burned out

sw_3

I'd like to get some ideas from you guys on what , if anything, you or your company does to help eliminate service tech burnout...

Does anyone differentiate between emergency service and regular service calls?

Seems like customers seem to believe we have second shifts that come in for the night.

The biggest problem I see, at least with the company that I work for, is that it's nearly impossible to replace a good employee with another. This in turn reduces the number of service techs, in our case from 13 1 year ago to 7 now...

I'm now beginning to see why so any good techs leave the business.

It seems to me that this is a phenomenon that most companies pretend isn't happening.

Please don't give me the excuse this is how we've always done it... if that was truly the case, you'd still be delivering fuel with a horse draw wagon rather than a gas or diesel powered tank truck.

thanks

Firedragon_4

Until it reaches

'critical mass' the oil industry won't change, FACT! The good news for techs who care is that is coming real fast. Hang in there, baby!

One idea I've used in the past is staggered shifts and putting guys on nights that like it due to family commitments etc. Also had a young guy who started at 10:00 am who loved it and could party to his heart's content. After 4 years he got married and there went that deal until I found another.

If you sit down with your people and really get to know them and their lifestyles you can make it work for everybody. I agree with you about 'we always did it that way' and the whole HVAC trade is polluted with 'same ole, same ole', JMO!

Mad Dog

They need to implement some sort of rotation plan

Where a man can get out of the field for a week and work in the office or do the running to and fro for supplies, permits et cetera. It would make every employee a "fill-in" or possible replacement for anyone one else who leaves. It would break up the monotony for them and give the company a wider stance. Mad Dog

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Ted_9

Good idea Mad Dog.

When I was a tech for a company, I though of how great it would be if they could hire someone to work the overnight shift all the time.

J.C.A._3

The Dragon brings up a good point!

I like the idea. A couple guys coming in later in the morning, and working past "regular hours" sounds sweet. (the reasons explained make sense to me, although I'd like to start earlier rather than later)

Some great techs just aren't "morning people". If they are willing to finish later in the day, I'm all for it. Gives the company a sort of swing shift, between normal work time, and when all the emergency calls seem to happen.

Something for all employers AND employees to consider. Chris

Weezbo

when you run the heck into the ground...who bails You Out?

The techs need to be able to think along the lines of its Thier Business, how would I deal with this problem,not 'well... See ya.' No Emergentcy calls on the guys day or half day with the family for a service tech is as necessasarry as the right nozzel or draft or choise of procedure to trouble shoot a problem, some tech who has been working with you a while and sees the difficulty might be ameiniable to mondays off say, or thursday, blending the schedule of workers so they can attend classes in oil or gas etc is good too. drifting the schedule so in what you preceive to be the more pacted parts of the year might help,couple guys might Want to arrive early and leave Late,just to not get a call on the time with their family.You need certain expertise in some projects so it is important those guys show up on the "Beam" as it were...out last night till 4 a.m. is tough for them to overcome the next day. It isnt easy speaking for someone else...if they dont show You are out there twisting the wrenches to meet the commitment.i am not a big time wheeler dealer so it is not so far to fall however,your guys might benifit thinking along the lines of 'if this is my business then what would be the best way to handel these calls'. i quit the service work long ago,now i do it to help out a buddy provided it doesnt short circuit , me . a few techs that think along that line will keep you in business belive it or dont! . Serivice work is about Consideration and Commitment. you sound like you are heavily leveraged into both , keep at it .in a way "burnout" I found to be a "Normal" working day:) gotta go...its my "Light Day"..God ,me and peace and quiet.

mp1969

Avoiding burnout

It seems that when you get with a firm that has team players and the right attitude burnout is minimized by sharing the load and volunteering to fill gaps. I can't say enough about the way the firm I work for pitches in during crunch times. From the owner's to the delivery people overall attitude is great! (Always a few glitches but they seem to get worked out promptly and with little or no employee complaints.)
The recent flooding that we have faced for the past five weeks has been a very good test, attitude and teamwork got us through..

