ATT Installer Drilled a Hole Through My House

How did you expect them to get Uverse service into your home if they didn't drill a hole in the side of the house?  Granted they probably should have done some sort of seal around the hole but I've got a hole in the side of my (brick) house where the wiring comes in.

Typically a good quality installation would have the cable run down and exit an area that doesn't put a hole in the mid-section of your home. I believe if someone could see this, they would agree. They took no effort to run the cable in a more sensible way. Doubt they would have installed this cable in their own home this way. Another 18-24 inches and the cable would have exited below a bay window and would not have a visible, unsealed hole in my house.. Drilling down and out would have been reasonable not a hole directly out from where the TV sits.. Seriously bad and I see numerous others who have had the same experience. 

Just so we understand this:  You don't have an issue with the hole itself.  You have an issue with the placement of the hole.  Is that correct?

Yes, I understand that access needed to be gained for installation. I simple drill down and out, then sealed would have been appropriate. They drilled directly out and no seal.. 

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@Holeinhousel wrote:

Yes, I understand that access needed to be gained for installation. I simple drill down and out, then sealed would have been appropriate. They drilled directly out and no seal.. 

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I clearly understood what you were getting at, the install tech did a sloppy and incomplete job.

How much more time would it have taken to seal that hole gap surrounding the cable from outside? A few minutes? Disgraceful.  I hope you post back with a follow up of how AT&T handles this.

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@Holeinhousel wrote:

Typically a good quality installation would have the cable run down and exit an area that doesn't put a hole in the mid-section of your home. I believe if someone could see this, they would agree. They took no effort to run the cable in a more sensible way. Doubt they would have installed this cable in their own home this way. Another 18-24 inches and the cable would have exited below a bay window and would not have a visible, unsealed hole in my house.. Drilling down and out would have been reasonable not a hole directly out from where the TV sits.. Seriously bad and I see numerous others who have had the same experience. 

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Due to the location where that cable was coming from, as well as (what you mentioned) the location of where the TV is, this can often restrict how that cable enters the house. 

You would have preferred him to use the bay window, the next customer wants it on the hidden side of the chimney, the third wants it under the eave and into the attic, and so on... I imagine this is mainly why they don't even consult with you to establish whether you approve of the location, methodology and possibly even the color shielding in the cable, orientation and optimum location that needs to be selected for the dish to have  its strongest signal, this presents a slight possibility that the location where the cable has to enter the house is not the most ideal nor does itt This is detrimental to the value of my home and destructive.

Your biggest challenge here is providing any basis to this being “detrimental to the value of my home and destructive”. For one, it offers a benefit, an improvement to your home that you apparently had not had before. But more than that, I think it is silly to even think, let alone state that a hole used for communication and/or entertainment… A technology addition/improvement.

Last but not least and in addition to the question that has been asked already as to how did you expect them to bring the cable inside the house… If you had a preference or an idea as to where and how it should come in, you should have talked to the installer before he started.

You are spinning your wheels here. I mean let us set all of the above aside for a minute.... This statement supersedes anything else that you claimed here:

From post #2, by "my thoughts", under clause #3 of the installation contract which you agreed to BEFORE any of the work was done:

You understand and agree that AT&T may drill, cut, and otherwise alter improvements on the premises (including walls, flooring, and/or other surfaces) in order to install, maintain, or repair the Service.

In other words, you agreed that they were gonna drill a hole... Now that they are done you are saying "hey, you drilled a hole"....

As for customer service not responding back to your complaint, I think that isa pretty decent sized hint that you will more than likely be wasting your time pursuing this...

Good luck...

Clearly that are numerous others who have had the same sloppy experience with the installation. There are plenty of other forums also with complaints. Hopefully, a potential buyer of my home wants ATT or siding, drywall etc will have to be replaced, pathetic... 

Thank You. They have been non-responsive. Buyer Beware! 

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@Holeinhousel wrote:

Thank You. They have been non-responsive. Buyer Beware! 

