DirecTV Contractor Demands Tip Before Starting Work, Storms Out When Faced With A Table
William writes to tell us about an asinine DirecTV contractor who demanded a tip before starting work. The contractor was dispatched by Halstead Communications, DirecTV's unfortunate installer of choice in New York. After being denied an entrance tip, the contractor noticed an easily movable table blocking his way and declared to his partner, "I can't work like this, let's get the fuck out of here."
William writes:
I write in the hopes you will expose the abusive practices of Halstead Communications, the contractor DirecTV uses to install service in New York. As an initial matter, running a search on Google for "directv halstead communications ltd" pulls up many complaints regarding this subcontractor. I am not the only one who have been abused by this company.The consumer isn't powerless. Take your complain straight to DirecTV's mustachioed CEO, Chase Carey. He can be reached at: chase.carey@directv.com.
I use the word "abusive" because the technician who showed up this morning did not have equipment and had parked his van a few blocks away even though we have a driveway. He clearly was not ready to work, and he asked my mother for a tip upon coming in--she had tipped him when he came in on a service call a while ago. (He cut a DirecTV line and was not able to install a dish on that service call.) My mother said that he would be tipped after he finished. The technician got angry and said that he couldn't work because there was a table in the way. My mother had the table moved immediately, but the technician said to his co-worker, "I can't work like this, let's get the fuck out of here" and walked out.
I contacted DirecTV and all they could offer was the phone number of the contractor, Halstead Communications. I called Halstead and they said they would have the local office call me back. Of course, the local office has not called back. Halstead refused to tell me their address, or the phone number or address of the "local office." It's understandable why they do not want to disclose this information--they'd otherwise be buried in complaints. The consumer is powerless to do anything, and the technicians know this because they would not act like that if we had any power.
It is unbelievable that a large corporation such as DirecTV chooses to do business through such a contractor. I really hope you choose to do a story on Halstead, if only to let DirecTV know that they have to be responsible.
Thank you very much for your time.
Truly Yours,
William
(Photo: SpooSpa)
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Comments:
Why would you tip a cable guy? Even better, why would you tip the guy BEFORE he did something? What a moron...
i find if odd to tip a direcTV contractor. i find it more odd to ask for a tip up front, especially when it's someone who's tipped you in the past. i wonder how much of a tip was it? obviously enough to turn this guy into an asshat.
To line their pockets with extra cash is why they ask for tips up front.
It's either give them a tip up front or you don't get the service installed or repaired. Kind of like extortion.
I've pretty much had it with the tip abuse. I tip waitresses and waiters. Everybody else needs to do the damned job or become unemployed.
thats kinda funny. I've actually had direcTV installers come to my house smelling like alcohol.
I'm supposed to tip the direcTV guys? I don't know about New York but the direcTV installers here make pretty decent as it is.
so how exactly do you go about asking for a tip up front?
"so uh, before i get to it, uh, can i have a tip?"
i think i would laugh my ass off for five minutes or so before i realized he was being serious. then i'd invite him to a nice glass of mountain dew (with pee in it) and look at it like i was doing my part of karma and balancing this guy out.
Contact the local utility board. See what they have to say...
@tedyc03: Don't Bother. The local utility board will NOT DO A THING! It's satellite TV, hence it is really not regulated at the state level.
Even cable lines for internet or voice over high speed internet....the public utilities board/commission will just twiddle their thumbs....
@ConsumerAdvocacy1010: Here's the exact quote I got when I complained to the Public Utilities board about Comcast cutting its service FOR NO REASON:
"On a state level, there is no regulation of Internet service over cable television lines and very little regulation on the federal level as well. In March 2002, the Federal Communication Commission's ("FCC") issued a Declaratory Ruling providing that cable modem service was an "interstate informational service" exempt from state regulation. On June 27, 2005, the US Supreme Court upheld the FCC's decision that broadband cable modem service is an informational service but not a telecommunications service, and therefore not subject to Title II common carrier regulation under the Telecommunications Act of 1996."
Comcast said "Sorry" and the Public Utilities Board thought that was enough.
