"the apprentice" broke a tool today sorry boss

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1st liar never stands a chance.

Apprentice rolled a $12,000.00 high current test set into a wall $3,500.00 to repair, another dropped a laptop $1,500.00, , Another left a $3,800.00 ductor on the tool box as he drove down the road another guy lost a $6,400.00 CellCorder test set We bought a replacement, I later found it on his truck, shall I go on..........Where's the megger,
 
g@friendly said:
checked with the state, they gave me a green light and I will refund the 95 to each this week due to the tools appeared after all the van were inventoried, (not in any van). I am also sure that my tools are on ebay. Oh here is the best my new call back policy is as follows ,also legal! I am only paying $8/hr to go back and take care of the call back. I already payed you to do the job and you are suppose to be an electrician unless product failed then that is not your fault only I get screwed then. I started this 4 month ago and my call back drop to about 2 a month from 14 average. (forget tools, label, hand prints on wall, forget outlets, didn't turn circuit on, really dumb stuff)
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surprised you have any employees. Even the best of us make mistakes and / or forget something from time to time, if you told me that I would only get $8 /hr b/c of something I forgot, we'd have issues. Now, if you have a tech that has callbacks all the time, maybe you should address this issue with the tech or get rid of him, instead of this $8 idea.
 
When I hire tech I only want the best. So I have great faith in the people I hire. Why should I have to pay you again cause you forgot to label the panel? Are you not a professional? Mistake happen and I am fair but you have to many call back you have to go. It cost a lot to get a truck to someone house and don't forget that I have to make room in the schedule to go back, I have an unhappy customer and I lose the ability with a money making call. So now it cost twice as much as before. So if you don't want the $8 than go. Step up to the plate and be responsible for your actions.
 
g@friendly said:
checked with the state, they gave me a green light and I will refund the 95 to each this week due to the tools appeared after all the van were inventoried, (not in any van). I am also sure that my tools are on ebay. Oh here is the best my new call back policy is as follows ,also legal! I am only paying $8/hr to go back and take care of the call back. I already payed you to do the job and you are suppose to be an electrician unless product failed then that is not your fault only I get screwed then. I started this 4 month ago and my call back drop to about 2 a month from 14 average. (forget tools, label, hand prints on wall, forget outlets, didn't turn circuit on, really dumb stuff)
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ive had a few callbacks in my time as im sure everyone else has but if you tried to pay me 8 bucks an hour to go fix something you know how many things would get fixed? and i gotta tell ya if you tried to dock 100 bucks from my check we would be rolling around in the gravel. if someone is messing up that much fire them and get some good help, or has word gotten around that you are a pita to work for?

i worked for a guy one time and he wanted us to go back and fix some things on our own time,to put it nicely i told him where to kiss me and drug up. i hate that when employer treat there employees like $%*& or think that i need them more than they need me. around here guys like that normally dont stay in bussiness very long. not to mention guys wont work very hard for you if there always mad at you.
 
g@friendly said:
When I hire tech I only want the best. So I have great faith in the people I hire. Why should I have to pay you again cause you forgot to label the panel? Are you not a professional? Mistake happen and I am fair but you have to many call back you have to go. It cost a lot to get a truck to someone house and don't forget that I have to make room in the schedule to go back, I have an unhappy customer and I lose the ability with a money making call. So now it cost twice as much as before. So if you don't want the $8 than go. Step up to the plate and be responsible for your actions.
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I understand your problem, but disagree w/ your procedure and wouldn't fly. All I'm saying is that, first off, if you have to implement this $8 thing because you have so many call backs, then maybe you should address your interviewing process. So you can get the "best of the best". And lastly, even the best guys will tell you to pound sand if you told them this in the interview. Thus, you would be stuck w/ the rest
 
mattsilkwood said:
i hate that when employer treat there employees like $%*& or think that i need them more than they need me. around here guys like that normally dont stay in bussiness very long. not to mention guys wont work very hard for you if there always mad at you.
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I agree, and that is what would happen
 
g@friendly said:
When I hire tech I only want the best. So I have great faith in the people I hire. Why should I have to pay you again cause you forgot to label the panel? Are you not a professional? Mistake happen and I am fair but you have to many call back you have to go. It cost a lot to get a truck to someone house and don't forget that I have to make room in the schedule to go back, I have an unhappy customer and I lose the ability with a money making call. So now it cost twice as much as before. So if you don't want the $8 than go. Step up to the plate and be responsible for your actions.
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when you start shafting your employees by cuttingtheir pay they will return the favor.We have a written policy on call backs , first one is a verbal warning second is a written warning third is termination.I have a saying "Step up or step out" we train from apprentice up that mistakes are for the competition.
 
