mistake on DirecTVs end. If they've gotta say "Im sorry I can't help you, please call DirecTV, and if you can get it fixed, I can come back", fine - so be it. But so many of the stories you hear, the installer is an a$$ because the customer gets all in a huff about things.... As I said before, it's a service industry. Even if you can't help them... smile, nod, say all the nice things.

At least if you "go through the motions" and act like you want to help, the posts in this forum are more likely to be "DirecTV really screwed up my installation, and the installer was super nice and tried to help but he couldn't even get the situation fixed."


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## braven (Apr 9, 2007)

Ha ha, the OP said "poops".


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## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

paulman182 said:


> You don't think those that do a good job are more likely to have their job, six months down the road?
> 
> I've had excellent installers and told DirecTV about them. I'd hate to think they'll get axed as quickly as some of the low-lifes I read about.


This is an important thing to remember. I've worked in the customer service business, and it's generally accepted that customers are 10-20 times more likely to complain about poor service than to recognize exceptional service. That means a lot of really good work and excellent service isn't being recognized and rewarded.

Now I can hear some of you saying, "why should I go out of my way to recognize someone for simply DOING THEIR JOB?" And on it's face that's fair... but when someone really *does* go out of their way to provide service above and beyond reasonable expectations, the best way to make sure service like this continues is to let the appropriate entities know the service was noted and appreciated.


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## MarkN (Jul 13, 2007)

all I can say is .......WOW!


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

braven said:


> Ha ha, the OP said "poops".


:lol:

This is quite a story... I also would be pretty upset if that were my install experience...


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## Cable_X (Nov 12, 2007)

All I say that is that you guys have made my day by making me laugh, hysterically. All the crap, poop; etc. references were "priceless". I have said it before "no matter how old a man gets - farts, pooping, etc. will always be funny".


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

paulman182 said:


> You don't think those that do a good job are more likely to have their job, six months down the road?
> 
> I've had excellent installers and told DirecTV about them. I'd hate to think they'll get axed as quickly as some of the low-lifes I read about.





Sharkie_Fan said:


> As with any endeavour... a good install is going to recommend DirecTV to his closest friends/relatives, many of whom will be in the same area, which means more installs for the customer. So, to some extent, an installer WILL share in DirecTV's success, albiet two steps down the line, perhaps. And, the better the install experience, the more likely the customer is going to line your pocket with a little extra.


Some companies keep close contact with their authorized service companies, and reward them for a job well done.

(My auto insurance company is better than most. When a deer ran into my car, they gave me a list of authorized body shops where I could get my car repaired. I could pick a non-authorized shop and go through the standard adjuster-estimate-repair-reimburse cycle. Or I could go to an authorized shop and have the car repaired immediately and all the paperwork and payments are handled directly by the shop and insurance company. The manager of the authorized shop I selected said he makes less money per job from my insurance company. But he gets rewarded for jobs well done, and gets more business driven his way based on the quality of work. So the insurance company benefits through lower payments and less paperwork. The body shop benefits through higher volume and guaranteed payment. And the customer benefits through less hassle, less paperwork, and guaranteed quality.)

From what I've read on this forum, it seems that DirecTV does not keep its authorized service reps in close contact, nor rewards them for quality work. In fact, it seems that the model selected by DirecTV is especially designed to keep as many barriers as possible between DirecTV and the installer. And although the installer is punished for problems (even problems caused by DirecTV), it does not seem that the installer gets any reward for a job well done. In fact, since it seems that the installer is an independent contracter who must buy his own supplies and is compensated a fixed price per job (regardless of what is required for the job), the installer actually loses money by doing a quality job. That is because quality jobs take more time (meaning less jobs and less income to the installer) and take more supplies (meaning higher cost to the installer).

It does not seem that there is any mechanism by which the installer can provide DirecTV feedback on routine issues (such as average time per install, materials used per install, travel time between installs, time on the phone with DirecTV during installs, changes to work orders during installs, information missing from work orders during installs, etc). Is it any wonder we are seeing the same complaints today that we saw three years ago?


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

My concerns on this story:

1) As been pointed out, DirecTV has only been operating a "Lease Program" for just over 2 years. There was no reason for the customer to return a unit to DirecTV nor note anything.

2) If her roommate signed up DirecTV then it is her roommates account. Her personal information would not have been linked to the account. My wife can call DirecTV and makes changes. All they ever ask is her name and relationship. 

3) I have never known an installer to give an exact time before. Every installer I have ever dealt with has a window for arrival. They guy may have called and told her was shooting for noon. Sounds from the article, he pretty much kept her apprised of the situation.

4) Installer not having a ladder? As I understand it, this guy does not get paid unless he completes the ticket. Maybe, he did not have tall enough ladder. Maybe he only had a 16 foot ladder and in reality needed a 30 foot ladder.

5) order not correct! very possible. 

I won't even get into the bathroom issue. 

Personally, sounds like a previous disgruntled customer (who may have even been disconnected by DirecTV) and now wants to return and expects the world be handed to them. I have been with DirecTV for almost 14 years and still don't get the world handed to me on a silver platter


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

fluffybear said:


> My concerns on this story:
> 
> 4) Installer not having a ladder? As I understand it, this guy does not get paid unless he completes the ticket. Maybe, he did not have tall enough ladder. Maybe he only had a 16 foot ladder and in reality needed a 30 foot ladder.


I can believe the "no ladder" part: http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=610701&postcount=7


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

So what if the installer took a dump and stunk up the hole house who hasn't done it? 
Just open up all the windows.What's the big deal?


