Ironwood Communications review: Rude installer / Mike #9182! 78

Ironwood Communications was suppose to come out Saturday June 2 @ 8:00 a.m. and install my direct satellite dish. I called Friday evening to confirm the appointment when they notified me that they showed Friday morning while I was at work, I asked why they didn't call me ahead of time and the telephone number they had in the system was all wrong. So I reschedule the next earliest date, Tuesday June 5, @ 7:00 p.m. I wait until Tuesday @ 5:00 to call and confirm the appointment and they tell me that I was schedule for Tuesday June 12th, they couldn't even find my account because they still had the wrong telephone number in the system. What an incompetent bunch of slack-off losers.

This company is horrible. Their dispatchers are incompetent and rude. They called me at and told me that they arrived at my house ten minutes ago and nobody answered the door. We were downstairs the whole time and nobody came. They yelled at me and said "Why aren't you at home?" I'm in customer service and no way in hell this is the way you treat your customers. Direct TV just lost a customer because of their contractors.

I really wanted the NFL package, scheduled an installation with DirecTv who contracts out to Ironwood. The first try I was rescheduled three times and ended up just canceling the install. A few weeks later I signed up with Qwest, and again ordered DirecTV service. After two reschedules I actually got a living human being at my front door (he was almost an hour later). He walked out to my patio took one look with his signal tester, said there is nothing he can do for me and left. Now I was really angry, called Ironwood they said they would send a different technician on Monday (labor day) for a second opinion and install. Scheduled appt time of 8 - 12, at 1230 called Ironwood directly, technician decided not to show up to work, so I needed to be rescheduled again! I told them that either it happened that day or I was canceling yet again! Spoke with supervisor who said there was no one to do the install. Canceled again!

They are the biggest thieves i have ever met. They owe me as an installer 1500 dollars! my bills are behind and i need help! my family is suffering. The issue is because George Utah local payroll sup has stolen our money and will not answer phone calls! our business has gone under and us honest hard working people are in trouble. Direct tv Ironwood. You owe us. We are starving! We need to pay our bills and we worked for you!

These guys have to be one of the worst in a continuing trend of horrible service. Incompetence and ignorance are their trademarks. Do yourselves a favor, just have DTV send you the box and install it yourself...

Can you see through walls? Do you know how long something is supposed to take you before you do it? Although I do not work for ironwood I know how they run their business, and if it wasn't for stupid people with dirty houses and junk piled up everywhere they would be able to do our job right the first time.

Ironwood is a joke. I ordered Directv 3 weeks ago before moving in my new home. This is how it all went down...

11/2/07

Original installation scheduled for between 1 and 5 pm. At 4:55pm, they called me stating that they didn't have a receiver and couldn't install. Please reschedule. I called directv who patched in ironwood. Everyone is sorry sorry sorry. I state that this is unacceptable (5 minutes before they can't make and they call) and ask for re-installation. Note that I took the afternoon off to wait for the installation. They state that someone will be there between 8 am and 12 on Sunday.

11/4/07

No one shows up between 8 and 12. My wife spends 45 minutes on the phone trying to talk to someone and they claim they don't know why the installer didn't show up and that a supervisor will call back in 10 minutes. One hour later they call back and tell me that they don't know what has happened and that someone will call back AGAIN. No call back on Sunday night.

11/5/07

After being on hold for 45 minutes, I reach a supervisor named John who reviews the account, can't really explain anything, can't really defend the company and doesn't do much. He puts me on hold for 10 minutes and then explains that someone will be over in the afternoon. I leave work to go home and at 5 o'clock I am left with...that's right, nothing.

I call Directv and explain that there is no choice but to cancel the subscription. This is unacceptable. Again, nothing but apologies from Directv. The woman at Directv gives me the number for ironwood. I call them and they tell me they now have 2 customer systems and can I call them back on the same line and press 3 instead of 2 to get to the other system. What!?! I call back and get to someone who reads my account and says "Sir - are you aware that this account was cancelled?". I begin to explain to no avail.

In the end, Directv lost a customer because of their subcontractors and they didn't really seem to care about it. Ironwood didn't really seem to care about anything...I talked to 4 different people at the company and no one could tell me what was going on.

First of all I have been in this business for around eight years now... As techs, we get to our offices at 6:00 in the morning and join the rat race of getting our route, dealing with issues and getting our equipment assigned out to us for the day. Hopefully we get out into the field before and at our 1st house at 8 am... when I say first house, this means first of between 4-6 jobs a day. People are told of their time frames and such... so freaking be ready for them and clean your house... I hate showing up at 8 am and no answer at the door with two cars in the driveway... after ringing, knocking and making the several calls to the customers home phone they finally get their a$$'s out of bed to answer the door... If only the general public had to deal with s[censored] us satellite installers had to deal with. I agree with M Chaves a hundred percent. If you dont own your house, dont expect us to drill holes or even think about installing a system without something in writing from the landlord... you dont like this policy, then buy a house and stop renting. Another thing that is annoying as hell is when customers ask you to move furniture...there is a good reason that we dont do this... if we break it, we have to replace it... we are satellite installers not moving services... We make a living doing this just like everyone else out there in this world. We are in this to make money not lose money and time is money. Most people have no idea what a free standard professional installation includes... it includes going through the floor or going through the exterior of the house. If you want it fished through the wall from the attic, then expect to pay for it... time is money and this sometimes can take a lot of time... Why would people complain about paying, when its their house. Its a long term investment and its not like when they cancel their service, we are going to come and yank the cable out of the wall. So bottom line have your furniture moved out at least three feet from the wall so we can get access and make this process quicker... and please people with dogs, please lock them up while we are there and please clean their droppings up in the yards.. there is nothing more nasty then stepping someone's dog ###. If you dont like the service that you received please call the local offices and scream until you get a manager.. and maybe you should think about doing satellite installs if you think that you can make a difference... It takes a special kind of person to do satellite installs, one who can go under house, above houses, on roofs and be able to put up with as much b/s as we do. To those of us out there who do this line of work in a professional manner, Much love and props to you... the rest of the piece of [censored] installers!

