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Jul 1, 2011

RE: I'm putting it out there

gutterdog · Jul 1, 2011

I like threads like this. Glad I found it! Last year we were building trailers! Some of us have done well, or were already doing well.

How to get an employee to have the same eye as you?

The E Myth book, read it. Ya gotta get off the truck to grow. It is what it is.

I am now set up with a second truck. For me to get off the truck. Brakes on that till next year. Drive both for now and save gas.

The way I pay is by the job, for the Tech. The tech doesnt get paid twice for the same job. The name given is Commision. I think. Had a coffee with a smart dude. He is going to do our LLC. Taxes, bookeeper, everything. He popped it right out! Its legal to pay that way and not considered a subcontractor. They have to go back for free and fix compaints.

Techs paid by job one time, and driver by hour.

My 2 cents.

Maverick Contracting · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

All of us that have/had employees that are not overseen full time have been there. Just read this post after reading Gutterdogs topic

http://roof-cleaning-institute.activeboard.com/t43710627/an-idea-about-pay-quarterly-bonus/

Getting employee's to understand their value to the company directly influences their pay.

It kills me when I am in the shop early in the morning loading up so as to have them on a new jobsite by 8:00 and they show up at 7:30 and shoot the breeze till 7:50 to give me a hand or everytime I turn up onsite whos texting or on the phone.

Besides incentives, fines sometimes need to be implemented on payday.

As for being too critical at times and nitpicking, heres a good post from years ago on Painttalk.com from a member here (Pressurepros) regarding the Managment side and the Production side of business.

http://www.painttalk.com/f4/craftsmanship-not-what-makes-business-succesful-1226/

gutterdog · Jul 3, 2011

When Ken talks I listen! Very good link, thanks for sharing that! I'm not cheap, but I think I could raise my price a lil! Gonna try that this week!

Guest

Ed,

Check lists are the way to go. You know what you walk around a house and check after the job is completed. Make a list of things that they have to check and turn in to you at the end of the day. They have to check off that each aspect of the job was completed and double checked for quality. If you go to any of the jobs and find out that the check list was not filled out properly, then you have the means to hold them accountable.

Check lists give them a clear, concise job description of their responsibilities and gives them a way to be held accountable. You can't complain that someone is not doing their job properly if it is not written out clearly and put in front of them. You can never make an employee have the same work ethic that you do, but you can train them to look at things the same way you do by giving them lists that they have to follow.

Give it a try. It does work. People don't like to see that they have been caught lying when they have checked off a document and signed it. Accountability works well.

Brian

Roof Cleaning New Jersey · Jul 9, 2011

Good point Brian. Thanks

Maverick Contracting · Premium Member Roof Cleaning Institute of America

Pro Window Washers LLC" wrote:

"Just remember U can't make them like U! I agree with Aaron & Gary. I too came from Verizon and dealt with a lot. Steady drip on the forehead of what U want on monthly basis to get what U need. If they don't get it have them move on until U find the right guy.

__________________

Hmmmmm, water tourture=results? I like your method.

May inplement into my gameplan.

Definitly cheaper and more straight foward.

-- Edited by Maverick Contracting on Saturday 9th of July 2011 04:45:24 PM

Roof Cleaning Little Rock Arkansas · Guest

Dont forget the checklist to remind them to check off the checklist! lol

Jul 11, 2011

All of this reminds me of why I am so much happier with just having my father & son business!
I have had as many as 5 employees at one time and they drove me nuts!

Not only is it all but impossible to get them to care about quality of work, like you care, it's even harder to get them to care about your equipment!

After 33 years in business, if I couldn't have just my son work for me { Fortunately for me, he truly takes pride in doing a perfect job! Which in turn gets him lots of $20 to $150.00 tips from customers in the 18 years he has worked for me }
I would still only take enough work to keep myself and 1 worker going. Or, if I was younger, I'd work alone!
{I personally do not find roof cleaning to be dangerous, if you have years of experience on roofs. You can take dangerous jobs on, sure, but, if you don't have a load of employees to keep going, you can also just pass on any that are possible dangers. I pass on jobs all the time. I don't need everything I look at. With 5 guys, I needed more, more, more!!!}

There are certainly workers out there you can get, who will do everything right and not spend 1/4 of the day on "cigarette breaks etc" or do a "knock out" job to make up for standing around / cell phone time - - but you may have to go through a bunch to weed out 1. And being he is competent, he will soon become your new competition.

