ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Your Presentation?

"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