Ironwood is the outsourced repair arm of DirecTV. On October 19th, Kai, a serviceman from Ironwood trashed my home by leaving 5 separate messes he made. He borrowed my ladder and left it the last place he used it. He left his powerdrill on a 1960's Grundig stereo. He installed a new dish on the roof without removing the old one and I mean he installed a new dish, left the old bracket attached to the roof, and then left the old dish on my roof instead of removing the trash! Ironwood took 19 days to respond to my complaint. They are ###, DirecTV is ###.

Why dont you PAY to have your system installed. That's the way it's supposed to be. A typical simple satellite cost from $200 to $300 dollars.

Look at what else you can get for Free; a cup of water, a book of matches, a plastic decoder ring... . What kind of logic are you using to take time off of work for something that's "free" so you can watch TV>? (It's not even "free" because they take it out of your bill for the 18 month commitment)

Them kids at Ironwood are a bunch of idiots that watched the install video, got a nice company shirt, and a nice Ironwood truck then get routed an impossible 8 job day, basically making nothing for it.

A satellite dish is not rabbit ears, buddy. You want the state of art in TV watching. If you want a quality system, contact a tech from Hughs Net or WIldBlue to install your outdoor unit and the cable run, and an electrician to ground it... the more it's worth it to you, the more exactly you can expect them to show up.

its not like that easy.we do training and we do have inspectors checking over us all the dam time.and no it don't take a dam know it all to do a install..just brains.every job has a loser but it doesn not mean the whole place.

I had a appointment for between 8-12, Dec. 24th, 2007, Ironwood called at 11:00 to let me that the tech had called in sick and that they may be able to install on Saturday, maybe. I called DIRECTV to complain, the DIRECTV consultant attempted to help, but the Ironwood operator acted like she could care less, even the DIRECTV consultant was suprised about her attitude. The operator for Ironwoods said she would call the local supervisor and have him call me immediatly. A few hours later I am still waiting for a call, I have called DirecTV several times to file complaint, but I believe the complaints are falling on deaf ears. Directv needs to find another sub contractors.

I upgraded my service to hd on Dec 17.The installer put the dish up in a manner that interfered with our Internet dish(though we didn't know it until the next day)After removing the old dish,he then through it out into the yard and left it there.He left the receiver package and old receiver lying in the middle of the floor.A new appointment was made Dec 20 for the next 24hrs.,then the next 48hrs.Now it's 26th of Dec.with no dish,therefor no broadcast tv.The Ironwood website is not connecting today so I am unable to check on an appointment.

After two attempts and 2 days of waiting for an installer. They never even had the courtesy of calling to informs us they would not be showing up. As a result, we canceled the order for two systems from Direct TV and will use another competitor.

This company is absolutely a nightmare and needs to be dropped by Direct Tv as one of there installers. First time they came out the installer did a horrible job. They did not install my system properly. I got Direct Tv for my husband as a Christmas present. The Quality Check Supervisor came out and took pictures of the horrible mess they left and we also took pictures for filing a lawsuit if we decide too. We did not sign the service work order when the installer came out. Their customer service department is notrotious! They put you on hold and then don't call back. The original installation took place on Dec. 19th and it took till the 28th for a supervisor to personally call me back after many hours of calling and complaining and back and forth between them and Direct Tv. Just a mess. They said they would come out and reinstall the equipment by fixing the mess but we will see.

Moved Nov 23rd. Called the DTV moving number for install. Yold Dec 31st was the closest appointment. OK we were home. We waited between noon and 4pm. By 2pm we called Ironwood. Five calls later I got a rep on the phone. She stated "you are scheduled for today". Then she stated she would called the tech. Now I was told that no install for today. Next available install date if February 11th!

One must be kidding me. I was there ready but no one shows and I must wait another 42 days for an install! Total down time is 73+ days without service!

DTV was very helpful, but they could not get anything in a closer install date.

So I am asking DTV to let me out of the agreement as they cannot provide the service. OR Send me the dish and I will install myself.

This is certainly the worst company( IRONWOOD COMMUNICATIONS) I have ever dealt with in my entire life.

If you are thinking of satelite TV go DISH!

