Employee Problems

Ken@K&R

Ok I had a helper (keyword had). Yesterday he was working in a house with me and when the job was finished for the day I found out the scumbag stole some stuff from the homeowners and smoked pot in their basement. Neither of which im very happy about. Of course I got their stuff back and fired him. Anyone have any advice on approaching the customer on this subject? This is a new one on me and im not sure if I should give their stuff back and the employees name so they can handle it. Maybe just put it back and walk away whispering. Any sugestions please.

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Ken

KENNEDY

Do the H/Os know their stuff is missing or did you catch him?

Ken@K&R

we caught him and im not sure if homeowner knows or not

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Ken

slickshift

No Brainer

Go right to the H/O with the items, an apology, and maybe some flowers, tell them you fired the guy

It doesn't matter what it was or if they know or suspect

Be the stand-up guy

Face to face

As Per Wilfred Brimley:
It's the right thing to do

Robie

Maybe this is overkill, but it seems to me a police report should be filled out. You or the customer don't have to press charges, but, in case of any retribution of the part of the ex-employee, at least their is something to go on.
You, your company, and reputation are at stake. If the customer knows that your dissatisfaction was enough to warrant a police report, that alone may even get you more business. ATD (attention to detail) doesn't just have to be with your craftsmanship.
Just a thought...

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If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

MinConst

I'd have to agree with slick. If you want to be known as an honest business owner the right thing to do is to let them know what transpired and what you did about it. I wouldn't apologize for the a-hole but offer your sincere concern. People know there are creeps out there. I would appreciate the fact that you found this out and got rid of the guy.

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Paul
Minichillo's Construction
Website
I will never leave you hanging!

A+Carpenter

What I would do is this K&R.

Go to the h/o tell them sorry on behalf your company,return the items. call the kid and meet him somewhere to talk about his job and his actions. Have the cops waiting and the homeowner to press charges. You are entitled also to press charges on him also. Or this you can do. OUT BACK THE ALLEY WAY you get my drift?

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DecksEtc

I'd say that I agree with the above 4 posts. As for the pressing of charges, I would perhaps indicate to the homeowners your thoughts/ideas and tell them it is "their call" and that you will completely support their decision.

It doesn't really matter if they know or not - you have to face them. If they're good people, they'll appreciate your honest and your actions after you found out.

Floorwizard

this will tie a bit into it.

http://www.contractortalk.com/articl...omplaints.html

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"in 20 years you will regret more what you did not do than what you did"

Robie

...unless, of course, if what he stole from the homeowner was the goofbud he was smoking. That puts a whole new twist on things.

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If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters. ~Alan Simpson

go dart

the most important part is the homeowner. they may fear what this guy might do. honesty is always the ONLY policy. tell them what happened (maybe not the pot thing as now its a non issue) return the items and say you're SORRY . if you ask them if they would like to go farther with it i bet they tell you no. if the guys young call his dad lay it on him where it belongs.

Peladu

I thinks it’s the H/O’s call to get the police involved, yet they should be informed of the option and what happened. What I would be nervous about is this kid coming back to either your place of business or the customers house to get some payback

But I don’t think they can charge him with anything because the home owners got all of their stuff back. They could file an order of protection. It’s good to find out.

As I like to say, “You can not un-ring a bell”—the damage is done, these customers may not ask for your services again because they can not trust your guys, you essentially have been given a black eye. Now as soon as you tell them that your guy was ripping them off, they are going to come up with jeweley, leather coats, collectables and any other thing they can think of to file a claim. But some of those things may have already been heisted by your guy, you just didn’t catch those items.

It sucks when something like this happens. I had a similar experience (kind of) and I couldn’t sleep for days. Good luck to you.

mdshunk

This happened when I was working for another contractor about 1998. My helper stole some stuff from a h/o. I didn't know until he was taking his jacket and lunchbucket out of the truck at the shop at the end of the day. I recognized the items. I questioned him on it, and he said, "Shhh!". Naturally, I let the boss know right away. The guy got fired, needless to say. The people had their stuff returned personally by the owner of the company, the work we did was now free, and they got a hefty gift certificate to one of the nicest restaraunts in the area.

Tom R

If you try to return it, - - and they already know about it, - - you're really going to look bad.

I would just tell 'em the truth, - - ASAP.

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http://www.tr-built.com

Grumpy

Agreed

When ever we do interior work which is only the case of windows, and sometimes skylights I tell the customer they must be home at all time. I know this wouldn't always work for someone doing major interior remodeling... but I insist.

George Z

I would keep a low profile, tell the customer and apologize.
Unfortunately you are responsible for hiring the wrong person
and leaving a not regular employee in that situation.
Let me re-phrase that. It is not your fault, of course, but you are responsible.
Hopefully it is a regular customer that will understand you.

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tzzzz216

Just tell them the truth and bring back the items that were stolen and your former employees name if they ask for it, sorry to say this but if you dont you and your company will have more free negitive advertising than you care to deal with.
A dollar to donuts, your former employee sometime in the future will ask you for a job referance.

Try to Send these jobs overseas!!

Brian

The truth is the only moral policy.

I once had a guy try to steal a beer keg tap from a customer. And he hid it in my truck! I called the customer and asked if she was missing the tap. I returned it the next day.

I lost the customer, but I slept better at night.

The truth is the only moral policy.

Brian Phillips

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Houston Interior Painting
Houston Exterior Painting
Houston Painting Contractor

mdshunk

Wow! That's uncanny. There must be some appeal with beer taps. In my story several posts above, the items lifted were a beer tap and a small CO2 bottle. Lay out all the jewelry and cash you want, but lock up them beer taps!

Teetorbilt

Call in the cops, bust the guy and clear YOUR name. HO's will understand that you get a bad apple now and again, what you do about it will remain forever.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein