A couple of years ago my contractor got a job to install V & D cabling for a Board of Ed office building. A small job (for us) - about 200 each V&D cables. Cat 5E for both, Voice on 110, Data on Patch Panels. We also had to build out the Comm room to "Bell System Specs". We did everything to spec - Nothing less than 5/8" hardware, cloth covered green wire ground, etc. Job is testified and certified. The City comes in and takes pictures so that they can show everyone "what a job is supposed to look like."
Now the Phone System contractor comes in. He hangs a piece of equipment (don't remember what it was, but nothing I'd ever seen before) in one of the racks and has one guy who knows the color code punch down the tails on the backboard. Another guy loads a cd and does some very minor programming. When he gets in trouble he steals the DT off the alarm system, hooks up a modem and has the factory dial in and fix everything.
The people placing the sets speak no English whatsoever. They kept complaining some jacks didn't work. I kept retesting them - all OK. Eventually we have a meeting with their PM (who speaks English). I prove the jacks good with a Cat5E test- But his phones still don't work! THey swap the phones and they work. It must be my fault! What are they doing? They're swapping out the sets, but not swapping the mounting cords. Bad mounting cords were their problem. I have to troubleshoot for these mutts?
When I left they were still fighting with Verizon about incoming service not working. They had T-1s and couldn't figure out how to troubleshoot or test them.
How the heck is any legitimate employer paying a decent wage and benefits and demanding a high level of expertise and competence supposed to compete with someone like that?
Disgusted - you bet.
What the hell have they done to my industry?!?
Sam