mattsilkwood said:
ive had a few callbacks in my time as im sure everyone else has but if you tried to pay me 8 bucks an hour to go fix something you know how many things would get fixed? and i gotta tell ya if you tried to dock 100 bucks from my check we would be rolling around in the gravel. if someone is messing up that much fire them and get some good help, or has word gotten around that you are a pita to work for?

i worked for a guy one time and he wanted us to go back and fix some things on our own time,to put it nicely i told him where to kiss me and drug up. i hate that when employer treat there employees like $%*& or think that i need them more than they need me. around here guys like that normally dont stay in bussiness very long. not to mention guys wont work very hard for you if there always mad at you.
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If you have your own business, you can take the time to go through enough guys to find "team players" or people that will do what you want and take what they are given. The first ones to go are the "troublemakers". Dont work for a small family owned business.
Go with a big corporate enviroment if you want to play by the rules.
 
It depends why the tap broke, to be honest.

If you were tapping out a hole and the tip snapped, that's one thing. But I had a guy break my tripple tap the other day. We were running pipe, no holes to tap, he probably tried to use it as a drift-pin or pry bar (he broke my half-round file that way) and then he looks me in the face and pretends he has no idea how this stuff happens. Now that... irritates the &*@# out of me.

If my carelessness breaks a tool (and it has happened) someone gets a brand spanking new one because that's what I'd expect if they were to break mine.

-John
 
big john said:
It depends why the tap broke, to be honest.

If you were tapping out a hole and the tip snapped, that's one thing. But I had a guy break my tripple tap the other day. We were running pipe, no holes to tap, he probably tried to use it as a drift-pin or pry bar (he broke my half-round file that way) and then he looks me in the face and pretends he has no idea how this stuff happens. Now that... irritates the &*@# out of me.

If my carelessness breaks a tool (and it has happened) someone gets a brand spanking new one because that's what I'd expect if they were to break mine.

-John
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Great comment
 
I was working with a guy that refused to break off the #6 and #8 part of a triple tap to tap a #10 hole in the back of a panel. No other way to do it. Last thing to complete before we left.
Cost me more than the tap was worth. Told him I would buy him 10 of them. He just couldnt do it!!
 
You guys are right! I don't feel I am shafting my employee though. I spend a lot time with them in training. I have inspector that have class for them. I am just trying to improve there overall performance. So I am sorry about saying what every owner of a service company want to say. It comes down to this, "do your job that you are paid for the best that you can and you wont have a problem" any objection with that statement?
 
jrannis said:
I was working with a guy that refused to break off the #6 and #8 part of a triple tap to tap a #10 hole in the back of a panel. No other way to do it. Last thing to complete before we left.
Cost me more than the tap was worth. Told him I would buy him 10 of them. He just couldnt do it!!
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Triple Tap? I break the #6 tap just trying to get the thing out
of that Bullet and explosion proof package that everything
is wrapped in today.:grin:

"Didnt turn the breaker on." Spend eight hours on an install
completes job,leaves job,and forgets to energize ckt/ckts.
~Love it!~:D
 
This thread brings back memories, but not fond ones. It's a lot easier to technically train someone than train them to think like you do.

It's no wonder the really good guy in the electrical dept. at Home Depot has been transfered ...to the front office.:wink:

All our lost tools were found....at the pawn shop:mad:

Now I don't have most of the problems mentioned and make about the same money...I work alone:D
 
Karl H said:
I have tools that are 20 years old and still look reasonably new.
Without tools I cannot make a living.So I take great care of them.
Sure your gonna break a tap every now and then.But,It really amazes
me when a apprentice cross threads the stud bolt or ruins the seal on
a hydralic punch.I've looked grown men in the eyes and asked this
simple question,"How do you LOOSE a six foot ladder?" "Did it make a
break for it when you were'nt looking?":grin:
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I can see this going in a few ways...

