How Do You Roll Back a Major Change?
Have you guys ever made a major organizational change then needed to go back? This last year I tried to help buy back some of my time and created a Project/ Operations manager position so I could focus on sales and marketing. It's been a bumpy road to say the least. I first tried to hire two guys from outside the organization, I really thought I did my due diligence but it didn't work out with either of those guys. One guy I learned after a week (lol) the other took me a month and a half. On our third guy, I promoted from within and it seemed like it was working but here we are almost two full quarters in and we have less capacity because I haven't been successful in finding a replacement for him in the field, and we are making less money on jobs because ... well it's a combination of things but he might not be a fit for the position. I'm thinking I need a more decentralized approach since essentially we are at the same revenue number as last year when we didn't have his big overhead position. So the question is - how do you roll that back? Is it possible to make a change like that without alienating the person I'm demoting? Would it be easier to demote if I'm citing financial and structural changes for the company? What's ya'll take on that.How to Know Everything About Everything
Anyone else feel like this needs to be you? You need to know how to market, how to manage people, how to properly incentivize them, be well versed in finance as well as all the technical aspects of whatever trade you are in. We had a situation where we were installing a lighted niche, and the specific tile made it impossible to get the tiles perfectly flat while installing it on the wall, and my guys put the light too far back so it cast a very minor shadow in the niche. In hindsight we could have installed the tiles in the niche ahead of time so we could apply proper pressure to them so there's no lips (and also put the light more forward) ... we won't make that mistake again! As I sit in the office making meta ads, reviewing my financials, it get's super frustrating to have these technical curveballs while sorting through everything else it takes to run a business. This is why we need to build our own checks and balances: Who we call or who we hire (have a good process for vetting people that know what they are doing) What we double check and when Who's the second set of eyes (use your in field managers, make sure everyone is using Jobber for pictures and notes Which leads to what you document Now the niche issue won't ever happen again but we've definitely caught things BEFORE they are a mistake utilizing this system. How to you juggle all the responsibilities?How Often do You Enforce the Fine Print?
In our contracts, it clearly states that if the scope changes and we are not able to do the visit, or if we are sent away for reasons outside of our control we will charge them $300 (for reference our min charge is a half day which is $500). I had a customer who's assistant asked us to install an undermount sink. It was in the contract, they signed it. We had done a visit with them months before and our technician mentioned a top mount sink would be easy but they specifically asked for an undermount. So we order the sink, show up and the owner not the assistant that coordinated the contract) says they want a top mount. Our technician says ok we'll have to come back. We tell them the charge for the new sink plus the cancellation and they think it's unreasonable. I definitely know, no one actually reads the contract. Should the technician have said, if you send me away, it's $300 charge extra. But they also are changing the plan. I'm a softee so I'm not going to charge them the cancellation but what do you think about a situation like that? Maybe the cancellation charge is too much? It's basically enough for me to give the technician something for planning their whole day around the job plus make a very small amount of profit. Thoughts?Remodelers - What Kind Of Job Take Off Form Do you use?
We've started doing a lot bigger jobs and I've typically been the one to walk the job with the lead for the job, then they take it from there. No drawings, no real written plans outside of the job scope in jobber and the daily notes and conversations we have. Luckily we have some really good guys but I'd like to make this easier for everyone. For those of you that do 2-4 weeks jobs (so not big enough to always involve official drawings), what strategy are you using to make sure everyone gets the details and follows what your vision for the project is?Job Quick Sand - What Do You Do When Things Go Sideways?
We are on a job right now where we are in a bit of job quick sand and nothing can go right. We have been working with this client for years on a number of projects but this is the biggest one we've done. A bunch of tile in the kitchen, painting kitchen cabinets, and replacing all their doors. Fairly straight forward. It all started with something they didn't like about the tile layout in one section. No big deal easy fix. Then they were nit picking the paint job before it was done. Still not that big of a deal. Then it started when the doors we ordered were delivered damaged. We were only doing one at a time but the door they asked us to install was in their master bath. Now they don't have a door till the replacements come in. Then they started asking for add on tasks but complaining about the price. Then they approved a quote for gutters but I guess the wife wanted vinyl and the husband wanted aluminum. He comes home and flips out because his wife approved vinyl gutters. Then the replacement doors arrived and and were the wrong ones. All the while the husband calls me everyday at the end of the day to discuss the plan. Some of this is our fault, some of this is out of our control but either way it's putting stress on the team and myself. What do you guys do when you start to get in that quick sand?How Fast Do You Pick Up a Phone Call or Call Someone Back After a Missed Call?