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Holy $#!^ :lol:


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## Ext 721 (Feb 26, 2007)

Grydlok said:


> Nobody can stick you on Directv account. You are either the account holder or not.
> D wouldn't look for IRDS from 94 since they would be old RCA's or Sony's. Those IRDS where probably from newer since D was intent on finding them.
> 
> The pooping was wrong, and I bet he told her after he looked around he didn't have a ladder tall enough to get on the roof. Some town homes are 3 story and most 28ft ladders won't reach.
> I go through this all the time. People only hear what they want to hear and will forget key facts when retailing the story.


Actually, the college room-mate may have fraudulently used her name/ssn to pass the credit check, and she may have forgotten giving the SSN to the room-mate...a kind of casual idntity-theftish thing.

so she got a "former customer install" set up, partly her fault, partly the room-mate's, and partly directv's...and the instal,ler was holding "the bag"

so he farts around and finds a way to leave without doing what is clearly an incorrectly set-up job.

I'd leave (cancel order) when I had a customer with an order that was grossly mis-matched compared to their expectations and did not appear to be easily and simply resolved by a phone call to DTV

(sometimes, it would mean they'd have to pay more than they were quoted, and I'd rather not watch them scream, stomp, and try to get a rookie CSR on the phone to tell me to do work I'm not being paid for, with equipment I'd be charged for, and further provoke the situation)

MY guess is this guy didn't want to have to tell her the HD unit would be another $100.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

fluffybear said:


> My concerns on this story:
> 
> 1) As been pointed out, DirecTV has only been operating a "Lease Program" for just over 2 years. There was no reason for the customer to return a unit to DirecTV nor note anything.
> 
> ...


Thats the first thing I noticed. 3-year old receivers are all owned receivers.
Another detail that didnt go along with "bad installer" image was the fact the the guy called 3 times! Probably using his own cell phone minutes.


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## jimmyv2000 (Feb 15, 2007)

GREAT Story

as in Irate customer over the NFL-ST issues with cancelling,I would love to take a NICE STEAMY POOP ON THE PRESIDENTS DESK!


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## Jolliec (Sep 1, 2006)

Upstream said:


> In the long run too.
> 
> And if a good installer gets fed up with DirecTV, it is not like his customers will follow him to Dish. They aren't his customers, they are DirecTV's customers. The customers don't even know his name.


This is exactly why DirecTV needs to have DirecTV employed installers, and I am sure that they know this.


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

Jolliec said:


> This is exactly why DirecTV needs to have DirecTV employed installers, and I am sure that they know this.


DirecTV actually has its own install division, but they're like MiB, you aint gonna see them :lol:

The reason Im posting though, is to say that, DirecTV having its own installers is way expensive, however they are currently working on it.


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## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

Jolliec said:


> This is exactly why DirecTV needs to have DirecTV employed installers, and I am sure that they know this.


I would think this could be cost-effective in urban areas. I doubt they'd want to do this in rural or semi-rural areas, though. I live more than 60 miles from a metro area, and I'd bet it's more cost effective for them to contract out for someone to serve areas like mine than to staff it regularly. Out here, they'd probably have contractors on call because it might not pay to have full-time staff to cover us.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

Cable_X said:


> All I say that is that you guys have made my day by making me laugh, hysterically. All the crap, poop; etc. references were "priceless". I have said it before "no matter how old a man gets - farts, pooping, etc. will always be funny".


Yep, gastrointestinal humor gets me every time! My favorite was the turbo-lax scene in Dumb and Dumber. I laugh until I cry every time I see that! And speaking of, who's to say maybe that's not what happened - the poor guy had some serious problems and then this lady's toilet quit working asn he spent the 20 minute in there fixing it!


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

rudeney said:


> Yep, gastrointestinal humor gets me every time! My favorite was the turbo-lax scene in Dumb and Dumber. I laugh until I cry every time I see that! And speaking of, who's to say maybe that's not what happened - the poor guy had some serious problems and then this lady's toilet quit working asn he spent the 20 minute in there fixing it!


:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Poop.:lol:


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## SledDog (May 6, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> You missed my point - who is the customer _supposed_ to blame? Not all customers are privy to the inner-workings of every company, so the person standing at their home with the DirecTV logo on their shirt is the person who she's going to take up her case with. This is the problem with customer service in the world today - everyone's quick to point the finger and transfer the call to someone else. Take ownership of the problem and help her fix it, regardless of fault.
> 
> This goes for _any_ industry. You're ALWAYS going to have *****y customers. It's part of the cost of doing business. Deal with the problem and move along, everyone will be happier and you may even get a raise.


Absolutely! The customer does not have to be privy to the inner workings of the installer's company. They are the customer, pure and simple.

Everyone is a customer at some point. When you go to purchase anything, you are the customer. If you are getting services from within your company, you are the customer.

And since you are the customer, the person/company that provides the service can be blamed for any of the mistakes.

She didn't return the old receiver, she says she did. It was "taken care of" by a CSR at DirecTV. Not the customer's problem. No ladder, how is that a customer problem? The installer had to eat lunch. Not the customer's problem. The installer had to off-load after lunch, not the customer's problem. Letting him off-load in her bathroom, that's her mistake.

As for the comment about the installer being an additional 1/2 hour late because he would have to stop and use a bathroom... Not the customer's problem. I guess he should have used the crapper at McDonalds.

I understand what many of the installers post, and why they post it. But, as customers, we don't care. And, I'm sure, when the installers are customers, they don't care either. They can listen to the installer, but in the end, if they didn't get what they requested, they don't care and it's the installer fault.

