DEATH OF A CABLE TV SALESMAN

   Television is still free or low priced when viewed through Internet TV.

 

The "once proud" cable TV sales industry has become a vast wasteland of customer discontent and a haven for independent contractors who move from city to city signing up new cable TV (staying just long enough to get a check or two) then fleeing to the next cable TV system once those new cable orders become non-payers.  These sales reps target low-income apartments, trailers and other areas where unauthorized cable TV exists.  On the other hand, Internet TV has many advantages that have the cable and satellite companies scratching their heads.  No contracts, no credit checks and monthly rates beginning @ $1.47 per month. 

 

 

 

Internet TV is a system that allows a viewer to watch basic or premium TV channels and programs through the person's internet connection.  Typically, the viewer will go to a secondary source site, like Hulu.com, SlashControl.com or EyeEyeTV.com to find an online TV guide with gives the viewer a straight link to the desired video or TV show.  They can connect the computer to a flat screen TV or just view from the computer.  When the video starts, the picture cannot be distinguished from a cable or satellite TV picture.

 

The cable TV industry experienced huge growth in subscribers in the 1970s and 1980s.  In the 1990s, the cable companies saw advertising battles with the upstart satellite TV companies like DISH TV and DirecTV, but customer satisfaction dropped off sharply.  However, for the past 10 - 15 years, the cable TV companies and satellite TV companies have eeked out a shaky truce whereby the satellite TV companies focus on higher credit consumers passing credit checks or plopping down huge deposits.  While the cable companies developed a cycle of churning and re-churning former cable customers who ran up prior bills that prevent re-connection.  The problem with this model is the RATES keep getting higher and higher and more people cannot afford either cable or satellite . . . . so the traveling Cable TV Salesman will probably soon fade into history.

 

It has been the Cable TV salesman (woman) who has, almost single-handedly, kept many cable TV systems in the race while their balance sheets reveal disaster.  You see, the Cable TV salesman, usually is an independent contractor who travels from town to town (on the cable TV system operator) arms them with a greenbar list of existing and former cable TV customers. 

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In the past, it wasn't uncommon for the salesman (woman) to find that as many as 30% of the former cable TV customers were receiving cable service though not being charged for it.  The salesman would approach the house and ask the resident if they wished to purchase cable TV (there on the spot) or face a stiff fine for a disconnect.  The salesman (woman) would earn between $35 - $85 for each former customer who "wished" to order new service.  On an average day, the salesman could sign up 3 - 8 new customers.  On a GREAT day, the salesman could sign up 10 -20 customers.  A few years ago, it was not uncommon for a cable TV salesrep to earn $300 - $1000 a day selling and hooking up the cable.  Today, many cable TV systems have a very hard time finding new sales rep candidates and retaining the reps they train. 

 

Times are so much different today.  Today, several cable TV companies are teetering and at least one major company (Charter Communications) filed for bankruptcy protection this year.  Among the contributors to the head aches for cable companies and cable TV sales reps is the lost of the sale from the "accidental customer."  This is due, in part to the fact that many people are beginning to realize that approx. 90% of the content on cable TV is available (FREE) online. 

 11.29.09 // 2000 // UTiliX-CO // arr

  Kevin Freeman