Alernative Entertainment AEI is the worst installer by far

[cdru]

AMEN! Attention to detail (in anything...not just satellite installs) is slowly becoming a thing of the past!

I agree with you partially, but I'm not sure who is to blame. Obviously in keeping on topic that shoddy installers are to blame mostly. But one explanation is that Dish stacks 4 installs deep some days, pays less then what they could make at McDs, and gives them no incentive to do a good job.

Anecdotal example: My parents were getting a SuperDish and a 522 installed. The SD was mounted on the roof. The installer drills a hole halfway down the side of the house to enter into an attic to drop down into a empty space created by a fireplace surround. I asked him why he was going to run the cable down outside of the wall 8 feet from the roof instead of just drilling a about 6 inches from the roof. He just said it was quicker. He ended up going the "longer" way.

I think that are also to blame. We expect everything to be done for free and now. We have had to compromise on aesthetics and form in order to get things quicker and cheaper. If we were willing to pay the price, things would look better. But people don't want to pay the higher costs. They want things installed quickly so that they can watch their HD or go back to work.

Another example: I originally installed my D500. It was barely visible anywhere around the house, wires were neatly ran, everything worked wonderful. When I got by SuperDish and had to have "professional" installation, the installer refused to put it where the D500 was (no reason given), practically mounted it on the peak of the roof where you have to try a find a spot where it's not visible, and just let wires run down the roof. I had to remind him 3 times to ground everything. I eventually settled to have it working then I fixed it. I realize that I was to blame for not insisting on how everything was to be installed and the installer was just doing things the quickest, most convenient way for him, but it would have taken an extra 15 minutes to do things right.

 

[bcshields]

My dad has a snowblower he found in a junkyard.. a 30 year old Briggs and Stratton, all it needed was a shear bolt. That same year my uncle bought a snowblower on sale. John Deere, Horsepower, extensions, etc etc.

2 months after my uncle's warranty expired, the engine blew up. My dad's 32 year old snowblower still puttin away.

Anyway, on topic. When you squeeze a tech's pay by making him do more per install, you get shoddier work. It's like paying someone salary to do a 40 hour week. Then pile so much work on the guy until he works 50 hours, but gets paid the same, thus lowering his pay per hour. This'll cause him to cut corners to get back to 40 hours a week, making his work crappier than it was before.

if you give a tech 6 jobs to do, he'll half do all of them, give him 4, he'll do quality work on all of them.

 

[GaryPen]

Anyway, on topic. When you squeeze a tech's pay by making him do more per install, you get shoddier work. It's like paying someone salary to do a 40 hour week. Then pile so much work on the guy until he works 50 hours, but gets paid the same, thus lowering his pay per hour. This'll cause him to cut corners to get back to 40 hours a week, making his work crappier than it was before.

if you give a tech 6 jobs to do, he'll half do all of them, give him 4, he'll do quality work on all of them.

You've hit the nail on the head. Usually, the decline in quality of goods and services is directly related to Corporate America's obsession with cutting costs. Whether it's using cheaper materials, mass layoffs forcing less people to more for less, or outsourcing, it leads to lower quality.

The argument that it is necessary because the consumer demands lower prices is bullsh*t. Most of the companies that are doing this are profitable. They do it to increase profit and/or share price resulting in immediate wealth for the exec staff who are paid largely with stock.

 

[Wayd Wolf]

In my experience, there's definitely a decline in values among the youths of the USA. When I first started in the workforce, minimum wage wasn't even $3.40 an hour and I cleaned toilets, collected carriages, cleaned trash cans, stocked shelves, etc. and all at maximum effort. It was a job, it had certain tasks, you did them, you got paid.

Now, I see every other kid entering the workforce can't so much as make a hamburger without griping about it. They can't seem to accept the simple logic that a job is comprised of certain tasks that need to be done in return for a paycheck. Without cutting corners, without whining, without slacking, without backtalk and insubordination.

They all seem to think that the world is an inherently unfair place where their rightful place making riches has been unfairly usurped and that every business is out to rob them. They never seem to think that maybe they should work hard, work smart, and make something of themselves, build their own economic world, and do like previous generations.

This unfortunately is precisely who we in satellite and cable who know how to do a good job are getting stuck cleaning up after. Believe me, it doesn't make us feel any better than you customers. You get problems on one installation. I get humiliated with each one of those.

