Service Managers.. tell me about the job

[uskollinen]

I'm interviewing with a company to take over as Service Manager. Co has 10 techs in service, 5 teams in install. 8.5 million revenue. 45 total employees. Company has been around 22 years. Excellent reputation. He owns 40 of market in a few zip codes, and has a call center to find additional customers in new zips he is expanding into. He has a Sales dept. to handle sales. Service Manager compensation is base plus incentives for service dept hitting revenue per truck goals. Ten percent of revenue after goal is achived. Techs have same incentive. Hourly of 27 to 33/ hr plus 10% after break even point on truck is reached. They are making 65 to 80K/yr. Union wage here is 22/hr. Truck is charged % of shop overhead, plus techs wages. Also for sales leads given to sales dept, same 10 percent applys if a system is sold. So tech arrives to perform service, does PMI to see if anything else needs repair, if so quotes cost to customer. Does it if approved. If its a high cost repair on older system, tech offers to have Sales dept contact to go over options. If yes turns in lead. Neither dept uses pressure selling, just informs customer, and lets them decide. He charges at high end for service and systems. Doesn't price cut to compete with small shops. I am new to this industry. I am being considered because of extensive management exp at UPS with drivers. He will spend time and $$ teaching me the business. Is the service manager a high turnover position? What is the sucess rate for achiving these "easy to hit goals" in this business model? This is a "6 figure job" is what I am hearing. A Hvac consultant will be training me on the sales process, and I will be taking classes to learn what I can of the business. I need some input from you guys out there in the know to evaluate against what I am hearing. I have 4 kids and a mortgage. I cannot make a mistake on this move.

[techace79]

thats weird... all the posts from before were deleted???:confused:

[merken1]

I'm interviewing with a company to take over as Service Manager. Co has 10 techs in service, 5 teams in install. 8.5 million revenue. 45 total employees. Company has been around 22 years. Excellent reputation. He owns 40 of market in a few zip codes, and has a call center to find additional customers in new zips he is expanding into. He has a Sales dept. to handle sales. Service Manager compensation is base plus incentives for service dept hitting revenue per truck goals. Ten percent of revenue after goal is achived. Techs have same incentive. Hourly of 27 to 33/ hr plus 10% after break even point on truck is reached. They are making 65 to 80K/yr. Union wage here is 22/hr. Truck is charged % of shop overhead, plus techs wages. Also for sales leads given to sales dept, same 10 percent applys if a system is sold. So tech arrives to perform service, does PMI to see if anything else needs repair, if so quotes cost to customer. Does it if approved. If its a high cost repair on older system, tech offers to have Sales dept contact to go over options. If yes turns in lead. Neither dept uses pressure selling, just informs customer, and lets them decide. He charges at high end for service and systems. Doesn't price cut to compete with small shops. I am new to this industry. I am being considered because of extensive management exp at UPS with drivers. He will spend time and $$ teaching me the business. Is the service manager a high turnover position? What is the sucess rate for achiving these "easy to hit goals" in this business model? This is a "6 figure job" is what I am hearing. A Hvac consultant will be training me on the sales process, and I will be taking classes to learn what I can of the business. I need some input from you guys out there in the know to evaluate against what I am hearing. I have 4 kids and a mortgage. I cannot make a mistake on this move.

The job you are being hired for is a "Operation Manager". In that position you don't have to know the actual A/C business, but you must have good support from your men. Your contribution is going to be on the business side through better/different management practices. You will need to have a thick skin as the Tech passed over will not be happy and you are going to have to win their support.
Every Tech can run the business better than the owner and will tell you so. It could be a great job or it could be a bust. Lot of luck.

[dash]

I agree with Merken,and your replies in the general discussion section show that to be the case.

Great numbers and market share,I'd only be concerned about the telemarketing,and that's because of the way it's done in our area,could be fine.

My email is in my profile if you have questions.

[absrbrtek]

No there not, he reposted since he didn't like the answers he got in his previous post here: http://www.hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=143136

thats weird... all the posts from before were deleted???:confused:

[Mstrav]

so you dont believe us? your a jack a$$, I have held every position in various companys over the years, you have just officially wasted my time, better yet post the job info so I can go interview for the postion. you think your other post was a waste? what day do you start, I think I will go take the job you have right now for 75k, when you leave tell your old boss to post it here, I will need a little relocation assistance though. I'm already in the northwest.


thanks, matt

[refrtech]

Lots of hourly's have answered my post.. Any service managers out there that can give me the input I need.. earning prospects, longevity etc...


