Problems With Maintaining Standards

Riboflavin

I'm a GC, so my guys are jacks of all trades. As such, there is always a new mistake to be made, but some of them really take the cake.

I am having a recurring problem with my employees. Sometimes, things which I believe to be common sense escape them, and it's costing me money every week.

The latest involved one of my employees filling gaps between molding and drywall with GE Silicone II instead of painter's caulk. Of course, it's not the same as painter's caulk. In fact, it's not even PAINTABLE. I found out about this while another worker was painting and the paint wasn't sticking. So he had to scrape away the silicone, recaulk and REPAINT. Cost me 3 times as much.

How do you deal with things like this? I can't address every conceivable blunder and put it in a procedure manual. It'd be bigger than a telephone book.

Do I dock pay on worker #1 for stupidity? Do I jump up and down and yell at him?

The bottom line is that I cannot be profitable with mistakes like this occurring as frequently as they do.

Any advice you can give I would appreciate.

Chap

It's called accountability, and your employee should be held accountable for his action. This is a big problem for small businesses, and it will put you out of business quickly if not addressed. If the guy did not know any better then it's your fault, but if he did know better then you need to explain that this is not acceptable and the next time you will dock his pay.
People need to be held accountable.

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Annapolis Design Build

world llc

you also need to teach your guys the ropes... no matter how simple or stupid... walk them through exactly what you want done and how! we all have minor differences and variations on what we want done, so how are my guys supposed to know? it's my job to show them until i am confident they know what they are doing and can teach the new guy. your name is on the line and your money... not their's! it's on you

Celtic

Sounds like it's time to hire some real talent and stop playing games.

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Mike Finley

Yeah, Jesus Christ, that's frick'n ridiculous. What's next you find him painting without taking the lid off the paint?

wyoming 1

You can't fix stupid. I fight stuff like that all the time you can't make a silk purse out of a cows ear. You would like to think you do not have to be there to baby sit EVERY little thing but some times you do. Finding talented help is always hard but right now might be a perfect time to find some talented help looking for work. I hope someone else has a better solution

lawndart

Jack of all trades.... Master of none. Maybe you should consider.

A.) Hiring competent help
B.) Being present on the job while the work is performed.

D.A.S.Anthony

Have him ripo it out and start over. You are responsible to run the job, warranty the job, and make sure all materials are used for the correct applications.

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Anthony
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www.dasassociates.com Building from Greenwich to Fairfield and Westchester Counties.

modterry

I have had the same problems whether it is a $ 15 / hr guy or a $ 30 / hr guy. Our solution was a Construction Standards manual. With turnover in the industry and the lack of good training it was our method and it works. We have set all kinds of standards, how high, how thick, how to install along with pictures and drawings. All of our details are now in our job notebook - not on the plans. Our plans end up being pretty clean. We have all the specs and standards in a database and we load them into each project - delete what is not needed add what is special for each job. I realize no one wants to read but, when they ask me a question - I reply look it up in the manual. If the item is not there - I answer and get it in the specs next time.

Most of the guys that work for me get cross trained for many functions. We do framing, roofing, exterior trim, interior trim, cabinets very well. I have most problems with subs - forgetting things, not bringing the right tools, showing up on time , getting in contact.

One other item we've added is a REAL detailed task list - items in sequence. It is in the Job Notebook - it becomes the schedule. It is very effective - helps even the best workman remember every thing you want- It is also a good job inspection review. Consider hiring a old timer to go over the check list - A fresh set of eyes . I highlight every item that is passed over in the book.

When we give a sub a job - I go over the project notebook, plans and the task list. I even copy their portion of the tasks into their PO. It intimidates them at first but, it gives them a road map.

Now - if you miss something - you hope the worker lets you know, does the work but, you can keep adding to your specs, task list and pictures.

Hope this helps.

Terry

Grumpy

The problem is what you said yourself. jack of all trades. You can't be generalists and specialists at the same time. However a mistake like that means the guys is either stupid and can't read or doesn't care. Time to let him go. Who bought the caulk?

Docking pay is illegal if they are employees, so don't follow that advice. I'd like to in many instances, but if I do I'd go to jail.

Mike(VA)

Your employees and subs follow your lead. If you aren't there enough to oversee what they are doing and to set the standards YOU want, they aren't going to do it on their own. If you haven't specified the 'what and how', they are only going to do the 'cheap and quick'. If you have a foreman on site, he is the one who needs your attention.