So unless its an 'old' and 'established' utlity...like gas, electricity, or phone lines via copper....they (utilities board) will not be able to help you.
"I can't work like this, let's get the fuck out of here."
I hate sobriety as much as the next guy but c'mon; he's not even trying.
:)
Um...WTFO?!?!
William, do you know the installer's name?
Call direct TV and cancel your service. There are plenty of other options for TV.
Feel free to use this handy missive:
Dear DirecTV(/Dish Network as the case may be),
As much as I would like to have your service, your choice of installer in my area is completely unacceptable due to past performance of said installer and their company as a whole.
Given the dearth of options, I have decided to forego paying for television and have had some device called an "antenna" installed on my domicile, which, to my surprise, feeds me a much higher quality high definition signal than anything else.
Please feel free to contact me if, and only if, ALL of the following occur:
1. DirecTV severs its relationship with [insert crappy contractor name here].
2. I can pay a fair price for only those channels I actually watch, rather than the bundled channels which only survive because of said bundling.
3. Non-broadcast channels begin to broadcast quality thought-provoking shows as the rule, not the exception.
In other words, I look forward to NEVER hearing from you again.
Thanks.
I'd say, "I tell you what. Lets say I don't tip you, and I don't follow you home and beat your dog."
As bad as people like to make the cable companies out to be, they have at least control over their employees.
Asinine = "devoid of intelligence." Asinine != "acting like an asshole."
Lrn 2 plai, n00b.
That installer did you a favor: he saved you from high satellite bills and paying for junk you'll never watch. He saved you from paying a monthly lease on equipment you never own. He stopped you from paying extra for high def content that's compressed to look like SD. In short, they don't deserve your business. Get an antenna, programming is free. Also there is the Internet. More and more live shows are being broadcast free on the NET. This is a good time to dump satellite and cable. Thank God!
No wonder he didnt park his van nearby.... didnt want his license plate read when he got rebuffed for having the audacity to ASK for a tip!
Miserable SOB!
I know others have some problems with them, but I'm actually pretty happy with Dish Network.
Ahh the spoiled brat service industry is coming to roost. I blame the people who tip for no good reason for this type of behavior, rewarding those who do nothing OR very little for their actions.
@jpx72x: Asking for a tip in advance and acting like an asshole when you don't get it seems pretty devoid of intelligence to me...
Did the truck at least say 'Authorized Direct TV Contractor '-Love they way these major corporations especially in communications use contractors and yet try to promote them as their own.I've seen Comcast and the baby Bells do the samething.
One of the problems is many of these contractors are sub contractors which means THEY ARE on the low end of the pay scale.That being said:Direct TV IS still responsible since they hired or 'authorized' them.I'd go to one of the regulatory agencies like the FCC or FTC and tell them Direct TV is not fully disclosing the costs or even over charging(if some contractors don't ask for a tip and yet they ask you?-how come you HAD to tip and others didn't)-that's discriminatory pricing.
Even if they are only 'authorized' contractors they are still defaming the corporate reputation and I'd let Direct TV know that at a different level.
I'd also check to find out if the technician let alone the contracting company was required to have a low voltage license which is required in many areas to install/repair things like communications,data and or alarms.If required there might be an ethics clause or a local authority you could report them to.
@ogman:
I'm a Bellman, and I'd suggest that you tip me, lest you become the unfortunate victim of "luggage abuse."
@telarium: people like you are exactly why I *don't* tip the bellman. A tip should be for exceptional service, not extortion to ensure that you actually do the job you were hired and paid to do.
People like you are also the reason I don't let the bellman touch my bags. Ever.
A tip? A what? The only tip I would give him would be, "Don't breathe underwater". On second thought....
@telarium: Got it. So it's not about providing excellent service to the customer... tipping you is a simple matter of extortion. Hey, as long as we know where we stand.
@astraelraen: yeah, ive walked by two cable vans in apartment complexes... they were sitting inside smoking weed.