Look jackass us " HOURLY'S " are what make ANY good hvac buisness the buisness that it is !! A buisness can not run without us low life " hourly's "!! As you said yourself , the buisness is doing just fine W/OUT YOU , it would not be doing fine W/OUT US LOW LIFE HOURLY'S !!!

If I interviewed with you and you told me that you would be my service manager and that you do not have ANY HVAC experience , I would turn right back around and walk out your door !! A good service manager not only manages his technicians but also has to be able to help them out in a bind . You being a big shot " Manager " has no clue what so ever what it is like to be a technician on the road running service calls . No offense to any UPS drivers that may be lurking but ...... we are HVAC technicians , NOT " Big Brown " drivers !! Take that as you will . If you are foolish enough to take the job your toughest job will be earning the respect of the people that are putting $$ into your pocket , YOUR HOURLY'S !!!

I understand that that you have been a manager for " Big Brown " for 17 years and blah blah blah . That does NOTHING for you as far as being a good service manager !! You will be a glorrified salesman , not a service manager .

[supertek65]

I'm interviewing with a company to take over as Service Manager. Co has 10 techs in service, 5 teams in install. 8.5 million revenue. 45 total employees. Company has been around 22 years. Excellent reputation. He owns 40 of market in a few zip codes, and has a call center to find additional customers in new zips he is expanding into. He has a Sales dept. to handle sales. Service Manager compensation is base plus incentives for service dept hitting revenue per truck goals. Ten percent of revenue after goal is achived. Techs have same incentive. Hourly of 27 to 33/ hr plus 10% after break even point on truck is reached. They are making 65 to 80K/yr. Union wage here is 22/hr. Truck is charged % of shop overhead, plus techs wages. Also for sales leads given to sales dept, same 10 percent applys if a system is sold. So tech arrives to perform service, does PMI to see if anything else needs repair, if so quotes cost to customer. Does it if approved. If its a high cost repair on older system, tech offers to have Sales dept contact to go over options. If yes turns in lead. Neither dept uses pressure selling, just informs customer, and lets them decide. He charges at high end for service and systems. Doesn't price cut to compete with small shops. I am new to this industry. I am being considered because of extensive management exp at UPS with drivers. He will spend time and $$ teaching me the business. Is the service manager a high turnover position? What is the sucess rate for achiving these "easy to hit goals" in this business model? This is a "6 figure job" is what I am hearing. A Hvac consultant will be training me on the sales process, and I will be taking classes to learn what I can of the business. I need some input from you guys out there in the know to evaluate against what I am hearing. I have 4 kids and a mortgage. I cannot make a mistake on this move.

where do you live where pipe fitters only make $22.00 hr? most make 35-45!

[absrbrtek]

Someones been in their wifes purse I see. :)
Lots of hourly's have answered my post.. Any service managers out there that can give me the input I need.. earning prospects, longevity etc...


Look jackass us " HOURLY'S " are what make ANY good hvac buisness the buisness that it is !! A buisness can not run without us low life " hourly's "!! As you said yourself , the buisness is doing just fine W/OUT YOU , it would not be doing fine W/OUT US LOW LIFE HOURLY'S !!!

If I interviewed with you and you told me that you would be my service manager and that you do not have ANY HVAC experience , I would turn right back around and walk out your door !! A good service manager not only manages his technicians but also has to be able to help them out in a bind . You being a big shot " Manager " has no clue what so ever what it is like to be a technician on the road running service calls . No offense to any UPS drivers that may be lurking but ...... we are HVAC technicians , NOT " Big Brown " drivers !! Take that as you will . If you are foolish enough to take the job your toughest job will be earning the respect of the people that are putting $$ into your pocket , YOUR HOURLY'S !!!

I understand that that you have been a manager for " Big Brown " for 17 years and blah blah blah . That does NOTHING for you as far as being a good service manager !! You will be a glorrified salesman , not a service manager .

[uskollinen]

Hmmm.. My posts.. Polite, Sincere, Specific, Cogent, impartial, Logical, non combative. Your posts.. well not so much. Impolite, generalities, negative, emotional,. I'm sorry you are so unhappy. I did not waste your time, you did. You are not a victim of me, you made you own choice. I didn't make you follow me around on the board. You chose to. I don't think you are cut out for either my current job, or the opportunity I am inquiring about. If in person, you act anything like the way you post, I can't imagine anyone working for you, or following you anywhere. You said"so you dont believe us? your a jack a$$, I have held every position in various companys over the years" I guess that means that you have the only opinion worth knowing. I did and am still considering the opinions that people expressed. Yours included, but honestly, everytime you post the way you do, you damage your credibility. Can't you express a opinion without the venom? I can't grasp why you are so threatened be me getting more than just your view. I'm sorry but when someone says " I have held every position in various companys over the years" that usually means they failed at them one after another, but in their minds that makes them the worlds greatest authority, with the only opinion that matters. Enough already..Since I am in charge of how you spend your time, I hearby grant you permission to no longer waste your time posting to me with you negative, one sided, impolite, broad brush generalities. Honestly.. there is help for you out there. Get some therapy.. You don't have to be a victim all you life.

