Richard Hilliard

Friday I went to the suppliers to pick up a water heater at 4:00 in the afternoon. While I was in there 2 other plumbers were talking about their shops. The conversation is when is enough a enough and how much do the companies need.

Each company has had layoffs and working with a skeleton crew to maintain their business. This means each person who is working has to do more and take on more responsibility such as run on call more often and work longer hours.

I know many of you are business owners and I would like to know how you feel about this type of situation. If your employee came to you and talked to you about this situation how you would react? Would you be surprised? If you caught wind of this conversation in a supply house and your company was known what would your reaction be with your employee talking like this?

My feeling I must do whatever it takes to have the company be successful.

Phat Cat

If it was general whining about the recession and the impact, it would not phase me. I don't like the new reality anymore than anyone else.

If the gist was that our company was taking advantage of the recession, working skeleton crews, and profiting greatly from it . . . I would quietly be looking to replace the offenders.

We are 100% open with our employees and every decision we make is based on what's best for the company along with what's fair regarding expectations of employees. The "Us (employees) against them (employers) mentality" is not a recipe for success, in fact it often leads to the early demise of a small business.

A business is a team and is only successful when ALL players understand the common goal. Cliche, but 100% true "Chain is only as strong as it's weakest link."

Back to your example, if their employers were taking advantage of them, those employers will get their payback as soon as the employment market opens back up.

Another cliche - 'what comes around goes around'

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All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. – Edmund Burke

TheMaster

I would assume its 4:00pm on a friday and two guys are burnt out from the summer and just complaining. Then i would tell ever who told me that to mind their own business

stillaround

Success..schmucksess.....zig ziglaritis and tom hopkinsosis...let them breathe.

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Titan Plumbing

Does this guy REALLY plumb?

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Halito...Sa hohchifo ut Mike

Master Mark

it really depends on the atitude of the people involved.
If they are not happy getting the overtime and doing the work,
then they should find a place that better suits them......
like the unemployment line.....



keeping the business going is what it is all about....
and if a skeleton crew is the only way to do it,
then so be it...

this is not 1999 with money and good paying jobs falling out of the trees.......


I am presently waiting on a lady to get her butt home from
shopping so I can have the privdledge of cutting off a gas
line to a stove this afternoon....

Its 2 now and I have not heard back from the bit//.....



I plan on doing the work and chargeing her at least 100-50 bucks...
Now I could have someone being on call and getting paid for this satruday,
but that would not be cost effective...... and they dont want to work anyway......

I would just assume do it myself and pay the bills..


once you get a few whiners working for you, it can really make the moral
and whole situation negative and oppresive...

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God created man, Sam Colt made them equal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQMO1eyMRuM

Phat Cat

Agree 100% Master Mark. I have to do things I don't like too, but I like to be able to pay my bills. Unemployment is not an option.

Do employees really think we like 'after hours' calls anymore then they do? Even though we are not out there doing the work, our 'free time' is being disturbed as well. When you work for Property Manager's, after the call is complete, calls have to be made and reports given. I don't grumble - it's good business and future work.

My husband did it for several years straight because our first plumber refused after hour calls. We did what we had to do. He never whined, he chose to be a Service Plumber and that comes with the territory when you offer after hours service.

If the employees don't like it, they have an option. Find another job or quit yer biotchen!

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All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. – Edmund Burke

house plumber

I wish I could work every saturday like I used to. I miss all that overtime.

Richard Hilliard

Thanks to those who anwered. I am looking for your personal feelings an reactions to this as a business owner. What if a client or friend heard this discussion?


Stillaround it has nothing to do with sales.It is not a sales question.There are a ton of sales questions that could be asked however I have discovered that many in here do not want to discuss sales.

stillaround

With all due respect Richard...how on earth are you affected by what a couple of gripers are saying because of long hours...you are indignant over their lack of company ethic....that sounds self righteous to me.

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