Steve Toburen on employees
- Thread starter Mikey P
- Start date
Steve in Omaha
Member
Brutal
Steve Toburen
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- Name
- Steve Toburen
Brutal, Steve? Read this. (I pulled this off an abcnews.com story.) Something to think about ...
"Some law enforcement officials believe all employers who provide home services should conduct background checks and they should not hire anyone with a criminal record. There are, tragically, many examples that bolster his argument.
Six years ago, Don and Terina Ferminick and their five-month-old daughter had just moved to Alameda, Calif., where Don took a position as a church minister. "Our life was wonderful," Ferminick says of his life then. But Ferminick's family was permanently scarred when Giles Nadey came to clean the > carpets of the church rectory.
Terina went to the rectory to pay Nadey and never returned. That evening Ferminick went to check on Terina and found his wife stabbed to death and covered with blood. There was even blood on the walls. "I guess through the course of events, he sodomized her, and I guess to cover up what he had done he decided to take her life," Ferminick says.
Nadey was later convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. What was particularly troubling to Ferminick was the thought that his wife's murder might have been prevented. Had Nadey's employers bothered to run a background check, they would have learned that he had two previous felony convictions. Nadey even acknowledged his criminal record on his job application, but the company still hired him to clean carpets in people's homes.
Two years later, in the same county, Kerry Spooner-Dean, a 30-year-old pediatrician, was viciously stabbed to death by another carpet cleaner named Jerrold Woods. Woods had eight prior convictions for armed robbery, but the carpet cleaning company never did a background check. Dan Dean, the victim's husband, recently won a $9 million judgment against the company.
More and more companies that don't conduct checks have to deal with expensive lawsuits.
Sears Roebuck and Co. settled a lawsuit for an undisclosed amount with a Maryland woman who was assaulted in her home by one of its carpet cleaners. Again, the worker had a long criminal record when he started cleaning carpets for Sears. Though he technically worked for a subcontractor that did not do a background check, the victim filed a lawsuit against Sears. The company now
requires background checks of all their home service workers."
Steve
PS I'm not picking on carpet cleaners here. To be fair in the same article instances of meter readers, plumbers, delivery men, even a Domino's pizza person and a Kirby salesmen all recently have been convicted of raping and/or murdering women in their homes. But this IS a board for carpet cleaners and my guess is some of us are guilty of putting people into our customer's homes that we would be a little squeamish about leaving alone with our own wives.
True confession time. I at times was guilty of this exact sin of just hiring warm bodies and following the "don't tell and I won't ask rule". I got away with it. Maybe you have in the past. What was Clint Eastwood's famous line? "Are ya feelin' lucky, kid? Well ... are ya?"
"Some law enforcement officials believe all employers who provide home services should conduct background checks and they should not hire anyone with a criminal record. There are, tragically, many examples that bolster his argument.
Six years ago, Don and Terina Ferminick and their five-month-old daughter had just moved to Alameda, Calif., where Don took a position as a church minister. "Our life was wonderful," Ferminick says of his life then. But Ferminick's family was permanently scarred when Giles Nadey came to clean the > carpets of the church rectory.
Terina went to the rectory to pay Nadey and never returned. That evening Ferminick went to check on Terina and found his wife stabbed to death and covered with blood. There was even blood on the walls. "I guess through the course of events, he sodomized her, and I guess to cover up what he had done he decided to take her life," Ferminick says.
Nadey was later convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. What was particularly troubling to Ferminick was the thought that his wife's murder might have been prevented. Had Nadey's employers bothered to run a background check, they would have learned that he had two previous felony convictions. Nadey even acknowledged his criminal record on his job application, but the company still hired him to clean carpets in people's homes.
Two years later, in the same county, Kerry Spooner-Dean, a 30-year-old pediatrician, was viciously stabbed to death by another carpet cleaner named Jerrold Woods. Woods had eight prior convictions for armed robbery, but the carpet cleaning company never did a background check. Dan Dean, the victim's husband, recently won a $9 million judgment against the company.
More and more companies that don't conduct checks have to deal with expensive lawsuits.
Sears Roebuck and Co. settled a lawsuit for an undisclosed amount with a Maryland woman who was assaulted in her home by one of its carpet cleaners. Again, the worker had a long criminal record when he started cleaning carpets for Sears. Though he technically worked for a subcontractor that did not do a background check, the victim filed a lawsuit against Sears. The company now
requires background checks of all their home service workers."