I would ask who supplies the materials? If you do, why are you supplying unpaintable caulk? If they stop and purchase consumables for the job and turn in receipts, you are responsible for seeing what they are buying. I bet there are other 'problems' with the way your employees are doing things and the only time you say anything is after they have already done it. I know that since you already said it costs you money to correct stuff they do wrong.

Not picking on you since I have been there and still struggle with the same issues occassionally as do a lot of us. It takes time and effort to develop a team that presents a product for the customer that you know is professional in every way.

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I EXPECT THAT SOMEDAY I WILL SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR. IS IT SOMEDAY YET?
Clifton, Great Falls, McLean, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Virginia Renovation Contractor

Mellison

That example is an idication that your guys are not realy thinking. Just going through the motions.
However I will also say that as the owner, you should always have the correct materials on the job.( I am assuming this was your caulk to begin with. For all I know your guys grabbed it from another vendor on site)
I never buy non paintable paint for this very reason.
Phenoseal is expensive but it is all we use.
Oh yeah, and what everyone else said about hiring competent men.
That is the most important.

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"Enjoy Every Sandwich" Warren Zevon

Mike(VA)

I never buy non paintable paint for this very reason.

I never buy non caulkable caulk either.

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__________________________________________________ ___________
I EXPECT THAT SOMEDAY I WILL SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR. IS IT SOMEDAY YET?
Clifton, Great Falls, McLean, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Virginia Renovation Contractor

Kaiser

It has been touch on here so I'll take it a little further.

If you want a quality drywall job hire a drywaller.
If you want a quality tile job hire a tile setter.
ect. ect. ect.

I must have seen this a 100 times. Very few people can do it all well and it takes decades to get to that point.

No one is a better drywaller than the guy that does nothing but drywall every day.

He' not thinking about shingles, windows, or plumbing he's thinking about drywall. Every day he gets a little better at his craft.

Really it's a no brainer and I'm willing to bet you know this.

If you don't want to sub things to the proper trade make your guys jobs more trade specific.

Two guys do the drywall and paint on every job.

Three guys do the framing, siding, windows and doors on every job.

Your thinking is wrong. Blame it on anyone you choose but I'm telling you. It's you stepping over dollars to pick up dimes.

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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
Henry David Thoreau

pcplumber

I agree. Good answers. This is why I'll be 60 years old and I am one of the first people out of the office and one of the last to return every day. I personally go to every job. I love it. It reminds me of that war movie with Mel Gibs where he says he put is feet on the battlefield before his men and he is the last one to leave. I think most contractors think they are supposed to run their business by sitting at a desk. Not for contractors. There are probably a thousand reasons why you should go to every job every day.

My reason to go to every job is so I can make sure the job is 100% perfect. I crawl underneath the houses, take pictures, talk to the customers, and take the guys down the street to tell them what they are doing wrong. I like to think that I am very stern with my policies because I have told many employees to leave my truck on the job and walk home. It is the only way. Sort of like the way you give orders in the military. Soldiers follow them or people die so soldiers pay attention to instructions better than workers. Also, if a worker does something wrong people can die and this is exactly what I tell my workers. I don't want some idiot to misunderstand and electrocute someone, or fall off a roof because the ladder was not secure. You cannot resolve these issues at company meetings. Workers listen better when you are on the job and they fear being caught in the act of making an error. Also, I want to build the customer's confidence and nip any concerns in the bud. I want to make sure the customer is 100% happy when I request my payments.

It is absolutely impossible to make employees do everything the correct way, but we are constantly writing company policies. When my employees set toilets, our policies state the employee must caulk around the base of the toilet. We discuss these policies at meetings and the employees have copy of the policies to take home and read. This is the only way you can verify that you told the employee. Then, there are employees who cannot learn. You either fire them or start blaming yourself when they make a problem.

APC

LOL

Mellison

TWC or Typing Without Coffee

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"Enjoy Every Sandwich" Warren Zevon

72chevy4x4

docking pay is not illegal-there are guidelines to it. for instance, don't dock a salaried employee's pay but an hourly worker can be docked.

someone mentioned hiring a sub for each phase-I'm a small volume guy and if I hired a sub for each specialty then there wouldn't be any money left for me. On the other hand, if I had the volume moving thorugh my business, bringing on subs to increase the speed of each job would be beneficial. In the same way you could charge $35/hr for your work and never get rich. Hire and keep 20 guys busy at $35/hr and you're building a handsome nestegg for yourself.

dirt diggler

OP:

change and change fast

like, this weekend - today

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Thanks in advance!!!