Rich Kontny
Master Plumber
Cliff Bergin and Associates
Mequon, Wi.

oil-2-4-6-gas

.

burnout is a real problem after you do a 90 hour week then monday eve at 9 o'clock you walk in on a plugged oil boiler its enough to make you walk -out and never look back--been there before when you stretch too thin you risk serious dangerous mistakes,vehicle accidents,and general resentment against the company--an oil company i know used to work the guys to the bone--start at 7 am and your done when there are no more calls ,the next day they'd complain about paperwork --talk about a-holes i,ve been the unofficial on-call guy for most evenings and saturdays-unofficial because he wouldn't pay to have on-call --companies need to trim the office fat and get enough guys for offseting schedules--

jim lockard

Evenings

With change of seasons service calls and customers not being home til after 6pm or later having a guy start at noon and work til 8pm makes sense to me.

Ranger

Work like gentlemen...

...that's what it really all boils down to,does'nt it?The field damn near killed me...Three bad disk's.Broken bones,bad knees,bad ankle,C.O.P.D.(thay don't call it emphysema any more)sun poisioning,heat exhaustion,missed out on alotta time with my first two children not to
mention my wife,God bless her.And for what?!Work like gentlemen.Do a good honest job,something that your proud of.Make alittle money.Go home and enjoy your family.Enough of this running around at all hours of the nite like madmen.
(I realize that sometimes that is necessary,but the key word there is NECESSARY)The sun will come up again tomorrow.
(hopefully for most of us anyway)It's not nuclear science,It's just air conditioning...

Dale

What's really necessary 24/7

My phone went out a few months ago, had to go to voice mail hell just to get on the list, first fix try didn't work and back on in 3 days, their techs don't rush out at 2am. I guess I like the idea of only calling out after hours if it's a service agreement customer, the people that deserve it by keeping the profit up. My company has a noon to 8:30 shift, some young parents like it as someone is there in the am for school and guys that still farm like it as they get to bed early and up early.

Darin Cook_3

Live to work or work to live

There is a balance to be had. My first company that I worked for, had a policy that if someone was willing to pay it was a emergency. What a bunch of excrement that was. But true to form if a tech wanted out of the call, goodbye Mr. joe blow. So the company advertises for the work and the guys talk them out of it. The guys want more for all their extra effort and the company disregards their needs. A person can work for UPS, have a limit to what they have to lift, not have to be on call, not have to get burned, cut, dirty, wear shorts if it is hot, and get paid over $40,000 BASE. Should we be mad at UPS? I think not, they were smart enough to know what to charge for their services and how to compensate their employees. What is the draw for someone to come into this profession? If you were to take some one who works for the government and stick them in this trade they would quit the first day. No decent benefits for effort put forth. How is this to be changed? Well for starters, more money has to charged for services rendered. That in turn will allow more pay and increased benefits. The hard work will not change, that is provided by the employee. First of all facts is that this is not a line of work for those without intestinal fortitude. If you want easy go be a greeter at Wal-Mart. If you are doing side work, udercutting everyone including your employer, blame yourself for your woes. If you are that busy as a company, first of all pat yourself on the back because your efforts have given the company that reputation. The company needs to look at putting help on or other progressive ideas that others have posted here. I hope I did not drift to far from the original post. The answer lies with the company and the employees working together. If you keep pounding your head against a closed door, move on. Just so you know I work more now working for myself. There are no sick days. There is only ourselves to rely on.

S Ebels

Uncle Mel

Actually my wife's uncle, one of four of hers that went into the HVAC business had a lot of good advice when I started out. Here's a few tidbits of his that I wrote down.

"If you're landing over 50% of the work you quote you're pricing is probably too low. I've found that to be true. No sense in "buying" yourself a job."

"If you get an "EMERGENCY!" call, make sure it actually is before you go. You'll be suprised how many can wait til the next day."

"Maintain and be up front with people about having two service call rates for after hours emergency service. One rate for your regular customers who buy your scheduled maintenance. Another rate for customers or phone shoppers that don't. That will weed out a lot of them too. You'll be suprised that you can do fewer jobs and be more profitable."