cable technician

cable installer

locator

installer

construction laborer

ACT (American Cable and Telephone)

I've been with American Cable and Telephone for over 7 years now, and my typical day at work has changed a lot over that time. I started at the bottom as a field tech and have worked up the ladder and into the office.

If you are looking for a job that you can bring your best and grow into and beyond, this is the place for you. With a caring management and internal staff as well as an open work format you are in control of your own success. The hardest part of the job is the learning curve at the beginning but with paid training and plenty of assistance provided by the company they are only looking to put you into the position of success. The most enjoyable part of the job is the family culture at the office and shop and seeing customers smile and thank you after you've fixed their issue. The skills you can learn at this job will provide you with continuous benefits for your future.

If you are looking for something to just pass the check and aren't willing to work for your own success this isn't for you.

I have been at ACT for just over 4 years. I started out here at a low end position making telephone calls. During that time, I realized how great working for ACT is. All of my coworkers made each day a good one. No matter what I dealt with on the other end of that phone, it didn't matter because I enjoyed my environment. Fast forward a few years and I now have a management position here. When ACT says they promote within, they really mean it. Almost all of the managers here, office and field were once entry level. The culture here is family like, from the CEO to the HR Director you feel as though they have passion for making this place and your job worth it. The hardest part of working here is demand, you have to have that drive to work hard and sometimes long hours/weekends. Everyone here from the techs to the office management are available for support during all working hours that we have guys out in the field. It is a team effort here and everybody feels that.

I've been with American Cable & Telephone for 7 years now it has been an overall great experience.  They have provided great job security, loyalty, training, and opportunities for advancement.  In this tight knit  company hard work and dedication is rewarded!  In other words, you get what you put out, and then some.  They started me with paid training, then a company vehicle, tools, phone and anything else necessary to do my job properly and I loved the fast paced work environment as a technician.  As I progressed, I found that the more I learned and the harder I worked, the more I earned.  This really put the pay potential in my hands and gave me the opportunity to earn more than enough to support myself and family.  My work ethic was recognized and I was promoted to Field Supervisor and eventually, Operations Manager!

Sadly, anything I could say here is no longer true. My manager was the kind of guy you'd consider a friend but you didn't want to hear from (I mean that in the best way, he was just very responsive if something went wrong). My coworkers were like instant brothers, eager to teach and help however they could and even invited me to parties despite me being new to town. The pay was generous enough that I got set up in a nice apartment in Logan Square. Company provided paid training, equipment, phone, and vehicle. Really it was a heck of a good start for me after an impulsive move to Chicago.

But shortly into the pandemic, Comcast declined to renew their contract with the company and ACT closed their Chicago branch indefinitely.

Provide hard disconnects at the tap. Knock on doors to pick up Comcast cable boxes or a payment to "save" the account.

Re: disconnects. An average production consists of 20-35 disconnects per day.

Re: retentions and collections. You need 150-200 boxes/week to make a good living. You need $1000 in payments each week to make a decent living.

You are on straight commission with no benefits. The problem arose as commissions from Comcast were extremely low. Average take on pieces was about 50-75 boxes. Territory was limited to the poor urban areas. I spent about $400/month on gasoline alone and put in nearly 80 hours/week. A person could earn more on unemployment. Finally, the office in Georgia closed at the end of May.

Your team and on site management is usually pretty good to work with, anything above that is a mess. pay is what you make it. owner hires all family and friends in the front office and they all seem to have no idea what they are doing. they try to preach loyalty and yet could really care less what happens to you. Outside of being 1099 if you work with the company they will pay you high to fill a need and in that very moment look for a cheaper replacement. They will make a million promises to try to keep people around and never come through.  I was a 1099 tech so most of this didn't directly apply to me. just things i have noticed in my years with the company which in turn made me not want to climb the ladder.  if you are looking to become a tech for them i would say its fine but only for the time being until you find a company that has a better culture and better upper management structure.

I started out as a dispatcher for the company and was approached by management after less than a year with a promotion opportunity. While this is rare, it is possible. The dynamic of this company is like no other I have ever witnessed. It's more like a family than a group of co-workers. I work with people I can depend on to step up and step in if I need them, work related or not. The owner of the company cares about his employees and looks out for those that work hard for him. Hard work DOES pay off here and being lazy IS noticed and handled accordingly. In my 15 or so years of working in general, this is by far the best company I have ever been employed by.

This job will teach you customer service, respect, time management, inventory management, and has some room for growth.  This job will also penalize you for days off and losing equipment or tools.  This job can pay north of 40k per year but unlikely your first year.  The company is making strides in becoming modernized but have really stupid pre-information age rules and regulations that hinder it's life-balance.  

If you are a hard worker and don't want to go to college or trade school, this job can make a decent living or better.

Recommended for somebody who may want to start their own business some day.  You will learn a lot from this job.

I have now been with ACT for 8 years now.  I started out as a tech, low many in the pecking order, but worked my way up.  My work ethic was noticed as well as being fearless in putting in an honest days work.  I came to ACT with not settling for my paycheck every week, in the production based pay environment. I pushed my self every week to see how much more I could make.  ACT supplied me with the tools and additional training to reach that next level!  Within a year and a half of being a tech, I was recommended by my peer for a Team Lead position and then was promoted to as Department Supervisor then promoted to Department Manager, then promoted to Operations Manager.  ACT has provided me with Career Path and as well a place of employment that cares.

Boss treated me perfectly. I had a career path that led to leading the department. I was able to provide solutions that increased efficiency in the department

Then one of the employees that I oversaw quit abruptly. For the next three weeks, I was doing my job and hers, doing all I can to pick up the pieces she left the department in when she quit.

Despite the fact that I did everything perfectly, I was still laid off. Apparently my direct report, who I did everything I could to help her do her job, left the department in such shambles that the owner saw it fit to "restructure" the department. 

That was an absolute kick in the gut when I was never once on his bad side and did everything perfectly, to just cut me off like that. It wasn't fair, I actually enjoyed working there.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cable technician 2 salaries reported	$1,750 per week
Cable installer 2 salaries reported	$1,250 per week
Locator 1 salary reported	$35.00 per hour
Installer 6 salaries reported	$1,400 per week
Construction laborer 1 salary reported	$30.00 per hour

Working at ACT (American Cable and Telephone): Company Overview and Reviews

ACT (American Cable and Telephone)

ACT (American Cable and Telephone) Ratings

Popular jobs at ACT (American Cable and Telephone)

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected