Working as Dish Network Satellite TV Technician.

[dishcomm]

You could get charged back for a sticker being crooked on the remote? That's a bit ridiculous if you ask me. And the reason I don't like working with piece wages is the fact that a TC (trouble call) would be 11 points and at my SC we were paid about $1.70 a point, sometimes we were stuck at a TC for 3 hours making $18.00. The money could be good at times, having a 45 point job, a 32 point job, and another 30 pointer plus some small installs to make about $230 that day. I just think hourly is a bit better in my opinion, and I would have to stress about making 2-3 jobs per timeframe.

In house techs are paid hourly. not piece rate

 

[dishcomm]

A lot of the "stupid" rules come down from the lawyers. It's all about liability and avoiding situations where either the customer or the installer have grounds for a suit. The cones probably came from the insurance company, probably as a condition for coverage, especially when the insured is a major corporation as people LOVE to sue large companies.

Such "stupid" rules are common with very large corporations, especially when they have to enter a private residence, lots of liability issues, and large corporations are the ones MOST sued by shady "customers" after a visit because the large corporations have deep pockets. Small local businesses visiting your property for services don't get the lawsuits nearly as often because the slime know those little businesses will probably go out of business BECAUSE of the suit, hence, they never get the money/settlement.

Ironically, these "stupid" rules often protect YOU, the installer, especially as an employee of a major corporation. One could claim you required the "pie" or coke or goodies or you wouldn't preform the work and the customer demands to be compensated in some form or they threaten to go to the AG. You don't see this often if you work for a local plumber, etc., but it DOES happen with the big corporations because they have the deep pockets.

Having a clear policy ("stupid" rule) forbidding the acceptance of such goodies HELPS to protect the company from allegations of goodies in exchange for whatever by the installers. And if the company does NOT enforce this, it weakens their legal standing when trouble should arise.

HA!! When some nice old lady took the time to bake me three dozen chocolate chip cookies, you're darn skippy those little pieces of heaven are going with me.....Never worked in house for Dish.....Never would. The pay sucks. And the garbage they pile on their techs is out of control

 

[dishcomm]

Yes, it is stipulated in the handbook that gifts are acceptable, but anything worth over $50 has to be reported to your FSM and I think anything over $200 has to be reported in writing. I would be glad to report that to my FSM just to actually get a tip that big...or at all. I always tip service techs.

I would NEVER report a gratuity. Never

 

[dishcomm]

Last I checked it was starting $16/hour. The points were used to calculated things like bonuses and raises. This is just for DNS.

Depends on the market.
In my area, techs start at $12

 

[dishcomm]

You guys are replying to questions that are over two years old

how the heck did this thread get left on here for so long.....

 

[Stargazer]

Wow I didnt't know that they paid $16 per hour must be in a larger city where everything is more expensive.

 

[ChadT41]

I'm in Phoenix. We are the 6th largest city in the US I believe was the number I saw.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I'd love to work as a tech for dish for about a day.

 

[navychop]

Frightening, what you might do!

 

[Claude Greiner]

Frightening, what you might do!

Just want to do things my way and see how long I last before they fire me

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Id give Claude about 15 mins, not to say he isn't right

 

[dishdude]

I put myself through college installing for a retailer and had a blast doing it. Man was that a fun job! Things changed quickly after a couple of years, retailers started popping up on every corner, Dish started doing direct sales with in house installs and the party was starting to end. Luckily I had graduated by the point and I was able to move on. From the stories I have heard, I would not want to work for Dish!

 

[Stargazer]

Things were the best around 1999-2000 and another spurt around 2003-2004 when they added the locals but by that time a bunch of retailers swooped in to get all that business and left a few years later.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Things were the best around 1999-2000 and another spurt around 2003-2004 when they added the locals but by that time a bunch of retailers swooped in to get all that business and left a few years later.

Oh I hated that crap. You have a good area, as soon as they got locals every fly by night retailer would come in like gipsies and come in and destroy the market place.

Then for the next year, all we used to get was calls from the customers that where lied to, cheated, scammed and given a bad install.

2001 was a good time to be a retailer. A matter of fact everything was good till September 2008 when Dish started to crack down, and made things tougher for everyone.

A matter of fact we used to sell around 40 hughesnet systems per month. When the recovery act came out and people could get a free install and $39.99/mo the same thing happened with all the retailers ruining it for everyone.

I'm lucky if we can sell 5 hughesnet systems today.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Id give Claude about 15 mins, not to say he isn't right

I'm always right when it comes to this stuff, especially when It comes to installation related issues.

 

[dishcomm]

Things were the best around 1999-2000 and another spurt around 2003-2004 when they added the locals but by that time a bunch of retailers swooped in to get all that business and left a few years later.

That is when I started 1998...Back then it was a fun job. I mean it. I had a blast.....The equipment was already there at the customer's residence. The customer had already seen how the equipment worked. It was install, get the thing activated, sign here, collect any fees and hit the door.
Because I started with Primestar, I learned using certain industry standards of what was considered a quality install. I used these standards and added to them because that's just the way I roll. No job is worth doing unless it was done correctly the first time. My work was neat and clean.
Then Dish effed it all up. By the late 2000's it was rapidly degenerating into the hyper micromanaged low paying mess it is today....I got out of the fulfillment business for good in 2009

 

[Claude Greiner]

Could never complain switching a primestar customer. Dual cable from the Dish to all the rooms. Nice neat install and a phone line behind each receiver.