[supertek65]

doesn't Doug heffernan from king of queens work as a driver for big brown?

sincerely,
Hourly:)

[Mstrav]

you just became the first person on my ignore list, I have had every position in a company because I started in this trade for $5 an hour and have climbed to the top and have my own contractors license in 2 states. I have had the exact offers you listed by the same "type" of dirtbags, I couldnt get out of the meeting fast enough, but I did sit in for a day to see it all work. "GO BIG BROWN" you are a clown!!!!

matt

[uskollinen]

Wow, why do you consider hourlies to be a negative label, and to be low life? I don't.. nothing happens without the guys out there doing the work. If I wanted to know about the tech job, the "hourlies" are the first guys I would talk to...but then again, I'm not inquiring about the hourly job am I? I'm inquiring about the Service manager job, or as I have been rightly corrected, the Business manager job. You would know very little about the UPS Management job if you went to the brown cafe and posted to all the drivers that are on the site, but you would get alot of hourly opinions. And like in any business, there have been plenty of bad, walk on you, throw you under the bus, stab you in the back management at UPS. You would hear alot about them, but that is not how all of us operate. What I am looking for here is the persective of people who are actually Business Managers. It was clear from the one of the posts in the general area, that I was not reaching my intended audience. Look at how different the posts by merken1 and dash are compared to the posts in the general area. I don't operate as a Big Shot manager. Guys with their egos wrapped up in their titles are worthless in management, and turn good motivated employees into negative, complaining "I'm paid by the hour" type of guys. You said, "I understand that that you have been a manager for " Big Brown " for 17 years and blah blah blah . That does NOTHING for you as far as being a good service manager !! You will be a glorrified salesman , not a service manager." but that is exactly why I am being considered for the job.. I am a good manager. I EARN the repect of my people by the strenth of my character, not by brow beating, threats, manipulation, pressuring etc. "If your people come to understand that what you do springs from an honest heart, they will be suprisingly strong in their support of you.. The will do what you ask, believe what you say, they will support and defend you" James Casey.. UPS Founder. Don't paint me with your broad brush.

[absrbrtek]

You have issues here regarding others opinions as some of us are only "hourly" and not up to big browns high standards. Guess what, this should be a clue to you, if you can't deal with the "hourlies" here, you'll be screwed at your new job.

These are the type of individuals you will need to lead and interact with on a daily basis, day in and day out. With your holyer than thou attitude, you will never gain their respect or trust. The lowly "hourlies" will be your downfall. JMHO

[oil lp man]

I say take the job.
The company has been waiting for you to come along.
It seems like a perfect match.
I mean they are the perfect company from what you say.
And you are the ideal candidate.
What could possibly go wrong?
Take the job.:)

[Mstrav]

quote:


I'm interviewing with a company to take over as Service Manager. Co has 10 techs in service, 5 teams in install. 8.5 million revenue. Company has been around 20 plus years. Has a call center to find additional customers, and a sales dept. Compensation is base plus incentives for service dept hitting revenue per truck goals. Ten percent of revenue after goal is achived. Techs have same incentive. Hourly plus 10% after break even point on truck is reached. Truck is charged % of shop overhead, plus techs wages. Also for sales leads given to sales dept, same 10 percent applys if a system is sold. Last manager hit target 2 of 14 months. Sat in office and did nothing. No rides with the guys, no recruiting new guys, no training techs, no supporting the techs, and infact doing alot of back stabing. I am new to this industry. What is the longevity of a service manager, and the sucess rate for achiving these "easy to hit goals" This is a "6 figure job" is what I am hearing. Is the last guys failure due to his own incompetance or is this a low success rate job? A Hvac consultant will be training me on the sales process, and I will be taking classes to learn what I can of the business. I need some input from you guys out there in the know to evaluate against what I am hearing. I have 4 kids and a mortgage. I cannot make a mistake on this move. 60K base is 15K less than I make now.




please stay with big brown, I have some red labeled fire dampers coming from atlanta, can you check on those for me?



matt

[Mstrav]

I figured out why you are changing careers, why didnt you tell us in the first place?


Immigration crackdown at UPS plants nets 51 workers
By Lornet Turnbull

Seattle Times staff reporter

U.S. immigration officials Wednesday arrested 51 immigrants at two UPS warehouses in Auburn where authorities believe they were illegally employed.

