Service call goal

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hardworkingstiff

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Location
Wilmington, NC
My goal has always been to never have a service call on work I've performed.

Back in the mid 70's, me and the guy I worked for went four years wiring apartments and houses without a service call. He hired a part-time worker and started to have service calls.

Just out of curiosity, what is your acceptable level of service calls on new installations?
 
Service calls

Service calls

I have found a way to get limited to no service calls at all.I tell all the crews that if the call is because they screwed up, they go back on their own time to repair. So far it's been working.
My 2 cents anyway
 
RUWIREDRITE said:
I have found a way to get limited to no service calls at all.I tell all the crews that if the call is because they screwed up, they go back on their own time to repair.
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That sounds illegal to me.
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There should be some money in the bid for warranty, if not, that's hardly the employee's fault, IMO. Sometimes, people fuss over nothing at all. Sometimes, defective material generates a warranty call.

If you were to reply, "Well, if they don't say it's their fault I pay them..." then how do you know the problem is as it was reported?

Mistakes happen - it feels great to not have any reported for a long stretch, but when they eventually are it seems a bit unappreciative of the employee's efforts to go so far as witholding pay on account of it.
 
Service Call

Service Call

George,
As i stated or perhaps didn't, i know i'm old, if the problem could be avoided and wasn't, they fix it. I understand you will have failures with equipment and materials. I'm just trying to limit the number of of employee generated callbacks.It does work and they don't mind it either. Also if i had to pad all our work with a warranty fee, to help defer future costs, I wouldn't be as competitive as I am, or as sucessful, for that matter.They do get paid for things out of their control, i ain't a monster.lol
 
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RUWIREDRITE said:
they go back on their own time to repair.
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I'm not sure you can legally require them to do anything on their own time. As far as myself, I have gone back on jobs on my time or not charged past a certain time if I felt like it was my responsibilty something was not installed correctly or in the time frame I estimated it, because it is my job to do so. My boss has never asked me to, nor would I ask an employee to (although I told a helper years ago, who tossed a tape measure into the woods out of frustration, that he was not going to litter on company time and next time would spend his lunch finding that tool.)

As far as the original post, my goal is zero call back. I realize you have crossed travelers, or a switch leg got tied in with power and the light stays on all the time, or a switch will turn on and off half a circuit, but I hate going back for it. Thankfully it rarely that I have to go back, but it is part of the job.
 
The biggest key is to check everything before you leave the job. Nothing worse than dealing with frustrated Homeowners.


Tom
 
Callbacks

Callbacks

I agree with all you are saying.I am talking about the installation of something and not checking it before they leave, as stated above. That causes the most callbacks. My statement being if you can't find time to do it right, when will you find time to do it over.
 
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Actually in our local I think that is the rule. Fix on your own time.

Myself I never make them do that. I always pay them, but try to minimize the call backs by having top quality, well paid employees. In addition they know I am a stickler for quality and try to take care of problems themsleves.
 
Unless the person is actually working for you as a subcontractor, IMHO I don't think you can legally make them work for free. With that said, if you do try to do that, I would think your workers would then take extra time on every job, to do things right (while getting paid) to make sure they don't make a mistake and not get paid. This is bad for morale, it will decrease productivity, increase total overhead costs; which in the end will decrease number of jobs you can do, or will be able to to get.

I think the strategy works in reverse, instead of accepting that there will be some percentage of call backs due to bonehead mistakes, which we are all guilty of, in some way or the other.

Perhaps you should use the mistakes as a learning tool for the employees, to help teach others what not to do. You could also set up an incentive program for those that don't receive call backs, which would motivate everyone to do better.
 
Lou, like you my goal is zero callbacks, but gfi receptacle outlet failures after a few months, has increased for me in the last couple of years or so. That and also combination fan/light controls that the buttons on the face come off of readily, and then get lost are a sore point for me. I am considering another byline in my boilerplate proposals addressing those two issues.
 
Slightly off subject, one thing I have told HOs and GCs is that motion sensor lights, unles there is obvious install error, are out of warranty as soon as I get off the ladder. I do not like them. After a while, you get tired of the call backs because of sensitivity settings and issues.
 
Not that I work on lighting, BUT me personally I would never tell a customer that...Why give the customer something negative to think about your service.

When I did residential service I seldom if ever remember any sensitivity issues with photo cells. But that was a long time ago.
 
brian john said:
Not that I work on lighting, BUT me personally I would never tell a customer that...Why give the customer something negative to think about your service.

When I did residential service I seldom if ever remember any sensitivity issues with photo cells. But that was a long time ago.
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Mainly to dissuade them from choosing a motion sensor. Maybe it is location or something else, but it seems every time I install motion sensor floods I get call backs to see if they are working, or they are coming on too much, can the sensitivity be adjusted. Our customers know they can have whatever they want and I will gladly install and set up to their preferences, but motion sensors get one trip on a ladder and that is it, once I know they are working.
 
Almost all of my callbacks are related to equipment failures. I've even had callbacks for lamps that burn out prematurely. If I have more than 2 callbacks for the same item at different places, I never use that model/style again of whatever it was. Callbacks are still an opportunity to upsell other things while you're there, so make hay while the sun shines. Maybe the GFCI did fail only 6 months into the install, but keep your eyes peeled for extension cords where you could install a rec, or TV's where you could install a cable jack, etc. Try to sell them on something, so the trip wasn't a total loss.

Use your A-B-C's. Always Be Closing.
 
emahler said:
MD...what happened, you caught GlengaryGlennross on tv the weekend?
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Brother, I have no idea what you're talking about. :-? If you're calling me a selling fool, though... that would be accurate.
 
mdshunk said:
Brother, I have no idea what you're talking about. :-? If you're calling me a selling fool, though... that would be accurate.
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Nah, watch the movie GlengaryGlennross....that's what made A-B-C so popular....Al Pacino, Jack Lemon, Kevic Spacey..good cast.
 
emahler said:
Nah, watch the movie GlengaryGlennross....that's what made A-B-C so popular....Al Pacino, Jack Lemon, Kevic Spacey..good cast.
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I was not previously aware of that movie. Thanks! I like business styles movies... Erin Brockovich, Paper Chase, etc.
 
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