Pathetic Sky Install (Captain Complain)

[TheCake]

Having had Normal Sky for sometime and if anyone recalls, we sorted out my parents with freeview and topuptv about 14mths ago, I'd decided to upgrade my sky package to multiroom so they could enjoy my sky package. This was mainly for my dad who has a disability and watches alot of TV - so why not give him the full benefit of the movies and sport etc.

Well, since i've recently ordered my HD TV I thought why not and upgrded me to HD with + and them have my old box. Install was bookd (yesterday), I went to work and engineer came to my house.... :nono:

- Kept giving my dad a hard time for not being able to help, yeah because a guy in a wheel chair can climb a ladder can't he... sure.
- Then for the install, ripping the old cable out and chucking it on the garden, bare wires exposed (taking into we have 3 dogs - very bright).
- The chap then lays the cable through the guttering because "I don't have time to take it to the wall".... my guttering is 4inches deep in water AND it was raining.. well done.
- He kicked up a stink as there was only 1 TV as he needed to "Test the HD was working" - remember this.
- Has removed all the silicone sealant which sealed the cable in the brickwork from the previous install and just left it loose, I was mopping up water all evening as you can push and pull the cable through the brickwork
- Stuffed all the off-cuts of cable in the HD packaging box so when I opened it to get the manual out they went everywhere.
- General piss poor attitude.

I get home, Sky in the lounge isn't working so I reconnect all the cables (the screw terminal for the dish feed was loose). I then sort the remote out and show my 50+ parents how to use it (not demonstrated by engineer).

I then go to my room with my borrowed TV from next door and try mine out. I go to see if my HD package is enabled and hey presto "Call 0870... to activate this subscription" so refer to above point... what did he test then???

I've called Sky and complained. They are going to deal with it this afternoon and call me back. Worst thing, this was an official Sky installer (simpsons liverried van).


DisappointedCake.

Still at least Mum and Dad can watch Sky and well, for now, I've packed mine away whislt the TV comes.

 

[sneeks]

That really is piss poor service and had I still worked at Sky I would have arranged for another engineer to attend and correct the crap workmanship of the original install. Compensation should also be offered.

 

[Dan Page]

my dad works for first line digital installing sky and service calls. I have worked a few days with him. some of thr jobs that we have been out too that the official "sky" have done are an absolute joke.

 

[tommyboy]

t***s!

 

[Moby]

That's shocking service from Sky.

We had a bad experience - ending up sending the sub-contract engineer away for not coming with the correct equipment to do the job. The guy had a real attitute problem. A strong customer service call to sky was logged and fortunately the re-visit by another sub-contractor went without a hitch.

 

[Iain C]

ive heard alot about this. Sky are crap.
That said when we moved in i had to dig up the front garden cos telewest left my cable 1mm below the surface of the grass. It best it left a nice lump in the lawn but in alot of places the cable was exposed!

 

[The Hoff]

Sky, or rather the shitty contractors they use are a joke!

First time around the guy screwed up the secondary install upstairs by drilling the whole size hole in my wall, in a crappy position! Oh made a dogs dinner of cutting the Sky dish coaxial, meaning 5 minutes later I was recutting them with a stanley knife and some pliers.

Second time around this numb nut asian contractor came around to upgrade from digital to Sky+ and he didn't seem to have a clue what to do! He couldn't get the signal upstairs to work, I told him it was because he was trying to use the Digital remote, instead of the Sky+ remote - he told me I was wrong and that it was a voltage issue with the 'eye' upstairs. Anyway I watched him struggle, then got sick of him and sorted it myself.

Oh and he asked masking taped a loose coaxial as he didn't have any new teminals with him, r****d.

 

[Dansta]

Si, turn your phone on fella, i had something similar a while back... ill tell you how best to deal with it..

 

[CJ]

They are crap, they ran our sky+ cable through the guttering and the 1st bloke that came wouldn't go up the attic to connect it as he "wasn't insured" and just left. That was after turning up 4 hrs late.

 

[Mells]

They were late when they installed ours, but I didnt have a problem at all with them. The fella was a really nice bloke. One of those people you think to yourself you are far to happy mate.

We live in apartment so it was dead easy. The guy who did my dads did leave a fooking big hole in the wall and didnt seal it up.

 

[_Kenny_]

As said depending on the area you either get a Sky engineer or an engineer from a contracted company (can't remember the name at the mo).

The last engineer I had at our house actually said that he was tempted not to come to this job as he had a hangover from the night before! The one before that didn't attach the dish right.

