Vantaggi
Dish is proactive in its training and keeping its employees up to date... mostly. I'll get to that in a bit, however, they do have weekly (most of the time) mini-training sessions in their CSC (customer service center) which keep their employees informed of what’s going on in both the marketplace, and with what the company's current 'party line' is in reference to their customers. Effort IS made to keep their employees informed in regard to their 'duties'. The 'benefits' package is 'Ok' but not the best I've seen. The 401k is also 'Ok' - I've seen worse, but they DO have a nifty stock option plan where you can buy 'pieces' of stock out of every check until you get to a whole 'share'. Not many companies offer that. Dish also has one of the loosest 'attendance' policies I've seen (though it is a call center so some allowances have to be made to reduce 'churn') - basically a new hire gets 40 hours of paid time off, and when business is slow, the encouraged 'option' of 'unpaid' time off without consequences. You don't get paid sick days until after completion of two full calendar years from jan-dec (so if you were hired in June, you'd basically have to work 30 months to start accruing sick days). If you're absent for half a 'shift' you get 1/2 of an attendance point. (Assuming it wasn't some of the approved unpaid time off) if a full shift, you get a full point.... 3 points is a simple 'verbal' warning. well...after 90 days, your attendance points 'roll off' - this means you could technically take 1 full day off per month without real consequences (if you timed it right) every year with basically a slap on the wrist... pretty good eh? Oh you also get a great discount on your TV services. Top package with a single non-dvr receiver is essentially 'free', with discounts on some of the other content. For about 30 bucks a month you can be the envy of your friends who enjoy TV.
Svantaggi
People aren't treated right on an emotional level by some of the call center management... basically its all about the numbers... If you don't like it... there's the door (essentially). Management is very disconnected from employees... hiding behind statements like "Its a business need... we simply have to get this done" with no consideration for morale, life scheduling, or transportation issues (unless of course the manager is worrying about themselves). Here's an example I'm aware of from some of the folks I know... earlier in the year they were 'demoted' from the companies retention/loyalty department. They were told that 'due to performance' they were being put back to regular 'customer service' positions... and taking a pay cut. If they didn't like it, they were 'welcome to find other alternatives....'. Shortly thereafter, they were pulled from the 'customer services' area entirely and placed on an Outbound Sales Solicitation campaign (for which they had NO experience). Their mission (whether they wanted to accept it or not... ) call existing dish customers and get them to 'buy in' to the companies DSL internet services. (Oh and by the way... if you don't want to do this you're welcome to explore your options elsewhere..... You didn't previously perform and you're lucky we're letting you keep your jobs....) Most of them stayed on - the market for finding jobs IS a scary place after all.... they did the work, quite successfully with a LOT of help.... and when the project was over... they were all tossed back to the front lines in customer service, low man on the totem pole. (Now to be fair.... for every new 'customer' they got to sign up during the sales project, they did get a pretty good commission in the form of a $50 gift card and a cash bonus....) We move forward in time a bit... the folks in question have re-integrated well with the customer services side of the job, dutifully taking phone calls, maintaining their metrics (for the most part) and even scoring a bonus here and there for having such GOOD performance. They're starting to work well as a valuable asset to the company... and (heaven forbid) even starting to get their morale back and feel like their job might have meaning. In other words... pulling their weight. Management approaches with "we have a new project we need to place you on, your hours are going to change, oh and by the way, you have to do this because we didn't get enough volunteers.... and if you don't like it... you can always seek out other opportunities elsewhere...." Smack-down. Morale gone.... back to square one.
