Direct TV rely on sub contractors to repair, and install their systems. I worked for a company called Halstead Communications base out of Malta NY and they paid you by the Install, repair and not by the hour, and thats the key right there. Because of that the faster you install the more per hour you make. WE had 75 installers working and I would say maybe 10-15 of them followed the proper guidlines when it came to installing a system. I'm also pretty sure some of these dudes had an IQ of 30..... (I was considered in TOP 10 performer... MY IQ was 132 last checked) The other issue Halstead try to come up with ways to back charge all the installers for so called bad installs. Some of them were warranted, but many of them were a conveniently a figment of their imagination. Because of this many of the installers had a real bad attitude and poor performance increased. I ended up leaving because I was working 80-100 hours a week,and I got back charged $30 dollars because some idiot forgot how to use their remote.... Halstead ended up getting sued by a group of ex installers for their evil back charges.
When I left there was a mass exodus of installers leaving at the same time, and most of them were Top 10 guys.. The guy who trained me was the best in the company and he left about 2 weeks before I did... As long as you have companies who treat their installers poorly Direct TV will never have the reliability that could get. The people with the low IQ are the people who treat the installers poorly. Direct TV should never allow companies to pay their installers by the job and force subs to pay hourly. IF this were done the performance of their systems and reliability would improve dramatically. IF a system is installed the way it should be it would be more reliable than cable...
