What behavior do you tolerate that’s quietly costing you revenue or reputation?
As we’ve grown, the biggest thing we’ve had to confront is tolerating inconsistency in service quality, especially from newer team members. Even small things (missed details, slower communication, or not fully following SOPs) can quietly impact client trust and retention over time. Individually, they seem minor. But at scale, they affect: Client experience Referrals and reviews Long-term revenue We’re learning that what you tolerate becomes your standard so tightening accountability, training, and follow-through has become a major focus as we scale.Upsides and downsides of hiring a summer helper?
I am thinking about hiring someone to help me in the busy season and the idea of a high school kid as a summer job sounds like a promising idea. I wouldn't have to pay them a crazy salary, they are like sponges with information and they are typically more physically full of energy. I wouldn't be able to send them on their own, but they could help me get a few more jobs done in a day. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and what would be the pros and cons of doing it?
Delegation & Hiring for a Maintenance-Heavy Landscaping Company Trying to Scale
I’ve been looking into accountability charts and delegation after listening to the Jobber podcast where they talked about this, but I’m not sure where to begin. Right now I’m still heavily involved in day-to-day residential maintenance landscaping operations—quoting, scheduling, managing crews, and even some marketing—which makes it hard to step back and focus on growing into larger/higher earning project work beyond maintenance. For those who’ve gone through this at a similar stage, what responsibilities did you delegate first—and to whom? Also, what was your first key hire that really helped free up your time to focus on growth? Any practical guidance would be great.
How do you handle unreliable employees in a home service business?
Hello! I run a Home Remodeling & Handyman business, and we're excited to share that we've recently expanded to include a Cleaning Division. We've noticed that in our area, many folks are eager for jobs but sometimes lack the commitment to follow through. How do you navigate this challenge? We've already offered competitive pay, which is quite high for our area, yet issues like poor communication, missed appointments, and subpar work still pop up. I'm curious to hear how others have managed similar situations and what strategies you've found effective—whether it's offering career growth opportunities, enforcing strict communication policies, or even increasing wages further. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!Are you hiring for hands, or for long-term leadership?
Ever since we created a career ladder/org chart, we ask quarterly via survey how happy our team is. The majority of ours repeatedly state they wish to grow with the company and make it a career. However, our culture is extremely quiet. Thoughts?What is one task you finally delegated, and wish you did sooner?
Let's talk about getting help. How did your business evolve? When did you start delegating? Was it a great employee that could do more, or was it just burn out as an enterpreneur? I always want to learn and grow and what I love about this community that there are so many great responses. Let's learn from each other. How did you decide to delegate tasks, work and duties?How do you reduce employee turnover in a cleaning company?
For reference, we have a team of 20 technicians and our average employee lifecycle is just over 1 year. We offer PTO, ETO, and 401k with flexible hours for scheduling. We pay competitive wages and they’re solely through commission. Our culture is protected by the senior techs and leadership team and the feedback we receive is that former employees feel like it’s a big family. Thoughts?How do you keep your crew motivated and paid when work slows down?
Every year, that slow season creeps up on us. One minute the phones are blowing up, and the next it feels like the world goes quiet. When jobs slow down, keeping your crew busy and positive can be a real challenge. I’ve tried different things over the years. Training days, cleaning up the shop, and even team outings just to keep morale up. But the truth is, it’s hard when the pipeline dries up. How do you keep your team motivated and paid when things get slow? Do you cut hours, find smaller projects, focus on marketing, or use the time for business planning? I’d love to hear what has worked for you and how you turn downtime into momentum for the next busy wave.