 

[NightRyder]

In my experience, there's definitely a decline in values among the youths of the USA. When I first started in the workforce, minimum wage wasn't even $3.40 an hour and I cleaned toilets, collected carriages, cleaned trash cans, stocked shelves, etc. and all at maximum effort. It was a job, it had certain tasks, you did them, you got paid.

Now, I see every other kid entering the workforce can't so much as make a hamburger without griping about it. They can't seem to accept the simple logic that a job is comprised of certain tasks that need to be done in return for a paycheck. Without cutting corners, without whining, without slacking, without backtalk and insubordination.

They all seem to think that the world is an inherently unfair place where their rightful place making riches has been unfairly usurped and that every business is out to rob them. They never seem to think that maybe they should work hard, work smart, and make something of themselves, build their own economic world, and do like previous generations.

This unfortunately is precisely who we in satellite and cable who know how to do a good job are getting stuck cleaning up after. Believe me, it doesn't make us feel any better than you customers. You get problems on one installation. I get humiliated with each one of those.

But who's fault is this? I blame parents who always take the easy way out instead of being the "bad guy" and telling their kids no. Parenting is hard work and entails great responsibility. Far too many of my generation just sat back and let the tube and schools raise their children. Being your kid's friend is all fine and good but someone has to be the parent! Hopefully there's time to be their friend later in life.

Both of my kids are fine young adults who work hard and accept responsibility for themselves. They were taught personal accountability, to work for what they wanted and that no one owes them anything.

As you can tell I'm very proud of my children and I'll take my share of the credit for how they turned out.

Good citizens and workers don't just happen by accident and neither do the bad ones.


NightRyder

 

[bsilvertab]

Does anyone have a phone number for these "bad" installers? I want a job installing so I want to give them a call . I would turn that place around in a few weeks!

 

[Wayd Wolf]

No of course bad kids or good kids don't happen by accident but you have to consider the state of the country today.

This creeping cancer of shiftless slackerdom has been growing and spreading since just after WWII. There were spots and shocks of it here and there since. 50s Beatniks, 60s Hippies, half of the entire 70s...

But the whole thing is now infecting the mass media messages and the mass political and social messages. Everyone assumes they can't ever succeed, so why bother trying. The news media tells them they're victims. And I'm not even going to get into the idiot politicians of the left who thrive on pushing that message to get votes at the cost of savaging the country's sense of can-do and motivation.

Raising kids to be good adults is NOT easy in a world that has gone from looking down on laziness and whining to celebrating it and enshrining it as worthy a lifestyle as any other.

Sadly, corporate America is sadled with this for their entry-level workforce and that goes for those delivering your TV. Higher wages don't change anything either. During the telecom and internet dot com boom there were plenty of idiot nineteen and twenty year olds in IT who did little and were paid much. In satellite, you can do as much as three grand a week. But some of the people making the highest wages are those who work too quick, too carelessly, and too recklessly.

Teaching that good work and customer service are worthwhile is not easy.

 

[aredknight]

Well, as a former AEI installer, I've gotta tell you, the company is a den oif theives and snakes. The office in GB WI gets rich by stealing every penny they can from the installers, they pay for squat by industry standards, They blame every problem on the installers(even when they didn't order enough equipment).

And most recently, they raided Econnect and swiped dishreferral jobs assigned to another company.

Missing jewelery? Wouldn't doubt it. An employee in MI was just sentenced to 90 days in one county(of three arraigned in) for stealing womens underwear while installing systems. To the best of my knowledge, they have never bothered to do CBC.

Defend a poor guy who still works for AEI, sure, I can agree with that. But if you want to defend the company, go preach the values of a$$hole Entertainment somewhere else. I can't wait for that company to lose their dish contracts.

 

[GaryPen]

Sadly, corporate America is sadled with this for their entry-level workforce and that goes for those delivering your TV.

Sadly, Corporate America is just as much a culprit in the decline of quality as the "slackers", if not moreso.

This whining about the "youth of today" has been going on for hundreds of years, not since WWII.

One thing I'm sure we all can agree on, though: Youth is wasted on the young!

 

[Wayd Wolf]

Sadly, Corporate America is just as much a culprit in the decline of quality as the "slackers", if not moreso.

