13 Small Simple Actions to Change Your Company Culture

Being an owner or manager in a service business is fast paced, grinding, and can be total consuming

of all your faculties and inter-resources. This also holds true for your inside staff and your field Technicians. So here are 13 tips to improve the culture in your company by small things you as a manager or owner can do on a regular basis.

1.       Morning Greeting

As you walk in and some of your staff is already at the office, greet each one by name and with a positive greeting. I know you often come in with things on your mind, or lack of sleep, but this can give your staff a boost which can carry over to the customers they touch that day.

2.       Feed the Crew

Having a meeting? Stop at Mickey D’s or Dunkin Donuts and bring in something for them to eat. It doesn’t need to be exotic or expensive. They will feel you care about them. Be sure to recognize any food allergies or dietary issues and take care of those individuals also.

3.       Acknowledge

Acknowledge years of service with your company for each employee. You can do this on social media, send them a card, post it on the company bulletin board, have a cake with their name on it,  or even have something like a special hat or jacket for 1 year of service, 5 years of service, 10 years of service and so on.

4.       Celebrate

ALWAYS celebrate wins. When you reach a goal within the company such as meeting the monthly budget for sales and profit, reaching a specific number of Maintenance Agreements, excellent customer reviews, or a successful change within the company celebrate. This can be as simple as an announcement at a meeting or something more like lunch for everyone. Be sure to include everyone and show the benefit of the success to the employee.

5.       Orient

When a new employee comes into a company, they have a great sense of uneasiness. Introduce them to every employee you can. Let them know who to go to for payroll, uniforms, truck issues, in the warehouse and so on. When they agree to come on board, send them a letter welcoming them and their family to your family (company).

6.       Suggestion Box

Have a suggestion box where employees can express their ideas on improving the company. When a suggestion saves the company money or greatly improves customer service and revenue, acknowledge that suggestion and reward the employee. Incidentally, all suggestions must be answered by management within 1-2 weeks with an answer why or why not the suggestion will be implemented. If you don’t, the employees will stop giving suggestions.

7.       Ring the Bell

Have a bell and ring it when a replacement system is sold, a maintenance agreement is sold, or an add-on sale by a Technician. People like wins so celebrate wins. Casinos have bells, sirens, lights, and other devices to acknowledge wins.

8.       Post Results

Post goals and employee results to meet those goals. This could be sales, maintenance agreement sales, CSR sales, number of customer calls vs. closes and so on. This will increase sales just by posting and create some competition among employees. Also post a simple monthly company financial statement for all employees to view.

9.       Play Games

With the daily grind, employees get bored and their job becomes a heavy task each day. Have some games from time to time. Have everyone bring in a baby picture and post it. See if someone can guess whose picture each one is and have a small prize for the most correct guesses.  There are books with ideas for games that companies can play.

10.   Think Family

Each employee has a family outside of your business that is very important to them. Many employees are lost because of issues outside of work that deal with family. Look at your company policies and view them from an employee and family perspective. When you have a company activity, such as a Christmas party or picnic, think about making them family focused to include spouses, important others, and kids.

11.   Safety

Be sure to have a safety manual for the company and be a stickler for safety in the office, warehouse, and on the jobsites. Think of safety as an employee benefit that is reasonable to conduct and tells each employee that you care about them. If you bypass safety issues they feel you don’t care for their wellbeing and will not give their best to the company.

12.   Image

The image of your company is displayed every day by your trucks, employees and building. Employees don’t want to work for a company with dirty bathrooms, messy warehouses, poor uniforms, filthy office carpets, and so on. They want to work for the companies with the best images because it is a direct reflection on them. This is not an overnight or cheap change for some of you but if you make strides in the right direction without back-sliding, they will notice the change.

13.   Career

Most employees are looking for a career not just a job. For each employee, layout a career path they can achieve over a period of time. I would suggest over the next 5 years. There should be title changes as they advance, improved compensation, company provided training, and direction for them. They should have specific goals and skills to reach in order to move to the next level. They should be evaluated at least yearly but I would recommend semi-annually. Your employees are being enticed by other companies with opportunities. What are their opportunities at your company? Show them!

