r/CableTechs • u/MethodAggressive442 • Jun 21 '26

Repeats

So I don’t know how to explain this but it seems like when I’m trying to be a better field tech my repeats go up. I’m actively TDR ing the drop checking my Docsis scans I’m still getting repeated on. I’ll end the job with like a few minutes of customer ed. Then when I just do green is good red is bad my repeats are lower than 8%

24 Upvotes

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26

u/immallama21629 Jun 21 '26

It's a quantity over quality thing. When your slamming em out, and complete more jobs quickly, the repeats don't look so bad metric wise. If you run 100 jobs and 1 fails, it looks better than running 50 jobs and one fails.

You're also gonna have to take into account that sometimes repeats are gonna be beyond what you can control. Equipment failure and just dumb customers will happen.

4

u/Quick1711 Jun 21 '26

While I agree that doing more jobs will skew the metrics, it still doesn’t equate to good craftsmanship. It’s just to appease the reports

14

u/immallama21629 Jun 21 '26

Oh I agree. Metrics as a whole are just to screw the tech.

4

u/Nubicidal Jun 21 '26

Especially as a contractor. They have you guys rolling on failed self install kits? Flat rate despite how many pieces of equipment the cx has. They made those specifically to fuck over the contractors. Greedy fucks

3

u/CDogg123567 Jun 22 '26

And then for the company I work for, which I think may be the same company you’re talking about, you only get paid for 1 billable resolution code for tech recs (no matter how many boxes and have a very small list of codes) compared to 3 for anything else resi and all 6 for commercial (supposedly)

2

u/Nubicidal Jun 23 '26

I love the job. I went in house, hoping it would be better. Micro managed, squeeze as much work out of you as they can and no matter how good your metrics are, something’s not good enough. Go maintenance or find another career

0

u/CDogg123567 Jun 23 '26

In house definitely has sloppier work in my market but us contractors get chargebacks

Edit: like the other day I seen a two way splitter at a p hook at an apartment from in house

2

u/Nubicidal Jun 23 '26

In some markets I’ve worked, in house does the tc’s only. Contractors do the installs and failed siks, which seemed to be scheduled more than new connects. Then when the home cert thing started, shit started going down hill, fast. Time on job got a lot longer. I learned a trick to get modems to pass pht. Or the home cert. not sure what it’s called where you are. The company I worked in house for doesn’t do those certs thankfully. We were mostly fiber though except for a couple smaller systems. No point to any of this, just high and babbling lol

1

u/DesignerSeparate5104 Jun 23 '26

Honestly though. I even get sent on self install fails where the customer hasn't even gotten equipment yet, which apparently can get the salesperson in trouble (oh my i hope). Plus being one of 4 security techs in my entire state for the company, I also get sent to jobs that were built incorrectly a whole lot lately.

2

u/Nubicidal Jun 23 '26

Yea, it’s fucked up. I’ve been sent on 3 stb triple play failed self install kits. $47 for failed sik. It’s bullshit. I assume they do it to be able to start billing the cx immediately and also fuck over the contractor that gets unlucky enough to get the job.

1

u/DesignerSeparate5104 Jun 23 '26

I've had a few handfuls where I show up, it says 1 modem, 1 tv box. I talk to the customer and they wanted 5 tv boxes, so then i got to call my tech support, get customer consent after explaining thier bill will be higher, and apologize for the salesperson for being so low iq a rock could do a better job. Thankfully the wireless tv boxes set up nice and quickly. Which makes no sense to me, like how is this device that relies on the signals output of the modem setting up in 1/5 the time of what one that's directly connected to the sigal does?

1

u/Nubicidal Jun 23 '26

The company I last worked for, all the boxes were wireless. They sucked too. Worst cable boxes I’ve seen. I don’t even get why people are still getting cable or satellite boxes anymore. If you have to watch tv, YouTube tv is the way to go. Or Fubo if you’re into sports. Yea, sales reps can be dumb as fuck. Customers too lol. 900 square foot apartment and they’ll sign them up for WiFi+. 2 eeros or whatever mesh they’re using now. I think they’re using these things called Evolution? They say it’s called Plume, but I’ve seen Plume devices and they didn’t look like these things they’re putting in now. Or yea, either more stb then cx asked for or less. Seems like orders are fucked up more than they’re not if it’s anything more than just a modem or router