Then that would mean DirecTV and Dish Network included. If so, you have to come up with exactly how they are contributing.

Maybe it is the cut-throat pricing, giving free installations away and promising no up-charges for custom work beyond the stated regular professional install points(which are on their web sites), or maybe turning a blind eye to multi-level subcontracting scammery that results in the original monies credited to the dealer to pay the installer getting cut as much as 75% along the way?

Maybe it is their willingness to more and more bend over for whining customers who insist on not paying a dime more for custom installs that cost as much as $300 extra in materials and labor for the installer who has to eat that cost to get paid one quarter of that amount, just because he needs to keep the job?

Or maybe it is their willingness to turn a blind eye to their contractors' violations of state and federal labor and tax laws?

Could it have something to do with their almost total lack of any effective Quality Control check process in the field?

No one wants to blame their favorite satellite services but you must if you include "Corporate America" as a culprit for the lack of labor quality.

I for one will tell you that "Corporate America" DOES NOT want what they have to work with and would gladly take better people for a few bucks more IF they were availible. Sadly, some of the better people are slowly learning they can themselves become incompetent slackers and suffer no penalties for it.

 

[GaryPen]

I couldn't agree more with your entire post, except for the last paragraph. Thanks for providing a detailed explanation of my indictment of Corporate America in their contribution to the tremendous decline in quality of goods and services in recent years.

Unfortunately, your last paragraph is completely contradictory. The majority of American corporations are guilty of the same or similar conduct as you describe from Dish and DirecTV. And, in many instances, even more so.

The only kind of people C.A. is actively seeking are the ones that reduce costs. (Unless, of course, you are an ecexutive. In that case, they pay you $$millions in cash and stock for running the company into bankruptcy.)

 

[SimpleSimon]

Dittos on the last 2 posts. I especially like Gary's last sentence - I too just keep scratching my head why these executives keep getting these deals. It just runs counter to the whole basis of capitalism.

 

[NightRyder]

I too just keep scratching my head why these executives keep getting these deals. It just runs counter to the whole basis of capitalism.

It's because corporate America is greedy, short sighted and otherwise screwed-up. People always talk about government being messed-up, but let me tell you government has nothing on corporations when it comes down to outright stupidity. I spent 5 years working for a subsidiary of UPS and 6 years working for a GE affiliate. The edicts handed down from these behemoths were frequently idiotic and mind numbing. Clean desk policies, Coffee cup specifications, Scripted lies we were forced to feed our customer's. Etc. The small state government agency I work for now, while not perfect, at least makes an honest attempt to meet customer needs.

So yes, I'm from the government and I'm here to help you (Ok, Pease don't throw things! )

NightRyder

 

[SimpleSimon]

Good one N.R., and yeah, I'm with ya. Corporations would be well-served to eliminate 90% of the management - starting from the top down.

 

[Wisconsin Sat Man]

This is not a post to bash corporate america

This is a post warning people about an incompetent management and staff of alternative entertainment.

Corporate America is not the problem it is our elected officials and lawyers.

 

[GaryPen]

This is a post warning people about an incompetent management and staff of alternative entertainment.

Corporate America is not the problem it is our elected officials and lawyers.

I didn't realize there was a difference. (Especially the ones in the Executive Branch.)

 

[Bobby]

I didn't realize there was a difference. (Especially the ones in the Executive Branch.)

Gary, please, he's a troll and just wants to start up new BS. Although I have agree with ya regarding the Executive Branch....

 

[GaryPen]

I fell for the bait! Doh!

Anyway. Gotta run. I'm off to the opening night showing of a very important new film, one that every American needs to see.

That's right...You guessed it...White Chicks.

 

[fuque]

This is a rough industry, and it's hard to find good help. We'll hire 10 people, and 8 won't last 3 weeks. Of the two that stay, we'll be lucky if one of them lasts 6 months. The one that does stay, doesn't get fired for doing something stupid, and has few complaints is worth their weight in gold.

...and won't do fulfilment installs because they aren't compensated fairly.

 

[Wisconsin Sat Man]

We have the right

Thank god we have the right to bitch about our corporations and government. If you dont like the way things are get off your lazy beer drinkin ass and change it or move to china

your all a bunch of little girls