CABL Forum - The Shoe On The Other Foot

To All Concerned DirecTV Technicians,

I am going to step out on a limb and take a big risk here, let’s say a sheep amongst the wolves so to speak.

I understand the overall disgust with contractor companies to include my own. The reason I have decided to post is because I have sat and read some of the postings here on the bar, only to see the technician side of things. This alone may cause more heat for myself, but I am an honest man and believe in being fair and also know there are two sides to the story. So in all fairness I understand what it is to be a tech, because I was not one of the fortunate people that had big dollars and decided to open a lucrative satellite installation company. I did what most of the posters here say they should do, I decided to work hard enough to save and open my own organization. My goal was to treat our team members with the fairness and respect they deserve, especially in an industry that is as competitive as ours. Most recent the industry has become more stringent than we have seen in the past and this has caused a lot of issues for everyone. Most importantly though the technician side of this caught about 50% of the repercussion and this has caused an issue where nobody trusts anybody. What we have to realize is that there is sort of a food chain in all of this, and understand that in this chain the contract companies are just above the technicians... at the BOTTOM, if you follow what I am saying. We too have the same challenges but the only difference is that we have a bigger cost to swallow along the way.

In saying this I mean that I have personally ate over $40,000 in charge backs that DIRECTV has passed down ( compared to the $1,200 dollars a contractor might hold of your money), in only a 2 month period, the sad part is that's with me only having to eat 50% of the overall charges. Yes, I will be the first to say I won't eat all of it because I can't be responsible for all the work the techs do in the field ( We can't as contractors or nobody would be in business to Include the MasTec's and Connect TV's of the world, which includes yourselves as technicians would have no work). Now yes you can do work for local HSP'S and get by but at the same time we all know that AFS work creates a better financial situation - more volume, better pay. Now the only challenge is we have to be creative in our efforts to produce a solid quality installation machine, and prevent our customers from having the need to call DTV with service issues or complaints. As technicians we tend to forget that when we get onboard with any contractor company, you are your own business in itself, you have to treat it that way. You will have accountabilities just as your principle contractor does, as do the Connect TV's and MasTec's.

Right now almost every company out there is taking the approach of holding technicians last pay due to the fact that when you quit or an area closes down, and you no longer in any shape or form work with that company, the charges still come for atleast 90 days some 120 days ( One company has 1 year as their policy). This is for the work that is performed by the technicians in the field. Let's be honest almost 95% of technicians, to include myself when I was regularly in the field, have one time or more (or still do) installed a shoty job. That is the reality of it, the only difference now, is we are being held to a higher standard and the accountability is greater. Trust me when I tell you, I am the last person who wants to hold anything or even track the monies that are being charged back, but it is a must. I don't even markup small parts, if available regularly, to any of my team members. Everything is a direct pass through, to include the potential chargeback that comes with a completed install. Put yourself in our shoes.. What would you do?????? I now am changing my approach moving forward, and not holding the last check, but I will create an "over daft" program so to speak. This way you are well aware of what monies are held, when they are being held, and why. At least the last check you have coming will be given to you but monies along the way will be "saved" away for any potential charges. This is only a band aid on the wound though, you must create a quality installation to prevent majority of any potential charges coming. The goal is to keep what you worked hard for, but you must realize you have an accountability piece in that factor.

I will leave it at this for now, I have always been fair and upfront, I am not perfect none of us are. I do know everyone on this site is here to make money, no surprise there, but keeping what we make is going to be the challenge. Yes some companies are shady, but it's funny that the good ones are labeled shady also, when they have to start holding their team accountable for controllable items, that aren't controllable by the principle owner or employees, but controllable by the field level themselves. We have got clean up our act out there in the field, no doubt about that at all, but doing it realizing that it is for the good of your families and yourself.
By no means is Connect Television the "Monster" it is made out to be, or the personnel they have in charge (neither some of the company's with a bad rep). I read a thread about Alfredo who heads the AFS module, for Connect Television, but the one thing not mentioned was that Connect Television and his AFS module is the best opportunity for any technician in our industry. I have done work for many of these companies, by far the best opportunity. You must realize that all of the most recent strain on your dollar is driven from DirecTV itself, and don't be fooled, every communication installation company on the Globe will begin to implement just as much accountability. They will have to!!! Because if they don't the competition will swallow them up whole and spit them out of business. The key driver to this industry, is drive the customer to the phone and call for new service with a better company such as DirecTV, keep that customer for life and have them bring more customers. That all starts with the technicians on the ground and creating -- "The Ultimate Customer Experience"... You have the opportunity to make good money or drive yourself out of the industry, remembering that it will be the same no matter where you go!!!

Yours Truly,
Supporting Principle Owner

INSTALLATION

CONSTRUCTION / TECH

OFFICE / OTHER

The Shoe On The Other Foot - For The DTV Installer