how do you organize current ,and up-coming jobs

3436 Views 19 Replies 12 Participants Last post by KAP, May 27, 2021

woodyacd

Discussion Starter · Apr 19, 2017

so , I`m usually juggling 3-4 current jobs , and then lately , I`ve got about 10 others coming up,
I`ve always had a hard time predicting when these jobs will start.

my jobs are 1 day to 3 weeks long , or longer
I only have 2 full time guys , plus me physically working about half the week , along with bidding , and co ordinating the rest of the week.

so I don`t know what to tell clients when we`ll start ,
I`m not a big fan of taking a deposit , and saying " see you in 3 weeks" , so allot of times , I tell them they are on schedule.
I make it a point , to stick on a job till we are done ,
but of course, each job has extras, so they usually run longer ,
so I end up constantly calling , and pushing back clients .
since I don`t take deposits early , they can walk.
I just don`t know how else to do this .

small jobs make you run allot, , but I get a steady stream of them from all my referrals.

yes , I`d like to have more help , but it truly is hard to find the full package of , a guy who is a quality carpenter , with truck , and tools ,is very clean, and good with clients.
and that added guy or 2 would have me running like a maniac to keep up with them

suggestions ?

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SectorSecurity

· #2 · Apr 19, 2017

A Gantt chart comes to mind.

Will help you visualize projects and their timelines.

I also see no problem with telling a customer they are scheduled for 3 weeks away and taking a deposit. Think of it like they are paying to hold their place on the schedule.

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CharlieDelta

· #3 · Apr 19, 2017

I suggest you take a deposit. It keeps the customer on your schedule and forces you to stay on your schedule (granted schedules change).

Gantt Charts work well for these things as well. More so than a calendar IMO.

Reactions: 1

NJ Contractor

· #4 · Apr 19, 2017

I agree with the others on taking a deposit to hold a spot in your cue. Then you can update your customers on a start date as time progresses.

You may want to say we will start in the month of June or first two weeks of June and narrow it down as you get closer to the date.

This is a good problem to have

Reactions: 1

sparehair

· #5 · Apr 20, 2017

Too much work not enough guys.

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Ohio painter

· #6 · Apr 21, 2017

Woodyacd, I find myself in a similar situation and same size crew. I too don't take deposits to hold a spot, my concern is someone feeling I don't get to them soon enough after having given a deposit and it creating a possible negative situation. The vast majority of my work is referrals, so that too I think helps me. I also want to be able to have a bit of flexibility as to what jobs I do in what order I choose, occasionally a short notice jobs comes along that I want to be able to squeeze into the schedule.

When I put out an estimate or quote and the customer accepts it and signs, I then tell them approximately where they are in the schedule. Most people have no problem waiting. I also tell them I will give them about two weeks notice, some want more and some ok with less.
What I find messes me up is having that agreeable customer who is easy to put off to fit in another, that can quickly create a headache.
I chart out my jobs for the season so when customers call I can easily tell them how long they will have to wait, that way they know up front.

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SectorSecurity

· #7 · Apr 21, 2017

I still don't see the issue with taking a deposit if the customer is well aware they will be waiting 3 weeks and is OK with it.

It's different if you are taking a deposit while giving the impression the job will be started right away then you don't start for 3 weeks and it looks like you disappeared with their deposit

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Ohio painter

· #8 · Apr 22, 2017

Yea i can see taking a deposit if a customer is expecting you 3 - 4- weeks out. Right now my summer schedule is booked out about 3 months as i have been doing exterior estimates since mid winter. I just started this season's first exterior work this past week.
I am fortunate that in a smaller community the vast majority of my work is referral and so people are simply wiling to wait.
I agree with the statement that one might need a bigger crew.

Anyway, back to the OP's issue - perhaps juggling 3 - 4 jobs becomes counter productive and inefficient. I too stay committed on a job until the end, and the add on's can get frustrating. When I start a job sometimes i will call the next customer to say they are up next and i expect to be to them in about two weeks. Once i know for sure i will call them a day or two ahead and confirm.

I can appreciate that we are only painting vs you are remodeling which means people may need more of a heads up if the work is more disruptive.

woodyacd

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 22, 2017

the reason I don`t take a deposit is because in in Miami
so many scammers here for one ,
allot get that uneasy feeling I`m not coming back
also , I don`t want to take money , and use it , and the unforeseeable happens , and I`m caught not having that money when I need it .
I`m an honest guy
I`m not going to screw them .

I guess I could take a nominal fee , and just hold the check.

as for the guy mentioning getting more guys .
man , I`ve tried , but it`s tough to get another good guy ,

hiring is a total new thread.
we`re in nice homes , need someone real flexible , and good with people, good at all trades ,
most have baggage ,and/or drama.

I guess I have to take more time organizing my jobs , and just keep up with them every week

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NYgutterguy

· #10 · Apr 22, 2017

No deposit ever taken. I find customers are more at ease knowing I don't need money ahead of time to fund a job. Obviously my business is way different than others by just doing one thing.

