Pros
They are always hiring due to their turnover rate /revolving door policy being high (they fudge the #'s to make it look low). They require 3 years customer service experience 7 years ago now they ask for 6 months (not really). Therefore the application process is easy and you can get hired immediately. Not so random drug test are administered. Bi- weekly pay. Direct Deposit. Medical Vision and Dental Benefits are offered (high deductibles, not affordable due to out of pocket cost). You and your children will be sick unless your spouse parents or government has you covered. Tuition reimbursement is maximum $2,000.00 a year. They offer free gym membership passes to the fitness center across the street that you share by signing in and out for use. They have 2 small lunchroom areas, one is most likely closed for training or a meeting at least once or twice a week. They are stocked with mini vending snack and soda machines. Only one ice machine works. There are water fountains throughout the one level flat building. The carpet is nasty and with the reports of bedbugs, roaches, carpet beetles and mice it needs replaced. There is a COTA bus route that is inconvenient to the non traditional scheduled work hours that they offer. Proper daycare arrangements must be made in advance or you children will not get picked up or be home alone. They don't have enough shifts for the agents to compete for that allow you to have suitable care. They do not offer a sufficient work hours to support a happy life and work balance per their hours of operation. They use to have mandatory overtime that was taken away after they encountered a law suit. Reliable transportation is a must. Vacation time is accrued per pay and has to be approved in advance to use. Sick time is available 1/1 of the following year that you are eligible per your hire date. They have a 401.k stock plan that is great, they match contributions and disburse an annual check based on profits by April. They offer an employee discount program $79.99 and free movie channels valued at $124.99 on their satellite TV programing per month. You will pay for the dvr fee, equipment fee, taxes and other service products you have depending on you whole home setup. They make you sign up for this, if you have no signal to install at your own home then you will be encouraged to have it installed at an alternate address. Therefore at the end of the year when you file your taxes you will do so for Columbus, Hilliard and the tax code the service address it's located at. Dress code falls under the don't get caught wearing it policy. So leggings are acceptable ,better yet the outfit you wore to the club the night before is perfect. They went casual so jeans everyday was allowed. DISH attire was permitted. Cell Phones are not permitted which is another rule they enforce when convenient for them. Training is typically scheduled for 4-6 weeks however due to call volume needs you may be on the phones in 2 weeks or less. Good Luck don't fail! The tool used to measure your performance is inconsistent. You may think you on top and doing well but that curve bell is crooked. You just lost your monthly bonus and your yearly PA-Performance Appraisal is average and therefore you don't get a 5% maximum or less merit increase. You have to be via the #'s reported performing above average to get a raise along with being an added value to the company. There motto is not what we can do for you , how can we help you succeed but WHAT DID YOU DO for DISH???
Cons
Congratulations You Got A JOB!!!! Your just getting started with the company your making money, $11.00 per hour. If you've been with the company for approximately 4 years are more your probably making close to or more than $22.00 per hour. Hopefully you've made some friends along the way that can help you climb the corporate ladder and get you promoted from within. Rumor is if you sleep with a member of management team you'll be in line for the next promotion. He/She will groom you for an open position that hasn't even been posted yet. Be careful you don't want enemies or you will be stuck doing just what you got hired to do. Talking to customers on the phone all day long with little to no support, training, assistance, guidance or knowledge. You work an 8 hour day you get 2 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch prescheduled. Go over that and you will get written up. Work a 10 or 12 hour day and you'll get your extra breaks and lunches scheduled for you. Enjoy your time off the phone and be back on time. The attendance policy is fairly lazy. You can be late to work 10 times that .5pts a time= 5pts total and you're on a final Or call off 5 times that's a whole point a day = 5pts and that's a final. Each .5 or 1 point falls off in 90 days. Ideally it takes 6 times to get fired, but even with that depending on who you are you will get chances. They offer overtime incentive where you can work your points off. Attendance should be the last issue but cause of scheduling needs it's often the first issue. They have a culture committee that sponsors volunteer community activities and does things like birthday cake, holiday celebrations, sales contest and competitive sporting events around the center to boost morale. Participation is limited, morale stays down. Partially because it's an ever changing environment and the expectations of the job can be overwhelming.The focus when you're hired is customer service, it quickly changes. You are multi tasking technical troubleshooting calls, internet calls, phone service, billing, educating, product knowledge, new