This is why you need to have full time help!!

[DevilDog]

We have gone over this numerous times, but I'll say it again. Get some darn help!!

The past three years has been real tough physically for me...lots of problems. When I had full time help it made a big difference in my work load and if I was sick or hurting I knew we could get things done.

In the last few days my back, neck, and shoulder have been really really hurting. I had three jobs scheduled today with two of them being moderate to large jobs.

Well last night was brutal. NO SLEEP at all. My left shoulder and back were COMPLETELY out. I couldn't even lift my left arm up to open my van door.

The client on the first job referred me to her doctor and re-scheduled. The other two jobs I lost.

If I had good full time or even a well trained part time helper I would not have lost two of the jobs. But because my guy and gal are not ready to do work by themselves that income was lost.

You must protect yourself!! Injuries pop up at any time.

And for those that live in the Vancouver, Washington area. Dr. Robert Allen. Oh my goodness, what he did today to help me was like a MIRACLE.

My body was so out of whack. He adjusted me in about 10 different areas and when I left his office I could actually completely move my left arm and shoulder FREELY. Before I went in I was like a one armed man.

So get yourself some help...you'll be happy you did.

DevilDog

 

[Becker]

Are these the same 2 helpers you had a year ago?

 

[cu]

on the moan again, he wants a sfs trip,

 

[Dolly Llama]

If I had good full time or even a well trained part time helper I would not have lost two of the jobs. But because my guy and gal are not ready to do work by themselves that income was lost.



DevilDog

are they with you regularly on jobs?
if so, what the hell have they been doing?

Have the doc give you some narcotics and go on the jobs as a supervisor.
at least you'd make "some" money
you MO-RON!!!!!


..L.T.A.

 

[bob vawter]

I hired a 19 year old kid off Craigs List...trained him TWO days......and he's been here about seven months now......absolutly THE BEST WORKER i've ever had...TWO DAYS TRAINING!!!!!

I'm getting calls of praise from my dear sweet Little ol' black ladies......

 

[CleanEvo]

You hire an idiot and you're OK, hire someone really good and you've just created competition. The problem is you can't let the idiot out of your sight!

 

[Steve Toburen]

I feel your pain, Todd. Literally. When my back goes out it is excruciating. Deep muscle massage, otherwise know as "rolfing" was what helped me the most.

You mention your "guy and gal" are not ready yet. We found that if we hired the right person (not just a warm body with fork marks all over their face, to quote an old Mack Clark joke) AND if they were trained with a Fast Track Training system with a training outline for each day and with a test at the end of the day they could run simple jobs totally on their own within two weeks after hiring. (It helped that we gave the new hire a 100.00 bonus after completing all ten daily test modules correctly during the first two weeks.)

The details on the concept (you will have to modify the daily tests to fit your procedures/ equipment) are in my Special Report "Fast Track Training". If anyone wants a copy just e-mail me at stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com (Please don't PM me on this as I don't know how to attach documents within the PM format.) If you want the DVD on SFS please include your mailing address. No charge for either the Report or the DVD.

Hang in there with your pain and get those employees up to speed. This ain't rocket science!

Steve Toburen CR
Director of Training and sympathizer on employee woes
Jon-Don's Strategies for Success

PS Honesty compels me to mention that with or without Fast Track Training employees will ALWAYS be your biggest problem ... but also your greatest joy. (And money-maker.) At our "Secrets of Building Your Business to Retire Wealthy" seminar in Houston, TX on January 11 and 12th I will with great trepidation venture into the employee arena with these topics ...

• Remember, you don’t HAVE TO hire employees to be a success. A review of some “staying small” alternatives.
• 4 customer scripts to get you out of the “I only want the owner” trap.
• Four carpet cleaner myths on hiring employees that are absolutely false.
• The 7 things you must provide to attract (and keep) quality people.
• The one huge “litmus test” to ask yourself about every applicant. (And your current employees too!)
• Starting them off right- The Big Welcome (and orientation)
• A Fast Track Training System to produce a crew chief in two weeks.
• Holding their feet to the fire- Quality Assurance Inspections and the 7 Tough Questions to ask BEFORE you fire an employee.

 

[Mikey P]

Get a Vortex and helper and your back will thank you in triplicate.

 

[bob vawter]

I'm groomin' my kid to BUY my business...he can see the money possibility already....

 

[Steve Toburen]

Terry- you're just mad because no one gave you the JB full ride scholarship to SFS with your paper cut. Or was it a hang nail?

Island Boy

PS Bob- IF you can successfully make an second generation transfer than I will applaud you. Why? Because you will be in the minority. Most kids of the current generation have NO interest in doing such "humble" work. Of the few children that do take the reins many run the business into the ground due to lack of drive/ initiative/ training/ systems. Remember that the successful transfer of a business requires just as much Business Infrastructure to be set up as the sale of the company to an outsider- maybe more.

