Is it normal for a Telstra technician to ask for cash?

So here's the situation:

• we move in to rent a new apartment in a new building
• we get our internet plan transferred over through iiNet
• they say there is no line from the street
• Telstra technician comes out to connect 'MDF'
• he says I have the choice of getting it connected outside the building or to our apartment
• I don't understand and he says that iiNet will do it if he doesn't but will take over a week
• I said is there an extra cost, he says yes, $35 per 15 minutes
• he says it will take no more than 15-half an hour
• I give the green light.

He finishes sorting it out and then asks for my signature on his weird little laptop thing. Apparently at this point he can't get it working because it won't add the extra bit to the job. He asks if we have cash. I said no (I did but didn't feel comfortable giving him cash to be honest). He says he should've known better. Then, after a couple more minutes playing on his laptop he says "All sorted, don't need your signature" and leaves.

Obviously I don't properly understand the process. Maybe this was a completely normal interaction, but it just feels like it was dodgy? Just trying to work out whether that's because I just don't understand it or because it genuinely was out of the ordinary.