Just a small question here.
How much pride do you take in your appearance when you go into a new job or even a small job.
I'm told that 9/10's of securing a job is how you look when you turn up.
I'm not saying we should all wear a 3 piece suit to work, but there are limits, eh?.
I personally shave every morning (even Saturday and Sunday), time allowing, I have also been refused entry to the odd house through having a 5 o'clock shadow as a Faultsman at 2300, with the words of ("I'm not letting a rough looking B@*&%$d, like you in here!), even though you have PoCo Overalls on!
What are your guys thoughts on this?.

I think appearance is extremely important. If you are clean cut and dressed in neat, clean clothes you have a much better chance of winning a bid or getting repeat business. The good homeowners, you know the ones that pay, will take appearance over low price every time.

Other than appearance, showing up on time and not making a mess in the customers house are extremely important.

I have a hard time getting my employees to understand these key princliples, especially the young guys. They often won't shave for a week and I can't seem to drill it into them to just not make a mess in the first place. I know they have a shop vac on the truck and can clean up the mess, but the homeowner doesn't know that. There's also a drop cloth on the truck, USE IT!

I used to carry Rug Squares on the truck all the time. They're great for putting out in locations to wipe your feet. It shows the Homeowner that you care about their house and can even be a Safety-related thing as many homes have Tile entryways which can be very slippery (and become messy fast) when coming inside on a wet day.

Bill

Oh, and Dropcloths are a great idea too. I'd have 3 or 4 of them on the Truck at all times.

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 10-25-2003).]

Eagle, Bill,
Thanks for your replies.
A drop-cloth is standard equipment in our vans, as are vacuum cleaners.
If the Boss found out that you never cleaned up after doing a job, Boy you'd be in for it!.
Just as an aside, I've just about started arguments with customers about cleaning up, they say that they will clean up your mess for you later, but being the sort of person I am, I always like to finish the job properly by getting rid of my rubbish and running a V/cleaner over the area I have been working in.
People just have got used to Tradespeople here leaving a mess behind.
I don't think it's asking too much to have the place left as you found it.
Eagle,
I must say that I agree with you, I will not allow any apprentices that work with me to have stubble or long hair, with the latter being a Health and Safety risk around Motors and other rotating machinery.
But, if you don't take any pride in your appearance, what's your work standard like, I would be asking as a paying customer.

Trumpy, here in the good old USofA if you fired, or wouldn't hire someone because of their long hair you would have discrimination charges brought against you. I am with you guys on cleanliness and appearance and such. I also have a nice truck and keep it clean both inside and out. It gives a good impression as to how you will treat their property. I see so many guys on jobs, plumbers etc, with incredibly messy trucks. I am talking open the door and stuff falls out. (Papers, napkins, coffee cups). This seems to cary over to their work habits in the house.

Scott,
That sounds like a GC I used to know. At the end of the day, he just threw stuff into the back of his van. Next day he'd turn up and when he opened the rear doors, all sorts of junk fell out. He didn't even bother to put lids on boxes of screws, and after a few twists and turns around country lanes (especially the way he drove!) the contents would soon be distributed around the floor.

I'm glad he moved away in the end and saved me the trouble up coming up with an excuse to "get out", because I was getting fed up with working with him. Even though I was only sub-contract, it can give people the wrong impression about one's own work.

Back to personal appearance: I think giving the right impression counts. Nobody expects you to turn up in a suit and tie to crawl through an attic, but one can still be neat and tidy.

Back when I was with British Telecom in the 1980s, there was one guy joined at the local exchange who had just left school. He had a Mohican-style hair-do, dyed in bright red and green!

The engineer he was apprenticed to was kind of embarrassed about taking him anywhere. He was a nice enough young lad, but as the engineer said, "How can I send him to some little old lady's house to go and check her phone? She'll probably scream and run off to call the police!"

I once knew a chimney cleaner who would do the whole carpet pads and drop cloths routine, but he said what got him more work than he could shake a chimney brush at was that he still cleaned chimneys in a black tuxedo and top hat. He also would pose for pictures a few times a day with clients and standing on the roof next to the chimney. He told me he has about 98% repeat customers every year. Appearance can have a great impact. How about that picture of the electricians in suitcoat and ties?...

Electric Eagle,

and

Trumpy,

Tradespeople who turn up on time, do the work from start to finish and not just spread their tools makes a huge difference to the customer. I've been on the back of the odd tradesman who tried to leave a few tools and come back later on half hour jobs. Sure it makes me a PITA, but I can live with that. Unfortunately, the bad tradespeople give people a reason to D-I-Y even if it's more expensive than hiring a pro.

[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 10-27-2003).]

This chimmeny sweep's dry cleaning bill must be enough to sweep a person off their feet!

LOL

"You were lookin' for a chimney sweep, guv'nor?"



