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Posted by on April 7, 2008, 2:16 pm
I have hired a team of electrician (3 of them) to do some re-wiring of
the house I am working on. They are 50% completion and I have been
furnishing all the materials.
Something that bothers me.
I hooked up a fridge and told them to help themselves, I asked them
what they like and everyone seems to like Arizona ice tea or
Gatorade. So I stock the fridge full with those drinks.
Problem, at the end of the day I go around and between the three of
them it is not unusual that I found 15 or more drink bottles. They
drink a lot? Noooooo... most of those are 80% full. So they worked
in the kitchen, went and got a drink, took three sips, leave it
sitting on a half framed wall, 30 minutes later he moves up into the
attic to pull some wire, goes to the fridge and pull out a new cold
drink, carries it into the attic, took three sips and sat it down in
the attic...so at the end of the day they went through half a dozen
16oz drinks but only drank a little out of each.
Same thing with materials. I got them a box of EMT couplings, 50 of
them, three days later they needed more, ok another 50, then another
50, I started to wonder, that is 150 EMT couplings, they have not laid
that much pipes. I walked around and round up everything and yes I
have 3 boxes of couplings, almost 90% full in each of them, so they
forgot where they left something and ordered new. Same thing with
wire nuts, connectors, MC connectors, reducing washers, switch plates,
outlets etc...just seemed to be misplaced.
Now I am not worried too much about these materials, compared to the
labor it's insignificant, but is that an indication that they may be
sloppy and absent minded in the wiring as well?
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Posted by Robert Allison on April 7, 2008, 2:32 pm
nmbexcuse@hotmail.com wrote:
> I have hired a team of electrician (3 of them) to do some re-wiring of
> the house I am working on. They are 50% completion and I have been
> furnishing all the materials.
>
> Something that bothers me.
>
> I hooked up a fridge and told them to help themselves, I asked them
> what they like and everyone seems to like Arizona ice tea or
> Gatorade. So I stock the fridge full with those drinks.
>
> Problem, at the end of the day I go around and between the three of
> them it is not unusual that I found 15 or more drink bottles. They
> drink a lot? Noooooo... most of those are 80% full. So they worked
> in the kitchen, went and got a drink, took three sips, leave it
> sitting on a half framed wall, 30 minutes later he moves up into the
> attic to pull some wire, goes to the fridge and pull out a new cold
> drink, carries it into the attic, took three sips and sat it down in
> the attic...so at the end of the day they went through half a dozen
> 16oz drinks but only drank a little out of each.
>
> Same thing with materials. I got them a box of EMT couplings, 50 of
> them, three days later they needed more, ok another 50, then another
> 50, I started to wonder, that is 150 EMT couplings, they have not laid
> that much pipes. I walked around and round up everything and yes I
> have 3 boxes of couplings, almost 90% full in each of them, so they
> forgot where they left something and ordered new. Same thing with
> wire nuts, connectors, MC connectors, reducing washers, switch plates,
> outlets etc...just seemed to be misplaced.
>
> Now I am not worried too much about these materials, compared to the
> labor it's insignificant, but is that an indication that they may be
> sloppy and absent minded in the wiring as well?
Welcome to the wonderful world of general contracting. If you
supply the materials, what incentive do they have to conserve
anything? Now a really good human being and electrician may do
it because it is the right thing to do, but those guys are not
around much anymore, so you have to deal with what you get.
Here is how I do it: I supply drinks, but I get a 10 gal. cooler
and fill it with water and the gatorade mix of their choice. I
give them enough of those packets to last however long they are
going to be working, or a weeks supply, whichever is less.
Materials; I give them the materials and I tell them that this
is enough to complete the job (plus some) and I tell them that if
they run out, they need to show me where all of them went. I
make sure that they understand that there will be no more coming
unless they can demonstrate that they used more than I estimated.
Sometimes they do and I don't give them a hard time, but I do
check to make sure that they haven't walked off the job.
Ask them to be a bit more organized because it is a money and
safety issue.
--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX
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Posted by dpb on April 7, 2008, 2:37 pm
Robert Allison wrote:
> nmbexcuse@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> I have hired a team of electrician (3 of them) to do some re-wiring of
>> the house I am working on. They are 50% completion and I have been
>> furnishing all the materials.
