Rank Incompetence

[sheeny]

Today was my second attempt at changing over to the NBN.

Wouldn't you think that when someone comes to install a satellite dish they would bring everything they need to do the job?

On the first attempt, they assessed my roof as too flexible to install such a large dish on, it would require a pole... but they don't have a pole. Day off work wasted.:mad2: Why not have a pole with you anyway just in case? It doesn't have to be used...:shrug:

Today was the rescheduled instal;lation day. I get a phone call from the technician just before 8:30am... there's a problem. He's been told to use a pole that he already used on another job! :mad2: He has a longer pole (5m) but is not allowed to cut it down to 3.8m for my job.:mad2::mad2: He advised he would try to get authority to cut the pole and use it and ring me back.

After waiting over an hour I rang Skybridge - the mob controlling the installation - to check on the status of my job as I don't have the tech's number. They will have to send out another pole, and I will be contacted to arrange a new date for the installation.:mad2::mad2::mad2: I asked to be passed up the line to the operator's manager - she's just doing her job. I want to talk to the incompetent responsible - if I could ever get that high, but the closer the better!;) After a long wait the operator is back, trying to make arrangements so the installation happens today... "Fine, if the installation will be reliable, but I don't want the dish slapped on my roof if the roof is too flexible to maintain alignment"... another dose of musak... the operator is back again - they'll call me and arrange another time for installation.:mad2::mad2::mad2::mad 2: Another wasted day off (too many clouds to do any solar).

Finally the tech rang back. He's going to try to work the system so they install on a Saturday so I don't need to take more time off. Fine, I'll work the same angle when they ring me.:rolleyes::screwy:

Rant over.

Lets see what I can salvage from the day...

Al.

[loki78]

I feel your pain, I have experienced similar issues with contractors in the past as well. All the more difficult to get any sort of satisfaction out of someone higher up as the chain of command is much more obscure (by design). I hope at least the clouds bugger off so you can get some solar stuff in and make something of the day.

[Screwdriverone]

Bummer Al,

I'm surprised that the tech didnt tell you he was stuck at the depot as he didnt have a left handed screwdriver, or that his boss told him to go to the hardware store for a long weight......;)

Why dont you dig some striped paint out of the garage and make yourself useful?

Cheers

Chris

[FlashDrive]

Al ... not too good mate ...:shrug:

Next phone call from them will be .. Sorry Al .. we're all out of our boxes of ' short circuits ' .... there all on ' back order '

We will arrange another day for you ..!! :rolleyes:

All the best with this one Al ... their very trying .. aren't they.

Flash .. !!

[Baddad]

Strategy Al,:)

Phone them and say you may be cancelling the installation. Giving the reason that they have displayed incompetence from the beginning. Which would also be reflected in the installation itself. Consequently resulting in poor reliability.

Watch 'em jump hoops. Allow yourself to be smoothed over and accept the installation. It will motivate them to ensure all is good.

Whichever way you handle it let us know what the results are.

Cheers:)

[Barrykgerdes]

Make he most of what they can do for you now because it will only get worse.

The days of properly trained tradesmen are long gone. The beaurocrats have just about got what they want. Complete control and no responsibility. They make rules to be followed and expect them to be followed or else. There is no room for the problem that is not on the work sheet and mavericks like I was that did these jobs and forgot the administrative rules don't exist these days.

Barry

[[1ponders]]

Hmmm Al is this through Activ8me? If it is then welcome to the club. I found the installer pretty good and the administration keeping in touch pretty good, but it would be nice if they were to get the correct forms to you on time. I wasted about 3 weeks just getting the forms and applications right. :doh:

[astronut]

Without wanting to start a war here...Al's post is indicative of the incompetence that we have in the Federal Gov't and why Australia is in $200 Billion dollars in Gov't debt.......rant over:mad2::mad2:

[sheeny]

Yep. My application got the Vogon treatment as well...:rolleyes: but the installation isn't Activ8me's problem.

Al.

[astroron]

Excuse me,But it is a private company doing a job, so what the hell has the government got to do with it:question:

I suppose if you got Diarrhea you would blame that on the government as well:screwy:

[Peteren]

The federal government formed the company that is installing the NBN

They are hiring the subcontractors carrying out the installations

That makes the Government responsible and accountable for the installer’s actions

The same with the disaster the home insulation scheme was, how many people did that kill and how many houses got burnt down?

If the Federal Government was a business the directors would be in goal

[sheeny]

Ron, if all I had to do was deal with the local contractor, it would've been installed on the first day. I am quite confident of that. I have worked with him before.;)

The government contractor managing the installations is micro managing the sub-contractors with typical remote bureacratic incompetence:

The management company collects the data about my roof from me: it is "tin" (colorbond to be correct) and the dwelling is timber framed. (It had to collect it FOUR TIMES from me... ding, ding, ding, alarm bells are ringing!)

The sub-contractor must install the new dish without disturbing the old one:screwy:. That is the landowner's responsibility to remove and make good.:mad2:

The sub-contractor has the power to decide if the roof is too flexible and requires a pole installation, but he is not empowered to carry a pole with him so he can exercise that discretion on the spot.:screwy: This is what bugs me...

Today the sub-contractor had a longer pole (5m) and was not approved to cut it down to 3.8m to do the job. 1.2m of 2" pipe doesn't cost much, neither does the labour to cut it... certainly not as much as my employer lost by not having me at work, and certainly not as much as I reckon a day's annual leave is worth to me, to do what I want instead of waiting around for things not to happen.

