Nighmare day

Just had a really annoying day today & thought I'd vent on here to see if
others have the same problem.

Had a job for these 2 sisters - both about 60 - both single and cat
mad.......you get the picture.

Existing aerial hanging via string in loft, producing an average signal of
about 32dBuV at the main TV location. Lots of pixelation. Quoted previously
& today was installation.

Had to install aerial outside, run 4 points internally with sockets / patch
leads and fit amplifier in loft. Nothing too strenuous.

Anyway, the 2 sisters had been really nice to me all day long, made me
coffee and even asked me to play their piano when I let slip I played in a
rock band for several years (keyboards naturally!). I'd almost finished
(system all up and running - just a few bits left to tidy)......then I hear
one of them calling me & she sounded quite distressed. I wander in to the
main TV room and find out what's up.

She says "The pictures nowhere near as good as it was
before"................

I have a quick scan of what she's doing, and she's watching Freeview through
a Sharp PVR.

She says "The pictures really bad. It was perfect before".........

I try to glean some information from her, and she is claiming the Freeview
picture through the Sharp PVR is nowhere near as good as it used to be with
the old aerial (in loft with string 32dBuV....)

She claims not to have touched anything, not played with any settings on TV
or Sharp PVR etc......but is adamant that the Freeview picture now is more
"blocky" than with the old aerial. I ask if she's talking about different
channels but she says resolutely "no BBC1 now is much worse than it was with
the old aerial, on Freeview, with the Sharp PVR". The picture looks fine to
me, but I wonder if she's managed to change one of the settings..........
but after checking, the box is outputting RGB, and is connected properly to
the RGB on the TV (Samsung LCD). All the Sammy settings are good too. No
problems anywhere...........

Everything is good, and I can see the picture on the Samsung is exactly what
I'd expect given her setup. She is however insisting something is wrong with
the signal, and it must have been "stronger" before. I then explain to her
how it really doesn't work like that on Freeview, but she's not having any
of it. She's sitting about 3 ft away from the 36inch screen now staring at
it, pressing the remotes wildly, going slightly red in the face, and saying
"the signals nowhere near as good".........I suggest she moves back from the
screen a bit to the sofa (normal viewing location) but she ignores me and
carries on muttering to herself about the picture being bad.

I'm starting to get a bit concerned about her now, and although part of me
is tempted to pack the van up sharpish & screech away in a cloud of tyre
smoke, I decide that I want to try and put her mind at ease and explain
things properly. but she doesn't listen.............and she starts firing
out solutions such as "can you put in a more powerful amplifier to make the
picture better", and "Crystal Palace must be the wrong transmitter, because
it's an awful long way away", and "I know I'll retune it that will help"
..........then "no no no it's nothing like it was before - the picture is
much worse".

I know what the signal levels are here already, but regardless I go off to
get the analyser and run her through each mux trying to explain how it
works, and showing her all the signals etc but she's not listening. She's
nodding and saying things like "ahh" and "ohh" but then when I'm finished
she keeps on pressing the buttons on the Sharp PVR and flicking through the
channels occasionally saying "ahh yes that looks better", but then seconds
later "oh no its much worse".

I'm getting a bit frustrated at this point because I've explained it all to
her (bitrates on different channels included etc) but she's not
understood..She then comes out and tells me that the picture quality WOULD
be better if I increased the signal, because the box has a "frequency
wavelength modulator" which shows the signal. I find out that she means the
signal level bar in the box settings, but I explain this away pretty
sharpish,

I decide to let her have a play around which I go and finish off a few bits.
She's still there when I am done - tuning away and muttering to herself.

To cut a long story short, I stayed for about another 20 minutes chatting
and explaining things in various different ways, but just could not get
through to her at all. There really was nothing wrong with the picture,
picture settings on the PVR or TV, leads, signal or anything else.

I need to go back there early next week to fit some trunking that I didn't
have on board (2 awkward runs she didn't want chased) and I'm really not
looking forward to her voicing her disappointment with the picture quality,
when I know the job was done really well. I imagine most firms would just
get in and out and ignore her completely, but she's local and I want her to
be understand she's had a good job done, and the perceived problem is just
down to her setup. The Samsung she's got isn't great with an SD signal, but
I know if I start down that road she'll tell me how much she paid for it &
how it was fine before etc. I just want to put this one to bed, but at the
same time make sure she's not unhappy with the work I've done etc.