>>
...
>> Problem, at the end of the day I go around and between the three of
>> them it is not unusual that I found 15 or more drink bottles. They
>> drink a lot? Noooooo... most of those are 80% full. ...
>> Same thing with materials. I got them a box of EMT couplings, 50 of
>> them, three days later they needed more, ok another 50, then another
>> 50, I started to wonder, ... and round up everything and yes I
>> have 3 boxes of couplings, almost 90% full in each of them, ...
> Welcome to the wonderful world of general contracting. If you supply
> the materials, what incentive do they have to conserve anything? Now a
> really good human being and electrician may do it because it is the
> right thing to do, but those guys are not around much anymore, so you
> have to deal with what you get.
>
> Here is how I do it: I supply drinks, but I get a 10 gal. cooler and
> fill it with water and the gatorade mix of their choice. I give them
> enough of those packets to last however long they are going to be
> working, or a weeks supply, whichever is less.
>
> Materials; I give them the materials and I tell them that this is
> enough to complete the job (plus some) and I tell them that if they run
> out, they need to show me where all of them went. I make sure that they
> understand that there will be no more coming unless they can demonstrate
> that they used more than I estimated. Sometimes they do and I don't
> give them a hard time, but I do check to make sure that they haven't
> walked off the job.
>
> Ask them to be a bit more organized because it is a money and safety issue.
If you can talk to them you're ahead... :(
I concur it now is the only way to deal w/ them--otherwise one has to be
there babysitting 100% of the time which isn't possible/practical.
--
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Posted by MiamiCuse on April 7, 2008, 10:31 pm
> nmbexcuse@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> I have hired a team of electrician (3 of them) to do some re-wiring of
>> the house I am working on. They are 50% completion and I have been
>> furnishing all the materials.
>>
>> Something that bothers me.
>>
>> I hooked up a fridge and told them to help themselves, I asked them
>> what they like and everyone seems to like Arizona ice tea or
>> Gatorade. So I stock the fridge full with those drinks.
>>
>> Problem, at the end of the day I go around and between the three of
>> them it is not unusual that I found 15 or more drink bottles. They
>> drink a lot? Noooooo... most of those are 80% full. So they worked
>> in the kitchen, went and got a drink, took three sips, leave it
>> sitting on a half framed wall, 30 minutes later he moves up into the
>> attic to pull some wire, goes to the fridge and pull out a new cold
>> drink, carries it into the attic, took three sips and sat it down in
>> the attic...so at the end of the day they went through half a dozen
>> 16oz drinks but only drank a little out of each.
>>
>> Same thing with materials. I got them a box of EMT couplings, 50 of
>> them, three days later they needed more, ok another 50, then another
>> 50, I started to wonder, that is 150 EMT couplings, they have not laid
>> that much pipes. I walked around and round up everything and yes I
>> have 3 boxes of couplings, almost 90% full in each of them, so they
>> forgot where they left something and ordered new. Same thing with
>> wire nuts, connectors, MC connectors, reducing washers, switch plates,
>> outlets etc...just seemed to be misplaced.
>>
>> Now I am not worried too much about these materials, compared to the
>> labor it's insignificant, but is that an indication that they may be
>> sloppy and absent minded in the wiring as well?
>
> Welcome to the wonderful world of general contracting. If you supply the
> materials, what incentive do they have to conserve anything? Now a really
> good human being and electrician may do it because it is the right thing
> to do, but those guys are not around much anymore, so you have to deal
> with what you get.
>
> Here is how I do it: I supply drinks, but I get a 10 gal. cooler and fill
> it with water and the gatorade mix of their choice. I give them enough of
> those packets to last however long they are going to be working, or a
> weeks supply, whichever is less.
>
> Materials; I give them the materials and I tell them that this is enough
> to complete the job (plus some) and I tell them that if they run out, they
> need to show me where all of them went. I make sure that they understand
> that there will be no more coming unless they can demonstrate that they
> used more than I estimated. Sometimes they do and I don't give them a hard
> time, but I do check to make sure that they haven't walked off the job.