If you are supposed to provide a service to a customer, it makes no difference what you were told. The primary concern for the customer what they were told. So, does the customer have the right to complain? Yes. Does the installer/service person have to listen to it? Yes.

Customer doesn't care that DirerTV did this, or the install company did that. The installer is the face of his company and the face of DirecTV. The customer does not have to care that you are not a DirecTV employee. They called DirecTV, ordered the service, and you showed up to install it. Therefore, you, the installer, are DirecTV.

Sure it makes no sense. Sometimes the customer is a total bone-head. Sometimes the installer is the bone-head. Sometimes the install goes great, sometimes it doesn't... Sometimes the installer gets a tip, sometimes he doesn't.

It makes no difference how the installer feels about his job. It makes no difference that the installer has charge backs...

Because the customer, is the customer.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

ironwood said:


> Or maybe customer is lying.


Ahhh, the installer mentality.

That's exactly what my installer told DirecTV on the phone when they came to install my 5lnb dish and upgrade me 2 years ago. Who turned out to be the liar? The installer.

Now I'm not saying all installers are liars but I'd say 90% of them think like you do, that your customers lie.

[No offense to any other installers, Ironwood's comment just ticks me off]


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Grydlok said:


> Just like their are customers out to get as much free stuff as they can. They are rude and obnoxious. They don't properly plan where the irds are going. Fail to have tv's or even on movers connections their own receivers. Once they find out that custom work will cost them they turn into the biggest 3 year old's on planet earth. If they do agree to pay better get your money upfront because customers will skip out on you or play dumb. Funny that if you skip out on a 50 dollar meal at a restaurant you go to jail but the thought never crosses that same person mind when the refuse to pay or skip out on the bill. Yeah it a 2 way street it's just as many crappy cust. as crappy installers.


How in the world can a customer skip out on paying? You're IN THEIR HOUSE!


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Grydlok said:


> Yes there are. D* changed their credit requirements so less than desirable customers need not apply. Companies are finding ways to get rid of them all the time. Comcast with throttling and capping. Sprint let plenty of them go a year ago. Verizon dumped 3 states that weren't profitable. If your are not generating a profit for any company your crappy.
> 
> Not crappy = 1st being a sub and paying your bill on time(also not whining for free stuff)


And installers wonder why they get a bad rep... posts like this do it...


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> As has been said before... Part of your job is to put up with the whiny 3 year old customers. Smile, nod, do your job and head on your way. You are, after all, in a SERVICE industry.


DING DING DING!!! Spot on Sharkie!

If installers don't want to deal with a few bad customers here and there then they shouldn't be installers.

I know if there was something I had to do at work that I didn't want to do I'd find another job, not complain about it.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Ahhh, the installer mentality.
> 
> That's exactly what my installer told DirecTV on the phone when they came to install my 5lnb dish and upgrade me 2 years ago. Who turned out to be the liar? The installer.
> 
> ...


Just the experience. Based on a few facts in the story that didnt add up.


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

Same old crap, different day around here.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

CJTE said:


> The reason Im posting though, is to say that, DirecTV having its own installers is way expensive,


The actual job is the same, so why does it need to be THAT much more expensive? Wouldn't they save something by not having to hand out a tone of credits for the mistakes of the contracted installers.

Actually, they really don't need there own installers. They just need DirecTV employees monitoring the contractors. Even been on a road project being done by contractors? Somewhere there will be a state inspector sitting in his truck doing nothing, but he is there if a problem arises.


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## HarleyD (Aug 31, 2006)

Anyone in the service industry with a notation of "I don't kiss up to no one" on his public avatar made a bad career choice. If you service the public directly and are unwilling to or incapable of stroking the customer...even just a little...you will be a miserable SOB. You need look no further than this thread for indisputable evidence of that.

I don't have much patience with people myself, hence I work in a technical capacity behind the scenes where the customer and I are insulated from one another. I would not be suited for a job as an installer. I have the technical chops, but not the requisite disposition.


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Grydlok said:


> That notion that the customer is always right did long time ago and customer is not always right.....
> 
> *Also you better car what a customer says to your employee because you have to protect your employee from abuse or you won't have any employees for you run your biz.*


Clearly you don't run a business. Trust me. _Employees are much easier to replace than customers._ I don't care what a customer says to an employee, that employee is going to grin and bear it or they're going to find a new job. Period. It may seem harsh, but my business is directly responsible for the wellbeing of 9 families (and I"m a small business). If every employee that works for me doesn't understand that their actions affect 40 different people DIRECTLY, then they can find a new job.

As to the 'customer is always right' having died along time ago. IF you believe that, then that right there is the reason installers get a bad name. It's simple. There's a reason that my business has been around since 1946. There's a reason that people walk in and say "So and so recommended that I come to you". It's because even if the customer is DEAD WRONG, you treat them like they're right. Coddle them. Baby them. Be nice to them. Help them understand. Do I get paid for that? Nope. Most times, if the customer is going off like that it's because something is 'wrong'. And, more often than not, even if I am 100% blameless, I'm going to eat part of that mistake? Why... simple. THe customer is always right. And next time, they're going to call me again for the job because I did right by them.

