Do you tip the Directv installer?

[RadioNate]

The installers said something crude about you? That stinks. What would make them do something like that? I would have been peeved enough to toss em out too.


whadtheysay???

I think I'd get banned if I posted what they said. They didn't like my attitude and that I was making the decisions about the install. The asked me several times "shouldn't I call my husband" because I wanted things wired a certain way.

I wanted them to run the lines through the attic rather than just stringing them along the house and drilling a hole though the stucco. They just didn't want to do the extra work. They wanted to take the easy way out even though I was paying the extra directTv fee to have it wired through the walls.

They didn't like that I wouldn't let them do short-cuts and that I didn't jump at their suggestion that I should give them cash.

After several hours DH got home from work and they still weren't finished with the install. They made several comments to HIM about me and my attitude. He threw them out and finished the stuff on his own.

 

[SunKat]

Nope, I've never tipped anyone like that. I would never think to tip the cable/DishTV guy, the plumber, electrician or landscapers etc. I'll give them cold drinks or whatever but that's it. I do tip anyone who delivers appliances or furniture though - or pizza or chinese food for that matter!

 

[kacaju]

OMG, NO!! The guy was a jerk and completely screwed up. He drilled a hole in my wall for the cable even after I showed him where the other line was in the basement. Somehow his one hole on the outside of my house made TWO holes inside my house. He drilled these hole in FRONT of the TV, so you saw them as you came intot he room (instead of hiding it back BEHIND the TV) He never tacked down the cable line outside the house, just left it hung loose from the dish down into my yard.
It was a nightmare!!
I had to force his manager to come out in the dark to inspect what he did.
Then I had to wait for another guy to come, and they screwed that up and the guy never came. I was ready to cancel and throw all their equipment into the street for them to come by and pick up. DH took over after that!! We finally had a very nice man come out and spend the WHOLE day with us to fix the problems.

 

[dcgrumpy]

DH has tipped the cable guy, I probably wouldn't though.

We had FIOS installed a few months ago and we didn't tip. One of the guys is friends with DH. Plus DH did most of the work for them before they even showed up and he helped them with the job. We did buy them lunch though.

 

[marybet]

tipping is out of control. i would never even think to tip the installer. the tipping everyone mentality needs to end here. who is with me?

Count me in.

 

[da-winnie-pooh]

I was a teacher and I waited for a parent to tell me, "Thanks for teaching my child to read. Here's $5.00" Never happened.

I never even thought of tipping our Dish Network guy.

I agree, it's out of control.

Just remembered, the room mothers in my dc's preschool asked everyone to contribute $20 CASH for the teachers at Christmas. That was sort of like a tip. I should have chosen better room mothers!

 

[le_queef]

I usually do tip service people. Just a habit, I guess.

 

[Sk8Leigh]

Why would you?

 

[lil mermaid]

Let's see - they showed up four hours late (I was given a window of between 1 and 4 pm and they showed up at 8 pm), put holes in my roof, threw the old dish into my neighbors pool, and left a bunch of wires hanging...no I didn't tip them.

 

[Minnie_me]

The tipping thing is out of control. I tip waitresses and bartenders only. We did tip mousekeeping at WDW.

But that's it. I don't tip the mailman, my hairdresser, my babysitter, or anyone else.

 

[Plantlady]

Our last directv installer just ran the line through the window. She claimed she couldn't' drill into the concrete wall. I didn't point out, that we had holes drilled into stone.. that I was just SURE there was a nicer way to do it. It was hot, we don't have AC, I had pitty on her. Now we have cords coming in through our window. Oh so lovely.

My brother's last installer, for Dish Network, used his computer desk as a ladder, even though my brother has a million ladders around his house, and broke it.

Nope, we don't tip installers.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

As with any service person that comes in my house for a period of time, I offer them a can of pop when they are done.

 

[HelenePA]

No, I also didn't tip the PPL people when they came out in -10* weather to fix my power. I had NO heat no light nada! tipping was the last thing on my mind!

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Nope! i agree that tipping has gotten out of hand. I'll tip the waitress, pizza delivery guy, my harirdresser and maybe a hotel maid, but that's it.

 

[dizneenut]

No.

 

[oceano]

Poor guy, he had to work to do his job, how horrible!

I must be a really bad person because I have never tipped the installer, even when he had to dig a hole to install the dish. Guess I thought that was what he was getting paid to do. Funny he didn't act like he needed a tip, didn't say he was underpaid, just did his job.

Based on what some are saying the installer should have tipped me after I moved everything on the TV, in front of the TV and moved the TV so he could install a HD dish and THEN he checked and found out we couldn't get the HD signal because of trees.

This installer ran an extra line to the customer's bedroom and "christmas" paid the installer in the form of a tip. I salute her as a Central Floridian for doing the right thing in a "right to work state".
As for Dish Network you are right if you want to split hairs you don't pay them for the pole and if your installer is nice he won't for burying the lines from the pole mount. Keep in mind, that our economy dictates that DirecTV and Dish network use independent subcontractors to keep costs down which may differ from the "cable man".

 

[MIGrandma]

Nope, I wouldn't tip the guy. They make way more than minimum wage. I might offer a glass of iced tea, a bottle of water or soft drink but that's it.

We just had a TV repairman here yesterday and we didn't tip him. He has to come back a second time (to install the new parts) and can't make it until August 11. On his computer it showed the "estimated labor" for the job to be $500! The parts are going to be $350. From the way it went yesterday I'm not even confident the new parts are going to fix it. The TV is under a 3-year extended warranty and it says if they can't fix it they have to replace it. With $500 labor and $350 for parts for a 3-year old 42" plasma (Magnavox) I think they should just give us a new TV. But at $500 for labor alone, heck no there will be no tip!!!

 

[Tikitoi]

When we got Dishnetwork 2 years ago, the installer was talking about all the tips he gets. We never thought to tip. That day we didn't have any cash on us, so we didn't tip. Today we are switching to Directv and I'm wondering if we should tip him. Do you????

For doing his job. NO WAY. Geez, where would it end? The other guy was prob just fishing for tips.

 

[DawnM]

NO! And any installer who hinted around like that with me would get a call to his supervisor.

Dawn

 

[servicetechdtv]

I gave my installer a RC helicopter, a RC truck, and a couple beers.

Thats cool. I have a 8th scale rc truck and I bet he really appriciated it. We work very hard for the little bit of money we make. Thanks for understanding .