kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL |  It's high time for a "correction"
The balance of power has shifted a wee bit too far in the favor of corporations, a correction is in order. |
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Balzer
Cat Man Dew
join:2000-12-18
Tulsa
 ·Cox HSI
| What gets me..
With out access to billing how did they (mastec) know weather or not it was connected?
The r15 needs it just for setup and then never again. Its a good idea for sports sub, one time i got an call where a customer had 2 boxes a game was black out on one but not the other, the difference the one not blacked out was connected to a phone and had made a call back.
It can also cause ppv problem if the customer doesn't tell the csr that its not connected to the phone line
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"The wireless telegraph is not difficult to understand. The ordinary telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull the tail in New York, and it meows in Los Angeles. The wireless is the same, only without the cat." - Albert Einstein |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Accuracy?
While accurate reporting is not a staple of local television news operations, nor is it popular online, DirecTV did not fire the techs, since they do not work for DirecTV. Mastec did. There is a difference.
Of course a big headline of Mastec Techs Fired Over 'Copper Lie' Story doesn't have the same twang, does it? I guess it's OK to lie while reporting if it makes the story more sensational.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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DannyZ
Gentoo Fanboy
Premium
join:2003-01-29
Erie, PA | Well, the word "Contractor" is immediately below. So it's accurate, but maybe a little biased.. |
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homers
join:2002-02-05
Santa Clarita, CA | reply to Balzer
Re: What gets me..
The R15 never, ever needs a phone line. |
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SuperSync
Five Star
Premium
join:2002-01-12
clubs:
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to Balzer
Mastec just wanted the extra cash from the installation of a phone jack, be it a wall jack, a baseboard jack, or a wireless phone jack. The techs put it on the installation sheet, the customer got hit with the extra $50 per receiver or so, Mastec got paid.
Now if there's already a jack in that room, I suppose it's a wash for Mastec. But they are banking on more than one room not having a phone jack, thus the extra charge. If the receiver got installed w/o a new phone jack where there wasn't one, they dinged the installer.
That's just wrong. Especially the part about telling the customer the receiver wouldn't work right, the television experience wouldn't be as good, or even the receiver might blow up.
If you read the fine print on ANY DirecTV/Dish Network deal (like where you get 4 receivers/rooms installed for free) there is ALWAYS fine print about substantial additional charges from anything considered NON-STANDARD about the installation. Could that be as simple as no phone jack, I dunno.
And just to think I was getting ready to bundle DTV with my telco and ditch Dish Network (which I installed myself 9 years ago)....uh oh.
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to DannyZ
Re: Accuracy?
So if I were to post DanZ23 Arrested in Child Porn Scandal but then in a small type subhead say but was released due to erroneous tip that would be OK with you?
Please. This is pandering of the worst kind.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to SuperSync
Re: What gets me..
Mastec will get dinged by the FTC for lying. They will lose the labor relations and whistle-blower case. And more than likely DirecTV will end their contract to install DirecTV equipment. Whoever owns Mastec is going to lose a lot of money over this. It serves them right.
Their financials stink. No wonder they are cutting corners and chiseling.
»phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zht···amentals
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Join Red Room Forum
BLOG tkjunkmail.blogspot.com
My Web Page |
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AthlGrond
Premium,MVM
join:2002-04-25
Aurora, CO
·Comcast
| More Self Inflicted Problems
The bosses at Mastec's Orlando office had no comment when Local 6 News first investigated the allegations, the report said.
...
Mastec sent Local 6 News a letter after the initial investigation aired, saying the report misrepresented some of the facts. It's not like they weren't asked for a comment, right? 
Sounds like someone isn't thinking too far ahead in that company.
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"When you're an Anvil, hold you still;When you're a Hammer, strike your Fill." -- Benjamin Franklin |
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bbenso1
join:2004-11-28
Baltimore, MD
| Lawsuit in the making?
Is it even legal for Mastec to fire it's employees for reporting what should be illegal activities (lying to customers)? What grounds do they have for termination? I'm expecting some lawsuits against Mastec from some of those terminated employees. Then again, IANAL so maybe I'm way off here. |
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oldmike
join:2005-04-14
Latonia, KY | reply to RadioDoc
Re: Accuracy?
I have to agree with RadioDoc. The title is misleading, at best, and downright wrong, at worst. |
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Derch
Premium
join:2004-10-16
Tulsa, OK | reply to RadioDoc
It's still an asshat thing to do. Now 40 techs in the Orlando area have to find new jobs. |
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toadlife
Premium
join:2004-05-03
Lemoore, CA | I look forward to...
...reading about the pending lawsuit. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | reply to Derch
Re: Accuracy?
Oh I'm not saying it wasn't a full-on idiotic move. Let's just make sure the label gets slapped on the correct idiot.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Derch
said by Derch  :It's still an asshat thing to do. Now 40 techs in the Orlando area have to find new jobs. I think it will all work out in the end. Customers will still want satellite TV service and most will probably go somewhere besides Mastec for this, causing other DirecTV sellers to hire more techs to help with the extra installations. |
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SuperSync
Five Star
Premium
join:2002-01-12
clubs: | Whooops.
I'm sure the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) will also be involved.
I'm wondering who MasTec will be using for installers in this area now, or if DTV will dump them entirely there due to bad press. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | reply to RadioDoc
Re: Accuracy?
I've added "/Mastech" for clarity... |
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RWill55904
join:2006-02-02
Rochester, MN | reply to SuperSync
Re: Whooops.
Per most Dish companies, this is usually a normal practice of "witholding" or "embellishing" information.These are things that most people would probably not want to know but neesd to know when they make a buying decision |
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RayW
Premium
join:2001-09-01
Layton, UT
clubs:
·XMission
| Blame pointing and right or wrong
I will not debate the correctness of the title of the news blurb since I do not know all of the details, but things like the equating to a porn pick up followed by a small retraction are even more stupid than the title.
Having been a contractor at times in my career, I have some knowledge of the employment situation that may make that headline more understandable to some people here. You need to consider that MasTec is nothing more than a job shop, a huge one, but at the core a job shop.
A company who needs people that they do not want hire for various reasons like ability to fire or to avoid retirement costs (DirecTV), they go to people like MasTec. MasTec will hire people off the street if they need to to get a body to send to the company. The hired body gets paid by MasTec *BUT* takes his orders from the company that hired him from MasTec. If that company wants to dump the MasTec contractor, tough for the worker. MasTec has very little reason to keep him.
I never considered myself an employee as a contractor, more like a piece of slave labor. But many people do work for firms like MasTec and enjoy it.
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I am not lost, I find myself every time. |
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moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to bbenso1
Re: Lawsuit in the making?
said by bbenso1 :Is it even legal for Mastec to fire it's employees for reporting what should be illegal activities (lying to customers)? What grounds do they have for termination? I'm expecting some lawsuits against Mastec from some of those terminated employees. Then again, IANAL so maybe I'm way off here. Mastec can use the "non-disclosure" agreement rule. It doesn't apply when a crime has been committed (fraud and deception) but that will be their initial defense.
The employees can sue for wrongful termination but that will be along drawn out process. |
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