As I said before, I understand it's not your problem to fix. DIrecTV may have caused the problem, but when you come into my house with your DirecTV van and DirecTV shirt and DirecTV hat. You ARE DirecTV. Whether you're actually working for them or not, you are DirecTV. If you showed up to my house with the wrong equipment and the workorder was wrong, and I got pissy, if you took 5 minutes to call DIrecTV or your 'home office' or whatever and say "Hey, Bob, this workorder is wrong, can we get it fixed". Say "Yeah. OK. Really. Sure, I'll let them know", and then looked at me and said "They said that there's nothing I can do with it right at this moment. If you call in, you might have better luck with it, since you can be the 'angry customer'. I'm really sorry about the misunderstanding". I'm alot more likely to say "I understand. Here's a few bucks for your time, thanks for the help".

If you look at me and say "Sorry. Not my problem". Not only are you going to not get paid by your company. You're not going to get a tip, and I'm going to tell everyone I know that "Such and such installation company employs a bunch of jerkoffs." While it may not cost you installs, I guarantee it's gonna cost you. When you show up to Joe Blow's house and he's heard my story he's going to pick every nit. He's going to watch you like a hawk, and if one wire is even a little out of place, he's going to be all over you. First time he gets a blip in his signal, he's going to be on the phone with DirecTV demanding a service call, and you're going to get the chargeback.

I understand that installers don't get paid for going "the extra mile". I understand that more often than not, you probably don't even get a tip for going the extra mile. But in business, good will can't be measured in dollars. Even though you may not see a direct "reward" for doing a good job, there are rewards. If you've got a reputation as a "good installer" or your company has a reputation as employing "good installers", the customer is less likely to hover and try to micromanage and try to get all up in your business. And when he has a momentary signal loss 2 weeks down the road, he's more likely to say "Must be the clouds, or a bird sitting in the middle of my dish" as opposed to thinking "That jerk did a half-a$$ job, I'm gonna make him come fix this". Whether you feel it directly or not, those are rewards, and those rewards make your life easier in the long run.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Sharkie --

I understand what you are saying, but I don't think that you really mean that your employees need to put up with abusive customers. I think you mean that your employees need to put up with irate customers.

Certainly your good service employees will be adept at calming irate customers and solving the problem that caused them to become irate. (Or if the problem is not easily solved or beyond the control of your company, at least providing the best possible options.) But dealing with irate customers is not the same thing as giving into abusive customers.

As an example, a counter agent for an airline will often have to deal with irate customers. Flights get cancelled or delayed; passengers get bumped; and bags get lost. Customers will get irate. Companies can help protect their employees from irate customers by instituting processes which minimize cancelled or delayed flights, overbooking without recourse, and lost bags. But sometimes stuff happens, and customers still get irate.

If there is a snowstorm, an airline may have no control over cancelled flights. And a snowstorm usually means lots of people on lots of flights are affected, so there may not even be any hotel rooms available for stranded passengers. Passengers are going to get upset, and good counter agents will calm and help them. The agents (with the rest of the airline's airport staff) will provide the passengers with food, beverages, pillows, blankets, and what ever else they can provide to keep the customers comfortable. They'll help calm the customers by keeping them informed on the status of the flights, and when they can expect to fly out. And they'll make sure the customers are reimbursed for their expenses.

But even though they are dealing with hundreds of irate customers, the agents don't need to endure abusive customers. The abusive customer, who is out of control and threatens the well-being of your employees and other customers, needs to be handled differently. Sometimes handling an abusive customer requires severing the business relationship. And there are even times it requires calling the police.

(Note, that just as you need to be willing to protect your employees from abusive customers, you also need to protect your customers from abusive employees.)


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## igator99 (Jul 28, 2006)

newsposter said:


> http://consumerist.com/tag/directv/...s-poops-and-leaves-but-doesnt-install-directv
> 
> It's hard to fit everything you need to do into an average day, but this ingenious DirecTV installer found a way to show up late to his appointments, take a break for lunch, and drop the kids off at the pool-all before 5pm! Now if only he'll remember to bring a ladder with him the next time so he can actually complete the installation.


Just another wonderful story of the scum DickTV will hire.:nono:


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Upstream said:


> I understand what you are saying, but I don't think that you really mean that your employees need to put up with abusive customers. I think you mean that your employees need to put up with irate customers.


Yes. You are correct. Irate and abusive are different things. As long as that line isn't crossed, THEN I don't care what the customer says to my employees.

If a customer crosses the line, I don't have a problem stepping in and asking them to leave my building. Nor would I have a problem with an installer (getting back to the topic at hand) walking out the door if the customer crossed that line.

My comments - and I think most of the comments here - are directed at irate, upset, angry customers. Your example actually reinforces my previous post, I think... The customer is "always right". Not really... we all know the customer isn't actually right. But if you treat an irate customer like you care, like they're the most important thing you have to deal with at that moment (which, again, in all liklihood they are NOT the most important thing you have to deal with at the moment), they're more likely to calm down, and also more likely to come back to you in the future.


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## Nightfall (Sep 1, 2003)

Everytime I read stories like this in the news, I just shake my head. My first directv installer was not very good. Just seems that the installers are not very highly qualified. They try to take shortcuts, asking them to do extra is like trying to pull teeth from a lion, and they want to charge you extra for something that should be done to make it done right.

As I said before, my first installer sucked. The second one that came out to replace a DVR, was ok. The third was much better when I got my HD installed.

However, I can't rule out the customer lying or exaggerating. Case in point, I had a friend who claimed that his comcast installer botched his install because his digital cable box didn't work. He claimed that it never worked when the installer left and wrote a nasty note to comcast about it. Come to find out the installer was a personal friend of mine. When he told me about the complaint he had, I put 2 and 2 together and figured out he was actually over at my friends place doing the install. I confirmed this.

Come to find out the user rewired a couple things and ended up screwing up his digital box somehow. However, this isn't before he sent a letter to the BBB on his experience.

