What are your most common employee issues?

hi-temp hydro

hi-temp hydro

New member
Starting this year I have entrusted my companies reputation to someone else other than myself, a full time employee. Business is growing, and for that I am thankfull. However it has been difficult to totally entrust another person to accomplish the standards that I have set on a job site. I always call with a follow up with every customer to ensure satisfaction. Thus far all has been satisfactory. Today I get a call from a customer complaining of some dead flowers. Pressure washing 101, water, water, then water some more! In all my time behind the wand, to my knowledge there were no plants harmed.Of course I'll make it right with the customer. But what other joys do I have to look foward to?
What are the most common subjects of a good ole fashion a$$ chewing for those of you with employees?
 
Jason, you know what I do.....my most common thing is leaving filter doors open/off or leaving dirty filters on the roof. I almost got sent a bill for Costco employees removing 9 filters off the roof that were left by mistake.
 
hi-temp hydro said:
Starting this year I have entrusted my companies reputation to someone else other than myself, a full time employee. Business is growing, and for that I am thankfull. However it has been difficult to totally entrust another person to accomplish the standards that I have set on a job site. I always call with a follow up with every customer to ensure satisfaction. Thus far all has been satisfactory. Today I get a call from a customer complaining of some dead flowers. Pressure washing 101, water, water, then water some more! In all my time behind the wand, to my knowledge there were no plants harmed.Of course I'll make it right with the customer. But what other joys do I have to look foward to?
What are the most common subjects of a good ole fashion a$$ chewing for those of you with employees?
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The employee will probably not have, or ever attain the attention to detail the employer has employed to provide success to his business.

Once the employee attains the previously mentioned ability look to him to become a employer.

the previously mentioned ability, look for him to become the employer,
 
Forgetting the berms at the storm drains.
 
Scrapers................leaving them
 
just went through this...

Hey man I just went thru this with my lawn maintenance crew. I was hearing in the community that the level of quality had dropped since I stopped mowing and hired people. I was going to fire them both but after a 90 min meeting we all got a lot off our chest and figured out that I was expecting them to croSs over and dunk the ball yet I hadn't even taught them how to dribble and do a lay up so to speak. They felt rushed and felt like workers instead of employees. We changed some stuff around, retrained, and worked on some HR stuff.. Two weeks later our yards look like they belong in a magazine!

Long story short I learned to look internally when there are problems because 9 times out of 10 its a managment problem. Hire good people train and educate them to perform routines and job duties.

Good luck man...
 
I have to agree with one of the problems that Kory touched base on. "Cutting Corners".

I have had the same guy going on 7yrs now. It got to the point where I never had to check on his work. I started noticing small things that he was missing here and there this past year. I would wait until he said he was all finished and that he double checked everything and it all looked good. I then waited until everything was wrapped up. Then I pointed out stuff that he missed and I'd have him re due it. He must have gotten tired of rolling everything out just to hit a few spots cause now he triple checks and has me check before he wraps it up. We are all human! We ALL miss things from time to time, even me. Heck, I even have him check my work sometimes before rolling it all up. My biggest problem is that I don't think I could ever leave him alone on a job and have everything come out the way it's supposed to.
 
Some really great advice here on HR related issues. We as employers tend to either give a little too much slack or not enough rope to employees. The trick is keeping a grip without letting them hang themselves
 
All the helpers I have had over the years, and their have been many, thought i was crazy because I always do a walk around the house or the S/C . Then I do a walk around the trailer, because they always left something behind or didn't lock the reels or left all the caps off the fuel tanks after a fill up.

The best story I have is going down interstate 75 and wondering why the cars behind me were so far back and flashing their lights. When I noticed way back in the distance in my rear view mirror some sparks. I pulled over only to find 200ft of pressure hose behind the truck. Stuff happens all the time but if u are dilligent and OCD like me u can cut down on alot of stuff before it happens.
 
The Cleaner said:
All the helpers I have had over the years, and their have been many, thought i was crazy because I always do a walk around the house or the S/C . Then I do a walk around the trailer, because they always left something behind or didn't lock the reels or left all the caps off the fuel tanks after a fill up.

The best story I have is going down interstate 75 and wondering why the cars behind me were so far back and flashing their lights. When I noticed way back in the distance in my rear view mirror some sparks. I pulled over only to find 200ft of pressure hose behind the truck. Stuff happens all the time but if u are dilligent and OCD like me u can cut down on alot of stuff before it happens.
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+10 I am the same way, stuff gets left out, left on the trailer wheel fenders, hose reels unlocked, hoses not rolled up all the way, etc...

I always have to do a walk around but I do it before any hoses are rolled up because with some workers it does not matter rolling or unrolling the hoses, it is time on the clock.

I have a new helper that I have this year and he is working out good, almost to where I can trust him with almost anything that I have trained him to do but I still do the walk arounds, it is my company image that is on the line, not his.

When done using tools, put them back where they go right away, not later, not when the job is done and that helps to prevent lost tools.

Great post Nick!
 
The Cleaner said:
All the helpers I have had over the years, and their have been many, thought i was crazy because I always do a walk around the house or the S/C . Then I do a walk around the trailer, because they always left something behind or didn't lock the reels or left all the caps off the fuel tanks after a fill up.

