Management????

LWF

I was recently "promoted" to branch manager at one of our three branches. Unfortunately, this branch is completely screwed up by the last idiot they had in there. I have been "plugging holes in the boat" for about a year now and I hate it! First off, I got a $75 raise a week to become branch manager which I thought was a little low. Not to mention, I work 20 more hours a week and have no time for myself. It's also a little discouraging to work hard at a business that seems destine to fail. Recently, I found out the manager that screwed the place up was making a third more than I am. My questions are for managers out there. How much should I be expecting to make at a business where all three branches add up to about 3.5 million a year? Also, how much should a manager do? I am expected to handle service, installation, customer relations, estimates, inventory control, and also produce sales. I don't have enough time in a day and I'm the most efficient person know (and humble too... ) I'm torn with what to do. Part of me likes the responsibility and oppurtunity and the other part wants to go back to the field and have a life away from work.

R&S Exteriors

Clarify, If you are actullay doing, and not managing, the above work then your are not a manager. They just gave you that title, with a wopping extra $75.00 a week, to try and get you to do three peoples jobs. If you are not actually doing the work and are managing other employees that are doin the work then your probably getting paid pretty well.

Double-A

I see from your profile that his is an HVAC contracting business.

What job functions if any, are shared with the other branches?

What costs if any, are paid by the other branches?

How many employees does this branch have, and what are their jobs?

Is this primarily new home installations, commercial installations or service and replacement of existing units?

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joasis

My advice would be to polish up your resume and get with the job search...detailing your current experience...someone else will want you and probably pay what skills are worth. If not, return to your trade and stop knocking your butt to the ground for no financial gain.

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mdshunk

I've noticed that some employers think that just handing out a title like "manager" or "foreman" is enough compensation for the additional workload. I think it's a common ploy. That 75 bucks a week is about what I spend on lunches each week, counting the tip. Tell them thanks for giving you lunch money.

dougchips

Did you take the job and then find out that it paid $75 generous dollars more or did you know that up front and want to complain now? If you were a field worker and they promoted you and taught you skills that you did not have then it cost the company money. If you are at the point now that you do not need any coaching and your branch does equal or better than the other branches then you might be able to ask for more money.

At some point you must of been jumping up and down with the joys of being a "branch manager". Now that your smile is gone the job is just going to drain your soul. Some people are meant to be managers and some are not. Some people run business' by paying their staff not a penny more than they have to. HOWEVER, no one has been forced to take a job or stay with a job that they don't like outside of a military draft.

Teetorbilt

I once worked for an international corp. and in one seminar they explained how many people would exchange a title for $$. The whole seminar was about creating titles and handing out minor raises.

'Operations Manager' for a large corp. can look good on your resume when you decide to go for the $$.

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Tscarborough

By my calculations, sales of less than a 100,000 per branch per month, not very much. How many employees do you manage?

Grumpy

IMO management should be paid a low base salary with a high compensation for profit and other such variables.

If I were in your shoes I would approach your bosses as such. "Boss, I want you to pay me less BUT give me a monthly bonus based on profit. We can work it on gross or net whatever you are comfortable with." Figure out your numbers first before you go to the negotiating table. Obviously determine how much you want to earn and figure out what percentage you will need to earn that ammount.

Furthermore I would assume your corporate headquarters has some kind of policies in place, if not scrap the whole deal and start from scratch. "Also Boss, I really need to have total control over what I am doing. What the last guy did just isn't working out and everything needs to be reworked from the ground floor. This means hiring and firing and setting up new policies."

PipeGuy

<claxons sounding> WARNING! WARNING! Do NOT try this at home! The only part your boss will hear is "...pay me less..."

I think Grumpy's on the right track but I take exception with his phrasology. For one, I'd never let words like 'pay me less' out of my mouth; no matter in what context. I'd propose to the boss that "I NEED a way to EARN more money" rather than stating that "I WANT you [to] GIVE me a bonus." Then explain that a bonus system based upon performance is something you've thought about and ask how that can be implemented.
Also, if the boss can't a bonus plan done in a month, it ain't ever gonna' happen [/quote]

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Grumpy

I used those terms specifically to grab the bosses attention. One other thing I would mention, when you are talking about bonuses and commissions... always get it in writing. Come up with some type of agreement and ask him to sign it.

dougchips

Another view, you pay me x to do y, I can offer you y&z if you can pay me ______(ran out of letters). What is in it for your boss? Can he just fill your shoes with someone else?

Offer him something in exchange for his money.

Paul Burns

It cracks me up every time I think about this story and maybe you had to be there but here goes. This was about 20 years ago and the company was me, my best friend and this country boy who was a friend also. But he was a REAL hillbilly. Anyway, we were driving home after work one day and I said to Joe Michael (the hillbilly) "Joe Michael, you do know that I will pay you more money (we were hourly back then) if you would just work a little bit harder, don't you?" And he looked at me just dead serious and said "How about if you just pay me LESS!"

Paul

copusbuilder

Hmmm. That sounds liek the conversations I've had here in Apalachia "Crockett" Texas.
People that have no future and you offer a carrot and they look away??

I just don't get it.
If the gov. would take away the freebies then maybe....just maybe?

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