I have come to feel that seeing as how most of us can easily do one $800.00 job in a day or two $450.00 jobs - or more, why beat yourself up trying to be a monster company?
Only the desire to be rich could make it worth the multi employee headaches??

I suppose not everyone is like me and instead of a headache, multi employee / trucks $$$ is exciting? confuse
It was for me, as I allowed my work to grow to the point of needing 5 men, but that excitement turned to irritation within that 1st year of growth. *True profit* was not much higher with all the workers and equipment.
Certainly not enough to allow me to lose all joy in my work and live with the negative effect it brought on my life and family.

Bigger is not always better.
And of course, this is strictly my personal viewpoint, having "been there and done that" biggrin

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 11th of July 2011 09:40:12 AM

Jul 11, 2011

Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:
All of this reminds me of why I am so much happier with just having my father & son business!
I have had as many as 5 employees at one time and they drove me nuts!
Not only is it all but impossible to get them to care about quality of work, like you care, it's even harder to get them to care about your equipment!

After 33 years in business, if I couldn't have just my son work for me { Fortunately for me, he truly takes pride in doing a perfect job! Which in turn gets him lots of $20 to $150.00 tips from customers in the 18 years he has worked for me }
I would still only take enough work to keep myself and 1 worker going. Or, if I was younger, I'd work alone!
{I personally do not find roof cleaning to be dangerous, if you have years of experience on roofs. You can take dangerous jobs on, sure, but, if you don't have a load of employees to keep going, you can also just pass on any that are possible dangers. I pass on jobs all the time. I don't need everything I look at. With 5 guys, I needed more, more, more!!!}

There are certainly workers out there you can get, who will do everything right and not spend 1/4 of the day on "cigarette breaks etc" or do a "knock out" job to make up for standing around / cell phone time - - but you may have to go through a bunch to weed out 1. And being he is competent, he will soon become your new competition.

I have come to feel that seeing as how most of us can easily do one $800.00 job in a day or two $450.00 jobs - or more, why beat yourself up trying to be a monster company?
Only the desire to be rich could make it worth the multi employee headaches??

I suppose not everyone is like me and instead of a headache, multi employee / trucks $$$ is exciting?
It was for me, as I allowed my work to grow to the point of needing 5 men, but that excitement turned to irritation within that 1st year of growth. *True profit* was not much higher with all the workers and equipment.
Certainly not enough to allow me to lose all joy in my work and live with the negative effect it brought on my life and family.

Bigger is not always better.
And of course, this is strictly my personal viewpoint, having "been there and done that"

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 11th of July 2011 09:40:12 AM

Forgot to mark " Email me whenever there is a new post to this topic."

South Jersey Roof Cleaning · Guest

Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:
All of this reminds me of why I am so much happier with just having my father & son business!
I have had as many as 5 employees at one time and they drove me nuts!
Not only is it all but impossible to get them to care about quality of work, like you care, it's even harder to get them to care about your equipment!

After 33 years in business, if I couldn't have just my son work for me { Fortunately for me, he truly takes pride in doing a perfect job! Which in turn gets him lots of $20 to $150.00 tips from customers in the 18 years he has worked for me }
I would still only take enough work to keep myself and 1 worker going. Or, if I was younger, I'd work alone!
{I personally do not find roof cleaning to be dangerous, if you have years of experience on roofs. You can take dangerous jobs on, sure, but, if you don't have a load of employees to keep going, you can also just pass on any that are possible dangers. I pass on jobs all the time. I don't need everything I look at. With 5 guys, I needed more, more, more!!!}

There are certainly workers out there you can get, who will do everything right and not spend 1/4 of the day on "cigarette breaks etc" or do a "knock out" job to make up for standing around / cell phone time - - but you may have to go through a bunch to weed out 1. And being he is competent, he will soon become your new competition.