*sigh*


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

SledDog said:


> Absolutely! The customer does not have to be privy to the inner workings of the installer's company.


And this particular customer probably didn't want to be privy to the internal workings of the installer's lower GI tract, but, as they say, "it" happens.


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## kokishin (Sep 30, 2006)

I followed up on this. 

The installation company was told cut this crap out. They are supposed to install our equiment, not be laying logs at the sub's home. I told them to make sure their installers do their business before setting out in the morning as well as eat a couple of bananas throughout the day. And don't ask the subs for bananas.

You guys have no idea the crap I have to deal with on a daily basis.

Love you guys!

-- CC


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## SDizzle (Jan 1, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> How in the world can a customer skip out on paying? You're IN THEIR HOUSE!


My thoughts exactly! If they skip out of THEIR house and leave you there as a way to not pay you....then find some nice chits to take with, that will cover the $50 for that extra drop, DUH!


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## TigersFanJJ (Feb 17, 2006)

SDizzle said:


> ....then find some nice chits to take with,


It sounds like the installer in the OP took a nice chit. :lol:


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## SDizzle (Jan 1, 2007)

TigersFanJJ said:


> It sounds like the installer in the OP took a nice chit. :lol:


:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

tcusta00 said:


> Problem I see from reading installation war stories threads and comments from installers is that there is no ownership of the job. DirecTV, to the customer, is the installer and the person on the phone. The customers don't know the difference between an HSP and a DirecTV installer. Don't give the customer a hard time because when the installer shows up (likely the only person linked to DirecTV that the person will ever meet) he/she expects that person to take some responsibility. Don't be upset that the customer wants someone to take control of the bad situation (missing boxes) and the installer is the guy in front of her, with DirecTV on his truck and lapel. I'm not saying who's at fault here, but it's certainly not the customer.
> 
> Customer service revolves around the customer, not the war going on between the installers and the company.


Brother Tcusta,

DTV has done it's best to separate installers, retailers and fulfillment companies from "their" customers. HSPs and the AFCs just send the next guy through the door out to the next job on the screen.

There was a time when a local business sold the job to a customer in the same community and stood behind the installation.

DTV kicked all that to the curb and...surprise, surprise.....things get screwed up. Those who could have fixed this will not work for the HSPs.

My view.

Joe


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> Clearly you don't run a business. Trust me. _Employees are much easier to replace than customers._ I don't care what a customer says to an employee, that employee is going to grin and bear it or they're going to find a new job. Period. It may seem harsh, but my business is directly responsible for the wellbeing of 9 families (and I"m a small business). If every employee that works for me doesn't understand that their actions affect 40 different people DIRECTLY, then they can find a new job.
> 
> As to the 'customer is always right' having died along time ago. IF you believe that, then that right there is the reason installers get a bad name. It's simple. There's a reason that my business has been around since 1946. There's a reason that people walk in and say "So and so recommended that I come to you". It's because even if the customer is DEAD WRONG, you treat them like they're right. Coddle them. Baby them. Be nice to them. Help them understand. Do I get paid for that? Nope. Most times, if the customer is going off like that it's because something is 'wrong'. And, more often than not, even if I am 100% blameless, I'm going to eat part of that mistake? Why... simple. THe customer is always right. And next time, they're going to call me again for the job because I did right by them.
> 
> ...


Sharkie,
You are a thoughtful guy. You are alone in the DTV installation world.
There is no continuity with the customer or the HSP management. It is harder to get a new customer than just keep the ones you have.

Have you shared your point of view with DTV management?

Joe


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

kokishin said:


> I followed up on this.
> 
> The installation company was told cut this crap out. They are supposed to install our equiment, not be laying logs at the sub's home. I told them to make sure their installers do their business before setting out in the morning as well as eat a couple of bananas throughout the day. And don't ask the subs for bananas.
> 
> ...


CC,

I have done DTV installations since around 1994 on and off. I have never needed to use a customer's toilet.

Also, the last DTV company I worked for bounced a paychec and failed to present two others. I am paid for those because the courts made it happen. The Company before that just left. I have a judgment for four thousand dollars against that company. The company before that left the state owing me $1000.00 dollars..........There was a period of three years where I was paid every penny and I fixed every problem (both of them...without using a cx toilet)..Both of those companies no longer do DTV work. I could go on.

So let's get some equipment installed!.......Not me of course. I can't afford another hit. I'm out. Maybe someone with good bowel control, independent cash and a new blue shirt. If they need to poop or run out of cash......you can always run an ad.

Joe


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## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

joe diamond said:


> Sharkie,
> You are a thoughtful guy. You are alone in the DTV installation world.
> There is no continuity with the customer or the HSP management. It is harder to get a new customer than just keep the ones you have.
> 
> ...


I'm not a part of the DTV installation world... just a customer like most everybody else in this thread.

I run a completely different kind of business, but, what it boils down to is that across all business, but basic premises remain the same. The 'customer is always right'. It's easier to keep an existing customer than to earn a new one. There are rewards other than a paycheck. There are penalties besides havng a paycheck docked.

I recognize the installers dilemma. The problem with the system is that they don't feel the rewards, but they're penalized when things go wrong. For whatever reason, the installers and the HSPs are given "just in time" inventory, which precludes them from solving a good number of problems that might arise. If there was extra inventory for the installers, and a vehicle whereby they could "upgrade" the customer, then it wouldn't really matter if the work order was wrong, the installer would have a method to fix it. As it is, they have the same avenues that you and I do - call in and go around and around and see if you can get something done.

