Re: Comcast vs. Verizon for repair methodologies

[Charles Gucker <cgucker () onesc net>]

On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 11:25 AM, Eric Wieling <EWieling () nyigc com> wrote:
> This is an example of what is really wrong.  The install tech usually does a good job (there are exceptions, of 
> course), but then the outside plant people drop the ball.
>
> I appreciate it when a repair or install tech does whatever is needed to get the service up and running.  What I 
> don't appreciate is when the outside plant people don't bury the cable or don't fix the pedestal or whatever other 
> thing is needed to keep problems from happening again and again and again.

Eric,

      I'm not one to jump into a thread like this, but being that I've
known a lot of excellent OSP personnel in my time, I have to say that
not all OSP personnel are bad.   They are asked to do remarkable
things with the most horrific conditions, but yet they still show up
to work.    I do not believe the situations outlined in this thread
are due to the actual OSP personnel, but rather than management and
lack of personnel justification.    As others have pointed out,
knowingly or not, OSP does not directly generate revenue, so it's
harder to justify personnel just to "maintain".    Unfortunately more
times than not it takes a natural disaster to get monies allocated to
fixing the plant.   And that's usually a hurry up and get them running
again, so the little things are skipped.

     Also, not to diminish RS's experience but when prioritizing OSP
activities, it usually involves projects that impact thousands of
customers, if not tens of thousands of customers and unfortunately the
single customer incidents are put on the back burner.

     Oh and on another note, I've seen "install techs" purposely blame
OSP for work that they were intended to do just because they believe
it's not part of their job description.    Personally when conduit
needs to be installed or put in place (for my own exclusive use), I'll
suck it up and get it done so that when the install tech comes it's an
easy install without issue nor finger pointing.    I find that this
usually ends up saving more monies from headaches / lack of work than
the actual cost of the materials and "installation".

charles

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert E. Seastrom [mailto:rs () seastrom com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 11:01 AM
> To: Thomas Nadeau
> Cc: North American Network Operators' Group; Joe Greco
> Subject: Re: Comcast vs. Verizon for repair methodologies
>
>
> You're lucky.  Verizon did a great job installing mine (ONT on the backboard I put in the basement for them, handoff 
> on ethernet rather than MOCA, etc) but somehow never managed to get around to dispatching anyone to actually install 
> the permanent fiber drop (despite multiple calls).
>
> Fast-forward four months.  I'd narrowly avoided messing up the temporary fiber with the lawnmower (going so far as to 
> put orange paint on the lawn myself), but no such luck when they harvested the corn next door.
>
> Yes, my fiber got cut by a combine.  You can't make this stuff up.
>
> Second time around, they did in fact manage to get the fiber buried, where I wanted it even.  Had to meet with the 
> construction survey guy, who was more than happy to put the white paint where I wanted it.
>
> -r
>
> Thomas Nadeau <tnadeau () lucidvision com> writes:
>
> >       My VZ FioS install was similarly fantastic. Those guys have figured out that spending a little more time, 
> > effort and cable (cat6 in the case of VZ) goes a long, long way in keeping customers happy.
> >
> >       --Tom
> >
> >
> > On Aug 20, 2012:7:43 PM, at 7:43 PM, Randy Bush <randy () psg com> wrote:
> >
> > > on bainbridge, i replaced centurystink dsl (756k/256k for $65/mo)
> > > with comcast (20m/4m for $50/mo).  the installer was a knarly old
> > > dog, and damned competent.  he cleaned up old cable on the pole and
> > > where it went underground to the house.  he cleaned up the box and
> > > replaced in-house junctions.  then he accidentally left 8m of coax to
> > > get from the in-wall cable outlet to my 'puter area, and rode off in
> > > his white van into the sunset.
> > >
> > > now if i could get that kind of professionalism from twt in hawaii ...
> > >
> > > randy