To tell or not to tell, that is the question!
- Thread starter Beeks
- Start date
Brian H
Member
Desk Jockey
Member
That dude rocked! 
bob vawter
Grassy Knoller
He would say "Brian we need to get this job done...."
I love it!
The Great Oz
Member
Beeks,
As others have already stated, the downside to your system is management time required to make it operate. Easier to route and let them see their day and everyone else' day so they can be part of the problem solving force. A tech with a day that grows too big to handle can contact a tech with a smaller day instead of you having to be the puppet master.
I understand the concern though, as employees have all day to think up ways to work a system to their advantage. No one understands this better than other employees at the same level, who will have even less patience with a tech that tries to take advantage of them.
Example: A tech calls in and says he can't get to his last job. The office staff finds another tech to take it on, and then the second tech discovers the job is a pain to set up, and when he gets back to the shop finds the tech scheduled to do the job went home two hours early. Our solution - a tech looking for help messages other techs. He then checks in with that tech when he's done with his day, and stops by that job to help finish. If a tech abuses another tech by dumping a difficult job on him the offender will find it tough to get anyone to take a job from him in the future. If the offender does it more than once, we'll let him go. There's no room in our place for a sociopath.
The gubment says small is 500 employees or less and I don't know of any cleaning companies knocking on that door, so we're all small.
As others have already stated, the downside to your system is management time required to make it operate. Easier to route and let them see their day and everyone else' day so they can be part of the problem solving force. A tech with a day that grows too big to handle can contact a tech with a smaller day instead of you having to be the puppet master.
I understand the concern though, as employees have all day to think up ways to work a system to their advantage. No one understands this better than other employees at the same level, who will have even less patience with a tech that tries to take advantage of them.
Example: A tech calls in and says he can't get to his last job. The office staff finds another tech to take it on, and then the second tech discovers the job is a pain to set up, and when he gets back to the shop finds the tech scheduled to do the job went home two hours early. Our solution - a tech looking for help messages other techs. He then checks in with that tech when he's done with his day, and stops by that job to help finish. If a tech abuses another tech by dumping a difficult job on him the offender will find it tough to get anyone to take a job from him in the future. If the offender does it more than once, we'll let him go. There's no room in our place for a sociopath.
The gubment says small is 500 employees or less and I don't know of any cleaning companies knocking on that door, so we're all small.
Hoody
Administrator
Fixed it for you
The company I worked for in Utah was pushing close to 500 and may have surpassed that, but that was mainly Jan-San. RBM Building Services... check 'em out http://www.rbmservicesinc.com/
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TomKing
Supportive Member
No disrespect Steve
But why are you still pushing hand written forms?
We started the 21st century 13 years ago join us my friend.
JR Service Monster. You can go mobile with it. It will help get you to the next level. It will also help your CSR have a system to work with. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. This is not a complex industry. Look around at the next meeting you attend not to many ivy league physicists or nuclear scientists around.
Do what Steve teaches in SFS put folders together for each stop. We do it and it has worked great. In these folders is all the sales and marketing information they will need for each job.
SM allows you to print out the work order for each job and a overview for the day's work.
Your system is to dependent on you. What if you have a family emergency? How will your system work?
Our techs know the day before they leave what will be happening the next day. These guys have families and lives outside of work. In a industry that often keeps us longer than we plan they deserve to have some idea what will be happening.
Many times they walk in the next morning and have thought of things the office did not or ask questions that help make us better.
If you are paying people correctly and hiring individuals who have leadership and the ability to be self directed you will be surprised how great life can be.
I did some of what you did my first 9 months my life was rushed and my employee was frustrated.
It took me 2 years to start SM.
It was good to talk last week.
But why are you still pushing hand written forms?
We started the 21st century 13 years ago join us my friend.
JR Service Monster. You can go mobile with it. It will help get you to the next level. It will also help your CSR have a system to work with. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. This is not a complex industry. Look around at the next meeting you attend not to many ivy league physicists or nuclear scientists around.
Do what Steve teaches in SFS put folders together for each stop. We do it and it has worked great. In these folders is all the sales and marketing information they will need for each job.
SM allows you to print out the work order for each job and a overview for the day's work.
Your system is to dependent on you. What if you have a family emergency? How will your system work?
Our techs know the day before they leave what will be happening the next day. These guys have families and lives outside of work. In a industry that often keeps us longer than we plan they deserve to have some idea what will be happening.
Many times they walk in the next morning and have thought of things the office did not or ask questions that help make us better.
If you are paying people correctly and hiring individuals who have leadership and the ability to be self directed you will be surprised how great life can be.
I did some of what you did my first 9 months my life was rushed and my employee was frustrated.
It took me 2 years to start SM.
It was good to talk last week.
Sounds like everyone is happy with the system that has evolved for them. So I wouldn't change a thing. Employees tend to resist change no matter which side of the "Should I give 'em the whole day at a glance" fence you are on.
Steve
PS We used this "Production Day Sheet" that my Operations Manager filled out the night before for each crew. The employees would come in early and find it attached to their pile of Job Folders. (Each Job had its own Folder with all the paperwork inside it.) The Day Sheet had a Load List which let the employees know about any additional non-truck-inventory chemicals or equipment to load for the day.
The Day Sheet also functioned as a way for the employees to give their feedback on the day back to the office. (How long each job took, their up-sells, any equipment issues and any problems on the job so the customer's file could be updated.) Of course, my techs knew that their Production Day Sheet was "subject to change" and we often would call employees and switch jobs on them due to last minute changes and emergency work.
Why did we do it this way? Because I honestly never even dreamed of not telling my people up front what their day was like. And yes, "it worked great"!
Mikey P
Administrator
Great thread...
Good to have you back Vin
YOU should be coming out to M10F. Dude.
Good to have you back Vin
YOU should be coming out to M10F. Dude.
Thanks Mike, deff would like to, couple things might hold me back this year, but I will make it sooner than later!