[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 10-27-2003).]

I have a few things to mention on this topic (as usuall! ...)

First off, appearance is very crucial! Our Primary Clients (Large Banking Firms) would go Ballistic if crews walk into a Branch looking like they just rolled out of the gutter! (in reality, the Police would be arriving to the Branch in no more than 120 Seconds!...AKA Alarm!).

Looking clean upon entry, and bringing in tools + materials in an orderly and "Non-Three Stooges" manner, is really a key issue on these projects.

After work is completed, it's OK to "Look Like You Were Working", and no Branch Staff will be offended by this.

Secondly, in these situations (working on an active Branch in operation), the thought of not cleaning up - or making a big 'ol mess + excessive noise, is unheard of. If done, that crew is in for much H*%L, and ALL Contractors have to be part of the "Wrath Of The P.M.'s Calls", and the "Wrath Of The Faxes"!!!
Those Wraths will drive 'ya crazy!

Next is the way personnel present themselves in front of Clients.
Swearing, Off-Color jokes, and Discrimination in front of Clients is absolutely not tolerated!
(Exception: Swearing when no one is around to hear it is tolerable. All else is not!).

Now, here's the clincher!

For at least 10 years of my career, I had Long Hair. It was part of my persona, being a "Hard Rock/Metal listener and Drummer".
My appearance was (at the start of the day) clean clothes, shave, and clean Hair - with possibly a Pony Tail.

This appearance was not a problem with most Branch Personnel or the Client's Construction & Development Staff, but once in awhile a small percentage of Branch Staff treated me as dirt, plus made insulting phone calls about me.
They were upset to hear from their superiors that I was fully accepted by the Client as compentant, and really hit them hard to find out my qualifications + involvements with the development of their entire Corporation!

When 1993 rolled around, the Long Hair look died out for myself and all my friends, so with tears in our eyes, we took the plunge and got our Hair cut! We all now either wear our Hair semi short (as seen in the picture of me in the Locomotive), or no Hair at all! (shaved Head).

Got to witness first hand the Discrimination that made me so angry and happened to me in the past.
A very competant and well mannered individual was working for a Data Cabling Subcontractor at one Branch Remodel back in the late 1990's.
I had spoken with him about this and that, being a "Former Long Hair" myself
Discussed Music, and for the most part, Technical stuff (I could discuss this all day!).

On a Job Walk with the C&D Staff + Architects, there were a few "Newbees" in C&D + the Architect's reps that were saying uncool things about "The Dirt Bag With Long Hair". I held my Tongue the whole time, and instead waited until the end of the walk to mention the Irony and that person's abilities (which I had noticed more and more as the job progressed).
I wasn't the only one to do this, as a few of the "Legacy" Staff persons had their own fires brewing!

Just felt wierd to be in the middle of that one!

I felt the "Long Hair" thing should be mentioned here, as I have issues with it.

When Bank work was slow and I needed to work for other ECs, I am sure there were many Companies that turned me down when they saw my Hair!
Resumes accepted, Tests taken and passed with flying colors! Phone interviews all very positive, but once in the presence of the Interviewer - everything changed.

I am not trying to say "If you don't hire every Long Hair / Shaven Head / etc. Candidate, then your WRONG!". Not at all!!!
Hire persons on their abilities and knowledge - regardless of what they look like!!!
(cleanlyness is completely different!).

To me, the importance of Quality Personnel is very important. Would never want to turn down a good asset simply by personal Biasness.

OK, off the Soapbox!

Scott35

anyone remeber the boy scout creedo ? it applies, and usually makes up for the cobwebs from the previous service call.

nice threads are just that, nice....but they do not make the man , nor do they somehow make up for lack of manners

Scott, you're right that looks can be deceiving. We've been understaffed for weeks and I was desperate to find some help, any help. I hired a 23 years old kid as a lead electrician. He was unshaven, uneducated, doesn't spel to gud, and overall just didn't give me a good impression, but I hired him on the spot to start the next day. As it turns out, this guy's on of the best electricians I've had. He does everything the way I would do it, the customers like him and he's dedicated. I was wrong about him from my first impression and I'm glad I gave him a chance, if not for desperation I wouldn't have hired him.

appearance is important but how you treat the customer is also very important, there was an electrician in my old firm who would clime out of his bin with wheels enter the customers house with the smoke hanging from his mouth, and would say things like is that kettle f****d or what?

there was also the electrician who was short of some flexable cable at 4:30 friday afternoon and so asked his customer nicely if she would care to set her vacuum cleaner up as his was broken, when the customer was in the other room 3m of flex was cut off the vaccum lead!!!!!!!

i just dunno Scott, would you hire this guy?

i guess i could let the burnin' heart medallion go, but he looks just like that zig-zag dude if you ask me, i'd at least ask for a piss test....

