A week ago I met with a potential client, his wife and son. We had a great conversation and he hired me to do the work. One thing I advised him to do was get an upgraded DVR from DirecTV and then the newer, smaller unit could go inside his cabinet. He asked me to get the dimensions of the HR24 and HR34 and let him know which one to order from DirecTV and he would order the unit and have me come out to complete the work to install new box and TV.

Yesterday I called his cell to give him the info he needed and his wife answered his cell and asked who was calling. I told her who I was and she told me her husband had a massive heart attack and died the day before. She said after the dust settled she still wanted me to do the work and asked for my contact information. She was very kind to me in light of her situation and I offered my condolences to her and her family.

Wow! Just kind of blew my mind. This is the second or third time in my career this has happened but it still troubles me just the same.

Wow.  Years ago I was installing a DirecTV system for an old man, I came back in the house from hanging the dish, he was laying on the kitchen floor dead.

Dude!

Did this exect situation happen to someone else not too long ago? Good lord. I tried searching but couldn't find it. Maybe it's DejaVu

I have a deja vu on this too. I think there is someone who posted something similar.

Man!, second or third time!? This never happend to me. I can only imagine the odd situation on the phone...

This may sound stupid but, I hope it makes you smile : I guess you now have the experience of how to deal with such a situation.

Wow, That's terrible.

I'm kind of feeling shitty right now about 2 clients. One is a new client on a short timeline due to cancer and hes spending what he cant take with him on a theater hes always wanted but could never bring himself to splurge on.

The other and the one that really has me down is a regular client who over the years has become a good friend. His wife called yesterday for some minor service and we are putting a TV in the bedroom and beefing up the router to be sure he has everything he needs and is comfortable over the next few of weeks. I did not see this coming. No one did. I did not expect to see frail man where a strong man stood just a few short months ago. He recently fell ill and the doctors diagnosed him with a very aggressive form of colon cancer that has already spread throughout his body and offers no hope. He has no chance and very little time yet his attitude is incredible and he has completely accepted his fate.
I have to say that this one really gets to me. It makes me think of all the friends I have made over the years in this business and how lucky I am to have met them.

Very sad :(

Nothing can prepare you for this. If you were not troubled you would not be human.

I did some work in the home of a famous TV exec about a dozen years ago. Most of the time we didn't see anyone from the family, but once he walked through a room and glanced at me, thin and frail. I still remember the look.

This is part of life that we don't talk much about, and few of us actually come in contact with. You're doing well to cope with it as you have.

I too have a client that does not have much time left. She is in her mid 30's and so upbeat, yet her illness will take her soon. She has pancreatic cancer. The amazing thing is even with her treatments and with all the weight she has lost, she still has more energy then most people I know. It is truly sad to know she will not be able to beat this, as it is I believe the worst form of cancer and is a fatal diagnosis. Life definitely is not fair and it seems to take out the good people while the jerks just keep on going.

Holy shxt! That takes the prize. How did you handle the situation? I mean, you walk in to the house, he is dead and you had to call 911, or what?

What did you say? "Yes, 911. I have an emergency. I walked into the Kitchen and found my client had passed away."?

W O W.

I thought it was something about a client who died and the wife called the installer to come back out and show her haw to use the system but I am not sure.

Jmacdonald, Ernie, Golden and White:
Yes I know now I am prepared to deal with the situation. At least with the terminal clients you gat to participate on creating their last memories and the memory in their families' minds. I do get it, though. It must be the same with healthcare providers dealing with their patients' last days.

I had another client call me, yesterday, and wanted to know how to "hack" into her sister's laptop. Her sister had taken a trun for the worst healthwise and she had to terminate life support for her sister. That has to be far worse having to give the order to "pull the plug"...

When I first walked in, I thought he was looking for something on the floor (He was probably about 70-75 years old). He was face down by a cabinet in the kitchen,  I though maybe he'd dropped something.  I said, "You need some help?".  And he didn't answer.  

Once I realized that something was wrong I started running around the house looking for a phone (I couldn't find one).  I didn't have a cell phone!! I ran to the neighbors house next door to ask for help but nobody was home, I wiggled the doorknob and it turned. So I went in.  I was in an absolute panic.  I started yelling "I need help!". But nobody was home.

I ran into the kitchen and found a phone.  I called 911.  They asked me the address.  I didn't know it! I ran back to my van got my work order ran back into the nieghbors house. 


When EMS got there, they started asking me questions, does he take medicine? etc.  I kept telling them ...I'm the DirecTV installer!!!  I don't know.

Once they got him in the van, I explained what happened to the Police officer and I left.  

Ironically, when I initally got there the guy was really cool and excited to get DirecTV, I remember thinking to myself when I was on the roof mounting the dish, "I hope I'm like that when I'm 70".  

10 minutes later he was dead.  I drive by that neighborhood now and again.  I still think about that guy.  

Well other than a "happy ending" if you know what I mean at least he died happy to get DirecTV...

[Link: remotecentral.com]

I also posted in the "What did you do today" thread a few months ago about my experience with virtually the exact same scenario. Installed gear the same day as the husband dying. Weird.

Reading the first post, I had to check the date twice. Deja vu, AnthonyZ.