I have come to feel that seeing as how most of us can easily do one $800.00 job in a day or two $450.00 jobs - or more, why beat yourself up trying to be a monster company?
Only the desire to be rich could make it worth the multi employee headaches??

I suppose not everyone is like me and instead of a headache, multi employee / trucks $$$ is exciting?
It was for me, as I allowed my work to grow to the point of needing 5 men, but that excitement turned to irritation within that 1st year of growth. *True profit* was not much higher with all the workers and equipment.
Certainly not enough to allow me to lose all joy in my work and live with the negative effect it brought on my life and family.

Bigger is not always better.
And of course, this is strictly my personal viewpoint, having "been there and done that"

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 11th of July 2011 09:40:12 AM

You hit the nail on the head and very good advice...

opie451 · Aug 20, 2011

Ha thats funny

Aug 20, 2011

opie451 wrote:
Ha thats funny

I must be tired?

Your reply post doesn't make any sence to me?

What is funny? confuse

dollarspa · Guest

2 guys one @12.50 an hour and one @ 15.00 an hour .....I get in at 9 pm make sure everything is ready, so when they get to work @ 10 pm , we can leave for the job...great workers....for almost 6 weeks ...the first thing they do when the get to the office is use the bathroom ...first one goes in ....seems like 10 minutes ....later second one goes in .... We end up leaving about 10:20 ..pm

Makes me crazy....I say guys come on .....I can live with you being late 10-15 minutes .....but for the love of god ....take your dump at your house..... Some days they would remember some days they didn't .......commercial work slowed down for me ...I found them another contractor that would hire them......they now do asphalt on commercial roofs .....its hot in Dallas for the past 2 months....they call wanting to come back and pressure wash..(parking garages and commerical shopplng center are a lot cooler)
@ night .......

John Burdine · Oct 18, 2011

Good stuff here guys. It reminds me of the following.

First, I do, you watch
Then, I do, you help
Then, You do, I help
Finally You do, I watch.

I guess after that they are trained, give them a checklist and have some quality control (like visit a jobsite 1 out 10 times).

Roof Cleaning Little Rock Arkansas · Guest

Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 wrote:
All of this reminds me of why I am so much happier with just having my father & son business!
I have had as many as 5 employees at one time and they drove me nuts!
Not only is it all but impossible to get them to care about quality of work, like you care, it's even harder to get them to care about your equipment!

After 33 years in business, if I couldn't have just my son work for me { Fortunately for me, he truly takes pride in doing a perfect job! Which in turn gets him lots of $20 to $150.00 tips from customers in the 18 years he has worked for me }
I would still only take enough work to keep myself and 1 worker going. Or, if I was younger, I'd work alone!
{I personally do not find roof cleaning to be dangerous, if you have years of experience on roofs. You can take dangerous jobs on, sure, but, if you don't have a load of employees to keep going, you can also just pass on any that are possible dangers. I pass on jobs all the time. I don't need everything I look at. With 5 guys, I needed more, more, more!!!}

There are certainly workers out there you can get, who will do everything right and not spend 1/4 of the day on "cigarette breaks etc" or do a "knock out" job to make up for standing around / cell phone time - - but you may have to go through a bunch to weed out 1. And being he is competent, he will soon become your new competition.

I have come to feel that seeing as how most of us can easily do one $800.00 job in a day or two $450.00 jobs - or more, why beat yourself up trying to be a monster company?
Only the desire to be rich could make it worth the multi employee headaches??

I suppose not everyone is like me and instead of a headache, multi employee / trucks $$$ is exciting?
It was for me, as I allowed my work to grow to the point of needing 5 men, but that excitement turned to irritation within that 1st year of growth. *True profit* was not much higher with all the workers and equipment.
Certainly not enough to allow me to lose all joy in my work and live with the negative effect it brought on my life and family.

Bigger is not always better.
And of course, this is strictly my personal viewpoint, having "been there and done that"

-- Edited by Bergman Roof Cleaning Port Charlotte FL 941-698-1959 on Monday 11th of July 2011 09:40:12 AM

Some of us are just convinced on taking over the world Chuck!

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum "Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"

The Roof Cleaning Institute Of America Training & Certification Forum
"Find A Certified Roof Cleaner Directory"