The best story I have is going down interstate 75 and wondering why the cars behind me were so far back and flashing their lights. When I noticed way back in the distance in my rear view mirror some sparks. I pulled over only to find 200ft of pressure hose behind the truck. Stuff happens all the time but if u are dilligent and OCD like me u can cut down on alot of stuff before it happens.
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I can confirm he does do that every time.
 
I am so Anal about stuff, most of my employees don't want to work with me. To some of them, this is just a job. A job they do well, but never quite good enough for me. Take the edges of tile roofs for instance ? My employees hate when I get out the binoculars to inspect the edges of the roof tiles.
But, that was how I inspected my own tile roof cleaning work.
 
I'd love to be able to assume a strickly management role. But you know what the ole' saying about assuming.
The full time employee I'd been having small issues with just bought himself a pink slip for $25.
I always give a detailed service order for each job daily and invoice it after service I gave employee a company cell for business only and noticed he contacted a customer 4 times within a few hours (yes I look at the phone records). The customer was having 2 houses washed for his sisters. My guy gets lost (with a GPS) and calls customer. Customer wants to make sure an exterior garage gets done at one of the homes and couldn't remember if he told me to price it in. My guy says its not on the w/o but he'll do it for $25 CASH ONLY. Customer gets the invoice with garage on it and drama starts. When I ask employee what all the calls were about earlier this week, he says the customer wanted him to build a deck for him on the weekend. Bold face lie.Customer said the soon to be former employee called trying to get a meeting place lined up for his $25 worth of "extra" work he put in and there was never talk of a deck.
True the customer could have done a few things better, he even called the cell that the employee called him from to give him a chance to pay back the money after getting the invoice, but when I answered he said he just needed to talk to the guy that washed the houses.
Fast foward to today. Its bad when a person starts a phone call with "I think there's something you need to know". Employees actions are inexcuseable, I'm just glad the customer came foward to tell me about what was going on and not slander my company on the account of some shady employee's actions.
 
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
hate when I get out the binoculars to inspect the edges of the roof tiles.
But, that was how I inspected my own tile roof cleaning work.
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LOL that's great Chris. I'm going out tomorrow to buy a pair!:clapping:
 
hi-temp hydro said:
Starting this year I have entrusted my companies reputation to someone else other than myself, a full time employee. Business is growing, and for that I am thankfull. However it has been difficult to totally entrust another person to accomplish the standards that I have set on a job site. I always call with a follow up with every customer to ensure satisfaction. Thus far all has been satisfactory. Today I get a call from a customer complaining of some dead flowers. Pressure washing 101, water, water, then water some more! In all my time behind the wand, to my knowledge there were no plants harmed.Of course I'll make it right with the customer. But what other joys do I have to look foward to?
What are the most common subjects of a good ole fashion a$$ chewing for those of you with employees?
Click to expand...

I have been wrestling with this same delima. I have not pulled the trigger yet (Hiring), but will have to soon. I'll keep an eye on this thread.
 
Late reports drive me nuts.
Not following protocols and guidelines.
Playing with their phone while working, or ipods, or something else, to where they are not performing their assigned job.
Sitting and watching me work, when they know the work that needs to be done.
Sitting and watching me talk on the phone, because they think that since I am stopping, they can stop.
Tearing up equipment.
Taking 5 hours to do a 2 hour job.
Not washing their company truck or leaving the interior a pig sty. One time, I had a guy that drove a crew cab company truck. It had been my personal truck, but I bought a new one and turned it over to employees. Within 48 hours, it was dented on the door. Within a week, a fender was creased, within a month, the back seat was filled with old gallon water jugs, and fast food wrappers. I am not just talking covering the floor, but filled up to where they had to flip up the console to contain the garbage. Within 2 more hours he was done.
Want me to go on?
 
Scott Stone said:
Late reports drive me nuts.
Not following protocols and guidelines.
Playing with their phone while working, or ipods, or something else, to where they are not performing their assigned job.
Sitting and watching me work, when they know the work that needs to be done.
Sitting and watching me talk on the phone, because they think that since I am stopping, they can stop.
Tearing up equipment.
Taking 5 hours to do a 2 hour job.
Not washing their company truck or leaving the interior a pig sty. One time, I had a guy that drove a crew cab company truck. It had been my personal truck, but I bought a new one and turned it over to employees. Within 48 hours, it was dented on the door. Within a week, a fender was creased, within a month, the back seat was filled with old gallon water jugs, and fast food wrappers. I am not just talking covering the floor, but filled up to where they had to flip up the console to contain the garbage. Within 2 more hours he was done.
Want me to go on?
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Man that sounds just like what I have going on right now.
 
DJ Carroll said:
Hey man I just went thru this with my lawn maintenance crew. I was hearing in the community that the level of quality had dropped since I stopped mowing and hired people. I was going to fire them both but after a 90 min meeting we all got a lot off our chest and figured out that I was expecting them to croSs over and dunk the ball yet I hadn't even taught them how to dribble and do a lay up so to speak. They felt rushed and felt like workers instead of employees. We changed some stuff around, retrained, and worked on some HR stuff.. Two weeks later our yards look like they belong in a magazine!

Long story short I learned to look internally when there are problems because 9 times out of 10 its a managment problem. Hire good people train and educate them to perform routines and job duties.

Good luck man...
Click to expand...

Words of wisdom right here!! hard t believe DJ is not even 30yet


g
 
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