CABL Forum - E-mailed message

We got this e-mailed today into our office, I just had to share this guys logic with everyone here; I will post our reply in the next RE: to this message because this message is a long read.

E-Mailed message -

ABRAHAM LINCOLN ONCE STATED:
You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time.

THIS INDUSTRY NEEDS TO TAKE THIS TO HEART AND REALIZE THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO USE AND ABUSE ALL OF THE INSTALLERS SOME OF THE TIME, AND YOU MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO USE AND ABUSE SOME OF THE INSTALLERS ALL OF THE TIME, BUT THAT YOURE GOING TO FIND OUT THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE AND ABUSE ALL THE INSTALLERS ALL OF THE TIME ANY MORE.

WHAT GOES AROUND USUALLY COMES AROUND
YOU COMPANIES AND "YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE" AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO HAVE DRIVEN THIS INDUSTRY INTO THE GROUND NEED TO STEP FORWARD AND WORK TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION NOW.

WHEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU NEEDED US "THE INSTALLERS", WE STEPPED UP TO HELP OUT AND PUT YOUR BUSINESS'S WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
ALL THE WHILE, YOU HAVE CONTINUALLY REDUCED WHAT WE ARE BEING PAID AND WE SUCKED IT UP AND TOOK IT.WE DEVOTED OUR LIVES TO THIS INDUSTRY AND IT HAS PROVEN THAT IT REALLY HAS NO CONSCIENCE OR CARE'S FOR US.

THE POWERS WHO CONTROL THESE RATES NEED TO REALIZE THAT IF YOU "REALLY WANTED" THE PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATIONS YOU CLAIM IN YOUR ADS AND THE TYPE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS YOU CONTINUALLY STATE THAT YOU EXPECTED TO BE GIVEN TO THE CLIENTS.
YOU WOULD NOT BE PAYING THE TYPE OF RATES YOU HAVE CONTINUALLY INDICATED THAT WE NEED TO ACCEPT OR WE WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY FURTHER WORK.
YOU WOULD NOT BE GIVING OUR LABOR AWAY ON A CONTINUAL BASIS, WHILE ALL THE TIME DEMANDING MORE AND MORE BE DONE FROM US AS YOUR COMPANIES MOVE FURTHER AND FURTHER UP THE SCALE.

IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THAT THE TIME HAS COME. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT NO ONE WANTS THIS TO BECOME A WAR.WE JUST NEED TO BE PAID FOR WHAT WE DO.
PEOPLE MAY PUT UP WITH A LOT BUT WHEN THEY ARE CONTINUALLY PUSHED DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE THE SURVIVAL OF THEIR FAMILIES,THEMSELVES AND THEIR BUSINESS'S ARE THREATNED, THAT IS USUALLY WHEN THEY PUSH BACK AND IT APPEARS THAT YOU HAVE PUSHED TO FAR.

ALL INSTALLERS WITHIN THIS INDUSTRY NEED TO STAND TOGETHER AND PUT AN END TO THE LOW RATES AND WAGES, AND DEMAND THAT AN EQUATABLE STANDARD BECOME ESTABLISHED FOR WHAT WE ARE BEING EXPECTED TO DO.
PLEASE SEE THE NATIONAL STANDARD LABOR RATE PROPOSALL IN THIS STATEMENT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT AND KNOW THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THE TIME HAS COME TO REMOVE THE WORD "FREE INSTALLATION" FROM ALL ADVERTISING.IF THEY FEEL THE NEED TO PROMOTE THEIR PRODUCTS BY GIVING SOMETHING AWAY.
LET IT BE THEIR PRODUCTS OR PROGRAMMING AND NOT THE INSTALLERS LABOR IF YOU ARE TRULY TIRED OF BEING USED AND ARE READY TO STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK AND MAKE THIS INDUSTRY A TRULY VIABLE PLACE TO WORK.

THE TIME IS NOW

REPLY IN THIS FORUM WITH WHAT YOU FEEL NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THE TYPE OF RATES YOU BELIEVE WOULD BE EQUITABLE JOIN TOGETHER NOW , BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE GOING TO GO UNDER TRYING TO MAKE ENDS JUST LIKE WE ALL ARE WITH WHAT IS PRESENTLY BEING PAID.
THIS SITUATION WILL ONLY CONTINUES TO GET WORSE AS THEY HAVE SHOWN THEIR TRUE ATTITUDE AND IT IS NOT GOING TO GET BETTER UNLESS EVERYONE UNITES. TRUE STRENGTH IS IN NUMBERS.ONE MAN DRUMMING IS A NUISANCE, A THOUSAND MEN DRUMMING IS A SOUND THAT WILL GET HEARD.

THEIR BETTING ON THE FACT THAT YOU WON'T

PLEASE COPY THIS OR E-MAIL IT AND PASS IT ON EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THIS.