That said.... I would still argue that an installer would be better off to make that call than to completely blow off the customer. What's good for DirecTV is good for the installer, even if it doesn't immediately, and tangibly, affect the installer in a positive way. In the long run, it's my position, that the goodwill created by a good install WILL make it's way to the installer, eventually.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

All right here is the deal. Listen carefully and stop fighting. DirecTV is aware of the problem but who is DirecTV? Its a bunch of managers and then thousands of people on the phone with minimum wage or above minimum (overseas). Managers all have MBA's and most have never worked in the field and never had a minimum wage job. They use old stragety "separate and conquer", they separate themselves from the problem and they put customers against installers because you cannot put customers against CSR's since they are just a voice on the phone. Very comfortable position for the company. When I was younger and used to tell customers that I was not "directv" they would point at my shirt and my van and my badge and ask "what does it say?" 
Well I am a walking advertisement for Directv but I have no power to solve problems created from Directv's side. Customers blame me for being unable to solve their problem. You gotta blame somebody.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

ironwood said:


> ..... but who is DirecTV? Its a bunch of managers and then thousands of people .....


DirecTV, like all companies, is just a bunch of people. But also like all companies, it is an organization. There are some people who have more authority. And there is one person or a small group of people, who are ultimately in charge.

At some point, DirecTV's senior management team decides on what strategies the company will follow and where the company will invest its time, energy, and money. At DirecTV's Feb 2008 investor call, the company's senior managment talked about a lot of their strategies (reducing churn, increasing channel capacity, consolidating receiver platforms, advanced features, improving customer profitability, etc).

Most of the discussion around customer service issues revolved around reducing costs and providing self-service options for customers. But they also talked about providing HSP incentives/penalties based on quality. We'll see if and how that is eventually implemented, and if it really is a quality inititiative, or just another cost-cutting initiative masquerading as a quality intitiative.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Upstream said:


> DirecTV, like all companies, is just a bunch of people. But also like all companies, it is an organization. There are some people who have more authority. And there is one person or a small group of people, who are ultimately in charge.
> 
> At some point, DirecTV's senior management team decides on what strategies the company will follow and where the company will invest its time, energy, and money. At DirecTV's Feb 2008 investor call, the company's senior managment talked about a lot of their strategies (reducing churn, increasing channel capacity, consolidating receiver platforms, advanced features, improving customer profitability, etc).
> 
> Most of the discussion around customer service issues revolved around reducing costs and providing self-service options for customers. But they also talked about providing HSP incentives/penalties based on quality. We'll see if and how that is eventually implemented, and if it really is a quality inititiative, or just another cost-cutting initiative masquerading as a quality intitiative.


Yeah thats it. They provide HSPs penalties and incentives and HSPs provide installers penalties and...... penalties


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

joe diamond said:


> Brother Tcusta,
> 
> DTV has done it's best to separate installers, retailers and fulfillment companies from "their" customers. HSPs and the AFCs just send the next guy through the door out to the next job on the screen.
> 
> ...


So no one takes responsibility for the issue and the customer is left in the lurch while installers point the finger at DirecTV or their respective employers (and vice versa I gather from reading around here, but haven't seen any evidence of it) and nothing gets better. In the meantime, the customer is still the customer - his role hasn't changed - he doesn't give a crap (no pun intended) about the little war going on internally, nor should he.


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

From my one experience installs are about 80% complete.Every thing works when the installer leaves but have more work to do like peaking the dish,rerouting lines one time i had to bery a line when i got a dvr upgrade.After all the do it your selfing had very little trouble in little less then ten years.Most people would expect a complete and trouble free install.


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## newsposter (Nov 13, 2003)

my install of HR20 was good except he didnt test the channels...they said i already had HD turned on (un no!) and that i should be getting the new channels. 

it took hours on the phone for some rep to figure out how to get the new channels turned on for me. I think the HDtivos NOT having my HD turned on really messed them up somehow. 

so the installer was technically wrong for leaving before my setup was correctly finished but the problem truly was a DTVs end.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

newsposter said:


> my install of HR20 was good except he didnt test the channels...they said i already had HD turned on (un no!) and that i should be getting the new channels.
> 
> it took hours on the phone for some rep to figure out how to get the new channels turned on for me. I think the HDtivos NOT having my HD turned on really messed them up somehow.
> 
> so the installer was technically wrong for leaving before my setup was correctly finished but the problem truly was a DTVs end.


newsposter,

You have hit on another issue DTV will not address.Once the installer has installed the equipment he is done. But the list of accounting procedures is still growing. I have spent up to an hour just getting the equipment activated.

While this is extremely rare there are always other customers waiting for the installer to arrive. So what to do? Installers who work in the HSP system accept pay reductions for being late for appointments. Having activated the system they also are asked to contact another call center to "close" the installation so no other tech gets routed to a completed installation. This can also shoot lots of cell phone time and hours of installation time. Who's time is more valuable, the installer's or the customer's.

Nobody will say,

Joe


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Why not have a dedicated phone number for installers to call, with agents who are expert at activations. The phone number can be PIN protected, to ensure only installers use it. And installers won't have to wait in long queues to get to an agent. It is a win-win-win situation. The current customer gets complete installation and activation; the installer doesn't have to wait on hold; the next customer gets the installer to show up at the scheduled time.


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## dhines (Aug 16, 2006)

OP --

make sure you call the 800 number and complain. in case you don't know, select option *number 2* to be routed correctly

hahahahahaha

btw, apologies for the bad experience but you have to admit it is rather funny.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

dhines said:


> OP --
> 
> make sure you call the 800 number and complain. in case you don't know, select option *number 2* to be routed correctly
> 
> ...


