You have my sympathy. So aggravating. My most recent cable guy experience was actually quite good, relatively speaking. I usually try to take the same approach that I take with doctor appointments: get the first appointment of the day. That way, in theory at least, he won't be backed up from previous appointments and should be able to see me right away. It sometimes works.

The thing that pisses me off the most about meeting the cable guy or some contractor at home or having an appointment at a doctor's office is that if I'm late, then I likely will lose my appointment (and be charged a fee!), but if he's late, my only recourse is to sit there until he's available.

Oh, and I just know how much employers love the "I have to wait for the cable guy" excuse.

This thread feels like a Seinfeld episode.

I usually try to take the same approach that I take with doctor appointments: get the first appointment of the day. That way, in theory at least, he won't be backed up from previous appointments and should be able to see me right away.

Yep. That's the strategy I use as well. Unfortunately, they give out appointments in 4-hour blocks; the guy is supposed to arrive here "between 8 and 12". And who knows how long he'll stay (it's almost 11:00 here now, and no installer yet).

And just to further expound on your "doctor's appointment" analogy, I have an appointment with my dentist today at 2:00 pm. I expect I will have to cancel and reschedule. They request 24 hour notice for a cancellation. I called yesterday and explained what was going on and they said not to worry about it; either show up or let them know when I realize I won't make it, and they won't charge me a missed appointment fee; they'll just reschedule.

Oh... by the way, when I complained last time, they said they could give me a $100 credit for a missed appointment. So DirecTV, at least, has some kind of compensation for when their installation contractors screw up.

He just called; he's about 10 minutes away.

Yay!

So I've got two Larry the Cable Guys up on my roof. When they got there, they opened the door of the pickem-up truck and beer cans fell out and he starts talkin' about how someone found that in their yard during an install and asked whether he could throw it out for him. Yeah. Right.

And they chew tobacky.

And they say, "Dad gummit!"

My God, it's hilarious; I should film it but I don't have a video camera that works.

$100 credit is very nice! Point for DirecTV.

YAY good day for service peoples showing up. The cable guys were just here to install my broadband. (I only had to call once though.)

My guys were pretty clean-cut installer-uppers. There were two because one of them was being trained.