Folks today I had my HSIA upgraded via Comcast. Tech showed up at appointment time, explained he needed to test outside and verify speed and that he’d give me the new modem for me to plug in and 40 minutes later DONE. This is why my folks here within AT&T AFO are done. We can’t compete with this no way no how. Even the tech as we talked told me stories of entire blocks switching from T service. He said that they have been busier than ever before. No full installs. MPOE and that’s it. What a contrast it used to be AT&T that was at the top, nowadays it’s Comcast who’s taking our lunch. Asked the tech if their bosses chase them around, nope, if anything with the pandemic it’s gotten better for them. One cone, no bs just service. Can’t even wrap my head around this.
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All these tech saying c-ap about managers, I am better than any of my 19 techs and I prove it everyday. not all managers are the same as much as not all techs are the same I started as a tech when Uverse started I don’t ask my techs to do anything I wouldn’t do, but I saw the change in attitude since we combined new generation with Union. Lazy F ers Every time I ask them to do something i get the I don’t feel like it safe for me immediately calling the U steward crying, you know it’s true even if you don’t agree. How many I&R and Uverse techs sleep on the job drag their feet for hours, techs spending more time gossiping on the phone like teenage girls, anyway ship is sinking a lot of us managers or techs will be hit I downloaded Uber and all these new service apps before they no longer hire, and a piece of advice to techs do not use sick day without FMLA a lot of very good techs ended on the lay-off list because of attendance and it was disheartening, get your UBer app guys it will take a while to get another job where you can sleep as the whole industry is going through the same process. Salute
So.....What I got out of that last one is:
You can be a "Cable Technician" who "works" on cable, but not really have any understanding of color coding, binder groups, what services that traverse it or the transmission techniques of those services.
You could be a "Service Technician" (That could be many titles I guess) who "works" on IP based broadband services and equipment, but not really have any understanding off how any of it works at a fundamental level.....Is that right?? Is taking a device out of box and, connecting cables to it and looking at lights all that it takes to qualify as being a "Service" technician today?
Just my 2 cents
Harry (Mechanic): Cole, when that little needle on the tachometer hits 9,000 RPM, that's bad!!!
Cole (Driver): I don't know what you're talking about cause I don't know much about cars!! What's RPM and what's a tachometer??
AT&T Example
Field Manager: So Mr. outside tech, why did that broadband order take 7 hours to complete?
Outside Technician: Why are you asking? Who are you to question me? It took a long time because I had IP stuff issues.
Field Manager: OK, what IP issues did you have?
Outside Technician: I was on the phone with support for hours trying to configure the customers static IP block in the RG because I don't know anything about IP addressing, subnetting, etc.
Field Manager: Uh Huh......
Definition of Tech-ni-cian from Google Dictionary:
a person employed to look after technical equipment or do practical work in a laboratory.
"a laboratory technician"
an expert in the practical application of a science.
a person skilled in the technique of an art or craft.
What you are describing is a human condition. Stop bashing on techs, there are varying levels competency top to bottom of any company and it doesn’t mean the are slothful. A race car driver doesn’t have to be an engineer or auto mechanic to be successful. Most people work to live not the other way around, there is life outside of a company. I haven’t seen many graves lately that say, I wish I’d read another tech manual or worked more hours. Nothing wrong with trying to be a superstar or improving yourself but not everyone has the same drive, intellect or passion. Maturity teaches that not everyone is like you and to accept that fact. If everyone was the CEO who would all the other work.
Amazing how all the Bells survived all these years after divesture without being top down micromanaged (nanny state) and were very successful, had an empowered, happy, dedicated, creative, productive workforce and customers loved us. Fast forward to today, customers hate the company, morale is in the tank (exception of sycophants and upper management) thus employees are only doing the minimum and waiting for the axe or retirement and financials aren’t looking good. The company now uses the stick vs the carrot style of managing
Employees are very frustrated with just being Told what to do by incompetent, inexperienced managers. The company has created an environment of survival by any means. If they ever return to empowering employees is when there will be a change for the better, until then it’s just a J O B!
