Not sure where this goes, so help a girl out.

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SMITHGILLIS

SMITHGILLIS

Member
Location
Brooksville, FL.
Hello, I am an electrical contractor's office manager. Have been for a few years. So my question is how can I be more valuable? My job discription: take calls, customer service, billing, scedualing jobs & guys, some permitting, working with power companies, and any thing else needed. If there is something I can do I am always egar to help. I run the place when the boss is away, but how can I really become more valuable paper wise. I could take classes to be an electrician but how would that really help? Dont get me wrong. I love when an customer calls in and I could tell them what the symtoms mean and about how much it will probely run them, but I dont! I am great at sells but still not an electrician. So if I was in your office what would you encourage me to do? I am not satisfied being a glorified secretary. I am not fishing for a raise or title this is for me to be a better me.
 
zog

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
SMITHGILLIS said:
Hello, I am an electrical contractor's office manager. Have been for a few years. So my question is how can I be more valuable? My job discription: take calls, customer service, billing, scedualing jobs & guys, some permitting, working with power companies, and any thing else needed. If there is something I can do I am always egar to help. I run the place when the boss is away, but how can I really become more valuable paper wise. I could take classes to be an electrician but how would that really help? Dont get me wrong. I love when an customer calls in and I could tell them what the symtoms mean and about how much it will probely run them, but I dont! I am great at sells but still not an electrician. So if I was in your office what would you encourage me to do? I am not satisfied being a glorified secretary. I am not fishing for a raise or title this is for me to be a better me.
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Not sure what you can do to better yourself but if all you said above is true you can work for us anytime. Seriously, how about safety and training program management?
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Learn more about the trade lingo.
Take first aid and CPR classes.
Learn how to read and understand blueprints, job specs, etc.
Read trade publications and manufacturers literature.
Attend trade shows.
Any way you can visit the job sites?
Stick around here..... we'll learn you more!
Oh, and welcome to the forum!
emoticons_spot_party.gif

 
ibew441dc

ibew441dc

Senior Member
SMITHGILLIS
Pierre C Belarge said:
I agree with Zog, your attitude is priceless!!!
Sometimes just being there and being positive is a big shot in the arm. Keep up the good work.
Whatever Zog is paying, I will pay a $1/hr more. :grin:
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I'd ad two on what Pierre was going to pay, and consider employer paid mandatory classes for you. An attitude like yours is priceless....I would fuel the fire.......many of us around here share and promote that:smile:

Good Luck to You,

Welcome, and stick around.....you are sure to benefit:smile:
 
SMITHGILLIS

SMITHGILLIS

Member
Location
Brooksville, FL.
love to see this works!

love to see this works!

Ok as far as safety, I started monthly safety meetings when I first started and keep copies on file. I am currently certified in CPR & defibulator, and infant CPR. I understand blue prints to a degree (thanks to interior decorating classes). I was hoping to learn how to help with the bidding but with our new system that kind of work is in the past. We converted over to a flat rate system & books and in the transition I studied alot off of contractor selling .com. I am really excited about a vendor presentation that is comming up that could get us into close to 20 different home owners associations. I really want to set us up a table at any trade shows that will be in a reasonable distance from us & our service areas. so if you have suggestions on that it would be great. I have a start on the manufactures by making friends with my sycom rep. he is a great help on me selling surg. protection over the phone ( which is alot harder then being at their house and being able to see their needs.) So I just need to dig into your suggestions and see if I can be more than just good at them. Thank you for taking the time to listen and respond I really am eager to learn.
 
electricalperson

electricalperson

Senior Member
Location
massachusetts
fi you want to learn more about the trade than i would probably suggest to strap a tool belt on and work as an apprentice with one of the electricians if possible. maybe you will find being an electrician is much more rewarding than just answeing phone calls
 
bradleyelectric

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
Maybe look into ways to retain current customers. Different ways to stay in contact. Do you have a newsletter? Birthday and christmas cards? customer survey? How do you follow up to replies to the survey? Cross market with anyone?
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Take a few code classes, even some one day ones. Our counter techs take them now and then and it's invaluable when you are talking to clients to understand what they are talking about.

Another good thing to learn, and I learned this when I was working retail, is know what your competition is doing, maybe you don't do fire alarms, but you know a good contractor that does, people remember that sort of thing. Also while you may not do the ordering of parts, maybe you could do some research and find out who has what or who has the best prices, again, if your boss gets stuck you can always ask "have you tried so and so?".

Good luck.:smile:
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
bradleyelectric said:
Maybe look into ways to retain current customers. Different ways to stay in contact. Do you have a newsletter? Birthday and christmas cards? customer survey? How do you follow up to replies to the survey? Cross market with anyone?
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I think that's a good idea.

If you want to be more productive, help bring in new business and keep it there. Understand that's not your current job, so you need to talk to your employer and discuss these ideas with him before doing any of this on the clock.

Start categorizing all of your contacts/customers to make it easy to start a good marketing and customer satisfaction program.

I agree with the others who said try and learn the lingo, and learn the names and locations of parts. When a tech calls in and needs to know if something's on the shelf, you can quickly look if the shop manager is busy with something else, thus limiting the amount of time your electrician is on the phone with you instead of working.

The fact that you're interested in all of this should comfort your boss in knowing he's got a good employee, even if he doesn't want you doing anything besides what you're doing now.
 
2

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Rachel is the person you want to talk to. 10 years ago, she was you.

She is the most awesome office manager ever. She started with us back in the day when none of us knew anything and now we would be at a total loss without her.

I think most of the skills she developed over the years are in the accounting end of the business but her people skills rock. I can't tell you the number of compliments I hear directed toward her. Send me a PM if you'd like and I will give you her email.
 
D

Dr.Sparks

Member
Here in Charleston, SC there is an organization titled "Women in Construction". My office Manager took a role within the org. and certainly picked up on some trade lingo, improved her golf game, suckered me into giving her a raise and then quit the org...........Just Kidding, she is horrible at golf!----and allowing me to go fishing on the weekends with our kids.:roll:
 
SMITHGILLIS

SMITHGILLIS

Member
Location
Brooksville, FL.
bradleyelectric said:
Maybe look into ways to retain current customers. Different ways to stay in contact. Do you have a newsletter? Birthday and Christmas cards? customer survey? How do you follow up to replies to the survey? Cross market with anyone?
Click to expand...

We have a great newsletter PM me and I'll send you one! I keep track of of our customer base and make sure our news letter data base is up to date and also send thank you cards after each completed job. I go into the community and get business's to donate dinners and state park tickets and even movie tickets. We always have freebies to give at raffles, parades, or just surprise customers. I handle website reply's and I just put us in face book. I sent hundreds of surveys and got a great response. What do you do to follow up on those though? Cross marketing? We work with several a/c companies, alluminum, plumbers, and several other type companies that refer us all the time and we do the same. Is that what you mean, or do you mean generator suppliers (which I am pushing for) type cross marketing? Where they pay part of our advertising for us saying we use a certain type in all our installations. Any suggestions on that type marketing?I love hearing what I am doing is on the right track, but to be honest sometimes it is a heavy work load and I feel stretched thin. I hate to drop the ball so at least with help I will know the things to concentrate on! But it wont stop me from trying to have my hand in every thing!
 
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