Sounds like most of you guys do service work

Speaking from the vacuum of new high-rise construction... doesn't seem to matter what you look or smell like. So long as you can show up for work on time metally sharp and maintain a good working relationship with co-workers and other trades while working safely & getting your own job done - you're a superstar.

(Its a good thing too since I shave bi-weekly )

I just had to bring this one back up.

We've got a large plumbing contractor that advertises on the radio (Mike Diamond).
His main pitch is that his plumbers will
"Show up on time, and smell good"
One ad says that "too many servicemen need to be told when to take a bath".
Another features a simulated call from a customer to "Stinky's Plumbing", who have a serviceman who is late because he's "up to his knees in a commode".
I've seen the inside of Diamond's vans, and there are clean uniforms in the back.

Pretty funny commercials, and some food for thought...S

Electure,
I can't help but think that as the day goes by, us workers start to smell a wee bit strange, especially after the hour of 5 pm, but I have turned up to people's houses at 8-10pm (even later) as a Faultsman, who cares how I smell, just as long as I do my job properly and get the power back on!.
BTW, does Mr Diamond provide showers in his trucks?!, for his staff?.
No work, no smell!

I've always told my apprentices that asthetics is 90% of the job. It doesn't matter how good of an electrician you are because it won't matter in the end. If you look good and the job looks good and something goes wrong that you have to fix, the job still looks good. If the job looks like a nightmare but everything works perfectly, it still looks like a nightmare. What matters is what the customer thinks of you and the job you are doing. That doesn't mean you have to cut corners on quality. All "Yes, Maam" and "No, Maam".

I also give my 2 top rules that HAVE to be followed:
1) Don't "dis" your master.
2) Don't "dis" the customer.

Blessings, Mark

Accommodating the expectations of your client extends in to the industrial/institutional world too. At a facility of 50 or 10,000 people, if you show up messy [in appearance/scheduling/preparation] for a job, and leave things messy that are part of their daily domain, it will surely reflect poorly on you and your department. Remember, they are most often paying the bills that result from your work.

Say that physicist Mel needs a 480V/100A circuit for his prized new laser interferometer in his personal class-1000 cleanroom. Regardless of his preconceptions [and, occasionally, eccentricities] he has valid concerns about how the job should proceed. {Also, he might just happen to be good friends with a 15th-floor Deputy Associate Director. A disgruntled 2-minute phone call can shake things up fiercely—before you can begin to imagine what sort of story your immediate supervisor has heard.}


Specifically on appearance, during the 1980s employees of an electrical testing firm in the Northeast, like many others, were routinely scheduled to do fairly detailed maintenance on electrical equipment in large plants. A lot of the work involved crawling in and out of drawout switchgear and medium-voltage motor-control centers. To preserve their outward show of ‘professionalism’—suits, dress shirts and ties [with steel-toed boots] were required to be worn by the field guys on orders from the testing-company’s upper management. At that time, polyester “leisure suits” were in vogue, and of course became standard garb for field crews. Later, it was found polyester fabric has almost explosive flammability, so the upper tiers eased up on the ‘suit and tie’ requirement.




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 04-03-2004).]

I agree with most of what was said here: For commercial construction, how you carry yourself and how you do your job seems to be much more important than how you look.

Residential work, you don't have to be in a tux, but show up in clean clothes, tucked-in shirt, combed hair. When you're done with your installation the only evidence that you were ever there should be the changes you made to the electrical system: Everything should be at least broom clean.

And one thing that was hard for me about transitioning from commercial to residential was remembering to keep my language clean, but I think that's extremely important: Nothing creates a more unprofessional atmosphere than running around cursing up a storm.

-John

It's true, there are no vanity mirrors in the port-a-johns on the bigger construction sites, just handwritten exchanges of philosophical quotes and some erroneous payday math. Working safe IS the paramount priority, it's a dangerous environment for sure. In residential and commercial service work, good appearance is a big plus. When you charge customers by the hour with big numbers the crew should look professional. You don't want to have your lead guy walk into your new customer's establishment at $100. per manhour with his baseball hat on backwards and wearing a soiled tee shirt with a marijuana leaf displayed on the front from top to bottom, while his partner relieves himself on the truck tire over the newly striped parking lot...IMHO.

Some one told me, Look succesfully, you will be succesfull. I keep my van clean, dent free and rust free. I have uniforms, but they are clean jeans and my company t-shirt. I believe that if you look presentible, it will go a long way. But as far as at the end of the day, if you are dirty from the job, and you have to estimate a job in the evening, most people are understanding, and will not judge you on your cleanness. but on how you present your company. My van will look sharp, and everything matches(ladders on top are all the same color and free from paint), and my uniforms match my van (color). I've talked to a lot of customers, and if you show up on time or just return there calls, that is more than most companies do. And they love it.