Long hours, little pay, a lot of stress, and little opportunity to advance - Field Service Specialist I DISH Employee Review

1.0
Aug 17, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

DISH seems to be changing with the times better than the competition. As many people move to streaming services like Netflix, DISH is somewhat more prepared to compete than Direct or the cable companies. Easy job to get. Practically free TV for all employees.

Cons

It's a tough job and depending on your location, the pay can be pretty terrible. Certain locations have higher pay, and we're told it's due to a higher cost of living, but there are other locations with lower cost of living but still receive higher pay which is really unfair. There are long hours and excessive mandatory overtime. Techs are working five 12-hour days instead of the four 10-hour days we were told when we were hired. Well over a month ago we were told that there would temporarily be mandatory overtime, with many people having to work both Saturday and Sunday, and it was OK at first because thought it was only for a short period of time. We have expressed our displeasure to management, but the response is basically "Tough luck, be glad you have a job." It's incredibly hard to advance or get promoted. They have changed the already difficult criteria several times and you basically have to be perfect for 90 days in order to be promoted. It is especially difficult because your some of your jobs are inspected and you can fail for using the wrong colored cable clips and having a stinger on a connection that is too long. Techs are continually have been getting increased responsibilities and workload without an increase in pay. There are more jobs to do in a day and throughout the week, so at times we've had problems getting sufficient supplies from the warehouse. Also we're now required to sell Dish Smart Home services, which are overpriced accessories like wall-mounts, screen cleaning kits (sell for $15, you can buy comparable kits online for less than $3), and TV/home theater system installation. For selling these services, there isn't a commission, but a point system which you can use on a proprietary website to purchase various goods. All the techs would prefer real money on a paycheck but management seems to believe that we are children who are appeased by arbitrary points.

Explore other reviews about DISH

5.0
Feb 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great and flexible work supported my growth through college

Cons

Honestly that the product we were selling wasn't the best value

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DISH Response
3mo
It is wonderful to hear that the flexibility of your role provided the support you needed to successfully navigate your growth through college. We take great pride in being a workplace that accommodates the educational pursuits of our team members, as we know how vital that balance is for long-term career development. While it is rewarding to hear about your personal success, we also appreciate your candid perspective regarding our product value and market positioning. We are constantly evaluating our competitive edge and exploring new ways to better serve both our core customers and emerging markets. Feedback like yours is essential as we strive to evolve and refine our approach to the business.
1.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work from home is the only pro I can think of

Cons

They don’t provide any equipment aside from the computer itself. They mislead you during the interview and job description. You are paid according to price of product sold and close rate however it’s all inbound calls and you can not call back. The inbound calls are lousy, people who don’t even have a $1 on a card in order to do the eligibility check, or no card at all.. poor credit which leads to higher out of pocket costs. I think only a handful of times I couldn’t overcome the spousal objection or the just shopping objection. Those I will take responsibility for but if I’m getting calls from people who don’t have a card or don’t have a $ or don’t have the money to put down OR already have an account or is a mis-transfer or were passed along because the technicians have to make referrals even though the customer isn’t actually interested in the product yet the tech makes them still call.. that’s crap and it’s not real sales.

1
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DISH Response
2w
We appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective with us. Hearing about your day-to-day reality in sales—from lead quality to equipment needs—is incredibly valuable as we continuously work to refine our internal processes and onboarding experience. While we are glad you enjoyed the flexibility of working from home, it is disheartening to learn that you felt misled by our initial job description and interview process. We want to ensure our teams feel properly supported and equipped to succeed in their roles. Our People Operations team would welcome the opportunity to dive deeper into your feedback regarding our commission structures and lead generation systems. Please feel free to reach out to us directly at peopleoperations@dish.com so we can better understand your specific situation. Thank you again for your candor in this situation.
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