It wasn't the OP, it was a story on consumerist.com


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Upstream said:


> Why not have a dedicated phone number for installers to call, with agents who are expert at activations. The phone number can be PIN protected, to ensure only installers use it. And installers won't have to wait in long queues to get to an agent. It is a win-win-win situation. The current customer gets complete installation and activation; the installer doesn't have to wait on hold; the next customer gets the installer to show up at the scheduled time.


We do have a number for such a purpose. It even answers "Installer Activation".

Here's where they pour salt in the wound. If for whatever reason the IVR chokes, you get dumped into the regular phone que. Then we have to fight with the CSRs who want to follow their scripts when I can tell them EXACTLY what needs to be done and how.

I've never even seen the system and I know it better than some.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

As an installer I am held ACCOUNTABLE for all sorts of things. Unfortunately I do not AUTHORITY to do a damn thing about most of them.

Until that situation changes, the customer will be collateral damage in the war between DirecTv and the installation forces. Think Galactic Empire vs the Rebellion. Unfortunately, we have no Luke, Han or Yoda on our side.  


Also, my 3,000th post.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

dhines said:


> OP --
> 
> make sure you call the 800 number and complain. in case you don't know, select option *number 2* to be routed correctly
> 
> ...


dhines,

As others have mentioned, there is an installer activation line. Over the years it has been improved and works pretty well most of the time. Where the time gets lost id the second required call. The HSPs use offshore call centers to close the jobs............you sit on hold many minutes and then the CSR from India or Costa Rica answers with a script. They read every word slowly. They will only close two jobs per call. There are many errors. It is an expensive mess.

Joe


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

joe diamond said:


> dhines,
> 
> As others have mentioned, there is an installer activation line. Over the years it has been improved and works pretty well most of the time. Where the time gets lost id the second required call. The HSPs use offshore call centers to close the jobs............you sit on hold many minutes and then the CSR from India or Costa Rica answers with a script. They read every word slowly. They will only close two jobs per call. There are many errors. It is an expensive mess.
> 
> Joe


You havent been in the field for awhile. Only one job per call now. And they are slow its the work ethics in the Far East them people work really slow and thorough. As if they were producing a nuclear device, they have to proof read every piece of a stupid form that matches on both ends and we have same exact copies. My dispatch can close a job in 1.5 seconds but she is not allowed to since she has other duties.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Upstream said:


> Why not have a dedicated phone number for installers to call, with agents who are expert at activations. The phone number can be PIN protected, to ensure only installers use it. And installers won't have to wait in long queues to get to an agent. It is a win-win-win situation. The current customer gets complete installation and activation; the installer doesn't have to wait on hold; the next customer gets the installer to show up at the scheduled time.


We did have a dedicated line but DIrecTV took it from us. Now we are in line with other 15 million customers.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

RobertE said:


> As an installer I am held ACCOUNTABLE for all sorts of things. Unfortunately I do not AUTHORITY to do a damn thing about most of them.
> 
> Until that situation changes, the customer will be collateral damage in the war between DirecTv and the installation forces. Think Galactic Empire vs the Rebellion. Unfortunately, we have no Luke, Han or Yoda on our side.
> 
> Also, my 3,000th post.


The force is with you, RobertE - use it to do good! :lol:

:icon_da: Congrats on 3k!! :icon_da:


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## gfrang (Aug 30, 2007)

An install is not any more complete than before the installer started unless he or she sticks around and checks it.I am not saying it's the installers fault but something is wrong with the system.


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

Upstream said:


> Why not have a dedicated phone number for installers to call, with agents who are expert at activations. The phone number can be PIN protected, to ensure only installers use it. And installers won't have to wait in long queues to get to an agent. It is a win-win-win situation. The current customer gets complete installation and activation; the installer doesn't have to wait on hold; the next customer gets the installer to show up at the scheduled time.





RobertE said:


> We do have a number for such a purpose. It even answers "Installer Activation".
> 
> Here's where they pour salt in the wound. If for whatever reason the IVR chokes, you get dumped into the regular phone que. Then we have to fight with the CSRs who want to follow their scripts when I can tell them EXACTLY what needs to be done and how.
> 
> I've never even seen the system and I know it better than some.


But I honestly gotta say, RobertE, would you rather have it dump to the Front Line/Technical (depending on who has a shorter que), *OR* "Installer Services & Support"


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

...and they call my multi-channel video provider"Com_crap_"


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

CJTE said:


> But I honestly gotta say, RobertE, would you rather have it dump to the Front Line/Technical (depending on who has a shorter que), *OR* "Installer Services & Support"


I'd like it to work.  When it fails, I'd like it to give me a choice. Most of the time, the grunt CSRs can't or don't know how to do what I need done, so I end up getting bounced around until I land at ISS. ISS has the power to do darn near anything. 

PS. Before anyone asks, no you can't have the number to ISS, even if you had it, without your installer ID you'd get hung up on or transfered off to the general que.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

gfrang said:


> An install is not any more complete than before the installer started unless he or she sticks around and checks it.I am not saying it's the installers fault but something is wrong with the system.


Compared to, say, 2000, the rates that installers get is about HALF. Yet, at the same time, the systems have gotten FAR more complex, with much, much more to go wrong.

In 2000, the average customer got 2 receivers and a basic, 1-LNB 18" dish. DVRs didn't exist. HD didn't exist. Dithering didn't exist. Software updates for receivers didn't exist.