Ironwood Communications should not even be contracted by DTV! Why, after all of these postings doesn't DirectTV get another contractor!? I scheduled to have my serviced moved 3 weeks in advance so I could have service the day we moved in. Well... Ironwood never showed up or even called. I was told the line about how they have a new system and she couldn't access my order so I had to call back and push number 3! Then once they found my order, the tech or supervisor could not be reached. So I sat here for 7 hours waiting waiting for NOTHING! I have better things to be doing than waiting for 7 hours! Atleast a phone call would have been nice! I am the customer here. We pay good money for our cable service and this is how we the customer is treated!? I was told I have to reschedule. The earliest reschedule date is 3 days from the original date. A week without tv in my house is not my idea of fun! I don't get refunded for a quarter of the months charge for not having service! I am so tempted to just go back to our local cable company. Maybe they would take better care of their customers!

I agree this company is HORRIBLE. I don't give a rat$$ a$$ about you installers complaining about us. HOW DARE YOU. We are given appointments for which you people may or MAY NOT show up. Or when you do -- you "claim' not to have the right equipment and then you split leaving us to have to make yet another appointment and give up another half of a day. You tell us you'll be here between certain hours for which you may or may not be on time (if you come at all). I had an installer come over and claim I needed a certain bracket, so he split. I made another appt which NOBODY showed up at all. I waited another week and gave up another half of a day waiting (this was my third appt). The installer never even read his service order that specifically said to bring a special bracket. What kind of ### doesn't read his service order instructions before leaving the office? Then he tells us the first guy was wrong and we don't even need that special bracket-- so WHY did it take me staying home on three separate occassions to find this out. ARGH. Then this third installer didn't even finish the job before he left. He claimed it was all done, but the minute he left we found our tv had NO SOUND and the remote didn't work. The receiver he relocated to the bedroom didn't work either. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with directv who decides to transfer me back to Ironwood. They acted real sorry and said someone would call me back-- well that was TWO days ago and as far as they know I have NO TV. Turns out my husband was able to fix the mess. The "installer" didn't put in the hdmi cable, and he had an audio input going to a video output. He also had the wires crossed on the bedroom receiver. what kind of BS is this? Installers-- you have no right to take out your frustrations on us. We are paying customers. If you don't like your jobs-- don't make us suffer. Go get another job. I cannot believe how unprofessional you and your company are. Shame on you. I am a business person and for me to wait home on THREE separate days to get this system installed in unacceptable. Who pays me for my time? Ironwood ought to be ashamed of itself as should directv for using these jerks. (as for the professional installers out there-- if you are really out there -- I'm sorry the rest of the idiots are giving you a bad name-- but I've had NOTHING but problems with this installation, so I wish I could be more supportive...I'm angry and frustrated and feel powerless. I just have to take whatever crap is dealt to me. I can't get anybody to listen, care or call me back.) UGH.

This company is absolutely HORRIBLE. On Oct. 27, 2007 we moved into our new house and had our new equipment installed. The night before we had just put together a brand new, expensive entertainment credenza. They guy that came in to do our install scratched the hell out of our furniture and ruined it. We put in a complaint to Directv who then turned it over to Ironwood Communications. Ironwood Communications sent us a letter stating that we will give you the full amuont that you paid for the furniture in return for the piece. We feel that this is totally unacceptable. Our property was damaged and this piece was a one of a kind. How can they expect us to give them our furniture in exchange for the money. This NEVER would have happened if the installer was more careful. They have no respect for anyones property or personal belongings. My husband does installs of a similar kind and has stated over and over again that the installer was very careless and irresponsible. They should have had enough common sense to be extremly careful with handling customers property. We are still going round and round with Directv regarding this. We do not feel that it is proper for them to come in and damage our property and then try to buy us off by taking what we worked hard to purchase. None of this makes sense to us. This company is HORRIBLE, DISRESPECTFUL, and CARELESS.
We will get the outcome that we deserve. There is no excuse for companies to treat people the way we have been treated, and to be so careless in someones home. Ironwood Communications should be ashamed of themselves and should take responsibility for their actions and give people a little more respect than what they have or have not shown us.

12/26 no TV, called, first available 12/31 - between 4 -. 8 pm I called to see if they could come earlier. . . they said they would call. 5p.m. I called only to find out they cancelled my appointment, as they said I called and said I was leaving town. . lie! I was on the phone with Direct TV and Ironwood from 5:00 until almost 7:30, explaining and waiting to talk to a supervisor. I was told by DirecTv that Ironwood would call me tomorrow 1/1/08!

Surprise. . .no call So, I got on the phone again.. blah, blah, blah blah. It's like a recording. Another 2 hours wasted on the phone! 1/2 /08 spent time on the phone talked to two supervisors and still no Tv. 1/3 /08 talked to Direct TV supv. this am and was assured that the supervisor for the company here would call. Well, the only call I got was a confirmation of my appointment for next Monday 1/7/08 4 - 8? Got on the phone and spent another 45 minutes only to told that they would call me back. . . 8:00 p.m. no call yet!

They do not know what customer service is, or that without customers, they would have no business!
This customer will be a non customer SOON!