>
> Ask them to be a bit more organized because it is a money and safety
> issue.
>
> --
> Robert Allison
> Rimshot, Inc.
> Georgetown, TX
But they are professionals! Don't they want to be treated as one?
I don't get it.
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Posted by Robert Allison on April 8, 2008, 9:43 am
MiamiCuse wrote:
>
>>nmbexcuse@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have hired a team of electrician (3 of them) to do some re-wiring of
>>>the house I am working on. They are 50% completion and I have been
>>>furnishing all the materials.
>>>
>>>Something that bothers me.
>>>
>>>I hooked up a fridge and told them to help themselves, I asked them
>>>what they like and everyone seems to like Arizona ice tea or
>>>Gatorade. So I stock the fridge full with those drinks.
>>>
>>>Problem, at the end of the day I go around and between the three of
>>>them it is not unusual that I found 15 or more drink bottles. They
>>>drink a lot? Noooooo... most of those are 80% full. So they worked
>>>in the kitchen, went and got a drink, took three sips, leave it
>>>sitting on a half framed wall, 30 minutes later he moves up into the
>>>attic to pull some wire, goes to the fridge and pull out a new cold
>>>drink, carries it into the attic, took three sips and sat it down in
>>>the attic...so at the end of the day they went through half a dozen
>>>16oz drinks but only drank a little out of each.
>>>
>>>Same thing with materials. I got them a box of EMT couplings, 50 of
>>>them, three days later they needed more, ok another 50, then another
>>>50, I started to wonder, that is 150 EMT couplings, they have not laid
>>>that much pipes. I walked around and round up everything and yes I
>>>have 3 boxes of couplings, almost 90% full in each of them, so they
>>>forgot where they left something and ordered new. Same thing with
>>>wire nuts, connectors, MC connectors, reducing washers, switch plates,
>>>outlets etc...just seemed to be misplaced.
>>>
>>>Now I am not worried too much about these materials, compared to the
>>>labor it's insignificant, but is that an indication that they may be
>>>sloppy and absent minded in the wiring as well?
>>
>>Welcome to the wonderful world of general contracting. If you supply the
>>materials, what incentive do they have to conserve anything? Now a really
>>good human being and electrician may do it because it is the right thing
>>to do, but those guys are not around much anymore, so you have to deal
>>with what you get.
>>
>>Here is how I do it: I supply drinks, but I get a 10 gal. cooler and fill
>>it with water and the gatorade mix of their choice. I give them enough of
>>those packets to last however long they are going to be working, or a
>>weeks supply, whichever is less.
>>
>>Materials; I give them the materials and I tell them that this is enough
>>to complete the job (plus some) and I tell them that if they run out, they
>>need to show me where all of them went. I make sure that they understand
>>that there will be no more coming unless they can demonstrate that they
>>used more than I estimated. Sometimes they do and I don't give them a hard
>>time, but I do check to make sure that they haven't walked off the job.
>>
>>Ask them to be a bit more organized because it is a money and safety
>>issue.
>>
>>--
>>Robert Allison
>>Rimshot, Inc.
>>Georgetown, TX
>
>
> But they are professionals! Don't they want to be treated as one?
>
> I don't get it.
Professionals today are not what professionals were when I was
younger. In the old days, missing 3 days of work over a month
would get you fired. Showing up late more than three times a
month would get you fired. Using company time to make phone
calls would get you fired. Spending too much time in the
bathroom would get you fired. Wasting materials would get you
fired. Not knowing how to do your job would get you fired.
Nowadays, if you fire someone, you had better be ready to defend
yourself in court, unless you have a document trail showing every
thing that he did to cause him to be fired and every infraction
had better be signed by the employee.
In addition, it is very hard to come by anyone to work, much less
quality workers. I no longer employ ANY workers (except for the
occasional day laborer) and do everything by subcontractors.
When I did have employees, there would not be a week that went by
that someone didn't come on the jobsite and offer them work at
another company, for more money!
So, I guess that treating them like I do, IS treating them like
the professionals of today. When you get a real professional on
the job, you will quickly be aware of it, and treat them
accordingly. It doesn't take long to recognize the difference.
--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX
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