CABL Forum - Whaaaaat?

Hello room, good people that read this.
I have been an owner of a company for 8 years and growing-doing Dish, DTV and many other things.
As you know well-SBC has been a growing part of dish sales in thier tremendous effort to control
a) online
b) telephone
c) television
d) cell phone
I.e.-an all in one bill.
Best of luck to them.
Lately, we have been approached by so many companies that I cannot recount all of thier names. The finale to thier inquisition is that they state that "wallfish and pole mounts" are not billable towards the customer,-as they have been for the last ten years.
I was told "just face it, deal with it and hire people that will do just that for free". Double edged sword....
I don't blame SBC or thier strive-but I DO know that they are about 45 to 60 days out on scheduling the "dish" part of thier quest. Ridiculous. I looked up thier website and read that "complex installations will be billable to the customer". After calling DN I was told that these things would be included for no charge-and after asking who actually pays the installer I was simply told "I don't Know". Second call I was told that "the company who hires them". Not true.
Is the reason that there are so many people disgruntled about the idea the key fact that so many companies are NOT going to adhere to this plan? I wont.= Hence the wait for appointments.

Whose bright idea was this? It is self defeating.

I don't want to believe for a minute that there are RESPONSIBLE companies out there that will just say "OK, I will do that too for free". With liabilities of property damage and even bodily injury on the line-who can factor in the relevance of hiring a professional VS> some kid making 10 bucks an hour as a true employee. I bet 95% of you will agree with this stated- in an already dehydrated market.

I know that key people watch this forum. I want to state that I fully respect and support II and CC and others that we acheive work done well. We have supported each other for almost 20,000 installations.
A wrong direction is non the less a wrong direction. 12 Years ago I worked for a wireless cable company (whose name is unmentioned) that kept dropping the installers prices that at last they only hired, to coin a phrase-"circus carnies" to do thier work. (and dang if they didn't act and look like ones). This made a bad impression because they were the only ones left to do the work-and the company folded. You don't have to pronounce the word "standards" to figure this one out........
Fact; the customer is the backbone for installations (money earned and satisfied customers) as much as the provider is towards the installation company thqat does the work.
As for those good people of relevance reading this that make or break companies-this is just a story for good advice.

I would like to hear from any of you that are willing to step up to the preverbial plate and give me you two cents publically.
I will not slander anyone, give ill will or take respect from anyone in the market that still tries to make a buck, hell-good luck to everyone-good luck to all.
I just think that is about time to say "no" to decreasing standards once again.

Regards
John
AST

INSTALLATION

CONSTRUCTION / TECH

OFFICE / OTHER

Whaaaaat?