On the other hand, IF you can make it work, it is a great option for both sides. A guaranteed exit plan for you and a huge leg up in the business world for your son.

 

[bob vawter]

No Steve, not my son...i wouldn't give HIM a wheelbarrow...it's the kid i found on CraigsList....unfreakin'believeable young man!

He's going to school and working around his schedule...which means Monday and wed afternoon off.....

This kid is so polite and so well mannered that its totally blows me away

 

[Dolly]

STEVE !!

You the Man...............

 

[Tony Neville]

Take it easy on the rake and You won't hurt so much!!

Tony

 

[R W]

I've been working solo lately, with my main helper/son Tony back at the shop making shirts. I do have 4 son's at my calling, if I do some larger jobs. Right now, I'm back to where I started in "88....solo.

Job's do go more quickly with a TRAINED helper that know's what your every next move will be. When you don't have to babysit a helper all day, things go so much better......a helper that can pick up the wand and clean, move and tab furniture, pre-spray, pull hoses. And, with a little training, sell some protector???

Right now, after half sleeping at night, by morning my left arm from the shoulder to the elbow just aches like hell. I can't get comfortable, I toss and turn, and eventually hit the couch for a different support for my arm. After getting up and moving, it feels great all day.

So much for aging and carpet cleaning.....

 

[bob vawter]

It don get no better ya know.....only gets worser...

 

[steve frasier]

that is why I have a business partner who has the same work ethic as I do

Drew had back surgery last year and the 8 weeks he didn't work just about killed me

I have a great chiropractor in Portland but there is also a guy in Battleground that does wonders

a little Naproxin and stretching does wonders also

 

[DevilDog]

I probably am a little slow on the training part. I need to speed that up.

Larry, they are part time workers so that means they are part time somewhere else also. They were on their other jobs today. We originally only had one scheduled for today and then last night I got two calls wanting the work done today.

Those are the two I lost because they needed to be done today.

Becker, YES, I have had employees. The problem I have is I take too long to train. I am very picky. I desperately want to avoid the Stanley Steamer deal.

And I really want to avoid the COIT deal, if ya know what I mean!! These former Coit guys have some issues!!

DevilDog

 

[Becker]

LOL.. Keeping them at trainee pay ehh!


A year later and they are not ready to clean on their own? What are they under 16 and can't drive yet!

It is freaking carpet cleaning. What are you teaching them?
Why not fire one, and make the other full time. You won't have the the problem.. Oh wait, I forgot you are Todd.

 

[DevilDog]

Ok Howdy Doody, now you are starting to tick me off.

I have FIRED seven people in the last year.

I am probably doing it the hard way in that I am starting with people from SCRATCH.

I am really picky. I train them to handle everything from the time the phone rings till we drive out of the driveway. If you can work for me, you can work for ANYONE.

It is not two weeks of teaching someone to push the wand. They MUST have a good personality and be awfully charming like myself. I don't expect them to be as good looking as me...but it helps.

They must be technically proficient and that does not happen quickly with people that have never cleaned before.

So yes, I am probably messing up and need to get things moving faster.

Oh, I have no tolerance for being late and not showing up to work. The last girl was terrific....unfortunately being on time was not a big deal to her. ADIOS!

DevilDog

 

[Becker]

Now that is funny!

 

[The Preacher]

take some SFS advice. MAKE IT EASY FOR EMPLOYEES TO SUCCEED!!!

MAYBE IN YOUR QUEST TO BE THE "BEST" YOUR'RE CUTTING OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE???

 

[Rex Tyus]

Todd, not to kick you while your back hurts man. But if you are gonna have employees maybe you should take some sort of management classes. To fire 7 out of 9 employees in one year is horrible. It means you are either an unbearable prick or yo pre-screening sucks. Either way there are many programs available. The cost of the course would be paid for rather quickly if you could learn to find and hang on to just one good person.

 

[DevilDog]

Well, I am not a prick. I am very picky. And yes, I think my pre-screenment is bad.

DevilDog

 

[Ken Snow]

Todd~ I really do not want to be negative so I hope you will take this positively as I have been there done that with hiring and firing a bunch of people in a short time.

I came to realize it was me that was the problem not them. I hired the wrong people. I can not teach politeness and hard work ethic, people either have it or they don't. I can teach someone how to be proficient in cleaning.

Hire the nicest, hardest working person you can and pay them more than they can make somewhere else, plus give them health benefits and as many other perks as you can afford and I truly believe you can have them cleaning and interacting with your customers in weeks.

Ken
Ps I would never hire an experienced person from a competitor, you just spend more time un-teaching them vs teaching them.

 

[bob vawter]

Like i sED before..hire the honesty..you can teach the rest...!

 

[Becker]

The entertainment is priceless.

 

[Ken Snow]

Bob~ when the hell are we gonna meet for lunch?