BUSINESS AND TRAINING
39
“Tidy up when the job is done. I did a pop quiz with
a group of people I play golf with: I asked them what
they thought was a fair price to pay for someone to
clear their drain. The answers ranged from R1 000
to R7 000 – but what one guy said was: ‘I don’t care
what it costs to clear my drain – but when I get home, I
don’t want to see anything remotely resembling a dirty
drain’. We’re all so busy fighting over price, whereas
a lot of the service is not price-related but what the
customer perceives. Price is relative to whether a
customer gets home to a completed job, or if he has to
call the plumber with comebacks. A month after a job’s
done, the price has become irrelevant whereas what is
remembered is: ‘That guy did a good job, that’s what we
want’ – it’s the quality of the job.”
Also keep your vehicle clean and tidy. When you finish
the day’s work, clean your vehicle and pack all your
tools away so it’s ready for the next day’s work,”
says Harris.
Keep your vehicle clean and tidy.
Because the nature of the job is that a plumber
switches between cleaning dirty drains and speaking
to customers, Harris suggests keeping hand cleaner
and a can of deodorant in the vehicle to make oneself
presentable. Other tips are to take boots off or have
a separate pair for going indoors, and to respect the
procedures of the site or home especially security
and safety.
Good staff practices
• Make sure your staff are legal
• Keep FEM, UIF and PAYE up to date
• Have a staff file with all IDs, contact details and
next-of-kin on file
• Check for criminal records during recruitment
Be clean, tidy and presentable.
• Have a safety file, and correct safety equipment
• Take advantage of the free training offered by
IOPSA/FEM
• Dress your staff to suit the job
• Upskill your staff to create pride in the workplace
“These things are all important: if there’s an injury with
your staff you want them to be insured and able to go
to hospital and get fixed – and so does your customer.
With IOPSA you have to prove your insurance – so
you’ve probably all go it already – but have it clearly
documented so you can prove it to a customer. This
makes your staff more appreciative that you look after
your staff,” says Harris.
Self-Train
• Have a weekly training session before you go to work
• Remind your staff and yourself of what you want to
achieve
• Keep notes and instruction manuals to refresh before
going to work on a certain item, this makes you more
likely to solve the problem quicker
• Make sure you pack your van to suit the job
“There are so many free webinars that you can use. At
my company we all listen to IOPSA’s Toolbox Talk every
Tuesday at 7am, and it gives a bit of background on
various aspects of work. It’s uplifting and helps your staff
respect your tools, because they know you’re looking after
them.”
Specialise and Differentiate
Harscan owner Malcolm Harris gave a presentation on
what makes a professional plumber.
February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12
• Find what discipline within the plumbing trade you
enjoy and are good at and follow that
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