The workers, from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, were being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma while their immigration cases are reviewed and processed.

The workers were discovered after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents audited the employment records of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, a UPS subsidiary that operates the warehouses, and of Spherion, a temporary-employment agency that helped staff the facilities.

Officials said the audit showed several workers had used counterfeit identification documents, including fraudulent Social Security numbers, to get jobs.

ICE spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said that while most of those arrested had been placed by Spherion, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., some told agents they had been placed at UPS by other employment agencies. None of the companies has been criminally charged, and ICE is continuing its investigation, Dankers said.

Kip Havel, Spherion spokesman, said the company is "taking this matter very seriously. We are looking into the situation and fully cooperating with authorities."

Spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg said UPS will conduct its own investigation. "UPS has policies regarding unauthorized employment for ourselves and any contractors that we work with," she said.

UPS processes a variety of customer orders at the two warehouses, which sit side by side on C Street Northwest in Auburn. The facilities are considered "Customs bonded," a classification granted to security-sensitive facilities where shipments of merchandise, subject to duty, are stored before being processed and moved to other locations.

Wednesday's arrests are part of a crackdown on work sites nationwide, particularly those tied to security-sensitive institutions such as airports, military bases and Customs-bonded warehouses.

Officials say illegal-immigrant workers with access to such sites are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists and other criminals.

[soggybottom]

Lol

[absrbrtek]

LOL, Ooooooops time for a carreer change.

[merken1]

The job you are being hired for is a "Operation Manager". In that position you don't have to know the actual A/C business, but you must have good support from your men. Your contribution is going to be on the business side through better/different management practices. You will need to have a thick skin as the Tech passed over will not be happy and you are going to have to win their support.
Every Tech can run the business better than the owner and will tell you so. It could be a great job or it could be a bust. Lot of luck.

Apparently you are still considering the job? The thing you want to check out is if the current business is cyclical or it is it a permanent cycle. The HVAC business is very cyclical in nature and generally the first thing that is cut on a down swing in business is the office personnel.
Currently Fl is coming out of a busy cylclical cycle because of the Hurricanes several years ago. All of the damage has been repaired and jobs are not as abundant as they were two years ago.
As a rule we are generally very busy in the summer and the winter is a time to regroup and set up for next year cooling season. The money in this business is generally made in the cooling season.
If you decide to take the job let us know how it comes out. My e-mail address in in my profile if I can be of any help.
:cool:

[uskollinen]

Matt,
Holy Heck! You are truly addicted.. within 2 hours of your final insult, and self justification for why I should only listen to your opinion, and then brutaly relegating me to the isolated nether regions of your ignore list, you come back with a post, and then an hour later another.. just let it go, you'll feel so much better... Now you are to the point of wasting more of your time researching UPS on the net. Or wait, I forgot.. that's probably my fault again isn't it. I'd say you are taking this who thing to unhealthy levels. You need to find yourself a girl! Anyway yeah we all had a good laugh here at UPS when our subsidiary hired a contractor, who hired illegals. 350 or so employees and 51 are illegals. Stupid move.. I don't think he'll ever contract for us again.

[uskollinen]

Neither I nor the company are perfect, and tring to find out what could be or could go wrong is exactly why I am here on the board. As I said last night I need the perspective of Business Managers actually doing the job to have a complete picture of it. I will obviously weigh the opinion of one who is doing it more that someone who is not. But I will weigh both perspectives in my decision. Someone who drives a Ford will give me better info about Fords that a GM owner. Come on guys this is not rocket science. You all have opinions and I have heard them. The problem is when you spend you time being negative, emotional, generalizing, insulting and attacking me, your opinions loose their credibility. You obviously have axes to grind with the bigger Hvac businesses. It's a highly competitive business, with lots of low cost competition. 300 co. doing this in Washington. Some axes I am sure are justified, but part of it is just plain old jealousy. How can all of these businesses be bad? How can they survive so long with so many loyal happy customers? This one is not the product of buying out others. One owner, one phone number, one location, no aquisions.

