phone lines

[Joe Diamond]

Jimbos,

Now you are getting it.

Joe

 

[cobra2225]

i have voip, i don't order ppv, therefore i don't care if my phone line works or not
however i do have one plugged in,sometimes it picks it up sometimes it doesn't
if dtv want it to work they need to do something to set the modem @9600
otherwise it hit or miss,i will never go back to landline,i told dtv this before the order was placed, they said no problem,and that i would not be charged like
dish charge's.

 

[Jimbo]

i told dtv this before the order was placed, they said no problem,and that i would not be charged like
dish charge's.

D* never charges for a phone line not being connected, like DISH... they never have yet anyways

Jimbo

 

[NateCohen]

Instead of plugging in a phone connection why can't they just plug in a network cable? This is 2007 not 1997 a lot of people either have VOIP or no home phone at all like me.

 

[damaged]

Instead of plugging in a phone connection why can't they just plug in a network cable? This is 2007 not 1997 a lot of people either have VOIP or no home phone at all like me.

You cannot (easily) track an IP to a home address, that's why, they want to track where the units are, and ANI provides that.

Maybe when IPv6 becomes the norm.

 

[dshdwg]

as a long time installer, phone company's tech's tell their cust. that if you don't want to pay ph co for line that directv installer will install for free. I was told by a customer that she wanted the phone jack next to bed when her rec. was on opposite side of room! sorry but I put phone line where rec is going and am not obligated for free, to install phone lines just to save cust the phone co. charge for additional outlets. In most cases I run a phone line to nid and leave outside telling them they need phone co to tie line in from there. if they don't pay for phone line by wallfish then the line stops outside nid. hence the line is run. phone co. does the rest and cust still has to pay for additional line. This free basic installation seems to have a lot more read into by cust than what i'm obligated to do. i charge as little as $35 for a wall fish, pending on time taken to do the work, compared to electricians charge, that is considered free in my book. cuz i'll open the phone book and have them get a quote from electrician. How quickly they change their mind and go with my offer.

 

[dishcomm]

Someone please tell me once and for all if phone lines are "required" for new direct tv installations. My company continuously threatens to fire tech.'s for not hooking up phone lines. Hooking them up is one thing but I'm not bellsouth and I don't get paid to actually install phone lines and jacks. Any insight on this?

it's been that way for a long time..DTV used to require phone connections to each receiver past the first one or they would not activate...Techs get screwed on this because D* consideres hardwire phone lines to be part of a basic or standard install. This could sometimes add up to an hour to each job. This is the reason why I won't install D* systems....The bottom line is , If I work, I get paid..There's no free lunch..
On the retail side however, we do charge the customer for hardwire phone lines.

 

[dishcomm]

I'm sorry if I sound a little hard headed but where does it state that a phone installation is part of the basic installation? I mean I dont mind plugging up the phone line or running it to the next closest outlet... but tapping into the line and putting in a jack? Bellsouth tech.'s gets good money for that, are we supposed to do it for free?!

Yep....There free of charge to the customer and the employer does not pay the tech to install them...This applies to fullfilment work assigned by D* to it's RSP's and the D* employees.

 

[dishcomm]

This, from DirecTv's website, in the FAQ section:



Notice that it says connect to a phone line in your home, as opposed to "install a phone line."

What it says and what occurs in the real world are often two different things..I used to work for MASTEC...and before that, an HSP. We were required to install hardwire phone lines if a jack was not available in the room where the receivers were located. We were not paid additonal for this activity...Also , that 100 foot rule is crap.

 

[dishcomm]

Why can't anyone give me a straight answer about the subject of hooking up phone lines to directv receivers? I just want to know where it states that they have to be connected or I'll be fired! Surely someone knows where to find this rule.

Ask your employer....I used to work for an HSP. We had to connect each receiver to a phone line..No exceptions...

 

[dishcomm]

darobster1,
I see you have another post with more info in it.
Most of the post are accurate,I don't know what you need to know.

From what I know, what damaged posted (2) is what I have always heard to be correct.
Then again, I am NOT an installer and think that the phone line installation would be between you and the company you work for.

Also post 10 from chadzx11 states right from the D* website.

