do any of you work for dish or direct?

[htownjoe]

i was wondering if any of you work with dish network or have before? i have a job offered to me if i want it. might take a paycut at first, but i love satellites and want to do something i love. i hate my present job, money is ok, the other stuff i have grown to hate. any pros and cons to working with dish besides working saturdays?

 

[lumpkin666]

Have a gander at the dish and dtv forums. There's tons of info out there to help you decide. After reading those forums, I'd not consider working for either company (or subcontractor). Then again, I've never personally been successful in converting something I'm passionate about into a career. I like to keep those things I'm passionate about a hobby that I can continue to enjoy so that workplace politics, money, etc don't ruin it for me - so I'd not consider working professionally in the satellite installer field.

 

[Mr Tony]

moved to general DBS area

 

[rjallen]

Just had an install done by a Dish Installer- a real employee of Echostar, not a contractor. Better trained, better equipment and a Dish van. Did a good job.

Stated E* was cutting employee benefits. He just lost his medical insurance. He now only has a medical savings account from Dish.

Rick

 

[htownjoe]

yeah, i am looking to do it until i can one day start my own satellite business. it is my passion,

 

[Van]

Just had an install done by a Dish Installer- a real employee of Echostar, not a contractor. Better trained, better equipment and a Dish van. Did a good job.

Stated E* was cutting employee benefits. He just lost his medical insurance. He now only has a medical savings account from Dish.

Rick

I havent heard anything about that happening and cant see that Dish would go that route, I'll check the news wires to see if there are any press releases about this and ask around the boards.

 

[Van]

The money can be good though not as good as it would have been if you had started when I did and if I was still working for Dish I would be making $20.50 an hour right now after starting out at $10.50 an hour 7 years ago. Any one starting now and making it to 7 years will be around $17.50 - $18.50 as long as they have good performance reviews every february. Dish right now can be a less than stellar company to work for as they are putting alot of pressure on their inhouse techs to make miracles happen and perform acts of super human abilities so if your passion is watching satellite tv then stick with that but if you have done some of your own installs then consider working for a subcontractor.

 

[Dgenx321]

Just had an install done by a Dish Installer- a real employee of Echostar, not a contractor. Better trained, better equipment and a Dish van. Did a good job.

Stated E* was cutting employee benefits. He just lost his medical insurance. He now only has a medical savings account from Dish.

Rick

I have a Dish Van, and work for a RSP, so are you positive that he is a DNSC Tech?

 

[Van]

Heres some info inregards to dish removing employee benefits.

don't work directly for Chas, but thats BS. I have a relative who's DNSC, and they still have bennie. Its a HSA (health savings account) where the deductible is probably the highest in the industry, but after you meet it, they kick in 80% to the next level, then 100% past that. By all means, the good ol' days are gone, to say the least.

Like I said I figured it was either BS or not all of the information was relayed correctly.

 

[Van]

I have a Dish Van, and work for a RSP, so are you positive that he is a DNSC Tech?

Dont take this wrong but having worked for dish for 6 years odds are on his side that he's right.

 

[htownjoe]

i am doing subcontracting work. we are getting paid anywhere from 100 to 400 a day. i would say an avg of about 200 a day, i work 5 days a wk. some guys work 6 or 7 and are making 1200 to 1800 a week. thats good money for me. i guess it is how you manage your money. my wife works and we save pretty well, some guys are single and live check to check making the 1200 a week, when i was single i was making 600 a week and saving a little, subcontractors really make more than the regular employees, the avg dish emp makes around 35000 a yr i read. sure you dont use yr own vehicle or tools, but tools arent that much and wear and tear is a bit, but i would rather make 50,000 or 60,000 using my own things than the 35000 using their equipment. it gives me a good incintive to get paid per job. i love it.i love getting to work on my own and do my own thing as aposed to my old jobs having a boss hovering over you all day long. i suggest any satellite lover to do this! unless you have a great proffesion already.

 

[Van]

Last year I was taking home $1,750.00 roughly every two weeks after pre and post taxes, benefits, and a 401k loan repayment and that was working for dish, I figured roughly that I would have hit between $66 - $70k or more if there had been any hurricanes in the gulf last year.

 

[tsduke]

The HSA insurance can actually be a good thing if you are one that doesn't go to doctor much. The premiums are much lower and any money put in the savings account are yours to keep and take with you if you ever leave the job. On the other hand, if you have health issues HSA'a aren't he greatest.

 

[meitedlce]

I'm a dish installer working for a retailer out of Roanoke VA
The job is great..
Meeting so many people, country, city, spanish, drunks, druggies, afghans, indians, super christian, mean/snotty people, its all good though.. never know what you will run into..

one job could take you 1 hour.. one job might take you all day!
work isnt that hard.. its interesting
you can take pride in your own work
no boss around all day, work at your own pace
do the work the way you want it
helping people be happy (they love their TV)
might have to dig a 200' trench on one job.. and not touch the shuvel again for a month..
or you might have to use it everyday for a week, you never know.

Might be a single wide trailer your hookin' up and you have to run cables underneath where its all wet and spider webbed..

or could be a million-dollar mansion already pre-wired and he might tip you 50.00

or .. could be a 3 story 200 year old house.. and only place to mount is on the roof
might bust your butt.. and do everything you can to do a good job for a customer, just going out of the way and he may not tip you anything and be pissed about the way the entire install looks..


benefits.. - depends on which of the thousands of install companys you work for..

I like it