[uskollinen]

Big Brown was and is made by it's hourly workers bud. All companies are. They do all the work theat produces the revenue, and guess what.. I was one too. Having been on both sides of the fence, I know there are many perspectives. Most management forget what it was like, that I will readily admit, I see it and hear it all the time. I am kind of unique in that I have not forgotten. I respect and Value the guys I work with. They would tell you that. Infact I've limited my career at UPS by not walking all over people. You can't get promoted at UPS by practicing trust and teamwork, no matter if you produce superior results. The DM's Ego won't let them tell the other DM's that you are their best promotion candidate. UPS has strayed fall from it's roots. But I do know that a Ford owner knows more about Fords that one who drives a GM. But it goes both ways. Hourly's have opinions that should be heard, but they are from one perspective in general. I need both sides. Here's the confession. Why a career change. I think the writing is on the wall for UPS. Wages are so far above the competition that Fedex and DHL can cherry pick the most profitable pkgs and offer discounts UPS can't match. Fedex is the big threat as their quality of service is very good.. the other guys.. not so much. In 1989 I was part time at UPS and worked a 2nd job at the largest frieght company in America. By 1995 it no longer existed. It was Consolidated Freight. Non Union competition killed it. It didn't have to be that way, but the Union demanded wages so far above the market wages that they killed the Golden Goose. Stupid pikers!! UPS needs a very favorable contract with the Union next year, or I think the downward spiral will start. Even now, there are places in the country thet UPS is laying off hourly's and management. Volume down 8 and 10 %

[Mstrav]

basically everything you are saying "we" are trying to tell you . You say they are paying $30 for techs when i have friends in your area making $22 and they are TOP NOTCH service techs. You say the overpriced management is killing them. the company you mention pays all the office people way to much and also puts the preasure on if theres no sales and "quotas" hit HEADS WILL FLY. with the competition as you say it is for ups, it is no dif for hvac. With the economy in a slow down, retros slow down and the high priced companys selling "caddies" will be hurt the worst. If the economy is slowing and housing is down, You bet your $$$ that mr homeowner is going to shop out every deal shaving dollar by dollar until the best deal is found, and you are "starting" at the expensive / rip-off end of the trade.


is this company in the city or small town, this makes a differance as well. small towns like using "hank" cause we always use "hank" to fix our unit. In the city you are easilly replaced as as one of the techs starting his own thing and taking buisness with or just call one of the other 50 companies.

again the wages you are claiming are "crazy" high for your area, oh and I actually make about what you are making now doing this, but I already know what i'm doing!!!!

"go big brown"

matt

[ARPA]

uskollinen:

OK, not an “hourly” but an owner now that has been there, as well as some of the members that have posted to your thread. You have had some very good answers and opinions posted to your question.

My experience:
Years ago I was hired for what I thought was a dream job. “Operations Manager”, wow, nice title… for a very large HVAC “National” company. I actually started one of their branches.

My pay was to be XXXX with a very nice “bonus” every quarter, if I met a certain net profit margin. I looked at the company’s financials, seemed OK, and started calculating in my head of all the money I’d make.
Well, long story short, after one year I told them bye. I could only make what seemed on paper, this bonus….. If I did a few things, push the techs, and everyone else in the branch so much that it appeared that the only thing I cared about was money, the bottom line, of which is what this company that you are thinking about going to work for is really looking for. And your real job, Operations Manager is just that, you are to watch the bottom line…if….you want this bonus. Not a service manager, as that is someone that your techs would call if they had a problem that they couldn’t figure out, plus, many other hats that a service manager must be able to wear.
If you are depending on this…….bonus, I don’t care what you say: you’ll get better training for your staff, costs money, there goes your bottom line again…. better techs, better management, etc…... You have to push for that bottom line, AT ALL TIMES. One job over budget, or very low numbers could cancel out 10 good ones. You will become a work a holic to stay on top of it all.

Now, yes, you could make it work, but how? You do not know anything about the field? Or the business. The little ins and outs that make a job run smoother, faster, keep within budget, etc…Plus, you WILL be looked down on by all below you in the company because you are the new guy, and the first time that you “try” to change something, or push someone there goes the respect and their cooperation that you need to make YOUR numbers for your bonus..
Your training, UPS, yes, could be an asset, but see what I said above….

Now, let’s get this thread back on topic….

[ej45]

You will fail at a very difficult job if you use the management terms like "hourly" with techs. You have the wrong attitude to lead very highly skilled craftsmen and mechanics. These are not truck drivers at brown. Most of these men will be making more than you. This job will not be like big brown at all!! Are you aware of the national shortage of qualified techs and you just dont fill HVAC positions over night after you move in and treat them like a "SHIRT". A poor management style could screw a company that could take years to fix. Tread lightly....
All of us stupid hourly techs out here see service managers come and go. You need to ride with a seasoned tech and visit job sites to try to grasp the skill of these men. A commercial industrial hvac tech is a difficult and highly technical job. Techs need working knowledge of welding, brazing, piping equipment rooms, pneumatics, generators, electrical, med. and high voltage, single and three phase, controls, DDC, computers, refrigeration, pumps, flow, heat transfer, steam, boilers, furnaces, rigging, safe work practices, chillers, customer relations, ect..... even driving a truck. LOL
Keep in mind the tech is working in poor working conditions high heat and humidity, freezing temps, rain, water, electrical dangers, rigging hazards, fire, and fall hazards while fielding customer complaints, office phone calls and paperwork. All while your sitting in you air conditioned office sipping on your free coffee.
This is why you have offended us "hourly guys". You have no respect for techs, that was very clear in your email. You don't have a clue what it takes to do this job well. Just to be clear, we are a dieing breed and people are not coming into this demanding trade. You cant take a green tech out of tech school and send him in a truck. It takes years of experience and then only a few techs excel. If you don't believe me, take the job and you will learn quickly. Managers are expendable, techs are not.


