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onecableman
2/17/2001
If the Primes & MSO's were doing there jobs right...QCing on a daily bases. I mean they do have QC techs, don't they??? When a node is completed. QC it the next day or two. Hand the gigs back to the sub/tech/person/prime/company that committed them. Give them X-amount of days to complete. If they don't, don't issue them another node till they do. If they get pissed & walk of the job. So what. They were not much of a sub/tech/person/prime/company anyway for not taking responsibility for there own work. Hire someone else to fix it, that’s what retainage is for, isn’t? That way after a 2 year project no prime or MSO is holding a 12" stack of gigs. The most they could be holding is a nodes worth, if they made THERE QC people DO THERE JOB. Before anyone else can say it I'll say this to. They shouldn't have to have QC people, because we should do the job right the first time. I agree, but it will never happen. Remember guys were are the ones that invented the short cuts so we only have ourselves to blame. As for you 110% gig free sub/tech/person/prime/company my apologies for grouping you in this post Even though I find it hard to believe that there is someone out there that has NEVER EVER been gigged, right or wrong in YOUR eyes. I believe that I try to work gig free, but I'm not going to blow smoke up anyone’s ass. To Error is Human...
onecableman
2/17/2001
Everyone remember "your not going to make all the people happy all the times"
Gary Vest
2/17/2001
From what I was told, by a president of a company bought by Orius, they are another Arguss, only they let the companies run their operations, and are only involved in the money side of it. Accounts payable and receivable. He said that as far as employees and management, nothing changed at all, and that they hire and fire the same as they did before, with Orius not getting involved in those matters. I picked this up in an interview for a project management position, and everything sounded good until we talked money. They didn't want to pay what the position should pay, or even close for that matter. Just as Mastec, Arguss, etc.... So, again, it pays better to be in the field and not have all the headaches.
Gary Vest
2/17/2001
Brett Averill - You sound like you have that simple minded yankee attitude that got WMCC booted out of the south. Was damn glad to see them go. Came down here treating people like they were backward ass country fucks that were all inbred, but I can honestly say that after experiencing both worlds, that the south is a much better place to be and the people are alot easier to get along with. I believe you could of learned some manners while you were here if you hadn't of had your head shoved so far up your ass. I worked for the mountain in NC and I never met so many greenbean, fucked up attitude, cable wanna be's that came from New England mind you, in all my life! The southern contractors I had in Kannapolis blew away anyone the mountain sent down and with no service calls and very little gigs. When the boys that Ralph talked so highly of got there, we were out late every night fixing shorts or helping them get their shit back on! Doug, you know exactly what I am talking about, because you and I got the pleasure of fixing the shit! Except for Steve Vlahos, I wouldn't work any of them ever again! Put that in your yankee doodle fucking dandy hat!
Gary Vest
2/17/2001
Hey Robbell - Regarding your posting inquiring about Protel - They started out good, but as they progress in the industry they are quickly becoming like many others, deceiving pricks that will con you in a minute to put warm bodies on the project. They have only been in the contracting part of the business for less than two years now. I got screwed by them, as have others that you will find in the contract jobs section of the bar, but I can say they do pay fair prices and I never witnessed anyone not get paid on time. After all, that's what it's all about I guess. Just need to do your homework on the status of the project and talk to some of the subs that they are running on whatever job your looking to go to. They would be your best source of information.
Gary Vest
2/17/2001
Richard Venturelli - What is the name of your company? I am originally from Southern Calif. Worked my first 11 years of cable there. Worked with K&B Engineering, Volt Telcom, Dacain Comm., NRB, Schenk, and Copley Colony. Is there still alot of work there? Can't say I miss G.O. 95 specifications though. Hauling those freaking double gaurd arms with all the trimmings into the easements in San Pedro was no fun at all!
Brett Averill
2/17/2001
Well, well, well, Geeze Gary, got a bit of an attitude do ya? Well first of all I didn't say all southener's were assholes. But obviously you want to be added to the list. There were quite a few contractor's down there that new what they were doing and just so you know you are absoloutly right about some of the help a certain contractor used to have down there. Of course you'll run into that with any big MSO. I'm just curious if you were doing so well down there why was WMCC called in in the first place. Hmmm could it maybe be to save some face of what had been going on down there??? I think so. But I probably should listen to you and your pal Dan right, you being posted all over the cable bar from people who have such nice things to say about you. Sorry Garry if I offended you. I know you are so repituable. My apologies to the fine folk of S. Carolina
Richard Venturelli
2/17/2001
Gary Vest, I think I have talked with you before. Not sure but think I responded to a request you made on here. I think you asked about Terry Burnet or some ole cable dawg. I use to run a company named Prime Time Cable Inc. until they went out of business in 1991-92. I decided to start my own, DRV Construction. Its a small placing construction company. I never wanted to get too big for the simple reason of what is happenning today. It's really slow right now in CA. Did you know Jeremy Hooper, Pat Murphy, George Barrell just to name a few??? Can Am is now Argus. How about anyone at Cable Crafters? I usually contract to the big boys like Henkels etc. Colony in Laguna Beach? How do you like the Right Hand Coast? Yeah dbl. guard arms are a pain but they pay well $48.00 a shot. So I dont mind to much, besides they keep me in shape, hahaha Take care
Doug
2/17/2001
Thanks for the information, I had been talking to a brother about it last night from the west coast and he heard that Orius was working it's way across the country, I like to keep tabs on investment groups,and yes, there will always be clean up, opinions can change from day to day concerning plant specifications, there is a way around this though, I like to approach the customer with all the questions concerning a build, get them answered, signed off,and then this is what I use as my specifications for THAT project, bonding issues, splicing issues, turn on Etc, it eliminates any "GRAY" areas, and the gray areas are what end up costing you money, "WE never told you to build it that way" well, yes you did, and I have it in writing with your signature on the bottom,and the reason I say THAT job is because different managers have different specs for differant projects, I don't care if they are 3 miles away, I've even seen different specs for different parts of town, eliminate the gray areas at the pre meeting, have it in writng, signed off by the customer, hold your own pre-job meeting, everyone gets a copy of the said specifications, everyone signs off that all their questions have been answered and they fully understand the specifications for this project, make it fully understood that their work will be rode out on a daily basis, and believe me,the clean up on that project will be reduced considerably, there will always be clean up, the trick is to make the people creating this clean up accountable for it, specification revisments need to be signed as recieved and dated as date implemented, file these and guard them with your life, a mis-dated revisment can run into the thousands per day, and more importantly, these revisements have to be issued to all areas affected that same day. In my eyes there is only one thing that will destroy any hopes of profit on any project, clean up, a strap here a bond there is part of the game but when you start wrecking out entire amp spacings because some one didn't do their homework,, that's unexcuseable, do you really think I'm going to paint your house if I don't know what color you want it?! and I love this, "well I didn't know what the specs were" well what the hell are you doing on this job! there is a right way and a hack and run way, one is going to make you $$ and ensure work in the future, one is not, simple as that.
Richard Venturelli
2/17/2001
Dan Maxwell, I'm living in Souther CA. Worked all of last year in the Bay area. The commute was hell, flying up there every Sunday night and flying back on Thurs. night. Plus the expense of flying my employees to the south every other week. There was not much work in the south. Now there's not much work anyhere. It is suppose to pick up in the second quarter though. I won't believe it till I see it!!! I never every took promises to heart in this business. There is just too much that's not in my control. So a promise doesnt mean anything to me! Give me a contact to sign and a start date. Then I will get excited. If things do pick up I will let you know and yes that would be cool to meet up and talk turkey over a beer!! Later
