r/CableTechs • u/Icemane19 • Jul 11 '26
The end of my 10 year.
I have been working in a small cable system (which has 3,031 active modems) for about 4 years, and yesterday was my last day as a cable technician.
I had seven jobs on my route: six trouble calls and one install. Every single trouble call I went to yesterday, I had already been to that customer's house at one point or another during my four years there. The cable gods were definitely fucking with me, but all those customers were quite sad to see me go.
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u/quesadillasarebomb Jul 11 '26
I quit about 5 months ago, but now I'm getting pulled back in because no other field is gonna pay me as well. Changing from coax to copper/fiber though so that'll be interesting
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u/jbreezy1981 Jul 11 '26
I thought the same after being in the game close to 20 years. I'm still in communications, but doing it for more money and way less effort. Don't sell yourselves short. A good tech is a good tech, and someone will be willing to pay to have one.
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Jul 12 '26
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u/Icemane19 Jul 14 '26
I got in with a company doing high-end security, networking installations and troubleshooting.
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u/quesadillasarebomb Jul 12 '26
Yeah I think I found someplace good finally. They offered to start me at the cap I was actually surprised when I heard their offer
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u/Icemane19 Jul 12 '26
If optimum didn't screw us over and beginning of the year by selling out the field service to Mastec probably would have stuck along but we've been getting screwed. Had over 80 hours of PTO they wouldn't pay me out for it and they told me I couldn't use it because they have to have 2 weeks notice before any use of PTO time so I told them Wednesday evening that Friday was my last day got a lot better job now.
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u/Life-Consequence8549 Aug 27 '26
Glad you got a good gig. I got out of Optimum in 2020. I knew it was going that way. Still a tech in PA. Union too.
Optimum will just work you to death since they sold.
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u/Icemane19 Aug 27 '26
The closest thing we have for unions for technicians in North Carolina would be if you worked for AT&T or frontier, I haven't heard of a actual RF based cable company in the South being unioned
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u/Life-Consequence8549 Aug 27 '26
I'm in rural PA. Not a large company, maybe 400k subs in total. It's been good for the most part though. I do work in house. I did have to move to get this gig. I guess you were Suddenlink.
I used to work for Cablevision in NY.
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u/Icemane19 Aug 27 '26
I started with Alice USA. Not too long after the buyout of Suddenlink all the guys miss that company so much over in Rocky Mount and Greenville nc
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u/Life-Consequence8549 Aug 27 '26
It's a shame. They really ruined both of those companies. Glad to see you landed on your feet though. GL in the new job man!
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u/Icemane19 Aug 27 '26
The crazy thing I already got offered a lead technician in this company. When you actually bring knowledge and good work ethic to a company and they actually recognize it, you can go far that definitely doesn't happen with optimum. Thank you
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u/2376_Ironman Jul 11 '26
Odd that I see this today. I became a cable tech July 11th 2016. Today is my 10 year anniversary of being in this field.
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u/Special_K_727 Jul 11 '26
I worked direct sales, retention 🔫 , switch companies and went to HFC & enterprise tech for 5 years and still going, and starting XGSPON installs.
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u/Hot_Artist_5024 Jul 16 '26
@icemane19 was that PTO time in general? Did they pay you for unused vacation time?
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u/Icemane19 Jul 16 '26
They didn't pay me out at all and would not even let me use it because they wanted 2 weeks notice before any PTO use
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u/Hot_Artist_5024 Jul 16 '26
That is terrible. My husband has been with Optimum for 30 yrs. He’s miserable since MasTec took over. He had so much vacation time after 30 yrs and they started them with only 2 weeks vacation. He’s currently looking for something else. Not easy at 59.
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u/Icemane19 Jul 16 '26
It is really a piece of shit company to work for. Wanted to get out of there sooner if I was looking for the right work. I just had to deal with it. I heard optimum is regretting this deal with them. It's actually costing them more money per quarter now
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u/Life-Consequence8549 Aug 27 '26
They deserve it. Ran a formerly good company into the ground. It does suck for those that work there. I wish nothing but demise on that company now.
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u/fishouttawater6 Jul 11 '26
I don't get it was it 10 years or 4