This company should be held responsible for all the lost potential customers of directv. The hardest part is when the installers get a wrong work order directly from directv, but yet it is the installers responsibility to call the customer and set up a given time and if they can't make the allotted time the gave the customer then they should call and inform the customer. When talking to the customer in the morning that is when they should make sure that the work order is correct and if there are any changes then they should have them made before they get to the job site and then find out thats not what the customer ordered. I my self find that easier than upsetting the customer and having to drive back to the shop and return at a later date. I worked for this company and sometimes we had to do some long hours behind the wheel and then to have to drive that distance again just to do the install not cool. TO ALL THE INSTALLERS WHO READ THIS DO YOUR PRE-CALLS AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE CUSTOMER ITS THE BAD THAT THEY REMEMBER NOT THE GOOD

Be aware, this company will not show up for your appointments! Also, Peter Giacalone who runs Ironwood (and 180 Connect) was VP of customer service at Direct TV at one time so, good luck getting anyone to address your concerns.

This company is HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. They were scheduled to come to our house to upgrade our DirectTV satellite dish to HP. We waited the enitire four hours and at 4:00 called DirectTV. After 50 minutes of being on hold, they told us the technician wouldn't be coming to our house. They were rude and had limited English skills. We rescheduled for January 17th between 12 and 4. I was called to attend an important meeting at 12 that day. I called DirectTV to ask if I could be put at the end of the window and if the tech could call me on my cell phone if I wasn't there. I was five minutes away and could be at my house very quickly. They told me the tech would come after 1:00 and would call the cell phone number. I got home at 1:10, checked my home messages and Ironwood called at 12:40 to say the tech was in front of my house and I wasn't home (duh!). I called them back, got put on hold, got told they couldn't reach the local office or the tech, etc. etc. etc. I called DirectTV and they conferenced me in. I was told the tech would be back later in the afternoon so I stayed around and waited all afternoon. Bottom line, they didn't show for the second time. After finally getting in touch with the main office, they were rude, arrogant, and didn't give a damn about the customer. THIS IS A SHODDY ORGANIZATION and that's being nice. DirectTV doesn't really care either.

IRONWOOD SUCKs THE BIG ONE. WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT TV FOR 3 WEEKS NOW. WE REQUESTED A NEW RECEIVER AFTER THEIR FIRST VISIT AND THEY STILL CANNOT GET IT RIGHT. THE ONLY PROBLEM WE ARE LOCKED INTO DIRECT TV FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR PAY A BIG PENALTY, SCREW IRONWOOD. I CAN NOW SEE WHY IRONWOOD DOES NOT GIVE OUT THEIR LOCAL SERVICE NUMBER

As a former technician and supervisor, all I can say is ### YOU CUSTOMERS! I cannot believe that television means so much to you. So what if you have to wait and make additional appointments, sometimes we deserve a break too. If we need to reschedule, we do it for our benefit, not yours. I personally began every day with a target money goal in mind. When I made my money, I rescheduled my remaining jobs and went home to my family. I deserve a break from piece of ### customers like you all and I was forced to give it to myself. However, I never broke anything, showed up late, stole anything, or did ### jobs on people's homes. I did keep it real for myself, and eventually made my way into a supervisor position because I was sick to death of dealing with the day to day slop that you people call homes. Do you enjoy living like hogs? Do you know how to put diapers on your kids? ### me, 95% of the homes I dealt with were disgusting and the people were too. The other 5% were the rich, anal plugged ### masters that thought that their ### smelled like roses. These were the people that I made it a point to reschedule and piss off.
As a sup, I made it a point to NEVER answer or return a customer phone call. This was a valuable lesson taught to me my first day and it totally paid off. I never had to deal with you [censored]r customers and your "issues". If by some chance I was forced to speak to some pansy on the phone, believe me, I was not sorry and I couldn't have cared any less than if I was taking a massive ### on a small toilet. I stood behind my techs and rescheduled whatever they needed. I know the value of family and a hard days work. There are only so many hours in a day and it can only be filled with so much work. After that, too bad...you get to waste another day on our behalf :) Its not our problem that you want Satellite, that is yours. If we as installers want to take it out on you, believe me...we can, will and do! I agree that Ironwood is a ### company to work for, hence the reason I quit! They purposely overbook work, don't answer phones and ### up your houses. Deal with it. Complain to DTV and the area FOM's that don't give a flying ### either. We are a middle man and it is our place to make money, nothing more. Service is second to the amount of cash we take home every week.

Customers...do us all a favor and shut the ### up. Just move your ###, lock up your mutts and leash your bratty kids. Move your own god damn entertainment centers, couches and un-box you own mother###in' TV's. We are not TV installers, and you should not burden us with you old age or medical condition excuses. ### that! Have a friend or spoiled grandkid do it. Get landlord permission and please try and remember that Hi-Def signals don't penetrate your 200' trees in the mountains. If you don't like our shoes on in your house, lay down some towels. We can't and won't take off the boots bithces! Also...it's ok to tip us too. We like the extra cash! :)
Finally...its only TV! Relax, we will get it done when it gets done. Take a breath and remember we are people too; a lot nicer than you but nevertheless we are people too.

Installers: Keep on keepin on! Work 8-10 hours every day then go the ### home! Ignore your dispatch, they are an hourly paid burden on your bottom line. Pocket as much cash as you can for custom work as Ironwood WILL NOT PAY YOU HALF! Know that the Denver Call Center doesn't know the difference between you and the customer. You can reschedule anything you want, anytime you want. Just pretend that you are these stupid ###ing assclown customers, and set em up for another day! ### this company. Don't let them dictate the time you spend at home. Its ok to call in sick too. What are they gonna do ? write you up and fire you? hahaha what a joke.