PROPOSED NATIONAL STANDARD

BASIC RECEIVER INSTALLATIONS -
INSIDE DEALERS RADIUS $ 125.00

TIVO/DVR RECEIVER INSTALLATIONS -
INSIDE DEALERS RADIUS $ 150.00

ADDITIONAL BASIC RECEIVERS
OR ADD. OUTLETS ( EA.) $ 45.00

ADD TIVO/DVR INSTALLATIONS $ 60.00

SERVICE CALLS WITHIN DEALERS RADIUS
( 1st HOUR ) $ 65.00

ALL SUBSEQUENT SERVICE HOURS NEEDED
ON SITE ( PER HOUR ) $ 50.00

MULTIPLE DISH INSTALLATIONS WOULD BE UP TO THE INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR TO NEGOTIATE A RATE FOR WITH EITHER THE BROKER OR CLIENT.

THE SAME WOULD APPLY TO PLASMA SCREEN INSTALLATIONS, HOME THEATER, SAT INTERNET DISH INSTALLATIONS ETC.

THE OLD BASIC INSTALLATION OUTLINE WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN THIS INDUSTRY BEGAN, WOULD NOW "AGAIN" BE THE STANDARD.

ANY VARIENCE FROM THAT WOULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR TO ESTABLISH WHAT ADDITIONAL COST'S MAY BE DIRECTLY NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND "THEIR CLIENTS".

ALL PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS WOULD BE ADVISED IN ADVANCE OF THE POTENTIAL VARIENCES REGARDING THEIR INSTALLATIONS THAT MAY OCCUR, INCLUDING TRAVEL CHARGES AND ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION FEE'S THAT THEY MAY NEED TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR.

TRAVEL RATES FOR JOBS THAT THE INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE OUTSIDE OF HIS BASIC SERVICE RATE AREA, WOULD BE NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND THE CLIENT DIRECTLY

ALL INSTALLTIONS OTHER THAN "BASIC" WHICH MAY INCLUDE ATTIC CRAWLS/BASEMENTS OR UNDERHOUSE CRAWLS WOULD BE AT RATES WHICH WOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR AND THE CLIENT.

CLIENTS WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN THOSE OF THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKS FOR UNLESS THEY WERE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, OR SHOULD BE UNABLE TO SERVICE THE CLIENTS NEEDS.

THEY WOULD NOT BECOME "THE PROGRAMMERS" CLIENT FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN THEIR PROGRAMMING.

IF THRU THE PROGRAMMERS "ONLINE TECHNICAL SUPPORT" IT BECAME DETERMINED THAT THE CLIENTS EQUIPMENT,RECEIVER,LNB, DISH OR SOME OTHER PART MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED OR THAT TO RESOLVE THE CLIENTS ISSUE'S A FIELD SERVICE CALL WOULD APPEAR TO BE REQUIRED.

THE PROGRAMMER WOULD AT THAT POINT REFER THE CLIENT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER OR THE COMPANY THAT HE DIRECTLY WORKED FOR OF RECORD, OR IF THEY WERE UNAVAILABLE, THEN ADVISE THE CLIENT TO SEEK THE SERVICE OF A LICENSED AND QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL DEALER WITHIN THEIR AREA FOR FURTHER SERVICE ASSITANCE.
AND WHEN THEY MOVE THEY WOULD BE REFERRED TO A DEALER WITHIN THE NEW AREA TO TAKE CARE OF THIS,OR IF IT WERE IN THE SAME ARE WHERE THERE ORIGINAL INSTALLER OR COMPANY WAS THAT PROVIDE THEIR INSTALLATION,THEY WOULD BE REFERRED TO CONTACT THEM.

INSTALLERS WHO WOULD CHOOSE TO BE EMPLOYED DIRECTLY BY AN INDEPENDENT INSTALLATION COMPANY, DEALER, HSP'S, OR MSP'S WOULD NEED TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES FOR AN ACCEPTABLE WAGE.
CONSIDERATION IN NEGOTIATING THAT RATE WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NATIONAL STANDARD WHICH WOULD BE ESATBLISHED, AND THE FACT THAT THOSE COMPANIES DIRECTLY EMPLOYING THOSE INSTALLERS WOULD ALSO BE: WITHOLDING STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES, PROVIDING THEM WITH LIABILTY INSURANCE, WORKMENS COMPENSATION INSURANCE, SICK LEAVE, HOLIDAYS, VACATIONS AND ALL THE MATERIALS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE TYPE OF WORK THEY ARE DISPATCED ON AS WELL AS PROVIDING ALL REQUIRED "INSTALLER "TRAINING.

IF YOU HAVE FEEL THAT YOU HAVE ANY INPUT REGARDING THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE PRESENTED FOR A NATIONAL STANDARD OR ITEMS YOU BELIEVE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND ASSIST ALL OF US IN REACHING A MUTUAL AGREEMENT WITH THOSE IN CONTROL.

"PLEASE POST THEM ON THIS FORUM" FOR ALL TO SEE AND EVALUATE AND RESPOND.

YOUR VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD

INSTALLATION

CONSTRUCTION / TECH

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