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I have a couple of questions for anyone who has been a technician for DIRECTV: 1.

I have a couple of questions for anyone who has been a technician for DIRECTV:

1. Can they track where you go in your van? For instance if you are on an install and need to make a side-trip to do something for yourself personally will they know this and could you get in trouble for doing it? Do they always know your location?

2. Do you have to close-out your install with dispatch before you get your next call/install? Does a technician not have his schedule until the day he is going to work and only one at a time?

3.Also how far can a technician be routed? Is it common to be routed to installs an hour or more away from your home?

4. At the end of the day does a technician have to close-out his day with dispatch and will he possibly be put on hold for up to forty minutes or so?

5. If a technician went somewhere other than his home after work in the DIRECTV van could he get in trouble for that? Would the van be tracked?
Nikki asked this question 2 months ago
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Related Questions

  • TECH

    I know the directv system up and down. I can give you an answer to anything. I've been a technician for...

    Accepted answer

    I'm a current technician. I work directly for Directv home services. Just a quick quick question, why do you need the information your requesting?

    8 comments

    • Nikki

      I wanted to make sure my boyfriend is telling me the truth. We have some issues with fidelity and are trying to make things work and I hate that I do not trust him but he has told me many things about his job and I wanted to double-check in a safe and anonymous way without him knowing.

    • TECH

      K. Let me read all these over again. Hold on for a few minutes

    • TECH

      For question #1, yes they track us. If he has a company vehicle, we have a gps installed, for tracking purpose. You can make side trips, like stopping by the grocery store on the way home, but its frowned upon.

    • TECH

      For number 2, yes and yes.

    • TECH

      For number 3, it depends on your local area, if you live in a city, your routed close, within a 30 mile radius. But if your in a rural area, it can be that far.

    • TECH

      For number 4, yes its also known as the "end of day call" but It's usually about a 15 minute conversation.

    • TECH

      For number 5, every technician has their address as the "home base" but, I have had to stay at my brothers house one time, and had to work so I drove my van, but I never got in trouble necessarily , but Directv doesn't want us driving after a certain hour (around 9pm) all the little things could potentially raise red flags, but overall is okay.

    • TECH

      Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. From your questions overall, if that is what he's been telling you, it sounds like he's telling you the truth.

  • Satman

    I currently work as a CSR for Directv. I was an installer for over 8 years for Directv and dish network. If...

    1 When i was there they did not have GPS however that was a couple years ago.
    2. I always did it while driving.
    3. I was routed all over the state sometimes 100 miles away.
    4. WE did and never took that long
    5. We turned our trucks in at the end of shift and drove home in our personals.

    11 comments

    2 other experts are backing this answer

    • Nikki

      Do any techs have use of the van and take them home with them? Does it vary state by state?

    • Nikki

      I really need to know if they can track where you are in the van. Also how the scheduling ofr installs works - if the tech knows ahead of time what his schedule for the day is or if it is job by job. Thank you.

    • Satman

      It very by states and policy. I am not sure that they can track you but if you want to be free to do as you want you should try working as a installer at a company like mastec. You are an independent contractor with them.

    • Satman

      You are given a list of your jobs in the morning.

    • Nikki

      Actually this about being an installer at Mastec for DIrectv. I need to know if they can track you. I need to know if you take your van home with you.

      So you are saying that you would know what jobs you have for the day in the morning.

    • Satman

      When I was an installer We would go in in the morning and get a list of jobs as well as all the necessary equipment. WE also would load our trucks with all necessary parts. Now sometimes the dispatcher would give me other jobs that other techs could not get to. I know a few techs that worked for mastec actually drove the personal trucks. I don't think they can track you however that was 2 years ago.

    • Nikki

      It would be really great if I could hear from someone who knows about this from being up to the minute - I am desperate for this information.

    • Satman

      I will ask around, I still have some buddies installing give me a few to find out for ya.

    • Nikki

      Thank you so much.

    • Satman

      I talked to my buddy he said they do not track them. However they do have the lojack in them if they are stolen etc.

    • Nikki

      Thank you. I figured that was the case.

  • D Girl

    being in crg (customer retention group/save team), i am the last person you will ever need to speak with to...

    Nikki, this would be a work truck and not a personal vehicle. Any contractor would know your estimated miles for the day and if you vary by very much it will make them suspicious and start to follow you. Directv is really strict with it's employees and they never think twice about letting someone go.

    2 comments

    • Nikki

      I am trying to find out the truth because my boyfriend is lying to me about things regarding his job for MasTec/DIRECTV. He tells me he is tracked by them, he tells me he gets his jobs one by one. He tells me lots of things that I have a hard time believing.

    • D Girl

      Thanks for the smiley face. Each HSP is an independent contractor and they all have their different rules. Supervisors know where each tech is, about how long he should be there, and where he is going next. They keep pretty tight reigns on them. Usually, a technician gets his list of jobs and his needed equipment first thing in the morning, and if anything comes up during the day he can be contacted to do something else. Directv vans are not taken home at the end of the night as they are not for personal use. As for being tracked, do way too many miles and yeah the sup will start following you. Very possible they are tracking him if he puts alot of extra miles on the vehicle he is assigned. And at the end of each job (not day) a tech has to close out the work order with dispatch. But remember, this is all general, each HSP has it's own set of rules.

  • directv installer 7

    I am a Directv installer and have been for 7 years

    ok I dont work for mastec I do work for a similar company they do have gps trimble dvices in the company vans they can fire you for using your van for personal use Jobs are dipatched one at a time now not like the others have said that used to be true but not any longer hve driven over 300 mile round trip in a given day Techs get thier first install in the morning ealy We do make stops by grocery store or something like that and dont get in trouble but other than that the vans needs to go home I wouldnt chance parking i somewhere else unless i had aproval hold times vary but can be long t\They do always know your loation as to if they are really looking who knows

    2 comments

    • Nikki

      Thank you for this information I appreciate it so much. I just needed to make sure I was getting the truth from him and you just corroborated everything he has said. Thank you!

    • directv installer 7

      Your welcome I dont work for maste but the way techs are tracked and the sysytem is use for most everybody except subcntracotors of hsp's I know the hours and scehdules seem kind of unreal but it is part of the job