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The worst part is that they allowed an exposed area around the cabling that can allow the elements and pests to enter the home....it would have taken the install tech JUST A FEW MINUTES MORE TO COMPLETELY FINISH THE JOB! That is the most inexcusable part of the situation. SLOPPY and UNPROFESSIONAL!

What's just as disturbing is the snide, and sarcastic attitude of some of the folks posting on the matter.

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my thoughts wrote:.....

Ideally the tech would have stated work to be done, including drilling holes, and normal is a silicon gel placed at opening that becomes like rubber. 

 

 

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Glad to see that an AT&T employee is willing to conceede that the install tech did not properly finish the job.

Thank you, ham3843! I was also surprised by some of the comments. Besides the hole in a conspicuous, sloppy place, the portal of entry for weather, insects and breach in insulation was egregious. Being a single mom working hard for my greatest investment, this was outrageous. When a "professional" is hired to lay cable, install hardware, etc, a certain standard of care and professionalism is expected. I had no idea the hole was open and exposed until the guy left. The inside hole was also sloppy with drywall shredding etc... I do appreciate your words of support. I don't expect anything from ATT, while they defend their work. This is my first post as an unsatisfied consumer and wanted to share with others in the event they may be able to prevent such work in their home. Best Regards to You

I contacted AT&T by telephone and reported this. They said they would be back in contact and have not. Posting to the forum seemed my last recourse with no response from AT&T Customer Service by phone. I did have to handle the "fix" of sealing the hole myself. It really shouldn't be a customers responsibility to mop up after work that should have been done by the paid "pro". 

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@Holeinhousel wrote:

Thank you, ham3843! I was also surprised by some of the comments. Besides the hole in a conspicuous, sloppy place, the portal of entry for weather, insects and breach in insulation was egregious. Being a single mom working hard for my greatest investment, this was outrageous. When a "professional" is hired to lay cable, install hardware, etc, a certain standard of care and professionalism is expected. I had no idea the hole was open and exposed until the guy left. The inside hole was also sloppy with drywall shredding etc... I do appreciate your words of support. I don't expect anything from ATT, while they defend their work. This is my first post as an unsatisfied consumer and wanted to share with others in the event they may be able to prevent such work in their home. Best Regards to You

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You're welcome holeinhousel!

The only thing I will say in defense of the premtech is that AT&T makes work schedules that are nearly impossible for the techs to meet without trying to cut corners, so human nature being what it is, they tend to cave instead of pushing back...The premtech should have given you his cell phone number and asked you to call him back personally if there were any issues, this does two things, it makes the resolution of any issues much quicker than calling back to the main customer NO service number and I believe that the premtech won't be penalized for failing to perform the install correctly...

Would you please post back with any other updates you have? Thanks, it might help others..

If you can't get satisfactory resolution here, please PM me and I will provide you with a contact in the executive offices at AT&T Corp HQ in Dallas, TX. 

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@Holeinhousel wrote:

I contacted AT&T by telephone and reported this. They said they would be back in contact and have not. Posting to the forum seemed my last recourse with no response from AT&T Customer Service by phone. I did have to handle the "fix" of sealing the hole myself. It really shouldn't be a customers responsibility to mop up after work that should have been done by the paid "pro". 

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Did the premtech ever provide you with his direct contact personal cell number and ask you to call it if there were any issues? It's certainly certainly doesn't seem like he did what is typical from what I know. 

I'm glad you checked out his work and sealed up the exposed area....nobody wants pest damage or possible cold air freezing pipes that might be nearby!

I'm very disappointed by the snide and sarcastic attitude of ACE members here lately, they are being defensive instead of prodiving any worthwhite information...not a good thing, and while they are NOT AT&T employees they are unofficially touted as being members that customers can rely on to provide some solutions to problems.  Not all of them are like that but quite a few, perhaps AT&T needs to yank their ACE status...It makes the community look bad .