Well boss, the cheap straps you bought broke.

I put it on the truck, and strapped it down, and went back in to do a quick walk through, and came out and it was gone!

I was on the south side of the roof, the ladder was on the north side, and when I got back to the north side of the roof, it was gone!
:wink:

Karl H said:
"Didnt turn the breaker on." Spend eight hours on an install
completes job,leaves job,and forgets to energize ckt/ckts.
~Love it!~:D
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That reminds me of a call an HVAC installer got. The GC wanted to know if the RTUs were ready to run, and he said "Well, should be." the GC wanted to know how to tell if they were on, the HVAC guy said "Flip the breaker, if they start blowing hot air, they're working."

g@friendly said:
I am only paying $8/hr to go back and take care of the call back. I already payed you to do the job and you are suppose to be an electrician unless product failed then that is not your fault only I get screwed then. I started this 4 month ago and my call back drop to about 2 a month from 14 average. (forget tools, label, hand prints on wall, forget outlets, didn't turn circuit on, really dumb stuff)
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That seems okay. As long as it's not paying someone $8 an hour for a call back that wasn't their fault. Like the inspector not wanting to see any lights in closets, or the HO changing their mind.
 
Thanks for the Ok comment DanZ let address 1st one the cheap straps broke because you already lost the expensive one, "twice!"

No I won't pay a guy 8 an hr cause customer changed mine or inspector being picky but I will pay you 8 an hr to take the ground wire out of the panel and install back through the proper connector cause you failed inspection for putting the #6 and the #4 in metal Nm connectors and not the approved "Kenny clamps or black button with an x style" that is rated for this wire..

I had a class on grounding two week ago in the shop and they showed how to install the Kenny clamp and the black button. I also stocked the trucks with 3 each and my shop has 12 on hand plus we switch manufacturer on the button to accept this just in case the Kenny clamp can't work for what ever reason...

Here is the catch the same guy who gave us the class failed the job and said to me "don't you pay attention" Now what do you do!!!! Can't fire a good electrician that you have thousand into training can you? 275 for the class+ 2 hr x 4 tech + 43.84 Pizza and soda + 183.75 restock vans, truck, and shop 1 hr office to adjust all grounding task for addition cost and time to price books... So all you that think that $8 is not fair I could care less what you think..... These are grown men we are talking about....
 
g@friendly said:
Thanks for the Ok comment DanZ let address 1st one the cheap straps broke because you already lost the expensive one, "twice!"

No I won't pay a guy 8 an hr cause customer changed mine or inspector being picky but I will pay you 8 an hr to take the ground wire out of the panel and install back through the proper connector cause you failed inspection for putting the #6 and the #4 in metal Nm connectors and not the approved "Kenny clamps or black button with an x style" that is rated for this wire..

I had a class on grounding two week ago in the shop and they showed how to install the Kenny clamp and the black button. I also stocked the trucks with 3 each and my shop has 12 on hand plus we switch manufacturer on the button to accept this just in case the Kenny clamp can't work for what ever reason...

Here is the catch the same guy who gave us the class failed the job and said to me "don't you pay attention" Now what do you do!!!! Can't fire a good electrician that you have thousand into training can you? 275 for the class+ 2 hr x 4 tech + 43.84 Pizza and soda + 183.75 restock vans, truck, and shop 1 hr office to adjust all grounding task for addition cost and time to price books... So all you that think that $8 is not fair I could care less what you think..... These are grown men we are talking about....
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Mr.g I can see where you're comming from...sounds like "tough love" to me.
You got my vote.
 
jrannis said:
I was working with a guy that refused to break off the #6 and #8 part of a triple tap to tap a #10 hole in the back of a panel. No other way to do it. Last thing to complete before we left.
Cost me more than the tap was worth. Told him I would buy him 10 of them. He just couldnt do it!!
Click to expand...
Maybe you should have handed him a $20 on the spot, and it would have been yours.
 
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