Si, I can ask the missus tonight what she recommends you do to complain as she works for Sky

 

[richy22]

Most engineers are good though, always a few bads ones unfortunately.

I used to work for an aerial company sub-contracting out work from sky as they would only do "quick" installations not ones ware they go up on a chimney etc.

I think the main thing is they are only trained to do easy installations. Dish up on wall, simple cable runs etc.

They should have a way of monitoring these bad contractors/installers really!
Like actually giving them training!!

 

[TheCake]

Thanks people. I wasn't sure if it was usual but ironically the free-lane contracted out engineer who came last time was fantastic. Took his shoes off when he came in, was polite etc - this guy = asshole.

Kenny much appreciated. I've logged the complaint with the installation people and the guy is in at 5pm tonight and is going to speak to the depot and if possible the engineer before calling me back.



Si.

 

[bully]

Thay are sh1te.

I told the engineer who installed + at mine to just sling the cables in and leave the rest to me.

However i am a sparks by trade and cannot stand slack messy basturds who have not been trained properly and cannot be neat and tidy.

I went up on the roof and sorted everything myself when he went....maybe i am a control freak.

 

[TheCake]

No phone call as promised... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

[Graham Gooch]

Your lucky! I wish I could have sky full stop

 

[TheCake]

"your call should be answered in under 38minutes" jeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus

 

[TheCake]

Right they've escalated my complaint to the supervisor and the manager of the engineer. Good news.

They are arranging for the manager of the engineer and a senior engineer to attend my house to inspect the work and rectify it.

Just taken the dogs outside and found where they've re-used the hole in the wall from when I had NTL they've ripped the NTL cable off the wall (broken all the tacks) and then just cut it off above my bedroom window and left it hanging... so I won't be having cable again then eh...

 

[rich[182]]

Most sky installers use general coax cable which is crap quality, and they just wanna turnup and fit it any old how and f**k off, workmanship on neighbours houses and the runs the cables take are a disgrace, Im thinking of buying some quality cable and re-doing mine myself, like most mass produced stuff these days you get numpties rushing jobs who dont give a flying f**k

 

[rory182]

when they installed ours my dad told the guy to feed the cable in through an air brick and go wait in the living room as my dad crawled under the house to the amusement of a friendly mouse and popped up in the living room with the cable.

Want something done right, DIY - sad but often the way.

 

[Mike_182]

That sounds similar to mine - the c**t drilled two holes in my bedroom wall for the coax and pushed them through - OK, fair cop it I'm getting it for free. Any idea though why it had to be 3.5ft off the floor?!

 

[Dafthead]

There's always going to be some complete cowboys

My Sky engineer was a local contracted out installer, did an amazing and fast job super fast time, was careful, clean and considerate even though it was horrible weather outside. absolute star!

 

[tomdbomb61_djtj]

Must say the lad who installed mine was brilliant. The previous owners of my house had their sky dish installed on the PATIO so you lost signal anytime someone walked by !!!! As the previous engineer said it couldnt be mounted on the wall! The guy who came to do mine laughed at the previous attempt.

 

[Mole]

We aint all that bad

I take pride in all the installs I do, I've done a few installs where running the cable in the guttering is the only thing to do (to conseal it), the cable is (and should be) totally waterproof, and at the training we do for Sky, it is an approved method of running cable around a house.

Hopefully you get something out of it Si, at the end of the day, he's done a s**t job, and that will come back on him now, he should've taken the time, and done it properly the first time.

I hate the simpsons stickered vans lol, i got the national geographic one

 

[TheCake]

Mole - can I get you to come and sort it out if its still a mess? Will pay its that bad. Just want a nice job done and i know you're local.

 

[Mole]

no probs mate, What colour cable did they use, as i've only got white onboard at the moment, and not collecting new stock til monday

let me know what sky are going to do about it aswell, im interested in what they say

 

[TheCake]

He did it in black, not sure if they'll be able to re-use it but we'll see. I'm sure if the worst case scenario I could wait a week for you to do it but we'll see what they say bud. I've got to call back today for an update. Many thanks as always.

 

[Mole]

No probs, if they come out to re-do it, make them use new cable.

Give me a pm if you need it doing still

 

[TheCake]

Thanks mate. I'll keep you posted.

 

[_Kenny_]

No phone call as promised... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

doesn't surprise me mate

Totally forgot to ask the gf last night but will ask her over the weekend. At least you now have a supervisor to deal with, although some of these can be just as useless in my experience. Might be worth a shot to get the supervisor's boss details i.e. department manager, maybe even call centre manager?