ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Paid Enemies

tsolanto
You must have a good heart to take that grief as long as you have. If an employee of mine pulled that junk, he/she would have been fired long ago. I found out that I cannot afford them, and it costs three to four times as much to get back the reputation you had before the slackers ruined it.
You have had one GC fire you already, get rid of the problem before more of your customers do the same.
Good luck in the future

Elec_VA,
There comes a point, usually about 6 men, that it becomes counter productive for a Forman to try and work with the tools. And a Forman shouldn’t be expected to run more than 10 men. Of course every job is different depending on the complexity but if the Forman is trying to work with the tools instead of doing layout, ordering material and getting it staged as-builting and all the other things expected of a Forman, the end result is a crew without the tools material and layout to do the work. That is financially devastating to a job!

I totally understand, there are a lot of deadbeats out there, thats why I keep it simple and run a one man shop.

Nick, Tom had 2 men under him maybe 3 on any one of these jobs. That is why he must be a working foreman.

Good point Nick.

My current project is a 70,000sq.ft. nursing home. We have been running 8 or 9 men most of the time. This is my first experience with a larger crew after years of doing projects with 2 or 3 men.

It is a whole new ballgame. 80% of my time is spent ordering materials, coordinating work with other trades, attending progress meetings, layout, QC, and general supervision.

On the rare day when I can just run some pipe and wire it is a real joy and the day goes by much faster.

GJ

tsolanto
I know the betral you feel after trusting in someone the way you did.

I had what I thought was a friend that I hired as a apprentance. Trained him for 6 years. When he got his journeymans I gave him his own jobs to run.
Then he took his masters test and passed. I was very proud of him, even bought him a engraved watch.
Less then 6 months later he tells me he is starting his own company and is taking my only journyman with him as his partner, no notice given. The next thing he does is to contact all my customers and tells them that he is now in business and can give them a better price. Loss 2 big jobs to him right away.

Less then 3 years later he and his partner go bankrupt.

I guess that what you call karma!

NICK AND THE GOLF GUY,

THANK YOU!!!!

Forman for years have goten a bad rep for not straping on the old tool belt.
Speicaly If they are runing two or three jobs.

First off, I dont consider a REAL job two guys for a few days...thats more of a Add/Mod. my min. is two leads for every laborer.
BUT.. if the job needs a forman, then it has to be a LARGE job. 6 to 9 guys for over two weeks or more!!!! I would never dedicate a forman type guy to just one of these jobs.

The guys I call Leads need to be able to get the job done or they are just the hired help!!!

First off, I beleive that you should never bite off more than you can chew!!! That said...

It sound like this guy Mr. T is right at that point! It is the most fustrating and difficult part of a business.

My only advice would be...
If the Pricipals cant manage..get more!!!
in other words get a partner or two...

I firmly beleve that in most trades you have to be a working partner. you cant stay in the office or play golf..

best of luck guy... growing pains are hell



[This message has been edited by RandyO (edited 02-14-2003).]

RandyO
I don't play golf, I work 7 days a week. I bust my but to make a better life for myself and my family.

All I did was trust someone for a short while.

Someone which I knew for a couple of years at that point.

I got screwed...

Why is it that I can pick up a laborer off the street and pay him for the day, feed him lunch. He will never see me again and shares no responsibility.

But he works harder than anyone... Why?

Well, I dont have an answer for that, maybe, your right ontop of him and he gets paid at the end of the day... I know it was a retorical question.

But the truth is, that it is very hard to find management style help that is not finacialy motivated!!!!


Best of luck !


[This message has been edited by RandyO (edited 02-17-2003).]