I know I have a lot of nerve... save your breath. I am God's gift to installers, and I have earned this right.

I agree with Joe Smith about them Ironwood kids. However, you forgot to mention the 2 hour class on using the NEXTEL and the 2 days they spend training on climbin' a ladder! Oh don't forget the mandatory trainings on how to improperly mount a hi-def dish and how to ignore dispatch.

I worked for Ironwood and had ZERO classroom training. I was asked for a SSN and put into a van.
I like your take on the freebies too! hahah
These customers are like the rest of the Western Civilization..."if its free, its for me"

You stupid customers need to break out the cash and pay for some custom work without ### for it.

I might suggest another course of action to DTV, HIRE THE TECHS DIRECTLY AND PAY THEM YOURSELF! If DTV ran the show and paid them hourly, then maybe the investment would be made in the technician as well as the customer. Also if a union represented these techs, then Ironwood and other "subcontractors" couldn't take advantage of the techs and their pay.

Just some food for thought.

Ironwood has such horrible service just in trying to set an appointment I can just imagine what kind of workmanship their installers have, this is why I prewired the coax run myself to keep them out of my house as much as possible. Ironwood employees will lie to you to cover themselves, will not listen to any requests you make in terms of appointments time. The real problem lies with Directv who continues to use these incompetents even though a quick google search make it very apparent that Ironwood Communications is fought with trouble.

I RECENTLY GOT DIRECTV AND IRONWOOD TECH CAME TO MY HOUSE THEY HAD SCHEDULE AND APPOINMENT FOR SUN ,LATER THAT DAY THEY CALLED US AND TOLD US THAT THE ###EN LAZY ### TECHS DIDNT WORK.WHY THE ### WOULD THEY SET UP AND APPOINMENT ON SUN WHEN THEM LAZY ### DONT WORK..SO THEY RESCHUEDULE FOR WENSDAY SO THEY CAME WORST ENOUGH THEY SEND ME A LAZY ### MONKEY A ### ...THAT WAS EVEN WORST CAUSE THAT MUTHA###ER LEFT A ### LOAD OF WIRES ON THE FLOOR MY KIDS BE PULLING THE WIRES .. IRONWOOD HAS THE WORST ###EN SERVICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVE ...IF THEY EVER SEND A MONKEY TO YOUR HOUSE JUST CANCEL BLACK POEPLE HAVE A BAD REP .I HAVE NEVER MET ANY BLACK PERSON THAT LIKE TO WORK THATS WHY ..ALL BLACK PEOPLE ARE SECURIES CAUSE ALL THEY DO IS SIT ON THERE ### OR COLLLECT WELFARE...

Towards the end of January 2008, my wife and I had Direct TV out to conduct a service call because our reception was going on our television. They sent out someone from Ironwood Communications, they subcontract to Direct TV. The gentleman came out to fix a reception issue and proceeded to change all of the cables on the back of our unit, including our video cables and our surround sound cables. When he left, which he did without leaving us any paperwork, the only thing that worked was our television. He messed up the audio visual equipment to the point that I had no idea how to fix it. I called to make a second service call. They came out a week later and only fixed a portion of the issue. I was able to fix the surround sound, so I have that working now, but I still do not have my video players connected the right way. I have called for a third service call. It was supposed to be for Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. The company showed up on Friday while I was at work. I received a phone call at work that they were here and ready to do the service we requested. Since I wasn't able to have this done, they have now pushed it back another week before they can get this fixed. I asked why they couldn't come out on Saturday as Direct TV originally assigned, and they said they were too busy with the Super Bowl to get someone to come out. This sounds like only new customers paying them money are important to them. This company is a direct reflection on Driect TV and both companies have been less than satisfactory. As soon as I can get the Verizon Fios TV, we will be dumping both of these sorry companies.

I am shocked that Direct TV is even doing business with Ironwood Communications. I ordered the installation of my system three weeks ago. It was to be installed on 2/3/08 and was confirmed for this install on 1/31/08. Only to be told when I called to find out why they did not show up that it had been rescheduled. There was no call to reschedule just that they had done it on their own without my authorization. They claimed that I did not confirm the appt. which is an absolute LIE then they claimed that they did not have any techs available. This is the WORST customer service that I have seen. I've been told to call back on Monday to speak with a supervisor and reschedule to a more acceptable date. Somehow I don't think it's going to be a pleasant conversation... time will tell and patience is running out.

I'm in the process of getting my DirecTV hooked up. This wrong bracket situation seems common. My story starts with the jerks at Best Buy Geek Squad people not hooking me up as promised. My dad had just gone through quite an ordeal with a DirecTV problem. He recommended Ironwood. Said they were awesome and fixed the mess another DirecTV installer had done. I requested Ironwood and was excited when they showed. Of course they needed an under eaves bracket so they rescheduled for today. I was told between noon and 4pm. My retired father offered to do the waiting so I can work. I received a call at 11:30 to see if the installer showed. I was placed on hold for 30 minutes while the rep tried to figure things out. I thought maybe I missed the guy and will need to reschedule. I was told that the installer has not been by yet and they could not guarantee a time. I'm just crossing my fingers that it will get done today. I bought a beautiful flat screen hi def in time for the super bowl. It looks great on the wall. BUT I HAVE NO SIGNAL! Pray for me.