And to answer you, its a very difficult job. You will be in the middle of salesmen, ownership, customers and techs. Its a very thankless job that will be challenging dealing with numbers, unions, techs, piss-off customers, cry baby salesmen, *****y women in the office and bill collecting. Just to name a few.

Good luck

[ej45]

Management techniques at brown I heard are ruthless and treat the "hourly men" very poor with a take it or leave it attitude. I have a friend that drives a brown van. This will not work in the HVAC field.

I know of a union company that owned a commercial industrial company that had ten service techs that bought a residential company and started another company. The company was doing very well will good growth, soon the two companies merged and added a new service manager outside the hvac business and within a year lost all their top techs. The company at the merge were 25 techs. Three years latter the company has five techs left and no work. Yes, the manager now is working in another field. He put the screws to a very good company with poor management tactics.

[steamer]

Hmmmm!! A Service Manager position, but no recent HVAC experience, but have knowledge of running a truck fleet for who UPS.

What HVAC company in the right mind hire for a Service Manager/Operations manager what ever you want to label it as, with no HVAC experience, How the hell are you going to relate to your technicians(hourly/salary/ticket time whatever) if you dont even have a grasp on what they do or how they do it or how to help them with there job if there is no field experience what so ever.

I run 15 service trucks, installation crew, and can diagnose almost any problem over the phone if my techs have any problems,(must of been the 23 years in the FIELD as a Hourly /salary /ticket time Grunt), They know they can count on there SERVICE MANAGER to actually do that , Manage the Service department.

Maybe I am ranting on, but How the Hell can you run a HVAC company and not Have any HVAC experience, this baffles me.

From my experience, I never recall seeing Brown Service trucks out there on the road.

I guess ask the question, What can Brown do for your HVAC occupation.

[absrbrtek]

I gree with your thinking 100% here steamer. However the trend in todays modern way of thinking is to hire someone with absolutely no experience or knowledge of the field. This is particularly true with companies looking to just grind out the work and increase the bottom lines.

All of the negative thoughts that you as an experienced HVAC person have in your post are assets to these companies.

Plus side is the manager has no idea about HVAC.

Plus side is he can ride the techs without valid reasons besides he thinks they took to long or the book says it should take XX time.

Plus side is they can crunch the numbers and eliminate what they consider waste. IE; truck privilidges, small perks to techs, using cheaper parts, etc.

Plus side is they can fire techs with experience because the owner is telling them the "hourlies" can be found on street corners using a bottle of ripple. Reason being labor is the most expensive burden to a company, cut labor costs equal higher bottom line.

I have seen this type of mentality in action first hand. A Fortune 500 Company I worked for used these tactics. If you had a college degree you were a god, as long as you could cut expenses. The company had 3500 employees in 40 offices across the country. They had a turnover rate of 50% in 2005 and a projected turnover rate in excess of 60% in 2006, they were extremely proud of this. They saw this as growth, weed out the management and techs with 20 and 30 years in with the company to get "new blood" into the loop.

In three years the company was gutted to a shell of its former self. People making descisions based on bonuses instead of how the business would be effected. Departments screwing each other so their numbers looked better. The biggest losses I had were from interdepartmental screwings.

Sad to say but our boy here only sees the "6 Figure" job and is not listening to us. I can tell you at least with me that if I interviewed with this guy and he told me his experience, there's no way I would work there. He's going to turn this company into a hell hole, still won't get his bonus and will pack it in within a year or so. I've seen this all to many times. These salary bonused position are revolving doors for chumps. JMHO









Hmmmm!! A Service Manager position, but no recent HVAC experience, but have knowledge of running a truck fleet for who UPS.

What HVAC company in the right mind hire for a Service Manager/Operations manager what ever you want to label it as, with no HVAC experience, How the hell are you going to relate to your technicians(hourly/salary/ticket time whatever) if you dont even have a grasp on what they do or how they do it or how to help them with there job if there is no field experience what so ever.