Any suggestions, or what would you do in this situation? I don;t think she's
ever going to accept my arguments because she "knows" it was much better
before...................

I then had another one to do afterwards.........which was a piece of cake!
Log periodic, short mast, wall bracket, small run of WF100, tune in a
Freeview box and job done. What a relief it wasn't a big one!

"Carpy" wrote in message
...
Just had a really annoying day today & thought I'd vent on here to see if
others have the same problem.

There are two explanations for this. I'll deal with the rare one first.

(1) It's a set up. They seem nice as pie, but express disappointment right
at the end of the job with the picture as a justification for witholding
payment. Very nasty and can catch you out.

(2) They haven't looked properly at the TV picture for years. Suddenly they
are in a consumer situation, so they look at the telly critically. It could
be that their eyesight is worsening or it could be purely perceptual, but to
them the picture doesn't seem as good as they remember it. This is quite
genuine. The classic example was the lady who went slightly berserk because
I'd 'put a line across the picture'. The line was a finger-wide area about a
foot long where the dust had been wiped off. It was there when I arrived: I
noticed it, but it's rude to point out dust. Then there was the one who
complained to the council that since I'd been there was a yellow line across
the bottom of the picture. It turned out to be the reflection of the gold
rail on the furniture opposite. But the case you have, where they perceive
that the picture is simply 'not as good' in some indefinable way, is easily
solved. Just give them some flannel but be sure to seem to take it seriously
and say that you'll have another look at it in a few days. Once they've
forgotten about your visit and sat down to watch Corrie for a few nights the
problem will go. Believe me, this is what will happen. It never fails. In
fact, your best bet is to not mention it when you go back, because if you do
they'll be embarrassed, and a few will concoct something ("It goes off for a
few seconds after ten pm") to cover their embarrassment.

I had this problem so many times Carpy. A classic from the black and white
era: "Since you fitted the aerial I've noticed that the picture is made of
lines." When I went round the gent had a magifying glass in his hand. He was
a schoolteacher. And from recently, many many times: "There's a black area
at the top and bottom."
"That's because it's a widescreen programme and your telly isn't
widescreen."
"Nonsense! It's never been like that before."

And do you remember that wierd opening credit sequence from Neighbours a few
years ago? The one that looked like someone had hung a net curtain in front
of the camera? That caused a complaint: "Since they did the new aerial
system I get a blurred picture every day, just as Neighbours starts."

Not applicable to the case you mention, but I've had a few over the years
who generate spurious complaints because they are lonely. These were a real
problem in the days of free service call rentals. You just have to gently
explain that the next visit will be chargeable ("Just the petrol luv."). But
I always say, "But if I'm passing I'll call in and see how things are. After
all, you make a good cuppa." And daft as it sounds, I have occasionally done
just that.

In the DER days there was one lady who used to call us out to a non-existent
TV fault when she needed someone to change a lightbulb or whatever. Thing
was, there was always a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream waiting, and she'd
give us a quid, so it was OK really.

Bill

I
Any suggestions, or what would you do in this situation? I don;t think she's
ever going to accept my arguments because she "knows" it was much better
before...................

I then had another one to do afterwards.........which was a piece of cake!
Log periodic, short mast, wall bracket, small run of WF100, tune in a
Freeview box and job done. What a relief it wasn't a big one!



Perhaps she fancies a bit of young and wants you back;-)....
--
Tony Sayer

And do you remember that wierd opening credit sequence from Neighbours a
few years ago? The one that looked like someone had hung a net curtain in
front of the camera? That caused a complaint: "Since they did the new
aerial system I get a blurred picture every day, just as Neighbours
starts."



That was longer ago than you think, at least 20 years.
I remember it as being on the closing credits though.
A sort of Moiré pattern. The credits were shown over a shot
taken through a screen door or similar. It looked bloody awfull.

--
Graham.

%Profound_observation%

Bill Wright wrote:
"Carpy" wrote in message
...
Just had a really annoying day today & thought I'd vent on here to see if
others have the same problem.

There are two explanations for this. I'll deal with the rare one first.

(1) It's a set up. They seem nice as pie, but express disappointment right
at the end of the job with the picture as a justification for witholding
payment. Very nasty and can catch you out.