I know a lot of things often get lumped on "the government" incorrectly, but the problem is not the sub-contractor, it is Skybridge.:)

Al.

[GrahamL]

The risk assesment to complete the task without cutting the pole would of been system overload Al,just be thankfull you don't have a tin roof or that pole will never go up :)

[brian nordstrom]

:mad2: I hear you Barry , the tradsmen of the last 15 odd years are a joke , they all want to be the BOSS :shrug: , CHIEF ? .
I laugh , but that does not help the suituation , they will keep on bringing on more 457 Visa workers ... its had it :help:.
Brian.

[astronut]

And with comments like this....you can see what is wrong with Australia.

[astroron]

Al, I have had my Satellite dish replaced under the NBN.
The company who installed it rung me up asked the relivant questions, came took the old dish down and replaced it with the new one and was gone from here in around one hour.
The contractor asked if I wanted the dish removed or left there, I was quite happy to have him remove it.
I also have a tin roof.
Too me it does sound that the contractor is at fault on your end.
Not empowered to carry a pole with him:question:
Since when is a contractor told what he can carry on his truck or not:question:
It seems to me as if your contractor is playing silly buggers and not using common sense.:shrug:
I am very happy with the service and installation of my dish:D
Cheers:thumbsup:

[astroron]

That you put a loaded statement and then expect no one to take you up on it by using the no politics mantra on IIS.
It is so easy to put the blame on the Government, and not the people who are stuffing up ie the contractor.

I stand by my comment.

Nothing is wrong with Australia, in people like me defending against attacks which are unwarrented.
Cheers

[mithrandir]

Ron, he who pays the piper calls the tune. The contractor does not provide the parts, NBN does. If they choose to not allow the contractor to carry parts he might need that's their decision.
I had a similar thing happen when Toyota did a recall on Prados for brake master cylinders. Toyota would not provide the dealers with a replacement until each vehicle was tested and the dealer sent them the report. My Prado needed a new one and I was without it until the part showed up.

[astroron]

Which goes to show, that it is not only government companies, but one of the Biggest Private companies in the world does the same thing.:shrug:
But it is Sooooooi easy to blame the government, isn't it:question::question::question:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[stardust steve]

Being a roofing contractor myself, reading your post really makes me shake my head. As the old saying goes "Time is money". If ever i had an unforeseen happen, i would do everything possible to fix it. Another trip back = more lost time/money.
These tradespeople must be working on an hourly rate for their company. If paid by the job (contract) i would say it would have been finish quick smart.

And what exactly do they mean your roof is too flexible? Is it the expansion/contraction in the materials, the pitch, or condition?
I found that amusing...sounds like another delay excuse:shrug:
I hope you are back online soon:)

[gary]

That is not correct.

Optus was awarded a $200 million fixed price contract and IPStar a $100
million fixed price contract to be the interim satellite service
providers until 2015.

These deals replaced the $325 million broadband guarantee initiative.

Optus is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia and
is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications (ASX SGT).

Optus is arguably the obvious choice as prime contractor because they own
the satellites being used in the interim service and are synonymous with satellite
service delivery in Australia and therefore have the experience and expertise.

Optus, as the prime contractor, independently signed on Gilat Satellite
Satellite Networks Australia Pty Ltd for the deployment of their SkyEdge
VSAT installations and additional infrastructure within three years. This
agreement was reported to be worth "up to $120 million".

Gilat awarded Skybridge (Australia) a three year contract to provide
provide national installation and maintenance services for the terminals.

Skybridge recruits independent contracted technicians to perform the
installations. Typically local blokes with their own satellite dish
installation service businesses with their own white van and tools. See
https://secure.skybridge.com.au/GMCWebTech/registration/procedure/Become%20a%20Skybridge%20Contractor .pdf


So the deployment is about as complete a model of free enterprise
as can be and is not dissimilar in that regard to, for example, the
building of spacecraft under NASA contract for a fixed price by private
enterprise.

Contractually, in this case, the buck ultimately stops with Optus and
its parent company's shareholders, who are under a fixed priced
contract obligation to deploy the system, or with one of its
sub-contractors down the chain.

Al, I hope you get your pole soon.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Mt Kuring-Gai NSW

[sheeny]

Thanks for the clarification Gary. Saved me some research of my own.

Regardless, the incompetence is wholely and solely in Skybridge. No one else, not the local contractor (perhaps that should be sub-contractor to be pedantic):P.

The saga continues, but I will not add further fuel to fire.

Al.

[sheeny]

On the first installation attempt, the SUB-contractor (previously referred to as the contractor) explained to me that the roof was too flexible. The new dish is 1.5m diameter. My existing one is 800mm diameter. Wind load on the 1.5m dish at 35 kph is 85 kgf. The roof visibly deflects under weight when walking on it, not enough to be concerning safety-wise but enough to allow the dish to deflect off alignment with the satellite... apparently. 35 kph winds are pretty common in Oberon, being on top of the GDR. So the satellite link is not likely to be reliable if mounted on the roof.

It would appear to be a reasonably common problem for them to provide poles for just such instances.

Al.

[TrevorW]

AL is there anything special about the pole :question:

[sheeny]

Not that I'm aware.

I think they said it was a 2" pipe, but to me that seems pretty flexible in itself. Time will tell.

Al.

[astroron]

Al, Skybridge as I said and Gary clarified is a private company so the government as I also said has nothing to do with your installation problem whatsoever.;)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[sheeny]

I appreciate that Ron. I don't really care whether its government or not.

:)

Al.

[astroron]

All's good Al:)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[2stroke]

I would find another installer and tell them where they can shove there pipe :)