Steve
PS I'm not picking on carpet cleaners here. To be fair in the same article instances of meter readers, plumbers, delivery men, even a Domino's pizza person and a Kirby salesmen all recently have been convicted of raping and/or murdering women in their homes. But this IS a board for carpet cleaners and my guess is some of us are guilty of putting people into our customer's homes that we would be a little squeamish about leaving alone with our own wives.
True confession time. I at times was guilty of this exact sin of just hiring warm bodies and following the "don't tell and I won't ask rule". I got away with it. Maybe you have in the past. What was Clint Eastwood's famous line? "Are ya feelin' lucky, kid? Well ... are ya?"
Steve Toburen
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,912
- Name
- Steve Toburen
Mikey, you got me to thinking about this entire issue so I googled the poor pediatrician's name, "Kerry Spooner-Dean". Here are a few thought provoking and sobering links:
http://www.cleanlink.com/cp/article.asp?id=46
http://www.esrcheck.com/articles/article25.php
http://www.leoinvestigations.com/tribune_article.asp
http://www.abika.com/Reports/employmentscreening.htm
Steve Snail had it right above. "Brutal". But I would add important.
Steve Toburen
PS The only two bright spots that I can possibly see in this whole sordid story are:
a) Maybe some of us will follow the guidelines found in the links above in our hiring practices and ...
b) Kerry Spooner-Dean's husband used the funds from the judgment in a wonderful way. To cheer you us just a bit after slogging through the tough reading above please click on this link ...
http://www.kerryskids.org/
http://www.cleanlink.com/cp/article.asp?id=46
http://www.esrcheck.com/articles/article25.php
http://www.leoinvestigations.com/tribune_article.asp
http://www.abika.com/Reports/employmentscreening.htm
Steve Snail had it right above. "Brutal". But I would add important.
Steve Toburen
PS The only two bright spots that I can possibly see in this whole sordid story are:
a) Maybe some of us will follow the guidelines found in the links above in our hiring practices and ...
b) Kerry Spooner-Dean's husband used the funds from the judgment in a wonderful way. To cheer you us just a bit after slogging through the tough reading above please click on this link ...
http://www.kerryskids.org/
Mikey P
Administrator
We had a Serve Pro tech rape a woman here in town.
Took years and years before the franchise came back to town.
The new owner is a Jwit. I have always wanted to ask him about the repercussions but he never shows at my wife's gatherings.
Took years and years before the franchise came back to town.
The new owner is a Jwit. I have always wanted to ask him about the repercussions but he never shows at my wife's gatherings.
Steve Toburen
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
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- Name
- Steve Toburen
Mikey, wassup? An important thread (IMHO) like this and it gets 75 views and meanwhile the "lets flog a dead horse thread on SOA gets 400 views.
Help me out here. This topic on out of control employees is important stuff. (Don't blame me. You are the guy who started it all with your "secret filming"!)
Steve Toburen
Director of Training and all around fly in the ointment
Jon-don's Strategies for Success
PS Mikey, is this thread placed wrong? Should we move it to the Clean Room?
Help me out here. This topic on out of control employees is important stuff. (Don't blame me. You are the guy who started it all with your "secret filming"!)
Steve Toburen
Director of Training and all around fly in the ointment
Jon-don's Strategies for Success
PS Mikey, is this thread placed wrong? Should we move it to the Clean Room?
Mikey P
Administrator
Bump!
Brian H
Member
Another reason to have 2 man crews!!! You wonder if any of these incidents would have happened if there had been two technicians!!!
Tahoesteve
Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2007
- Messages
- 150
Good Bump Mikey.
I just read this whole thread yesterday over in the Cleaners Magazine and was wondering why it wasn't on top of the clean room.
2 man crew should be mandatory in occupied homes.
I just read this whole thread yesterday over in the Cleaners Magazine and was wondering why it wasn't on top of the clean room.
2 man crew should be mandatory in occupied homes.
ron markam
Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Messages
- 155
I watched the video (don't like to read) . I agree the owners must police themselves.In this age where crime is rampant if you have employees who are not trustworthy and presentable I forsee the day we will have cancellations at the door."OH I meant to call and cancel" when in reality the customer is thinking no way I am letting this guy in my house.Even in janitorial if people are not right and do not look right you will get calls about it so how much more from someone in their home.
hogjowl
Idiot™
Ron:
If you don't like to read, then what the heck are you doing on a Steve Toburen thread?
If you don't like to read, then what the heck are you doing on a Steve Toburen thread?
Chris Muetterties
Member
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- Oct 8, 2006
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- 1,652
Great wake up call !!