OP also forgot to mention that Comcast “tech” (could have been a contractor for all we know) was probably not part of an organized labor contract and therefore doesn’t make anywhere near the money that Core AT&T techs make by comparison. The base hourly wage for most in house Comcast Tech’s who work outside rarely exceeds $25/hr unless they are a tenured Commtech 4 or 5 in Business Ops or Network Maintenance. Any tech at CT3 or below will most likely be south of that (considerably most likely) figure across their footprint unless in a major metro. Headend Techs in Engineering won’t be much higher if at all ($30/hr on average). Compare that to the wages of Prem Techs and Core techs at T:
Prem Tech (Wire Tech in SE) = $25-$28/hr across the enterprise at top pay and this is an ENTRY level job
Core Tech (CSS, Splicing Tech, MST,Facility Tech, Service Tech, etc.) = $37-$42/hr depending on what region you’re in
It’s not hard to understand why T micromanages it’s frontline workforce the way it does. It’s been said many times before and Bill Morrow just brought it up again; T has the highest cost structure of any of its competitors, hands down. I know a great deal of the workforce at all levels is like this, but those Cadillac union contracts in all regions do not enable a caring and flexible workforce. And it’s not like that astronomical difference in pay means you get that much more skill/productivity out of the typical AT&T tech. I spent 14 years in the field (2000-2014) in various roles to include I&M, Cable Repair, DLC and Specials and while I worked with a handful of superstars, most techs were not highly skilled individuals and they didn’t have any motivation to be. Cushy union contracts, very specific and repetitive job functions and little chance of actually being surplussed off the payroll , meant they could just do whatever they wanted with little consequence. I can’t answer your question about cones really other than to say maybe T cares more about safety than Comcast. Who knows. It never really bothered me to put them out (2-3 usually) and if it caused me to remember to do a circle check (as the policy was intended) around the vehicle for added safety, great! To answer your question about “bosses” chasing techs around....You can bet your azz that if I was an employer paying someone $38/hr as a frontline worker that I would watch them like a hawk at all times. Especially if all of my competitors pay their frontline workers considerably less across the board. And be honest, most union folks will take the path of least resistance nearly every time. I worked around “senior” techs (you know....those guys with 30-40 years of service) for years whose defined skill set was: “I can run wires and jacks and hang drop”. No knowledge of OSP maintenance, no electronics background, no knowledge of how broadband works (thank goodness for id–t lights/indicators), no fiber handling skills and drop dead clueless on IP networking. Comcast doesn’t have to fight this nonsense like T or the rest of the incumbent carriers and probably never will.
dumping att fiber was the best decision I made. after 3 consecutive months of downloads of 100 Meg i dumped it and went to basic cable. now I have faster download speed than att fiber and I pay about 1/3 less. and their voip works awesome - much better than att voip ever worked for me. sort of like att doesn't want customers anymore. well I guess if you hang out at pebble beach they will have you as a customer.
"Hey ex-comcast tech, that thinks he is an I and R tech, which no longer exists . ( If there is not enough signal ??? ) It gets kicked off to a maintenance tech ! Cause you did all the work inside ?? , Are you FFF ING KIDDING ME ? You SOB,s do Little to nothing inside ! You losers see a way out and are gone !!! Prem Techs get all the repairs now and I get their escalation's and twice tried and twice failed repairs. Management doesn't seem to understand this."
You misread, I was talking about when I was a cable tech at Comcast. When you do not have enough signal at the tap on cable to give you headroom once you have all the loss through the rg6 and splitters that the converters (tv box/modems/etc.) need, you kick it to maintenance to change the resistance at the tap to give you more db levels. Anyway, I am I&R because I do IPDSL installs/ocasionally pots everyday along with POT/DSL/IPDSL repair everday. If you have been here long enough you would know the company goes through a cycle of seperating Installs and Repair into seperate groups and then reversing course and combining the Install and Repair back to the same group. Seems to be every 5 years and they just brought you all back into TFS recently. They are due to combine all the work again soon. IPTV, DTV is gone so premtechs lost half their work so we are back to IPDSL which both groups do. Most here are taking unpaid time off everyday. At least for my area and I assume most non metro area is that Premtechs are going away and it will be back to I&R completing the cycle. Not knocking Premtechs but the company seems to be repeating itself again.
What’s your point? My neighborhood was a mix. Then AT&T brought in fiber and everyone switched. Comcast is a dirty word to most of the neighbors I talk too. Go peddle your Comcast stories on their Thread.
My new subdivision was all AT&T fiber first. Then Comcast came in and placed their coax (after new sod was put down). I bet 75% have switched to Comcast.
Hey ex-comcast tech, that thinks he is an I and R tech, which no longer exists . ( If there is not enough signal ??? ) It gets kicked off to a maintenance tech ! Cause you did all the work inside ?? , Are you FFF ING KIDDING ME ? You SOB,s do Little to nothing inside ! You losers see a way out and are gone !!! Prem Techs get all the repairs now and I get their escalation's and twice tried and twice failed repairs. Management doesn't seem to understand this.
Ex Comcast tech here now AT&T I&R, Cable installs are so much easier. And if there is not enough signal at the tap at the pole it gets kicked off to a maintenance tech after I did the work at the house. We can’t compete. Our processes and old ways of multiple spots to run jumps and such is k–ling us. Fiber is the only way to bridge that gap and we aren’t doing it very good.
They have managers. AT&T has eunuch managers. Thats why they cry and wimper everyday when fired.
truth
We can also install quickly when everything is in place and just have to run jumpers and modem. Not all of Comcast installs are so quick when they have to do full installs and they have issues just like us. I can give the same anecdotal evidence for our service. My cousin is a tech with Comcast, I know the other side too.
I agree that we are top down big data micromanaged with too many useless task and policies. Many mangers use them to harass and discipline because bonuses are counting on green checks on the dashboard. Customer service is an after thought and no lower level manager will rock the boat because they are all are in a competition for their jobs. They know it’s wrong but aren’t in control and have to follow or find another job.