Here's how I handle apartments and condo's. I call day before and ask if they own or rent. If it's a rental, I ask them for the contact information to the management. I also ask the customer if they can see the sun itself from about 10am to 2pm while standing inside their porch. I then contact the property management and inform them that I have a dish install there and need a copy of their rules and a letter of permission to include drilling holes to enter interior. NO HOLES, NO INSTALL! I am NOT putting in a flatwire, those things are garbage and I will not warranty a system that uses them. I ask the manager to fax the letter of permission as well as a property map if they have one.
If it's a condo, I require the homeowner fax me that page of the CC&Rs that covers satellite dish installs as well as a map if available.
The apartments I go to have a good success rate, but overall most of my apartment jobs don't go through and those are usually because either the manager won't allow me to drill holes or my survey of the faxed map shows they are on the wrong side of the building. Either way, I find out before I ever roll. I know some people here might not agree with me declining an install because while it is extremely likely not to have LOS, it is undetermined until I roll out there. To that I say, OH WELL, because there are other people who will roll out there and I am a contractor, so I pick which jobs I will do. Even though I make an NLOS fee, it isn't enough to replace production income so I'd rather be installing than surveying.
If your client has a problem with the above, just remind them how much higher churn is in apartments. Most retailers I know won't even do apartments.
Re: Apt. Install's
Member #: 40846
Registered: 9/19/2005
Posted:
1493
Name:
Duane Vick
Name:
Duane Vick
Company:
Self-Employed
Occupation:
Installer
Location:
Phoenix AZ
There is 1 reply to this message