14.   Bonus Idea

A simple “Thank You” to an employee for doing a great job or going beyond the call of duty, goes a very long way!

Change Starts

Change starts at the top. These are “nice ideas” but if you don’t change and implement them or other cultural changes, your company will not change for the better. The culture will not improve and you will continue to struggle with many more employee issues and greater turnover.

Help

Need help with change? Give me a call or email me, I can help if you are ready for cultural change.

You can get more information at our website www.SayYesToSuccess.com 

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Contact him at Dan@SayYesToSuccess.com

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Do You Need a Mobile Solution?

The continued march of technology has given us access to information in the palm of our hands. We can find any business, service, or product information on our cellphones. We went from "bricks that could only make calls to cellphones that easily fit into our shirt or pants pocket and allow us to open the internet or so to say everything in the world. It's not just us as business people but your customers and potential customers are becoming more and more dependent on their mobile technology. Although I started out by discussing cellphones, that mobile technology includes tablets and phablets. If you are not up to speed on technology a phablet is an over-size smart cellphone. The demand for desktop computers and laptop computers has dropped substantially with the power and ease of smartphones, phablets, and tablets. Website Magazine had an interesting 5 question quiz so you can understand the magnitude of use of these devices. Here is the quiz which you can take yourself. You will be amazed at the numbers.
 

1. What is the amount of time spent on mobile devices per day by the average U.S. consumer in 2014?

a. 20 hours and 14 minutes

b. 12 hours and 14 minutes

c. 5 hours and 57 minutes

d. 2 hours and 42 minutes

e. 38 minutes

2. What percentage of worldwide Google Play revenue do Freemium apps account for?

a.  98 percent

b. 72 percent

c. 38 percent

d. 17 percent

e. 53 percent

3. In what app category do U.S. smartphone users spend the most time interacting?

a. News/Info

b. Communications

c. Shopping/Commerce

d. Games

e. Social

4. What percentage of consumers are watching videos on their smartphones?

a. 75 percent

b. 93 percent

c. 25 percent

d. 42 percent

e. 12 percent 

5. As of June 2014, how many mobile Internet users are there worldwide?

a. 890 million

b. 1.2 billion

c. 106 million

d. 7.1 billion

e. 3.4 billion

Answers at the end of this post

So what should you do to tap into this market and assure your website is best viewed on every type of device? There are at least three choices. One is to have a responsive site  which means your website display changes when your customer uses their mobile device to access it. If it is a desktop or laptop it displays the way you had it built. If it is viewed on a smartphone, phablet, or tablet it displays differently to make it much more useful for the viewer. Another option is to build a totally separate design when one of these mobile devices opens your website. You could also develop an App but then the customer would need to upload your App to see your content. Probably not the first direction a contractor should select. Each of these solutions are time consuming and costly to develop but as with everything in business "It costs to attract customers". Begin to investigate the options and costs. As you put your 2015 budget together you should put this cost into it to meet this new trend. The numbers are only going to grow as more people have these devices and learn the convenience they provide.  

You can get more information at our website www.SayYesToSuccess.com 

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Contact him at Dan@SayYesToSuccess.com

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Answers to the Quiz: d, a, e, a, b

 

A Memorial Day Tribute

A very inspiring and potent video to thank our veterans and currently servicing soldiers.

                                                                          This video is quite large so it will take some time to load. It is several years old and not my creation and it is very well done.

 

Bergstrom - Elder Consulting Group thanks each and every veteran and active military soldier for their service. Being a baby boomer, I especially thank those Viet Nam Veterans who were often undercut with a lack of recognition for their service.

Think about hiring a Veteran when you have a job opening!

Prepare for the N.A.T.E. Test in the Detroit Michigan Area

We have upcoming N.A.T.E. review classes for Core, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pump.These are evening classes so you won't loose you opportunities to earn. Testing is scheduled a few days after the classes so you can review, retain, and test.