It all happened to me too, I called and got an install on Monday am, at 11:00 I called my boss to take the after noon off as well since I had called Direst and confrimed Iornwood was still coming, a few minutes before 12:00 Iorn[censored] called and resheduled, equipment had come in. They set me up for Saturday am, I made it a call to Ironwood on Thrusday to inform them that this was a chimmey mounted dish and make sure the installer had the mounting hardware. Saturday morning he showed up, no hardware, so he was upset and it had to be mounted on our renters chimmey. I too had been in contact with Direct my phone and email only to have deaf ears to my complaints and problems, no consideration. I will be changing when this contract is up.
David L. Clubb

We had HD installed for our Direct TV. Installer Edgar #8733 did the installing. He was on time, did a wonderful job and could not have been more pleasant. I have called Ironwood twice since then asking to speak with a supervisor to that I can let them know what a great job Edgar did and how pleased we were with him. The "Call Center" can not put me through to the supervisor and says that they are sending E-mails requesting that a supervisor call us. We have yet to get a call. From the looks of the complaints, they must think that I am just another unhappy customer. It's unfortunate that Edgar will not get to hear from his supervisor that he did a good job. Shame on management!

I seriously doubt that any one of you has been a contractor, or worked in a position as an installer. I beg of you to try it one day and see just how funny the situations change for the customer's own benefit. I was an installer for Ironwood, and I always found it hilarious how conversations and stories changed after I left the customer's house. Like the time a customer told me that he had not mentioned that he wanted an HD dish, and then got angry at me for not having one. I apologized, and called the office and rescheduled for him. But later that day I got a call from my supervisor telling me that the customer had called to reschedule and complained that I was unprepared when he had specifically asked for the HD dish. He even said that when I called to notify him of my eta, that he had mentioned the dish and that I said I had one. The story changed because his crystal clear picture and his pride were at stake.

I don't think people understand how annoying it is to reschedule or cancel jobs. We get paid by the job, we don't do the job we don't get paid. Yeah some of you may think that we are lazy, and some may make up stories about being downstairs, and it may be true, but the bottom line is that when we knocked on your door, and when we rang your doorbell no one came to the door. When we called your number, no one answered. We have to provide evidence of our showing up, we can describe your house because we were there. Why would we waste time driving all the way to your house to not do the job and get paid. Contrary to popular belief if we don't finish the job, we do not get any money, not even a little. We are not paid a base salary with commission, we are straight commission. So take a step back and realize that we are not out to get you, our family's well being depends on us giving you TV, a little appreciation for what we do and the crap we deal with would be appreciated every once in a while.

Yes there are some bad techs, and yes crappy things happen sometimes. I have talked to some bad reps at my cell phone provider, does that mean the whole company is a fraud and a scam? No. You can say what you want about certain people, but to over generalize an entire company because of a few individuals is childish and immature.

The problem here is that 99% of the customer's that Ironwood gets think that they are better than us, and that as the customer they are always right. They misunderstand what "The customer is always right" really means. I firmly believe in that, but that doesn't mean that company policies and all other customers should be dropped, and that the employee's life should be second banana to the all powerful customer. It simply means that in a dispute over the employee and the customer the customer should be right. It means that trust should be placed in the customer, but not complete and utter trust. However, if no evidence to support the customer's claim can be provided, then the customer is not right. If the employee says that the DirecTV system worked when he left, and the customer calls a day or two after and claims it never did, who is right? The employee, since there is no evidence to support the customer's claim. Why didn't the customer call that day to complain? Because 9 out of 10 times the customer screwed it up by not listening to our instructions and not messing with the system once it has been installed. Swallow your pride once in a while and accept you did something wrong, stop trying to make us look bad.

There are laws in this country, and some of those laws are to protect the home owner. If it is not safe to put the dish on your roof which has an insane angle, with ice and snow on it, it is in your best interest to let us find a more suitable location for your dish, since if we fall we can sue you, the homeowner. If the place you want it has trees that block the signal, listen to us when we say it. If we tell you that the tree growth will get in the way of your signal during spring, don't insist we install it there and get mad at us in the spring. We risk our lives to install for you, a little respect would be nice.

Guess what, wires happen. It is inevitable to wire your house with wires. We cannot hide all of our wires, there will be some showing. We are not electricians, we do not have the tools necessary to fish our wires from your third story roof through the walls to your basement. We do not possess the ability to magically put our dish on your roof and not drill holes to get the wires inside. We cannot put your dish in the house and have it see the satellites either. Holes happen, deal with it.

Chris, you are an idiot. Obviously if you get a black person at your house with a job, they don't just sit home and collect welfare. Also, learn to spell you ignorant ###. Maybe consider that your bad attitude and mistreatment of the installer resulted in the bad job that he did. Its not an excuse, every job should be done to the best of their ability, but it is hard to be thorough when you are being constantly and unfairly belittled by the customer because of the color of your skin. Die in a horrible tire fire please, and don't reproduce. The world doesn't need any more stupid people, or any more racists, and certainly not the two combined.