@vastrightwing: You are dead on. There is practically nothing worth watching anymore. These companies are going to have to offer a'la carte to survive. More and more people are going to be cutting the cable because of availability of content online, the quick release to DVD, the increasing cost of packages and the consistently poor service. Just to watch my favorite sports teams I would have to pay over $100 per month and probably would only watch a few hours of programming altogether per week. Where is the cable company who wants to cater to my viewing habits? There are none, and that is why they aren't getting any of my money.
Sure, here's a tip for you: don't eat yellow snow.
If any worker asks you for tip up front, that means you're going to get crappy service.
This is funny :) Tips are a scam. Never tip any worker, there's no reason to.
@Jinx You're the kind of person I won't dine out with...I prefer to have my food without wait staff additives.
Actually Halstead installed DirecTV at my house and I had no issues. So I think the main thing is to complain (as there is now way DirecTV or Halstead can see what their contractors/employees do at your house).
And I kinda find it odd that your Mother tipped him on a previous call where you suggest he didn't finish his work as he should. Isn't your mom then tipping bad behaviour and thus encouraging it.
I was just in Russia and Kazakhstan for 6 weeks, pre tipping for everything is just what you do.
@humphrmi:
Excellent customer service comes at a price - need I say a premium, in fact. It's not my system - but here in the United States, hourly wages don't reflect the expenditure of my hard work. Unfortunately the burden of filling the gap falls on the customer. Again, it's not my system - but I'm sure the newest incarnation of politico will hear your cries about raising the minimum wage to reflect and cover, at the very least, inflation.
You call it extortion, I call it earning "a living wage". But if I have to extort it (as you would consider it) from you, I will in a heartbeat. Welcome to America - where you're entirely free to not tip me, and I'm entirely free to offer you the corresponding service. That's business - and unlike those television monopolies, you have a wide variety of hotels to choose from. So please, for the sake of...whatever, don't come to my hotel ya cheap bastard!
I meant that last line to be a little more humorous than cynical - but it tastes right, I'd say.
What a dick. If you want a tip, go be a pizza delivery driver.
There's bad service... And then there's worse service...
And then there is DirectTV's contractors!
@chiieddy: No, sorry, that's a public relations firm that just happens to share the same name as this hapless DirecTV contractor. Did you even look at the site in your link? Try again.
Welcome to the next stage of the degeneration of the economy and society, aka the kleptocracy. An increase in bribery is a sign of a political economy circling the drain. People demand bribes (a) because the rule of law has declined to the point that extortion is possible; and (b) people want or need their incomes enhanced by bribe-taking.
You don't really have a choice in the matter, as the story describes: The family who was extorted can't find recourse, and the service system has declined, through sub-sub-contracting, to the point that workers feel they deserve more money than they are paid (whether that's true or not); and they feel they can get away with it.
@telarium: well, there's always a price to pay. but if i feel like you intentionally screwed with/lost my luggage, your hotel has insurance, and i'll get all brand new stuff. or you can pay me through your nose, and we'd call it even.
the nerve of people who think if you don't tip them, that gives them a license to screw you over somehow. if your really good at your job, you'd understand it's part of your job to take the bad with the good. i served tables, not everyone tips, even with great service, it was part of the job. i worked for the oppertunity to earn a tip. tips were not a god given right, niether was the job. if my managers heard me say that i intentionally screw people who don't tip me, i would have been fired. i'm willing to bet your mangers aren't any different.
*opportunity- b4 i get flamed, and yea i meant managers, not mangers.
I had a directv installer come to my house a few months ago to install a new dish. He arrived in the early afternoon, climbed into my attic to start the install, and said "it's too hot, I'll be back tomorrow". He never showed back up, but left all of his tools and wiring. I got cable instead and use the tools on a daily basis (I'm an electronic technician).
@jeffjohnvol: What the hell, dude? It's not the dog's fault his owner is a douche! Better yet, just teach the dog to crap in his shoes. Win win!
How bout a tip with a baseball bat on the head? If a cableguy asked me for a tip, I'd laugh in their faces and tell them to show some ID, do the work, and get the f out.
How bout revoking their licenses and opening up their jobs to people who really want to work? There's all this talk about unemployment, and it's cuz of companies keeping assholes like the clowns who showed up at William's place.
Here's a tip: Do the job you're already being paid to do...