Curious how everyone here handles this, because a new Jobber survey of recent homebuyers turned up a stat that stuck with me: 15% had to follow up repeatedly just to get a response from a contractor 9% never heard back at all Losing potential business due to something that is not a pricing problem or a skill problem should be a wake up call. In a world where 75% of new homeowners hire a pro within their first two years of buying, being the one who calls back first might be the easiest job you win all week! So, what's your business standard? Do you answer within a certain time frame or let it go to voicemail and call back same day? Are there systems set up so nothing slips through the cracks? 👉 Recent Homebuyer Report: It's got homeowner quotes on what made them trust (or ditch) a contractor, plus a breakdown of how each generation actually finds a pro.What Do You Do To Minimize Workers Comp Claim Exposure?
I had an employee that was with me for maybe 5 weeks that I was going to let go (wasn't meshing well with the team, not very coachable) and then he "pulled his back" on a job site picking something up incorrectly. He even said he went to pick up a heavy object sideways and with one arm. He's been on workers comp 10 months and between treatment and his compensation, the claim is over $100k! My company is in California so we probably have the least favorable laws for companies. My insurance guy said we did everything right. Sent him to a facility right away to be evaluated, called workers comp. Since then we have implemented a "buddy lifting" training. My insurance guy also told me that even if we documented that he has a history of doing things incorrectly, that he would still be in the workers comp system. So my question to you guys - what measures do you take to prevent something like this from happening? Do you have regular safety meetings? Trainings? What do those look like?The "Do Your Job" Bonus - Get your techs to use Jobber and Show Up on Time
If you're running a service business and struggling to get your technicians to document their work or show up on time, this might be the most useful thing you read this week. I was dealing with two problems that a lot of you probably recognize. First, my guys were clocking in and out — no surprise there, because that's their money — but they weren't uploading pictures and they weren't leaving notes. Second, punctuality was starting to slip. Fifteen minutes late here, thirty minutes late there. Now, I get it, fifteen minutes feels like "whatever" in a lot of work environments. But when you're building a premium brand charging premium prices, ten minutes late is too late. And when one tech shows up a half hour after his partner, that partner is stewing all day thinking about how someone is making the same money for less work. That kills team culture fast. So I created what I call the DYJ Bonus — Do Your Job — and it shows up on their paychecks exactly like that. The concept is simple: there's a bonus built into their compensation, and they earn it every pay period by doing three basic things. Not hard things. Just the things they should already be doing. Show up within six minutes of their scheduled start time. Not fifteen. Not ten. Six. I use Jobber's GPS tagging to verify this, or more accurately, my wife does since she handles payroll. Having a hard number removes all the gray area and the excuses. Upload before pictures and notes when they arrive at the job site. This means at least five photos and a note documenting the condition of the property, any communication with the client, and anything relevant about the job. We have a full SOP that spells out exactly what kinds of pictures to take so there's no guesswork. Upload after pictures and notes when the job is complete. Again, at least five photos, plus notes explaining what was done that day. This protects the company, protects the client, and builds a paper trail that's saved us more than once. That's it. Three things. Show up on time, document before, document after. What I found is that a simple financial incentive built directly into their paycheck changes behavior faster than any conversation or write-up ever did. It's not punitive — it's not a fine or a disciplinary action. It's a bonus they keep by doing their job the right way. The framing matters. And because the standard is clear and the verification is objective, there's no argument about it on payday. If you're running Jobber and not using it to hold your team accountable this way, you're leaving one of its best features on the table. The GPS check-ins and photo uploads are already there — you just have to tie something meaningful to them.