(2) They haven't looked properly at the TV picture for years. Suddenly they
are in a consumer situation, so they look at the telly critically. It could
be that their eyesight is worsening or it could be purely perceptual, but to
them the picture doesn't seem as good as they remember it. This is quite
genuine. The classic example was the lady who went slightly berserk because
I'd 'put a line across the picture'. The line was a finger-wide area about a
foot long where the dust had been wiped off. It was there when I arrived: I
noticed it, but it's rude to point out dust. Then there was the one who
complained to the council that since I'd been there was a yellow line across
the bottom of the picture. It turned out to be the reflection of the gold
rail on the furniture opposite. But the case you have, where they perceive
that the picture is simply 'not as good' in some indefinable way, is easily
solved. Just give them some flannel but be sure to seem to take it seriously
and say that you'll have another look at it in a few days. Once they've
forgotten about your visit and sat down to watch Corrie for a few nights the
problem will go. Believe me, this is what will happen. It never fails. In
fact, your best bet is to not mention it when you go back, because if you do
they'll be embarrassed, and a few will concoct something ("It goes off for a
few seconds after ten pm") to cover their embarrassment.

I had this problem so many times Carpy. A classic from the black and white
era: "Since you fitted the aerial I've noticed that the picture is made of
lines." When I went round the gent had a magifying glass in his hand. He was
a schoolteacher. And from recently, many many times: "There's a black area
at the top and bottom."
"That's because it's a widescreen programme and your telly isn't
widescreen."
"Nonsense! It's never been like that before."

And do you remember that wierd opening credit sequence from Neighbours a few
years ago? The one that looked like someone had hung a net curtain in front
of the camera? That caused a complaint: "Since they did the new aerial
system I get a blurred picture every day, just as Neighbours starts."

Not applicable to the case you mention, but I've had a few over the years
who generate spurious complaints because they are lonely. These were a real
problem in the days of free service call rentals. You just have to gently
explain that the next visit will be chargeable ("Just the petrol luv."). But
I always say, "But if I'm passing I'll call in and see how things are. After
all, you make a good cuppa." And daft as it sounds, I have occasionally done
just that.

In the DER days there was one lady who used to call us out to a non-existent
TV fault when she needed someone to change a lightbulb or whatever. Thing
was, there was always a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream waiting, and she'd
give us a quid, so it was OK really.

Bill


You know it's a nightmare doing stuff for Joe Public. I have decided to
stop dealing with end users and support Businesses instead. I am a
Computer nerd, and set up VOIP and Networky stuff for people, and you
never get this sort of rubbish from Companies.

People just don't understand you are doing a good job for them.

Rob.

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...


(2) They haven't looked properly at the TV picture for years. Suddenly
they
are in a consumer situation, so they look at the telly critically. It
could
be that their eyesight is worsening or it could be purely perceptual, but
to
them the picture doesn't seem as good as they remember it.

Should have gone to specsavers?

How about trying an attenuator in the line, to show what the
old signal was like. You never know, there may be summat wrong
with the kit, or they might just prefer it ......

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
Perhaps she fancies a bit of young and wants you back;-)....

This scenario is by no means unheard of. I will draw a veil around further
disclosures.

Bill

"Graham." wrote in message
...


And do you remember that wierd opening credit sequence from Neighbours a
few years ago? The one that looked like someone had hung a net curtain in
front of the camera? That caused a complaint: "Since they did the new
aerial system I get a blurred picture every day, just as Neighbours
starts."



That was longer ago than you think, at least 20 years.
I remember it as being on the closing credits though.
A sort of Moiré pattern. The credits were shown over a shot
taken through a screen door or similar. It looked bloody awfull.

Good grief! Twenty years! Seems like yesterday. That'll be right though,
when I think about it.

Bill

"Robert Wilson" wrote in message
et...
You know it's a nightmare doing stuff for Joe Public. I have decided to
stop dealing with end users and support Businesses instead. I am a
Computer nerd, and set up VOIP and Networky stuff for people, and you
never get this sort of rubbish from Companies.

People just don't understand you are doing a good job for them.

To be honest, I find the vast majority of customers to be sensible and
generally OK. One secret of the job is to develop the ability to smell out
the ones who are going to be trouble at an early stage. At that point have
the courage to walk away.

I do very little domestic work these days (apart from covering for Paul
during his paternity leave) because I reckon that a £150 job generates the
same amount of hassle as a £1,500 job. However, I've really enjoyed stepping
into Paul's shoes this last few weeks. Working in places where there are
carpets and drinkable tea has been nice.

Bill