I run 15 service trucks, installation crew, and can diagnose almost any problem over the phone if my techs have any problems,(must of been the 23 years in the FIELD as a Hourly /salary /ticket time Grunt), They know they can count on there SERVICE MANAGER to actually do that , Manage the Service department.

Maybe I am ranting on, but How the Hell can you run a HVAC company and not Have any HVAC experience, this baffles me.

From my experience, I never recall seeing Brown Service trucks out there on the road.

I guess ask the question, What can Brown do for your HVAC occupation.

[esornivram]

Hmmm.. My posts.. Polite, Sincere, Specific, Cogent, impartial, Logical, non combative. Your posts.. well not so much. Impolite, generalities, negative, emotional,. I'm sorry you are so unhappy. I did not waste your time, you did. You are not a victim of me, you made you own choice. I didn't make you follow me around on the board. You chose to. I don't think you are cut out for either my current job, or the opportunity I am inquiring about. If in person, you act anything like the way you post, I can't imagine anyone working for you, or following you anywhere. You said"so you dont believe us? your a jack a$$, I have held every position in various companys over the years" I guess that means that you have the only opinion worth knowing. I did and am still considering the opinions that people expressed. Yours included, but honestly, everytime you post the way you do, you damage your credibility. Can't you express a opinion without the venom? I can't grasp why you are so threatened be me getting more than just your view. I'm sorry but when someone says " I have held every position in various companys over the years" that usually means they failed at them one after another, but in their minds that makes them the worlds greatest authority, with the only opinion that matters. Enough already..Since I am in charge of how you spend your time, I hearby grant you permission to no longer waste your time posting to me with you negative, one sided, impolite, broad brush generalities. Honestly.. there is help for you out there. Get some therapy.. You don't have to be a victim all you life.
does your leaving big brown mean you failed there?
you are in your own way are belittling others with your overconfidence , some preceive that as arrogance,
i do agree that you need to have lots of hvac experience, or you will be up against a steep learning curve

[bustawrench1]

Matt,
Holy Heck! You are truly addicted.. within 2 hours of your final insult, and self justification for why I should only listen to your opinion, and then brutaly relegating me to the isolated nether regions of your ignore list, you come back with a post, and then an hour later another.. just let it go, you'll feel so much better... Now you are to the point of wasting more of your time researching UPS on the net. Or wait, I forgot.. that's probably my fault again isn't it. I'd say you are taking this who thing to unhealthy levels. You need to find yourself a girl! Anyway yeah we all had a good laugh here at UPS when our subsidiary hired a contractor, who hired illegals. 350 or so employees and 51 are illegals. Stupid move.. I don't think he'll ever contract for us again.

Don't you guys know a TROLL when you see one?

[absrbrtek]

LOL, I've been thinking that all along, but I hate to see someone throw away a good job to get crushed in this field. Hopefully their real and listen.
Don't you guys know a TROLL when you see one?

[oil lp man]

Theres a thread in the pros forum called "Unsolvable call, service mgr. at wits end".
Too bad the OP can't see it. I predict every day will be like that for him. Unless he's got some good techs that stay.

[uskollinen]

Got it .. Note to self..At UPS drivers use term Hourly as a badge of honor when talking about themselves.. HVAC not so much. This co is pure residential, and does no new construction. Yes the Owner told me about the shortage of people entering the field, and how heavy the recruiting is at he few schools around. Also he has one Tech calls Field manager who gets the calls from the other Techs when they need help with a difficult diagnosis. He's the guy at 33/Hr.

[uskollinen]

Matt,

His Field Supervisor makes 33/hr. He's the guy the others call for help with diagnosis, The others are 27 to 29/hr plus incentives. He keeps pay and benis high so that it would be a painful pay cut to unionize. He said same thing.. most Techs in the region make substantialy less than his guys. I didn't say anything about overpriced office or management.. or about quotas and pressure and heads will fly. His philosophy is give the customer the information about needed repair, and/or about upgrading system and the total cost for the job, system installed and running.. no overruns, or overtime and the customer will always make the right decision for themselves and their circumstances. It's a metro area, but he has developed a bit of that small town effect. Huge name recognition in a few zip codes.. 40 % of the market is his. It's right in the middle of Microsoft land and all of Bill Gates microsoft millionare employees. Now he is expanding north and south from there. Zip code by zip code. Hired marketing expert last year as Sales Manager. Found a system that works developing new customers with the call center. It was providing too many customers for techs to keep up with so he had to reign it in. Wants to put on 3 techs asap, and fire it back up. I ran his co on BBB website. 3 issues 2 of which resolved to customers satisfaction. Seems typical for service industry. Googled his co, and hit one person who was unhappy with amount charged, and it took too long for somone to get there. It was after one of last years wind storms when power was out in some places here 10 days.. charge according to post was 400 for service call, diagnosis, replacement of ignitor. I paid $289 for Sears to come out check my refridgerator, find condensor fan not working and replace it.. 40 minutes in and gone.. I priced part after on line.. $39.00. What is the value for the customer for the technical knowledge, expertise, that the Tech provides.. I couldn't diagnose my frigde, paying 25% of what I bought it for for a repair?? Well it's a heck of a lot better that $1200 for a new one!! All the other google hits I got were praising the prepaid service agreement, or praising the replacement of the system that died, and gratitude for the space heaters they provided during the job, and 11 year customer saying how happy with them for providing yearly tune up service. He says housing slow downs haven't hurt him in past. Bad economy could though. This region has been isolated from the rest of the country during the last few eco slow downs, lower growth rate, but not a downturn.

