Since I closed my business many of my old customers have asked me to recommend another TV guy to install new TV points and antennas. Unfortunately when I was in the business I didn’t really work with any others to be able to make a solid recommendation. In this article I will cover a few points that may help you find a TV antenna installer or cabler.
Support the Locals
I strongly recommend using your local paper’s classifieds to find an installer. In most metropolitan areas and many rural locations there is a free community newspaper delivered to homes. In the Brisbane area we had the Quest community papers. I always found these to be my best value advertising.
A local owner-operator will often give you much better quality customer service at a good price. When you call an independent business owner you get to talk to the person who’ll do the work and usually they’ll care about the quality of their work and their reputation.
Avoid the Directories
Large telephone directories such as Yellow Pages and True Local(online) are dominated by whoever can afford to pay the most. This will usually be the larger companies where you won’t get quite so a personal service. Advertising in directories is hideously expensive and ultimately you pay for that.
Online
Lots of TV antenna technicians now have websites and promote their services on Facebook and other sites. A google search for “tv antenna <your area>” will likely yield plenty of useful results. Another idea is to ask your friends on Facebook or Google+ who they’ve used. Personal recommendation is a great way to find someone who’ll do a great job for you.
Digital Ready Endorsement Scheme Closed
In the lead up to the Digital TV Switchover the Australian Government was running a “Digital Ready” endorsement scheme for TV antenna installers. This program has now closed and installers can no longer use the logos or slogans. So don’t be surprised if your installer doesn’t have this certification.
Licensing
It is important when selecting an installer or technician to install TV cabling for you that you ensure they are ACMA Cabling Provider Rules licensed. The Cabling Provider licenses come in two varieties, Open or Restricted. Either are qualified to be able to put in cabling in most homes(if your home has a distributor, then an Open license is required).
TV cablers do not need to have an electrical license to run TV cables.