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jammmin
join:2000-12-14
Upper Marlboro, MD

jammmin

Member

Verizon and its use of contractors

Does Verizon ever plan to use contractors to install FIOS internet and TV?

I think they only use contractors when it comes to digging and trenching soil but the actual installations are done by Verizon personell.

Cable and satellite companies use contractors by the ton loads.
Angerphile7
Premium Member
join:2005-05-13
Los Angeles, CA

Angerphile7

Premium Member

Yeah, and "every" contractor that I've seen will go the "quick way" through things...

For Satellite, contractors will hook up a 4 room system, stick the four boxes in each room, on the floor and just hook up the main room. Leaving rooms 2-4 uncabled... They'll end up causing a good $14,000 of damage to housing and property(which the Satellite companies insurance paid for)... They'll place cables where they're VERY unsightly and cause HOA issues. (EG, stick that nice black cable hanging on the front of the house to the other side, right where it can be seen by the street...)

For cable... My main issue is the tech that came out to install... And he was SUPPOSED to set up 3 rooms... only two of those rooms work, because he never tested it and now I can't get a tech out to fix it without paying a good $50 for a service call...

*sigh*

jammmin
join:2000-12-14
Upper Marlboro, MD

jammmin

Member

I know exactly what you are talking about.

Cable:
When I lived in New York and had cable, the contractors came and did a piss poor job in running the cable. Nothing was laid neatly at at.

In Maryland, both times when I moved, and they hooked up service, there were always a few "fuzzy channels" and both times, they told me that's how they are and he can't do anything to fix them.

Satellite:
In my old neighborhood, most dishes were placed on roofs. A few lazy contractors placed dishes on people's houses which looked very unsightly because they were too lazy to use the ladder to go on the roof.

When I had Directv installed in February, the contractor ran wires loosely beside my house not tacking them down at all, he didn't have time to show me how the service worked(DVR etc) and he didn't test anything other than signal level strength.

I guess it must be a good thing then to only use Verizon employees to install internet and FIOS TV. That is the only way you can get some type of quality control and enhanced customer satisfaction.
batsona
Maryland
join:2004-04-17
Ellicott City, MD

batsona to jammmin

Member

to jammmin
When running fiber optic underground, or on the poles (wiring a neighborhood), contractors are usually used. When I got FiOS in Jan of 06, two Verizon trucks ran the line from the tap, to my house, and of course, Verizon came to install the internal portions.

Earlier this summer, an article was circulating around CNN's website, about a VZ contractor who claimed he wasn't paid for services rendered. The article showed that Verizon had no viewer than 3 parties involved - they had sub-sub-sub contractors doing the work (no wonder no one can answer the question, "When are they getting to my neighborhood"?)

Verizon hired a company who hired a local person in the area, who went out and hired day-laborers one by one, to do the work. See? this way Verizon, lets say, shells out $20/hour for the work, and the worker at the end of the chain gets $8. --Everyone gets their cut...
TurtleFan
join:2003-05-03
Wyckoff, NJ

TurtleFan to jammmin

Member

to jammmin
Just sad. I ask again.. How can it be getting so expensive in the states that everyone is too cheap to sign up good help?