You people pissing and moaning about Ironwood installers have no idea how hard, aggravating, and, stressful that job can be. 99% of the aggravation comes from customers and I am eternally grateful I will never have to work inside peoples houses again. To the person complaining about their entertainment center, what the hell do you want? ironwood is offering to pay for the furniture do you want them to execute the installer to? If this entertainment center meant so damned much to you YOU should have moved it away from the wall yourself. Also, for the love of god you disgusting pigs CLEAN YOUR HOUSES. The worst part of that job by far was crawling around behind piles of YOUR junk, piss stained carpets, and bedrooms that wreak of armpits and ###s. Attics and crawlspaces are one thing, but, how do you people live in such squalor and still have the nerve to have people enter your houses. As for time delays, This job is not set in black and white. It is a rare day that doesn't have some complication that puts the tech behind on his schedule. Between that and traffic and teaching you mouth-breathers how to use your own damn VCR's, DVD players, and surround sound systems I always got home late at night. So, respect your techs, they do a job that over half the complainers on this board couldn't handle for a week.

These folks are thieves! Watch OUT big time. They cased my house and then returned to steal a pressure washer and air compressor and an airless paint sprayer. I actually had the 22 year old confess to the theft and the older employing brother stonewalled the allegations and I even followed him to the police station in San Jose, Ca to file the police report on my stolen property! Thieves, thieves, thieves! Call me if you want to know the full story, at [protected].

Ironwood communications installer apparently came to my home, did not ring door bell, did not tag the home with paperwork that he had been there and did not leave a message on my home phone. I took off work and waited from 12-4. This Bozo came and never got out of his car. What are company protocols for if service technicians don't follow them? If I was on the phone I would have called right back and gotten the job completed. Ironwood then hung up on Direct TV in a three way call trying to figure out why the installer did not follow through with the job.

The next available date is one full week away, no apologies for their poor service. This company has no pride of ownership, apparently all employees need some serious re-training in human relations and servicing the public.

I'm sorry, but I've seen a lot of ### from the installer's here... and it makes me sick.

No, the whole of the company probably isn't bad. BUT THERE ARE BAD INSTALLERS. Do you honestly think that you having to work your rear end off for a paycheck is any different than what we ALL do? EVERY worker has to deal with bad customers, and bad situations. If its that much of a problem for you- get out of the business and find a job you can be happy with.

But how DARE you blame us customers for some of your bad installers. We work our rear ends off to get the money to PAY for the equipment, and services you are installing. So now we have to put up with our horrible bosses, and BAD installers?

If you don't like the customer service industry- do us all a favor, and get the hell out of it. Our money provides you with a paycheck, and surprise, surprise, you have to work for it. Its like saying a surgeon shouldn't have to take out that ruptured apendix if they don't feel like it, despite being paid to do it. Would you be happy with that kind of service? Well sure, TV isn't life and death.. but it still comes down to the old mighty $$; you get paid to do something. THEN DO IT. PUT UP WITH IT. OR GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR HOMES! Go find that get rich quick scheme that no one else has figured out, because obviously if you don't think you should have to work to get PAID, then that is ALL you are qualified for.

Now, for MY complaint. 2/12/08 we called DirecTv to see if we could get a better or the same deal through them (our contract with DTV just ended), than DishNetwork. They could, so we agreed to sign up for another 24 month contract. We were to get a DVR, as well as some great programming, and a standard receiver moved from one room to another. We had this all setup with DirecTv. The next morning the installer was suppose to arrive.

I was pleased with the call I got before he arrived, asking for directions, and letting me know he would be there soon. I was pleased that he showed up soon afterward, as he said he would. The installer, all in all was a nice person. Which was why we let him do his thing, without hoovering. We had faith that he knew what he was doing. When he asked us where we wanted things to go, and what not.. and what he needed moved in order to do it- we moved everything we could. The other thing he asked to be moved actually turns out didn't need to be moved, though we couldn't move it for him anyway. 300 lbs+ TVs, and TV stands should be worked around anyway. THOUGH I will point out what he wanted moved didn't need to be moved in the end, as he wasn't installing on that TV anyway.

BUT, his work order didn't say he was suppose to move a receiver from one room to another. Not his fault. But he was unwilling to do it, because it wasn't on the work order. I told him that we had told the DTV rep we wanted that done. He said it would cost us $50. I told him that was unacceptable, as we were told it would be done without charge- AND the point was that we could go with DishNetwork for the same deal- and not have to pay $50 for the install at all. As it was, we were already paying a fee for the install.. and $50 beyond that wouldn't be okay with us. He said that we should call DTV then, and there was a possiblity that we would need to reschedule.

Why did he need to reschedule? Because a receiver we OWN needs to be walked into another room, and a line run into the room through the window, instead of just the one receiver? Okay, I understand time is money to him.. and in the end if he needed to reschedule that wouldn't have been such a problem. I could have handled that. UNTIL I got on the phone with DTV, and having them on speakerphone, so the tech could also speak to them- I explained the situation, and the DTV rep asked the installer why he couldn't just install the receiver? He said he wasn't going to get in trouble for doing something not on the work order (which I understand), the rep accepted that.. though she still couldn't believe he couldn't just do a small job like that- when it was someone's elses mistake (not ours) that it wasn't on the work order. He was willing to stay and do the job, but he needed to have the job on the work order. So, DTv made up a new work order. And the tech needed to get a bigger multiswitch. So he left, and came bask with it- and the new work order.

