Good Job!

WNYcarpenter

I'd like to start a thread about saying "good job". Or "good job" stories.

I had some trouble with my helper over the winter, nothing specific, but I felt like I had to keep him busy step by step. he was being lazy and wasn't making an effort to look ahead to the next step.

Things have been changing recently and TODAY everytime I turned around to keep him moving ahead he was either doing it or it had been done. He kicked a$$! I've been under more pressure than normal lately and he(Mike) has stepped up and has been awesome! GOOD JOB MIKE!

I did tell him good job today, I was just thinking a positive thread might do some good. Anyone esle have a similar experience?

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specwood

We call those "attaboys". I tell my guys to save them in a coffee can. They can use them later to patch their ego after an inevitable goof. No one has filled a can yet (figuratively speaking).

Forry

Anyone got tips on how to give a "good job" without sounding condescending or like I know more than them or something? Best I've found is to let 'em know that I like what they did, or was impressed with innovative thinking, but mostly I feel like an ass for suggesting that I get to hand out "attaboy's". Does that make any sense?

Stone Mountain

We finished a deck yesterday north of here. The carpenter came back and showed me the $50 tip the customer gave him. After securing my 80% share, I clapped him on the back and said "attaboy!"

Actually, I made him buy me a can of pop(which we took from my refridgerator! LOL)

Seriously, I'm getting more and more compliments and letters. Last week we got a letter from a satisfied custome complementing the crew. I photocopied the page and put it in the envelope with his cheque.

I make sure to tell the crew EVERY TIME we get a phone call or letter about how good their performance is.

An installer is only human. A sincere complement every now and then can't help but make them happier, and a happy installer is a good installer.

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specwood

We don't really hand out attaboys. I was just joking.

I do copy letters from customers to give them to the guys as well. It works good.

WNYcarpenter

Any way to aknowledge a job well done is a "good Job" in my book. Still being in the field I see guys go to great lengths disecting every conversation just to see if what they're doing is good or bad. My buddy joked when I said good job, "stop patronizing me"... That was his reaction, but silly or not guys like to hear it. We all have different ways to show appreciation, in my case I'm not uncomfortable saying good job when I mean it.

The end of my third day in construction as I was getting in my vehicle, my foreman said, "you did a good job today." That meant a lot to me.

Anyway, has anyone had a co-worker or employee suprised you lately....more intiative, skills you were unaware of, anything that made you think..."hmm, not bad!" Those are the stories I'd like to hear!

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"I knew I lost my wallet as soon as I threw my pants over the fence". -'lil jarhead bro when asking for a wire transfer...

supercrew

personally i think a small bonus(say any percentage of a profitable job here) would say more than ANY words. hand the man his payday with a nod and a shake, say thanks and go your way.when ole boy looks at his pay stub and sees his "attaboy" i bet the next job WILL go as planned and everyone will strive to beat the deadline

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Mater

Supercrew, you hit it on the head! Not EVERY time is it necessary, but when the brown nasty stuff rolls down hill everyone gets hit with it. When the "attaboys" come down everyone should get hit with it also. I love to hear foremen say it to their guys. I know it motivates them, and then some if in a check

ModernStyle

attaboys are nice but they dont pay the rent. I worked for a guy who praised me daily but never gave me a raise, I quit on him. It takes more then words to keep a good man on the job, dont hand out butt loads of cash, but dont think a pat on the head and a attaboy will cut it forever either. I know alot of companies who's top guys leave and go out on their own, then the owner of the company wonders why his best guy would up and leave, the answer is cash. You tell the guy he is good, he knows he is good, but he isnt paid too good, eventually he will leave and become competition.
I tell my guys when they do good and i jump down their throats when they are bad, but I also let them know how many hours I need on a job and if they get it done in less we will all split the difference evenly. Maybe that isnt a good business practice, but my guys dont complain and they bust their backsides on every job.

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homesouth

Yo Modernstyle, your sugesstion of "splitting a difference" is interesting to me ... how does that work?

