Medley Communications Inc.

Medley Communications Inc., founded in 1990 by Darrin Medley, is a customer service-based cable TV subcontractor headquarted in Southern California. The company exclusively serves telecommunications giants: Cox Communications (Cox), Time Warner and Comcast – providing Internet, telephone and video to millions of customers throughout the Midwestern and western United States.

In an industry and climate where true-customer service is unheard of, Medley Communications is focused on breaking the stereotype and exceeding the expectations of its customers by giving the best service possible and providing predictability. The company’s technicians, who receive sophisticated in-house training in both field and classroom settings, pride themselves on creating an old-fashioned service experience, where the focus isn’t on the tech itself but on customer.

“I think the key to happiness is finding what you enjoy and then doing it really well – I found that in Medley Communications.” – Darrin Medley, founder Medley Communications

Darrin, who began his career in telecommunications as an installer for a California-based cable television company during his summers off at Redlands University, found joy in providing quality service to customers and decided to take off on his own business venture.

“I loved being out in the field, working on homes and engineering installation, so I knew right away I wanted to be a contractor,” Darrin says. “I think the key to happiness is finding what you enjoy and then doing it really well – I found that in Medley Communications.”

In addition to a corporate office in Southern California, Medley Communications also has four satellite locations throughout the state, as well three facilities in Arizona and one in Oklahoma. When Medley Communications first opened its doors nearly 25 years ago, it began with just four installers and now employs over 300 and generates $17 million annual revenue.

Exceptional work ethic

The company, which completes all of the installations for Cox, Time Warner and Comcast that fall within its geographic footprint, is busy year-round.

“We are the only subcontractors hired on these jobs,” explains Darrin. “By building strong relationships with these businesses and rigorously training our team members, we are able to not only grow our business, but also provide quality service and make a difference in the lives of many people. Cox has said they have never seen a company grow and hit its performance markers like we have – it’s incredible what we are doing in this industry.”

In a market where new technology pop-up daily, Medley Communications remains at the forefront of its business by providing regular training sessions that keep installers abreast of the latest trends.

Enjoy Better, a new product introduced by Time Warner, is the result of the consumer shift from traditional cable to streaming video and over-the-top communications, such as Netflix – and Medley Communications was there to install it. Time Warner hired Medley Communications to transition its customers from cable boxes and linear programming to on-demand programming, which required a new technique of installation and equipment set-up.

“Enjoy Better uses wireless technology, so we needed to train our installers on how to set up this system,” explains Darrin. “All of the telecommunications giants are transitioning to this technology and being at the forefront of the movement gives us an advantage.”

In an effort to remain at the forefront of industry trends, Medley Communications has also expanded its work to include wiring construction, for which it wired hotels in Oklahoma to carry the Cox network.

Future

Medley Communications measures its success not only by the smiles of its customers’ faces, but also by tracking the number of return visits technicians make within 30 days of installation. “Our mission is to do our work as well as we possibly can,” says Darrin. “Where there is technology, there will always be problems, but we are there to fix them quickly and professionally.”

Like other companies that work across state borders, Medley Communications faces the challenge of keeping up with regulations and laws, which vary state-to-state.” We keep our team educated on labor laws and work diligently to stay ahead of liabilities,” Darrin says. “By providing the appropriate training, we can be sure our installers adhere to laws, while also keeping up with the growing demands of the cable companies.”

The company plans to growth 25 percent within its current markets and hopes to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the introduction of new technologies. “Cox has said it has never seen a company grow and retain its performance rating like we have,” says Darrin. “These businesses are very big and very busy, so for them to notice and give us accolades means we are doing something extraordinary for our customers.”

No matter to what scale Medley Communications Inc. grows, providing exemplary service and building quality connections with customers will always be its main concern.