He performed the install, to what we thought was just fine. But we were running late for an appointment, and so was he. He forced us to sign his paperwork, without having us look at his work.. and left. Soon we were gone as well, though not before we had to spend 15 minutes trying to close our window after he had put the cable through our window, and I had to program our remote controls (this is all stuff the installer should have done- it even says this on the back of his work order.. but I guess because it wasn't written on the front of the work order in the instructions- he didn't need to do it).

Next morning I walk out to see how the work had been done. The multi-switch was hanging out of the roof overhang- it wasn't secured. Cables were hanging down, not secured. The hole he drilled into our wall for the second cable for the DVR his first work order said he was suppose to install was not aligned in any way with the hole in the wall where the other cable came into the wall. The other (old) cable was secured into the wall with a round plastic plate- so that it could insulate the cable, and make sure no bugs or rain water got into the wall, as well as make it easier to remove when we move out so it can be patched if we are asked to do that. The installer installed this new cable with a hole, and cocking. The outside of the wall is painted green, and the cocking is white. If I had known he was going to do that (he didn't tell us what he was going to do)- I would have asked for it to be less unsightly, by having the cable ran through the window like the standard receiver's cable.

He also didn't hook up the phone line to the standard receiver. He was also suppose to do that according to his work order. But he didn't.

We were polite, we understood that the job was bigger than he expected it to be. And he seems like a nice guy. Our house was clean, and we were willing to move anything we could physically move, and make adjustments for what we couldn't - if required. But everything he did was sloppy. He was so worried about getting in trouble for doing work not on his work order- after he got the OK from DTV, and his dispatcher.. and not worried at all that his sloppy work would get him in trouble.

We have to have someone else from Ironwood come out and fix the sloppy work tomorrow, and of course we have to be here to let in the tech, and deal with that. This tops off a bad week already, with more hassle. Tv is a nice relaxing situation usually, and that's why we pay for it. Its just too bad this situation happened like it did. Its not entirely the installer's fault, he had a bigger job to do than he counted on- BUT the sloppy work was his fault. He could have done better. :-(

Memo to CK...

Your first 4 paragraphs were complete blabbler, blah blah blah. Strap on a tool belt and install for a week, you'll get the picture and change your "customer centered tone."

As for your install, if the tech asks you to move your ###ing TV, don't argue just ###ing do it. It is supposed to be moved 3 feet away from the wall before the tech even arrives. You get a phone call confirming the appointment and a reminder to move things, so there is no excuse for the TV not being out where the tech can get to the back of it. This is precisely why they are the techs and you are not. If they need a TV moved, it is probably for a reason that you cannot see, nor do you know about. If you want a quality install, then be prepared to play ball with the installer and not question his procedure. Feel free to question the placement of cables, holes and mounts though. It is your home.

As for the work order and it being correct, the techs don't have ESP with your thoughts. The get their work orders in the morning and roll to your house. It is your responsibility to CONFIRM the work to be done with Direct TV. Any competent person would make sure that their work order was listed correctly before hanging up the phone and not assume that the Philippiano or Indian ### they were talking to actually got it right the first time. Your Bad Dude.

Lets address the phone line whining shall we? Phone lines are required from each box so that you can use interactive features and order pay per view. They also allow for information collecting about what you watch. As a tech, I had a rule that if the jack was close, I plugged a phone line in. If it required running a line to your SNI on the outside of the house, forget it pal, I am not AT&T and this is not a phone line soup kitchen. You can pay AT&T the 129.00 to get that ### ran. If you have VOIP...hahaha you are mulit###ed, homie don't play that ### either! I was given a box of phone line when I became an installer and guess what...it is still full and sitting in my garage. Most techs refuse to run phone lines as time is money and they are not paid for phone lines. Most shops require the techs to maintain a 50% phone line hook up on new installs only. Upgrades (which you had done) are not checked or calculated into that 50% so the Asians say..."you no get no phone line, tough ###"

Last but not least, lets talk time. So he had to go get another multiswitch...bummer, be thankful he did that. I would have told you we were out of them and rescheduled your ###. You would never have known. When he did come back, it sounds like you pressured him for speed so that you could make your appointment. He must not have been too rushed because he actually completed the upgrade. If you were concerned about your appointment, you should have either rescheduled it or rescheduled the technician for another day. Because of your self need for television, you got screwed every which way. You got sloppy work, and had to burn at least 2 days to get it all done. Remember for the future, that you are on the tech's time, he is not on yours. If you had mentioned one time to me that you had a timeline for me, I would have been gone.

Once again it shows that techs prevail. Do yourself a favor and refrain from posting anything that relates to techs whining. You will feel our wrath, and Karma is truly a ###. You lose ###.

Dropped latter on my car- installer was cool- but supervisor is totally un-responsive. Dealing with them to get it fixed has been terrible. Car is fixed, but getting payment has challenging juggling around without them calling back.