Re: Customer had to close shop can not get employees

[tourman <robercampbell@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Feb 21, 8:51=A0pm, Jim <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Feb 21, 7:27=A0pm, "Bob La Londe" <onebike...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Eay-Yup.
>
> > For years I tried to build my business, train employees play all the ga=
mes.
> > I have had only two guys I would hire back if they were available today=
. =A0I
> > just quit trying a several years ago. =A0I take as much work as I can d=
o by
> > myself and that's it. =A0I got tired of having to finish other people's=
 work,
> > and then do more work so I could afford to pay them for not doing it.
>
> > At one point I had three full time installers, 1 full time salesperson =
and a
> > full time office assistant. =A0I worked 80 hour weeks and made less tha=
n I do
> > right now working part time in a crap economy.
>
> Same here.
>
> Every once in a while I'll need another pair of hands and I'll hire an
> installer for a day. I can borrow him from a friendly competitor as
> long as I can give him a few days notice. I pay the boss cash $30.00
> an hour. HOWEVER, after a few early experiences, =A0I never let the guy
> work alone. I'm watchin him every minute. Guys been in the business
> over 25 years and still don't know shit.
>
> On a job, among other things, I had him put a contact on the front
> door of a shop. It was warm out and the door was propped open all day.
> Finished the job, and we checked all the openings and PIR's except for
> the front door which I figured I'd check when I did my central station
> check just before I leave. I told him to pack up and he could go. I
> pack up, put everything in the van and go back to arm the system and
> check the central. The front door wouldn't close all the way. He'd
> mounted the switch and the magnet without ever closing the door to see
> if it lined up. Jeeeeeeze. NOW .... I gotta
> get all the tools, ladder, etc out of the van. Try to drill a hole in
> the aluminum door right next to an existing hole without breaking
> through. Damn DAMMIT......!!!!! Another half hour - fortyfive minutes
> futzin around with it and HE'S home already !!!!
>
> Puts a motion detector about 10 feet off the floor so that anyone
> walking where you'd normally expect a person to walk .... could walk
> right under the PIR with out setting it off. I mean ..... is it really
> that hard to figure out? =A0I can't believe that me knowing what a
> typical pattern of a motion detector is ...makes me super smart.
>
> Oh well..... Thus I work alone ........

RHC: My experience has been pretty much the same up here in Canada.
Everyone is bitching about how hard it is to find a paying job, but no
one will sacrifice anything on the short term to learn a trade that in
the long run will make them decent money. My son and I are starting to
plan my retirement from the business and we will need a second person
to replace me. I am responsible for the office work, plus service
work,and he is prime for installations. However, we both share
everything depending upon how busy it is at any given time.

We have brought on two hopeful people who didn't last past the first
installation. They were well paid for their days work, although it
actually slowed us down having to show them what to do and not do.
However,both weren't interested in going any further so we are back at
square one. When we need help, we go to other dealer friends who show
up and help us out, and we reciprocate the favour. But this is no way
to plan for the future.

Luckily we are at the account point where we can just cruise along not
worrying about too much due to RMR levels. And service is blessedly
minor in nature due to quality installs and careful takeovers. But the
long term will present a problem unless we can solve this issue.

I say this to let you know I think this is probably an industry wide
problem. The ADT's of the world definately have the advantage here
since they can easily afford to hire people and keep them around when
business is slow while we can't (at least not to that degree)

My "glass ceiling" comes at 1200 accounts when I will definately have
to have a third party on staff....still working on that solution...:))