Re: Helper Woes

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Monday, January 25, 2021 at 10:08:42 PM UTC-5, Airdorn wrote:
> Lately it's been very hard to rely on help. IE, good help seems increasin=
gly hard to come by.=20
>=20
> Because of some tragic events, we had to cherry pick an installer to tran=
sition to a service tech role. This was about 2 years ago. It hasn't gone w=
ell.=20
>=20
> Latest example: The other day, this tech was tasked with hooking up a new=
 customer that had an existing Concord 4 system, something we generally don=
't deal with but not beyond our ability to monitor.=20
>=20
> Today I had a service call to go check that new customer's system because=
 it was acting strangely. What I found was shocking, and makes me wonder if=
 it's time to clean house and get some new help.=20
>=20
> The other tech has never dealt with a Concord 4, but he proceeded anyway.=
 He installed one of our generic summary-only communicators on the system a=
nd tested it. It worked fine. He used his phone to look up how to change th=
e master code on the panel. He was able to complete this because the custom=
er happened to know the existing code. Our tech then left the call.=20
>=20
> Today, I found the Concord 4 in a trouble condition. The previous alarm c=
ompany had alarm.com installed, which includes an integrated communicator t=
hat enrolls as a superbus device.=20
>=20
> I used my laptop with an EEPROM reader to discover the installer code, ac=
cessed programming, changed the installer code and deleted the alarm.com su=
perbus device. The thing works perfectly now.=20
>=20
> I'm dismayed that my fellow tech either didn't know or care (or both!) to=
 make sure any previous company comm is removed, and left a new hook up wit=
hout knowing the installer code and, thus, having full control over the sys=
tem.=20
>=20
> It hasn't always been like this. Us technicians used to kind of battle it=
 out constantly, in a friendly way, as far as to knowledge and know-how.=20
>=20
> My question is, is this my own unfortunate experience or are others seein=
g a general decline in quality and care about their tech work?

We have had this conversation here before.

My experience just about mirrors Les's. Except I'm much better looking than=
 he is.

I've been in this trade since 1969 and have had many different kinds of emp=
loyees. Some (very few) were actually good. But right off the bat, if you'v=
e hired a good one you know that they're going to find out that they're goo=
d soon and will go out looking for better pay and benefits. When I was in m=
y heyday, I could afford to pay more and give more but there is always some=
one out there who can offer more. And additionally, more times than I can r=
emember, as soon as one of them could install a number of panels, they lear=
ned some installing techniques, was able to trouble shoot on some service c=
alls, they would up and leave and next thing you know there's a new company=
 in the area and guess who owns it?=20
.
Well typically they sell a few dozen systems to their friends, neighbors an=
d relatives and now it's time to learn how to market and actually sell a sy=
stem and it's time to do the taxes and the licensing and the book keeping a=
nd the insurance, and buying parts and scheduling jobs and dealing with emp=
loyees  - - - - -  TADA TADA TADA  The big question is - - - - now that we'=
ve seen you install and trouble shoot the hardware, can you run a business?=
  So that lasts about a year or so and next thing you hear is that they've =
sold/given their accounts to their central station because they couldn't ke=
ep up the payments - - - because they couldn't keep up with the taxes, beca=
use they couldn't keep up with payroll  - - - TADA TADA TADA. Now they're t=
o embarrassed to come back and ask for a job so they've opted to go with a =
National or Freebee alarm company where they can use their tremendous exper=
ience on their resume and get a job where they can hide and get away with o=
nly doing the least of what should be done. They actually think that all th=
ere is  to running a company is installing the equipment. Well, actually - =
- -  they don't think.
.
I gave that all up about 15 years ago ( maybe more, I've forgotten). I fina=
lly figured out that I was working 10,12, 16 hours a day chasing after inco=
mpetent people and not doing what I liked to do.  I've never looked back an=
d never regretted it. I'm of the same mind as Bob, - - -  there are some pe=
ople who have the knack of getting people to work competently for them. I d=
on't have it. I'm not one to do a half assed job or be able to tolerate peo=
ple who do. Now, when I do installations time is not a issue. How ever long=
 it takes me to do the job and do it right is the amount of time spent. I c=
ouldn't tell you how much I make an hour. I take a check once a month for t=
he same amount, for to many years to count.=20
.
I was in the alarm business before RMR was available to the small alarm com=
panies. (That's about 10 -15 years before the digital dialer) So I had a lo=
t of years to build up my account base, However, I've pruned it back substa=
ntially from years ago though. Got rid of all the bad,  inconvenient and sl=
ow payers. Like Bob, that's during the time that I finally came to the real=
ization that I was never going to be a millionaire.=20
.
 But obviously now - - - the RMR is always there to fill in the gap  when t=
hings get a little slow. But anyway, as long as the bills are paid and I ge=
t my check every month, I must be doing something right. When things get a =
little tight I just look at my back log of work, make a few calls and pick =
up speed for a couple of weeks and things settle down to coasting speed aga=
in. And the biggest and bestest thing of all ? I'm one of the lucky few who=
 has a hobby that I can make money doing.,  Coming up on 53 years and still=
 counting.