Steal for us, and we'll take it easy on you.

**Bad Robot** · April 22nd, 2011, 07:44 AM

Discuss.

**sprayandpray** · April 22nd, 2011, 06:59 PM

Huh?

**locatelocatelocate** · April 22nd, 2011, 09:13 PM

are you referring to usic telling their locators to bill tds metrocom on the julie tickets like the locator has marked the tds utility even though the tds fiber is almost a mile away from the extent? usic's way of showing tds that tds needs to keep usic as the contract locator for their utility BECAUSE THEY MAKE THE LOCATOR LIE AND BILL THAT THEY MARKED TDS ALTHOUGH THEY NEVER DID?
shame on usic to falsify billing

**Bad Robot** · April 22nd, 2011, 09:44 PM

Vague, I know. Sorry. I'm talking about a uniquely contract type deal, whereby a locator is given preferential treatment for throwing caution to the wind and ringing up loads of revenue by acting as if he/she is locating. When they are not.

Discuss.

**ProfessionalLocator** · April 23rd, 2011, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Vague, I know. Sorry. I'm talking about a uniquely contract type deal, whereby a locator is given preferential treatment for throwing caution to the wind and ringing up loads of revenue by acting as if he/she is locating. When they are not.

Discuss.

I once worked at a similar firm.

This was before laptop computers reported completed jobs in real time, we turned in paperwork the next day. We were taught in training class to back date and back time jobs that were late to make it appear if they were done on time.

That same firm installed a quota system, do so many tickets each day or be fired. They set to quota too high so many locators billed tickets as marked when they had never gone to the site. That company was aware of the practice, left handed encouraged this, and if caught would blame the locator, fire the locator and then tell the client they had taken corrective action. I no longer work for that firm even though one of their current clients asked them to recruit me back.

**6feetunder** · April 23rd, 2011, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by locatelocatelocate

are you referring to usic telling their locators to bill tds metrocom on the julie tickets like the locator has marked the tds utility even though the tds fiber is almost a mile away from the extent? usic's way of showing tds that tds needs to keep usic as the contract locator for their utility BECAUSE THEY MAKE THE LOCATOR LIE AND BILL THAT THEY MARKED TDS ALTHOUGH THEY NEVER DID?
shame on usic to falsify billing

Sounds like things are going back to the way they used to be at that place before they were USIC. I heard they are also saying to certain markets no overtime whatsoever and having all types of things going late, which of course will lead to damages and burnout and quitting employees and lost contracts. Do they ever learn??? They do these things because they are making management decisions with their BONUSES in mind rather than the best interest of the employees and company as a whole. GREED!! The vicious circle goes round and round, and locators and sups paying the price of piss poor micro management from the top.

**RD_Wrangler** · April 23rd, 2011, 10:52 AM

<-- when did we get THESE??? AWESOME!!!

**big boots mcghee** · April 23rd, 2011, 04:57 PM

My managers are funny. Every year, right before dig season gets crazy, they'll typically have a meet site or send out an email where, among other topics, they talk about the importance of going to each and every ticket, regardless of the work being done. They talk about company audits, customer audits, GPS (nowadays), and overall integrity. Then dig season gets into full swing and certain low profile tickets start disappearing by the dozens. Do these tickets match up with the GPS reports? No, not even close, but because the numbers for these couple of techs makes the entire crew look good the supervisor looks the other way, and in turn his boss looks the other way, and his boss does as well, etc. My point is that these guys can preach about integrity or the importance about going to each and every job, but nobody backs it up, but even if they did they'd have to be careful which techs they decided to enforce the rules with because they can't reprimand Peter when Paul is doing the same thing and getting off scott free.

**Bad Robot** · April 26th, 2011, 05:53 PM

Who do these "managers" think they are bullshitting? Everyone knows the contract see-saw routine. When a new company comes along, they are a pillar of responsibility and all is right with the locating world. Then the fun starts. Corporate leans on everyone to create more revenue. The revenue isn't there, so they push people to perform what I refer to as " ghost locating". The trouble is, sooner or later someone hits something. The inquiries are set into motion, but the end result is always the same. The locator is at fault.

What a wonderful world!