Doug D
Supportive Member
Something definitely worth thinking about. I am at a place where I may be adding a tech next spring. Will definitely be looking into background checks, drug testing, and checking references.
Steve Toburen
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,912
- Name
- Steve Toburen
Thanks, Mike, for the bump over into the Clean Room. This is such an important topic and I feel passionately about it. (As you could see from the video- BTW, Mike, I don't even remember you filming. Glad I didn't pick my nose or something!)
I always say there are two "dirty little secrets"(DLS) of our industry.
DLS #1- Because we get desperate for employees we sometimes send "marginal individuals" into our unsuspecting customer's homes that we would never want alone working with our own wives. How dumb is this DLS? Just plain WRONG! (And yes, I was guilty of this sin too in my over twenty years down in the trenches as a carpet cleaning business owner.)
DLS #2- We make a good living in this industry but never build a "real business". So my second DLS is that most carpet cleaning businesses never sell, they just wither away! So sad because the owner had spent a lifetime in it and just by tweaking a few things could have sold his or her company to help fund a comfortable retirement.
Steve Toburen CR
Director of Training and self-appointed Industry Gadfly!
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success
PS Answers for the two DLS's above?
Possible solution to DLS #1- "Putting up with marginal employees." Seriously think about SFS. Chuck Violand spends almost half a day in SFS on advertising, hiring and interviewing quality employees. Then I spend an entire day on what I call the Five Steps to Implementing Value Added Service into your company:
1. Make it easier to do it wrong than do it right.
2. Hire and KEEP only the very best. (We analyze what changes you should make in your company so a quality employee will stay working for you long term.
3. Tell them what to do once you have hired them. (Orientation and training systems.)
4. Let them know how they are doing. (Feedback and recognition through regular evaluations and company staff meetings.)
5. If they still won't get on board then fire their bad attitude butts BEFORE they do something horrible to your customers, another employee or your company! (We review procedures on how to do this termination process legally.)
Possible solution to DLS #2- Building an "appreciating asset" out of your business instead of just "owning a job". Seriously think about the "Secrets to Building Your Business So You Can Retire Wealthy" seminar I am co-presenting in Houston on January 11 and 12th with Michael Gerber and Howard Partridge. We used to cover this topic in SFS but even with five days we just did not have the time. Here are points I plan to cover:
• The 7 reasons most carpet cleaning businesses never sell.
• Avoiding “Desperation Selling” by recognizing now 3 problems and one Big Lie!
• Starting With the End in Mind: Your Business Sale Preparation Process (BSPP)
• The “Lifestyle Analysis”: 4 penetrating questions to ask yourself every day for the rest of your life.
• Setting Your Goals. (Hint: It’s not just all about money.)
• The incredible liberating power of a nest egg … and how to build one with a Personal Investment Program.
• WHO you will sell your business to. (Hint: It won’t be another carpet cleaner!)
• WHY someone will covet your business AND cheerfully pay a fortune to possess it!
• 7 Buyer Reassuring Emotions your company must display to sell for top dollar.
• The essential “Beauty Makeover Checklist” for your company.
• HOW to build a “Turn-key Business Infrastructure”.
• Setting a price for your business AND how to get it.
• Finding the “needle in the haystack”- a buyer who wants to be “just like you” AND has the financial resources to buy (and operate) your company.
• Handling the negotiation process and closing the sale.
• A few final words on the joys (and pitfalls) of complete freedom.
More info? http://www.bnpevents.com/ICS/SBYB/
Can't wait till January to get started? Then just drop me a line to stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com and I will e-mail you my free Special Report entitled "Cleaning Up: Building Personal Wealth in the Cleaning Industry". If, like Ron, you don't like to read (or like Mr. Sutley you have problems with big three syllable words!) then include your mailing address and I will send you a pretty good half hour DVD I made on these concepts. Once again, the DVD is free too!
I always say there are two "dirty little secrets"(DLS) of our industry.
DLS #1- Because we get desperate for employees we sometimes send "marginal individuals" into our unsuspecting customer's homes that we would never want alone working with our own wives. How dumb is this DLS? Just plain WRONG! (And yes, I was guilty of this sin too in my over twenty years down in the trenches as a carpet cleaning business owner.)
DLS #2- We make a good living in this industry but never build a "real business". So my second DLS is that most carpet cleaning businesses never sell, they just wither away! So sad because the owner had spent a lifetime in it and just by tweaking a few things could have sold his or her company to help fund a comfortable retirement.