Today, the average customer needs more than 4 lines from the dish, which in means a multiswitch is used on almost every install. That alone doubles the amount of connectors used. DVRs need 2 lines instead of one, doubling cable usage. The coax cable now has to be solid copper center conductor, which costs 80% more than standard copper-clad steel cable.

In 2000, the average contractor could install 4-5 systems (2 receiver average) in a day, and do it right. He'd gross (before gas and supply expenses) maybe $150 per job. He might have spent $40-50 in supplies, but probably closer to $30. Gas? Who knows, but it didn't cost a lot more than $1/gallon then.

In 2008, the average contractor can do 2-3 installs/upgrades per day, but it's now a 12+ hour day instead of 8-9. Upgrades often require a complete rebuild of the system. The average system is 4 rooms, with several of those being 2-line DVRs. Nearly all will be HD systems today, requiring a much larger, heavier dish with much more stringent requirements on how and where it is mounted. He will make maybe $50 per HD upgrade, and $120 for a 4 room new install. Let's be generous and call it 2 installs and one upgrade (usually the other way around): he grossed $290 for the day. Now, he spent AT LEAST $60 in supplies, possibly much more if there were long runs. And gas today is $4.50/gallon. Cost of living has gone up across the board.

DirecTV is trying to ride the razor's edge that separates "barely working installs" and "techs who make just enough to survive, at least for a while." That helps them push all of the increased costs of their "free installation" down to the installers. And pushed nearly all of the real professionals out of the business.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

RobertE said:


> I'd like it to work.  When it fails, I'd like it to give me a choice. Most of the time, the grunt CSRs can't or don't know how to do what I need done, so I end up getting bounced around until I land at ISS. ISS has the power to do darn near anything.
> 
> PS. Before anyone asks, no you can't have the number to ISS, even if you had it, without your installer ID you'd get hung up on or transfered off to the general que.


Can you list things that ISS can do? I thought they were only for technical help.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

Ironwood,
You are right. I haven't been "in the field" for awhile. When my paycheck bounced I stopped working. Then there was the time spent getting the other two weeks pay........I just could not find the time to go around to the local HSP and ask for another.....anything.

I did get paid..........local courts work here. But it was two calls and "adios"
I do remember seeing several HSP trucks around pay phones passing the phone around to save cell time. I just couldn't do it anymore.

Joe


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## newsposter (Nov 13, 2003)

with my story, the installer was on his cell doing one thing (i assume his ticket stuff with his boss?) then on my landline talking to directv..it was funny to see!


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

joe diamond said:


> Ironwood,
> You are right. I haven't been "in the field" for awhile. When my paycheck bounced I stopped working. Then there was the time spent getting the other two weeks pay........I just could not find the time to go around to the local HSP and ask for another.....anything.
> 
> I did get paid..........local courts work here. But it was two calls and "adios"
> ...


:lol:


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

newsposter said:


> with my story, the installer was on his cell doing one thing (i assume his ticket stuff with his boss?) then on my landline talking to directv..it was funny to see!


I use my phone and customer phone when put on hold. I make sure to dial two different departments and wait who answers first.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

AND,
I am told AFTER activation techs in Colorado are asked to close their work in the cx home so the team menbers in INDIA can sell ADT security service.

I'm gone!

Joe


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## SebastianBlack (Oct 9, 2007)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Oh dear. Makes it hard for the good guys to get ahead.


Indeed:lol:


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

joe diamond said:


> AND,
> I am told AFTER activation techs in Colorado are asked to close their work in the cx home so the team menbers in INDIA can sell ADT security service.
> 
> I'm gone!
> ...


Yes. We are required to close jobs in customer's home. I do it when I have time while customer is filling their customer satisfaction sheet. But normally I close my jobs while driving to my next customer at 85 mph. I dont want to be late to my appointments!!!


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

ironwood said:


> Yes. We are required to close jobs in customer's home. I do it when I have time while customer is filling their customer satisfaction sheet. But normally I close my jobs while driving to my next customer at 85 mph. I dont want to be late to my appointments!!!


Ironwood,

I gotta share with you the story of the CLANG! Bird. It is a huge bird. As it flies it builds great speed. It also steers itself in a declining circular path. EVENTUALLY it catches up with it's own ass hole and disappears with a loud CLANG!

The same God that protects the HSPs keeps CLANG! birds from going extinct.

Get out with your hide, brother.

Joe

I forgot about the Church Creek, MD MASTEC truck that rolled through there,school zone and all at arounf 85 to get to a job I had been routed to that morning, (NLOS). Don't hurt your record running for them ass holes.


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## ironwood (Sep 20, 2007)

Nothing worse than a cop who is an unhappy Directv customer!

By the way I always give cops preferential treatment I wanna be friends with them. Surprisingly they are very good customers.


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## joe diamond (Feb 28, 2007)

This guy would have made the evening news........DTV truck nails kids in crosswalk......no amount of cop pals would have stopped the parents of those kids from hanging the sob from the nearest tree.......the crossing guard gave him he finger.

But I understand the west. You need to make time there. How long does it take to drive horizon to horizon? Here it is quick. Out there it is FAAAAAAAR!
And mountains are only pictures in books around here.

Joe


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## DesertWind53 (May 29, 2007)

Didn't the victim's home have a fart fan in the bathroom? If so the installer should have simply left the fart fan running, and closed the door behind him when exiting the can. Then in mere minutes, the offending vapors would have been sucked from the home.

Still wouldn't finish the installation though. Gawd I hate EVER having to have an installer visit me, it's been a complete clusterphuck every single time.


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