  

You can get more information at our website www.SayYesToSuccess.com 

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Contact him at Dan@SayYesToSuccess.com

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Finding the Right Technicians

Finding Technicians

Last time I gave a list of ideas for finding that "right Technician". My definition of "the right Technician" is one who can consistently produce profit for the company with a minimum amount of drama. I mentioned several ways to do this and I would like to expand on one in this article.

The ability to find a profit producing Technician is difficult at best and probably impossible in your service area. The old ways of a newspaper ad for a Technician with 5 years of field experience in the service business are no longer productive. It's finally time you groom your own. This can be a long and arduous task and sometimes the results are poor. Here is a tip you can use to have greater success and cut the time for that new Technician to be a profit producer for the company.

Go to School

The tip is simple. Get involved! Yes, get involved with every college or trade school that has a program for young people to get into the trade. Be sure to include local high school programs. All of these schools are desperate for company owners and managers to advise on improving their programs so their graduates will be successful in find high paying jobs in your trades. This normally is a morning or afternoon each quarter so the time commitment is really minimal. By being involved, you will know the instructors and other staff. What does that do for you? That's simple. You can have access to the best students, those with the best attitude, skills and desire to improve themselves. With a basic instruction and knowledge of the trade, they are more prepared to start fast. They may be willing to intern at your business which will give you an even better picture of their attitude and skills. You may be able to hire them on a part-time basis if necessary to assist during busy seasons. This could be in the field or as support in your office or warehouse.

At Graduation

When they are ready to graduate, you will be able to cherry pick the graduates and as an added bonus train them in your culture and systems. This avoids that baggage problem you can have when you hire a Technician "with experience". Remember companies don't let go of profitable Technician without baggage. Those looking for a job often have issues that will cause trouble or divert your focus of serving the customer.

 

How to Start

Start with one school or college and give it a try. Meet with your management team and explain why you're doing this, the benefits, the challenges, and the overall reward. Put together a plan for this new Technician so you can measure the progress and make a quick decision if it is or isn't working with that individual. If necessary, fire him or her, wish them well, and move on to someone who has all the characteristics to quickly become a profitable Technician.

Stay Tuned

Stand tuned for the next article on some additional ideas to overcome some of the issues listed above.

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Contact him at Dan@SayYesToSuccess.com

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Why can't I find young Technicians?

As I meet with clients I am hearing how hard it is to find young Technicians in plumbing, HVAC, or electrical service companies. Their advertising for new Technicians goes without much in the way of success. With unemployment high, especially for young adults, you would think there would be a significant number of applicants for entry level or helper type positions. It just does not seem to be. Let’s look at some of the reasons this is the case.

High School Counselors

Without a lot of exposure to the opportunities for highly skilled service technicians, the long-term career opportunities, and the monetary rewards, many counselors are not showing students the careers available with firms that provide service in our fields. Successful students are pushed toward four year (or more) college degrees and jobs that relate to those degrees. Students often end up with a degree, no job, and tens of thousands of dollars of debt in their early twenties. Those students with little motivation or poor grades are directed to a whole variety of various trades and jobs. With the complexities in our industry today, we need successful students with great educational backgrounds.

Those Leaving the Military

Many younger Americans join the military when they graduate from high school. They mature

and gain training in the military that could be applicable to our businesses. They learn how to use tools, computers, understand technical manuals, and many other skills. They leave the military with their
GI education benefits but we have few opportunities for them to use them in our service industry. Instead, they are actively recruited into other skilled labor industries such as aircraft maintenance, automobile repair, and computer repair. There are schools specifically setup and operating to train young veterans in these fields. These fields also have a lot of pizazz which we lack or we lack conveying it to veterans.

Drugs, Driving Records, and Records

My experience has been that a third to a half of those who apply for an entry level position cannot pass a pre-employment drug test.  Many young applicants have serious driving violations which are not acceptable to insurance companies. Since we work in customer’s homes or place of business and employees must be able to drive our vehicles, the legal liability is too great to for a business to take the risk and hire them. Lastly, some come in with criminal records. This can present business risk that most of us are unwilling to take on.