I also don't take a deposit because it would make me feel more pressure getting job done quickly instead of when it best fits into my schedule. Less stress

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J L

· #11 · Apr 23, 2017

NYgutterguy said:
No deposit ever taken. I find customers are more at ease knowing I don't need money ahead of time to fund a job. Obviously my business is way different than others by just doing one thing.

I also don't take a deposit because it would make me feel more pressure getting job done quickly instead of when it best fits into my schedule. Less stress

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Fwiw, with my old remodeling company, I used to take deposits on jobs that were scheduled 9 months out. I didn't need the deposit money to keep my company running, rather it guaranteed their place on my schedule. I would keep them informed of their start date every 6 weeks or so to keep them in the loop. They knew my reputation and were willing to wait.

Reactions: 1

NJ Contractor

· #12 · Apr 23, 2017

J L said:
Fwiw, with my old remodeling company, I used to take deposits on jobs that were scheduled 9 months out. I didn't need the deposit money to keep my company running, rather it guaranteed their place on my schedule. I would keep them informed of their start date every 6 weeks or so to keep them in the loop. They knew my reputation and were willing to wait.

That's how I currently operate.

woodyacd

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 23, 2017

all my clients " know my reputation" too.
grew up in this town , licensed 27 years or more.
no negative on license.

but in a way , what your saying is " they can trust me , but I won`t trust them"

Railman

· #14 · Apr 23, 2017

A simple spread sheet with rows for phases to complete, columns with number of employees per day, estimated man hrs per phase, will generate estimated number of days per project. From there, you are able to analyse performance vs estimated time per job. Then you get better at estimating days per project.

Basically, the more you guess, the better you get at it. You need a data base to "Guess your best"

Reactions: 1

NJ Contractor

· #15 · Apr 23, 2017

woodyacd said:
all my clients " know my reputation" too.
grew up in this town , licensed 27 years or more.
no negative on license.

but in a way , what your saying is " they can trust me , but I won`t trust them"

I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a scheduling deposit. I think the clients should have some skin in the game, if you have to turn down or push back other work you could be taking on.

woodyacd

Discussion Starter · #16 · Apr 24, 2017

NJ Contractor said:
I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a scheduling deposit. I think the clients should have some skin in the game, if you have to turn down or push back other work you could be taking on.

I understand , and I`m not disagreeing with animosity.

to me , the burden is more on us than the client .
I hear so many times how a person gave a deposit , or a second or third draw for that matter , and the contractor never started , or finished the job.

so , if it keeps my client at ease to know that I can put them on schedule without a deposit , that fine .

I mean , what if they decide to back out , and you received a 20% deposit , do you really feel its right to keep all of that?
if I lose a client because they shopped my price , and got someone else ,that's just the nature of the beast .

NJ Contractor

· #17 · Apr 24, 2017 (Edited)

woodyacd said:
I understand , and I`m not disagreeing with animosity.

to me , the burden is more on us than the client .
I hear so many times how a person gave a deposit , or a second or third draw for that matter , and the contractor never started , or finished the job.

so , if it keeps my client at ease to know that I can put them on schedule without a deposit , that fine .

I mean , what if they decide to back out , and you received a 20% deposit , do you really feel its right to keep all of that?
if I lose a client because they shopped my price , and got someone else ,that's just the nature of the beast .

There's a flip side to that coin; what if the client bails out at the 11th hour, after you have booked several weeks to months of work for your crew there and you can't start another project right away?

In my scenario, the client has already done their due diligence, is comfortable with working with us and we have agreed on costs. I will also order any long lead time materials while they are in the cue. I see no reason not to keep part of the deposit to cover any financial costs we have incurred due to their decision to cancel the project. It has never happened but it could...

scottcaroline

· #18 · May 26, 2021

When it comes to organizing currently on-going jobs and upcoming projects, our team makes use of a specifically designed tool to help us monitor overall project progress and make forecast from there if we could take on another project with our available resources. We make use of Bridgit Bench because it covers everything we need and it has a Gannt chart view feature which makes everything easier to see at a single glance. I highly suggest you make use of Gannt charts as well to help your organize current and upcoming projects more efficiently, you can check this link What is a Gantt chart and why is it important? | Bridgit to learn more about Gantt charts and its importance when it comes to managing projects.

JohnnySausage

· #19 · May 27, 2021

Take deposits and cover your ass by saying “Hey Mrs. Jones, look. Most of our jobs last a couple weeks, just like yours, and more often than not while we’re working, clients often ask us to add a few extra tasks while we’re there. This usually adds a couple days so I just want to set the expectations early here with you. We estimate we’ll start your job 2 weeks from Monday, but just in case the 2 people ahead of you ask for some extras, I want you to be ready for a phone call reminding you of this conversation, and that we’ll need to start that Thursday instead of Monday.

And in return, we want you to be comfortable asking us for extras if something comes up and we’ll prepare the client after you for the same situation. Is that fair?”

Reactions: 1

KAP

· #20 · May 27, 2021

Setting the expectations (both verbally and written) removes so many issues when dealing with people...

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