accounts, collections, saving accounts from closing and SALES.. With all the goals you have to meet on a regular daily basis it's a juggling act. Each metric is one in itself and yet they come together to give you a final score. Not all metrics are reported or used at the same time. In most companies if you get one metric inline all the others fall into place. Due to the nature of this business it is not the case. You have AHT, Customer Satisfaction, Repeats, QA's,( local national and your coach) still you may only get 1 or 2 a monthly calls evaluated if you're lucky. There are things life NPF/TC, Transfer Rate and Upsells. Get trained on a new skill and all that goes down the toilet. Let a television station go off the air (uncontrollable factor per your access )and your metrics tank big time. Repeats can be controlled to screw up your bonus pay. QA score's where manipulated to make a difference in the site rankings so they would win awards and recognition. The score's are based upon if you are liked or disliked. Many liked employed agents have 3 to 4 or more non- negotiable behaviors on record that have been overlooked and no formal action has been brought against them while other unemployed agents have been terminated after 1 or 2 incidents. You can be put on a PIP -Performance Improvement Plan for all you metrics within a 90 day time frame. With management discretion of course. There's over 300 employees that desk share without assigned seats within the cubicles that have cabinets with no locks. Cell phones, money, purses, personal belongings have been misplaces, trashed, and or stolen. Due to career path changes your title was a Customer Service III agent you are now a Customer II agent . When you get trained to take a new skill type you don't necessarily get a pay increase just more work with the same goals to meet. In this corporate setting you can get thrown under the bus very quickly you can't trust no one. Everyone is out for themselves looking to move up and potentially make more money at your expense. Don't believe the open door policy. Human Resources Management Leadership even the janitorial crew will turn on you. If your looking for an entry level job to make some money, pay some bills, cover your student loan debt, living at home with your parents, have roommates or your significant other is the bread winner in the household then this maybe the job for you. Otherwise run Forest run. The customers base of 30 plus years are old fashioned. They believe and operate under the mentality "the squeaky wheel gets the oil". Meaning they are the wheel and they are loud and about to break you are going to give them the oil. They will often curse you call you out of your name in anger and hostility demanding that you have the power to hit a button and fix their problem they are calling in about. As the paid employee you will deal with this type of customer 90% of your job which means you talking to 60-100 customers a day with bleeding ears and limited resources. You will spend the majority of your work day calming customers down and telling them no in a polite subtle way. They don't want to here no or wait. They want action now resolved now fixed now done now. The managers want the same. You will often find refuge in the sprit of your team mates that are experiencing the same challenges. This will motivate you to achieve the common goal get paid by the hour to do your job. It's difficult cause you don't have the foundation to succeeded and not fail. When that many people are taking draining pulling negativity out of you and not replacing it with good or positive stuff you lose momentum and this corporation/site doesn't have the skills to cater to that need. They figure we gave you the job now do the job. Only a hand full of them could take calls all day long everyday. They complain about the supposedly mandatory 4 hours a month they are scheduled to take calls. They will by all means have projects and other deadlines to meet to avoid doing so. They are unavailable for a supervisor call, they will find an OJT, TL or Coach to do it. Communication is horrible it functions under the primitive of on the need to know basis or last minute to know basis. It discourages you from making informed decisions cause your always on the edge waiting on a response. Newspapers Google has the information before you do, unless you are privy to that pillow talk. Everybody doesn't have email access it cost to much and some people with email access abuse it. No one will put anything in writing and what they do put in writing everybody sees and hears about it. They don't want to be held accountable for their actions. No one will speak up and say how distressing it is to work for this company till after they get discharged voluntary or involuntary due to the back lash they will get if they do so. Most employees are not likely to express their dissatisfaction of the unethical and immoral practices in fear they will lose their job/income/ that supports their family. Sadly employed with this company under false prentice that it will get better. They endure this mistreatment in the work force that is often indirectly passed on to others . More then 1/3 of the current employees that are eligible for FMLA are on it and they use and abuse it. It allows them to stay employed but take a much needed and deserved break unpaid or paid without any repercussions. If all else fells just threaten to quit and sue and give them a lawyers name. That usually gets their attention and they will act like they hear you and now willing to help fix these work place problems.
