Meg what if your husband gets hurt? Would your customers except your price? Not having a back up plan could be a recipe for a life changing disaster.. Congrats on your pricing, but no one knows what tomorrow brings.. Be ready, always! How many do you employ?
We have a full time tech that works with John and there is me.
Several years ago, we had that happen. I was 7 months pregnant with my first and a kid ran a stop light (cell phone) and plowed into us (from my side). Totaled the car. It was a miracle that my air bag did not deploy, but John's did. Baby and I were fine, John, not so much. The impact and jolt/shoulder belt holding him back, he tore his rotator cuff. We waited as long as we could for surgery. Hired what we thought was going to be a temp guy to help us get through. John trained him before surgery to get technique down. John still went to every job, did the walk through, pricing etc. but couldn't push the wand. In a sling for 6 weeks and 6 months before he had full mobility/strength back.
We planned to let the tech go after. But found that our average job ticket had increased. Could have been that person thought 2 guys could handle more work and they were more likely to add on....could have been that John had time to chat and build rapport, gain trust and suggest other services that they added on. Either way, that was the tipping point for us to know we had to have a second guy on the truck. And we haven't looked back since. At one point we had two techs and John was off the truck, but he missed it. So he's back on.
He maybe getting older....but he's still got the stuff and can out clean anyone we've ever had. As a matter of fact our guy called out on Friday and John did a $3,300 day...by himself!
It would suck if he were injured where he couldn't be back on the truck again, but we would figure it out. I can't do the physical labor, but we could train someone. I can go on the truck and do all the estimating and client schmoozing if I have someone to do the labor. Anyone can learn to clean carpet and do a good job at it. We are where we are because of the relationship we have with our clients. That is something, we've learned, can't be taught. We have to have the right personality on the truck to deliver that. If that means it's me, then I have someone else do all the administrative stuff I do.