ModernStyle

Lets say I bid a job for $6000 in just labor, my guys get done early and it comes in at $4000 in labor. Take that extra $2000 and divide by the number of guys working on the job plus me, most times I am working the job also so I guess I would be included either way. So if there are 4 guys that would be $500 each in bonus, sure you still gotta give Uncle Sam his share but it atleast gives them something to strive for. The $6000 would not be the total amount paid, it would be the amount calculated in after materials, overhead, and profits were already deducted from the total bid amount. Maybe I just bid different then everyone else but I always try and figure out material cost, overhead and how much profit I want to make, then add on the hours I believe it will take to do the job, plus a few extra hours to cover my rear in case I mess up. Maybe it is a bad business practice to hand out the money that could be considered extra profits, but I am not a million dollar corporation. I am just a guy who knows how to paint a little.

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PA woodbutcher

I like to treat with a good meal after all goes as planned. I took 1 guy and his girlfriend to dinner and drinks @ Texas Roadhouse on me the last time. Wanted to let her know also how much I appreciated his effort. Showed up and busted his a$$ 13-14 hrs a day for a solid week. They do have a home life too and it usually suffers after one of those weeks, I know mine does, I get cranky and everyone starts avoiding me, same goes for them I'm sure.

Second Look

I also feel a little uncomfortable using the phrase "good job". For one thing, it's not specific enough to sound sincere.

Rule #1: praise publicly and criticize privately.

When someone else hears the praise, it's so much sweeter.

Ways to tell someone "good job" without sounding like a cheese ball:

• Hey, that trim turned out awesome!
• Man, you're really bustin' it out today
• If you keep hanging board like that you're gonna be done before you even started
• I don't think a counter top gets any more level than that
• Those drawer pulls you installed turned out perfect
• That's about as good as it gets
• Wait till Cindy (homeowner's name) sees how this turned out
• (At lunchtime) You're really jammin' today. Take an extra 15 minutes, you earned it.

Ways to tell someone the job is not so good, and do it privately if at all possible:

• This corner didn't turn out as good as the others
• The homeowner's probably gonna notice these two drywall seams, how about hitting them one more time?
• That's not quite as straight as we usually get it
• You seem a little preoccupied today, is anything wrong? (I know I'm gonna catch hell for this one *shrug*)
• (At lunchtime) You seem a little out of it today. Let's see if we can make the second half better than the first.

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Second Look

That's awesome. Although getting an "extra" page along with your check can initially give a sinking feeling and maybe they'll be worried they are getting fired. You might note on the envelope "customer feedback inside" or something to that effect.

Is there a wall or bulletin board you can also post the letters on so everyone can see it? Praise publicly!

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dougchips

Web-site? or send a copy to the workers wife with a gift card and a note "thanks for providing Harry with the support needed so he can mak our clients happy"

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Second Look

That, or tape it to the wall next to the time clock for a day or two.

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Handyman and Home Repair Specialist in Rhode Island
RI Licensed Lead Safe Remodeler/Renovator, RI Registered & Insured Contractor

Magnettica

Very rarely does my boss ever see the service work I do for customers. So if a customer says to me "good job" I suggest to them that the next time they need work done to ask for Ron when calling the office for service. When the ticket says "customer wants Ron only" that makes me feel really good especially because the boss sees it.

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Stone Mountain

good point. I routinely round out the pay: I pay every job on a fixed basis. If the agreed amount is $940, when we write the cheque I usually round it out to $1000.
If there is a bit extra on a job and the crew wants more, I usually don't argue (an extra $100 won't break me, but the crew appreciates it)

I lent one of my guys $600 in February to make his truck payment.
Last week I forgave the whole amount as a bonus.

Another crew chief's wife's car blew up. I loaned him $5000 to buy a used van from my brother becasue his credit is lousy. He's paying me back on a monthly basis.

I routinely let my men put tools on my account with my tool/hardware supplier. They pay me back over 2-3 jobs.

Last week I held a BBQ at the shop(I do it 2-3 times a season). After steaks and beer, I always have a giveaway. We buy tools, equipment and such and hold draws for doorprizes. The prizes range from $20 to $200 in value.


You gotta look after your men (and women: I have a lady carpenter). Loyalty works both ways.

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calypso

I worked for my friend for years. I don't think I ever heard him say "good job" once. I got alot of "good natured" abuse though. Even though I knew I was doing a great job the "what's the hold up? What the hell have you been doing all this time?", began to wear on me and I started feeling like I sucked. I finally quit. We don't see each other anymore.