[uskollinen]

"Theres a thread in the pros forum called "Unsolvable call, service mgr. at wits end".
Too bad the OP can't see it. I predict every day will be like that for him. Unless he's got some good techs that stay."

Thats exactly why he has a Field Supervisor.. he handles this type of stuff.

[uskollinen]

Yes exactly. I have utterly failed at UPS. I have failed to look at my drivers as expendable carbon units, because hey, there is line at the door of people wanting their job, fire this one and hire the next. I value them as people and treat them as I would want to be. I have failed to just give people a commitment to get something done that they need to make the job easier, and then just forget about it. I actually do it. I have failed to use management by Warning letter. Instead I work with them to fix what ever is out of line. So by extension, I have failed to fire enough employees to make me a "good promotion candidate". I have failed to be too busy to listen to what may people say. I have failed to be protective of the bottom line at the expense of Safety or Quality of work. I have failed in that I think that management is more responsible for the results than the employees. We send them out with a set of methods or a system of operating as it were. It will produce certain range of results. If the business needs different results, you can't push, intimidate, and coerce your people. You as management/owners need to design a workable system that will produce the result you need. That requires lots of input from the employees. Like Einstein said, The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So you are right.. I failed at UPS to sell my soul to Big Brown's current practises. Even though my results have always been good, and occasionaly even exceptional, politicaly inside UPS I am a failure.

[uskollinen]

The owner has said just the opposite.. the last guy created turn over, and in this industry you cannot afford turnover because the biggest challenge this industry faces if the shortage of good people. Why do you think he pays them above market and union wage? He wants to attract the best, and keep them. He also want to reward them for making sure the "customer system is running like new" after the service call. The service call has a 1 year guarantee.. if the system stops working during that time, co goes back out on it's own dime, and gets the system working. You are wrong.. poorly trained labor is the most expensive to a companies bottom line. Poorly trained labor creates rework and tarnishes co image. Customers leave, and tell friends about poor service. Rework produces no revenue, only cost. It is far more profitable to pay more for the best people, have it done right the first time, and have the customer happy, and will repeat, and hopefully tell their neighbor. The same applies to the rest of you points..you are painting me in with your forture 500 co experience. You said " Sad to say but our boy here only sees the "6 Figure" job and is not listening to us. I can tell you at least with me that if I interviewed with this guy and he told me his experience, there's no way I would work there. He's going to turn this company into a hell hole, still won't get his bonus and will pack it in within a year or so. I've seen this all to many times. These salary bonused position are revolving doors for chumps" I don't get stuck in short view for immediate bonuses. You can't kill the golden goose for a egg today.. I want eggs next month and the next month and next year and in 10 years. All decisions have to be considered in the long view. I may be alot of things, but a short sited chump isn't one of them. I am listening to you and weighing what you say. But much of what is being said may be valid with your experience, but does that mean that every single one of these businesses is a loser, rip off, failure just waiting to breath its last breath? What I see here with this business does not match what I am hearing. Isn't it just possible there is a owner, valuing his people, paying them very well, provide great service, give customers 12 month guarantees on service and on installs 12 month satisfation,and 5 yrs on worknmanship, providing job security by finding new customers to add to his cust base, so he can hire more techs, pay them well? None of you know a business that is run in this manner?? Thats too bad.

[uskollinen]

Yep.. that is the prevailing style at UPS, it will destroy a good company with good people..I have never bought into that style, and never will.

[Tech Rob]

Let me first state that I am no manager, and I am barely able to call myself a "technician" of any kind...

Just a word to the wise: You may find that some technicians resent someone who has never worked in the field side of the business as a service manager and general shot-caller.

Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll do fine. Don't show any fear or apprehension and let your word be the last.