Steve Toburen CR
Director of Training and self-appointed Industry Gadfly!
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success
PS Answers for the two DLS's above?
Possible solution to DLS #1- "Putting up with marginal employees." Seriously think about SFS. Chuck Violand spends almost half a day in SFS on advertising, hiring and interviewing quality employees. Then I spend an entire day on what I call the Five Steps to Implementing Value Added Service into your company:
1. Make it easier to do it wrong than do it right.
2. Hire and KEEP only the very best. (We analyze what changes you should make in your company so a quality employee will stay working for you long term.
3. Tell them what to do once you have hired them. (Orientation and training systems.)
4. Let them know how they are doing. (Feedback and recognition through regular evaluations and company staff meetings.)
5. If they still won't get on board then fire their bad attitude butts BEFORE they do something horrible to your customers, another employee or your company! (We review procedures on how to do this termination process legally.)
Possible solution to DLS #2- Building an "appreciating asset" out of your business instead of just "owning a job". Seriously think about the "Secrets to Building Your Business So You Can Retire Wealthy" seminar I am co-presenting in Houston on January 11 and 12th with Michael Gerber and Howard Partridge. We used to cover this topic in SFS but even with five days we just did not have the time. Here are points I plan to cover:
• The 7 reasons most carpet cleaning businesses never sell.
• Avoiding “Desperation Selling” by recognizing now 3 problems and one Big Lie!
• Starting With the End in Mind: Your Business Sale Preparation Process (BSPP)
• The “Lifestyle Analysis”: 4 penetrating questions to ask yourself every day for the rest of your life.
• Setting Your Goals. (Hint: It’s not just all about money.)
• The incredible liberating power of a nest egg … and how to build one with a Personal Investment Program.
• WHO you will sell your business to. (Hint: It won’t be another carpet cleaner!)
• WHY someone will covet your business AND cheerfully pay a fortune to possess it!
• 7 Buyer Reassuring Emotions your company must display to sell for top dollar.
• The essential “Beauty Makeover Checklist” for your company.
• HOW to build a “Turn-key Business Infrastructure”.
• Setting a price for your business AND how to get it.
• Finding the “needle in the haystack”- a buyer who wants to be “just like you” AND has the financial resources to buy (and operate) your company.
• Handling the negotiation process and closing the sale.
• A few final words on the joys (and pitfalls) of complete freedom.
More info? http://www.bnpevents.com/ICS/SBYB/
Can't wait till January to get started? Then just drop me a line to stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com and I will e-mail you my free Special Report entitled "Cleaning Up: Building Personal Wealth in the Cleaning Industry". If, like Ron, you don't like to read (or like Mr. Sutley you have problems with big three syllable words!) then include your mailing address and I will send you a pretty good half hour DVD I made on these concepts. Once again, the DVD is free too!
Charlie Lyman
Supportive Member
My wife's office is next to a community center. These people hang around all day and smoke cigaretts. My wife's office keeps the door locked because of these people. One day my mother in law was walking in to the office and a carpet cleaner pulled up looking for help for the day. It scared the HELL out of her, to think that this guy was taking people into other's homes. She forgot this companies name because she couldn't think straight.
Ken Snow
RIP
driving record check and drug test too.
many people with bad credit have bad credit because they are irresponsible which makes them a high risk. grant it not all people with credit problems are a risk but it is a warning sign.just means you need to look at them a little closer.
many insurance companies will raise rates for folks with bad credit too.again high risk.
many insurance companies will raise rates for folks with bad credit too.again high risk.
Lee Stockwell
FOJL
"1. Make it easier to do it wrong than do it right."
mmm...I think we already do that Steve? I'm sure you meant it the other way around.
Lee
mmm...I think we already do that Steve? I'm sure you meant it the other way around.
Lee
Steve Toburen
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,912
- Name
- Steve Toburen
Nice to see we have "Eagle Eye Stockwell" back on the job.
You've been missed, Lee.
Island Boy
PS Have you ever thought about being a magazine editor? I know that Cleanfax is in sore need of someone who does not butcher the English language! (And Lee, I will bet you wouldn't "waffle" on the hot seat either!)
You've been missed, Lee.
Island Boy
PS Have you ever thought about being a magazine editor? I know that Cleanfax is in sore need of someone who does not butcher the English language! (And Lee, I will bet you wouldn't "waffle" on the hot seat either!)
The Preacher
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2006
- Messages
- 3,401
Cross didn't answer enough questions to waffle!!! I think he's gonna run as Hillary's VP!!!