Not sure what more you want, if your company says put them in or be fired, thats between you and them.

Personally I wish they all would stay OUT of my stuff, the local cable company is the same way.

As for the Bell South Tech you mentioned, HE does not get good money for that, just his basic hourly pay (which may be good) but that money goes to the company, not the indivdual.

Jimbo

Bell South (Now AT&T) are paid union scale wages. A friend works for AT&T. He is transfering to the field from the office..He says the techinicins pay is $24 per hour...plus benefits. I would imagine senior techs make more than that. But anyway, they make real good coin...

 

[Jimbo]

as a long time installer, phone company's tech's tell their cust. that if you don't want to pay ph co for line that directv installer will install for free. I was told by a customer that she wanted the phone jack next to bed when her rec. was on opposite side of room! sorry but I put phone line where rec is going and am not obligated for free, to install phone lines just to save cust the phone co. charge for additional outlets. In most cases I run a phone line to nid and leave outside telling them they need phone co to tie line in from there. if they don't pay for phone line by wallfish then the line stops outside nid. hence the line is run. phone co. does the rest and cust still has to pay for additional line. This free basic installation seems to have a lot more read into by cust than what i'm obligated to do. i charge as little as $35 for a wall fish, pending on time taken to do the work, compared to electricians charge, that is considered free in my book. cuz i'll open the phone book and have them get a quote from electrician. How quickly they change their mind and go with my offer.

Interesting,
You will place a phone jack, run the wire to the NI and NOT connect it, even thou it's on the subs side of the NI ????? And then tell them to call the phone company out to term it on THIER side of the NI.

I have yet to come across that, but would gladly finish the job, the phone company charges $ 71 to dispatch a person to the house and $ 25 for every 15 minute incrument ....
Thanks, dshdwg,
We appreciate the $96 for the 5-10 minutes work involved.

What area do you work in ?

PS. What happens when D* does do a phone line test on a jack you placed but did not hook to dial tone ?

Jimbo

 

[dishcomm]

darobster1,
What happens if you DO place a jack and they sign off on it, but after you leave, they decide they don't want it hooked up to the phone and unplug it ? Do you still get the charge back even though the sub disconnected it ? No one knows if or when D* might call the rec.

If it's so important to D* why don't they make it mandatory to do a phone test when the inital install is done ?
Let them know at that time if the sub has no land line.

I realize D* does these things for thier own reasons and if you suggest it , it won't go any where, just thinking outloud.....

Jimbo

easy, you have the customer sign off on all work.. If that wasn't enough I'd take photos of every jack I installed as proof...BTW, when I was installing D* the CSR always did a phone line test before activating.

 

[Jimbo]

Bell South (Now AT&T) are paid union scale wages. A friend works for AT&T. He is transfering to the field from the office..He says the techinicins pay is $24 per hour...plus benefits. I would imagine senior techs make more than that. But anyway, they make real good coin...

That depends on how much time with the company, how much you start out at.

24 p/h is pretty accurate after 5 years service, sometimes less.
also depends on his location and the negotiated value the union has worked out.

Jimbo

 

[dishcomm]

satsol,
DirectSatUSA has the same arrangement. They set an arbitrary number of phones that they want connected and they ding installers. They also have the rest of the MASTEC games; long hold times to close work and "lost equipment" back charges. SOS

I wonder if it has ever happened anywhere that one of these HSPs back charged a tech for "loosing" equipment and then back charged him for not connecting the phone?

Crooks, bandits & thieves!

Joe

When we tael out EQ, we get a receipt. No chance at our company for "lost" receiver chargebacks..
I have heard horror stories of employer rip offs of technicians for the smallest things..many times the employer pockets the money. Here's a good one..A contractor near here would get a trouble call on a recent install. The tech would go back out and fx the problem..The company would without question charge back the tech..here's the best part. Even if the call was for faulty EQ or customer caused the tech got dinged anyway. The galling part is the satellite company would pay for the service call!.. So the tech worked for free and the employer pocketed the money that was supposed ot go to the tech..We are getting many of these techs applying for jobs with us..What they should do is get together and hire a labor attorney and sue these bastards.