As a contractor, you should approach summer the same way professional baseball players approach their season. During the summer, pro baseball players work 24+ days a month and, just like us, they are focused on performing at an elite level. Here is some advice for ensuring you knock the ball out of the park during the summer.
First, you must appropriately distribute the workload among your techs while taking into account each tech’s strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that your scheduling department allocates work that is appropriate for each tech’s capabilities. This will ensure that customers receive superior service. During the chaos of the summer, it’s easy to forget that superior service is our ultimate goal.
Next, use training to improve your techs’ efficiency. Bring your technicians in for training at least twice a month. The goal is to ensure that techs are well-versed in industry best practices — and are not taking shortcuts. Thorough and consistent training is a positive long-term investment, since it decreases callbacks, overtime, and dissatisfied customers.
In addition, show your appreciation for your employees. Never forget: They are your single most valuable asset, and it’s crucial that they feel valued. There are many ways to do this. For example, you can send out a monthly employee newsletter that showcases an employee of the month — an individual that goes above and beyond the call of duty for a customer. This award shows that your company recognizes and rewards techs who are conscientious and don’t cut corners.
Another way to show appreciation for your employees is to host family events. At Jon Wayne, we throw several events for our techs every year. In your company, these events can be as simple as a small BBQ or as elaborate as a trip to a theme park. The actual activity is not nearly as important as the fact that you are showing gratitude to both employees and their families. Make no mistake: If the spouse isn’t happy, the employee isn’t happy.
Next, don’t be afraid of creating some friendly competition between techs. This can be extremely effective for boosting productivity. You can do this by tracking the KPIs of your techs, ranking them, and regularly sending out results to all employees. Applaud and celebrate your top performers and encourage others to do the same.
Lastly, remember that money talks. For top talent, you must be prepared to pay top dollar. Compensate your techs based on the value they bring to your company. Dependable, loyal, and talented employees are worth their weight in gold, so pay them their worth — because if you don’t, somebody else will!
To summarize: As you do battle with the busiest (and most profitable) season, ensure your workload is appropriately distributed, constantly improve tech efficiency, and be certain that your employees feel appreciated and valued. That’s the key to keeping productivity and tech morale high during the summer.
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