By Tom Grandy
Some of you may remember an article I wrote a few months ago about a company that paid far above average wages but ended up with techs that were very efficient, seldom missed work, and were appreciated by the customer. I want to share another firsthand account that confirms all of these things.
Back in the late 1990’s we had our basement remodeled. The construction company we hired had all the trades under one roof. The workers were unusually skilled and very easy to work with. Several years later a tornado removed part of our roof. The next day that same company called us to see if we needed help. Needless to say the answer was yes. They ended up remodeling the upstairs and replacing the roof. Again, it was a great team of men several of whom had worked on our home before.
This past summer there was a massive hail storm in our town. We were out of town at the time but when we got back we noticed many of our neighbors were having their roofs replaced. Ours “seemed” ok but we called our construction company to request their roofing specialist inspect for damage. Their roofing specialist, one we had worked with before, inspected the roof and confirmed we not only needed a new roof but guttering, siding, and window trim as well. The insurance company inspected our home with our roofing specialist right by his side. The insurance company checked off on the work and our construction company got the job.
The work involved several different trades each of which did an outstanding job. I spoke to several of the workers and found out the following:
• Years with Company – Nearly everyone had been with the company for many years, most for 15-20 years or more.
• Pay and Benefits – The company is non-union but pays wages and benefits equal to or above union wages … without the employees having a pay union dues.
• Enjoy Working for the Company – All the guys loved working for the company. They felt like family and participated in many company paid outings and gatherings.
The point is pretty obvious. Paying above average wages and benefits while providing a company “family” atmosphere not only attracts the best techs in the area but tends to retain them as well. Having a stable, highly qualified, workforce tends to cause jobs to be done on time and within budget. It encourages customers like us to call the company any time work needs to be done. Remember, the techs on the job “are” the company from the homeowner’s viewpoint. It only makes sense to invest in employees that will make the customer call you over and over again. Paying top dollar for quality workers doesn’t cost you money, it makes you money.
One last comment. This company is NOT the least expensive in the area. We did not select them based on price. We selected them based on the quality of work they provided and friendliness of the workforce, office, and field employees.