Weekends and Nights

Many young job candidates are not willing to do whatever it takes to continue in our field. They

want evening and weekends free for their own pursuits and not burdened with on call during these times. They will pursue jobs that don’t require interruption of their personal life.

Instant Gratification

Many young prospects are not willing to put in the years and the energy to gain the knowledge necessary to service the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or electrical in  homes and businesses. They can conquer the skills needed to flip burgers in a few hours. They can learn to do a lot of less skilled jobs in a few days or weeks.

No in house training or career plan

Few contractors have developed any type of in house training program for the future of their business. They look for Technicians who already possess the technical and customer service skills necessary to meet customer needs. There is no career plan so a young prospect can see where they can advance and have a career not just an entry level job. All the young prospect can see is 20+ years doing exactly the same thing day in and day out. The old adage, "What's in it for me" still rings true in young people. 

Competition

We think of competition, we think of other businesses in our fields. Sure

they are some of your competitors for young workers but businesses outside of our field are much bigger competition. Young people with skills are being hired by school systems, maintenance companies, chain stores, building owners, manufacturing companies, and even unrelated services and products industries.

Stay Tuned

Stand tuned for the next article on some ideas to overcome some of the issues listed above.

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Contact him at Dan@SayYesToSuccess.com

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Can Your Business Have Too Much Profit?

The service business is an interesting business. It has its ups and its downs. The downs are often related to weather in the HVAC service business. A cool summer or a warm winter can slow down the customer’s need for service and reduce the opportunities for system replacements since the systems aren’t taxed with mild weather. The plumbing, HVAC and electrical service businesses are usually affected by poor economic times. When customers are concerned about their income and expenses they tend to let maintenance and service go or look for cheaper (in their eyes) alternatives such as friends or a handyman.

What Contractors tend to do

Contractors tend to tighten up the purse strings when the economy is slow or the weather does not cooperate. They put off new trucks, computers, tools, and needed repairs on those items. After all, they need to meet payroll, satisfy suppliers and pay their taxes. I’ve been there and done that through several recessions and a number of poor weather seasons. That’s what a small business does to survive.

Many of my clients had very good years in 2013. Some even had record growth and record profits. In Michigan, the cold weather of December and January resulted in the phones ringing. At least two of my clients had record January sales and profits. What a way to start the year. But, what happens when a service business has a very good year or even a very good month?

High Five Times

Often the first reaction is of joy and high fives as it should be. Then suppliers and other vendors are paid so accounts with them are current, again as it should be. But here comes the concern I have that a profitable year or even a very profitable month causes owners to spend on computer upgrades, trucks, tools, give oversized wage increases, and buy stuff for owner use. They don’t do it at a reasonable pace but tend to forget about the need to have some reserves since another stretch of tough months may be ahead. Funds are spent with the thought that the next month or season will also be very profitable. They also forget about paying down on their line of credit since the bank may only require a payment of interest or minimal principle.

Ant or Grasshopper

The Ant and the Grasshopper, also known as The Grasshopper and the Ant (or Ants), is one of Aesop's Fables, providing a lesson about the virtues of hard work and planning for the future. Similarly as business owners, we should be storing up our abundance for the difficult times that inevitably will be coming. When we are prepared for slower business, we can pay our vendors on time often getting better pricing and terms. We can get materials without scrambling around to try and get them since our credit may be tarnished. We can be prepared to take on additional opportunities when business picks up. Financial reserves give a business a better chance for survival and a chance to grab opportunities when they present themselves.

The answer is NO a business cannot have too much profit but the profit must be used wisely.

Dan has been in the service industry for nearly 50 years. He has operated a large plumbing, heating and air conditioning service company and for the past 12 years has helped small companies in the service business to grow and prosper. Check us out at www.SayYesToSuccess.com.

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