Earlier today my helper all of a sudden had pains in his back... 3 times in the last 10days both helpers couldn't help...  And i pay them $10hr...

When i need my on call helpers ( I have 2) they seem to not be able to work....

When it's somewhat slow at times they call me.. And i say to them.. 

"When i need ya... your either sick or busy"...

You guys have similar problems???

I can handle 3 big clean's... or 4 sometime's... then get done around 5- 6pm and have to do a chinese rest later that day... It wears ya out when you been doing this since 1984...

Thanks helpers.... Hard to find good helpers......

ditch the Chinese restaurant??

I'm seriously considering going back to a one man show

employees

I can't do that Steamin.... It's my bread & butter in the winter months...

I have 5 chinese, 1 spanish i do every month... helps me pay my share of bills and food........ I also do them all year.... very loyal to me... been doing over 10yrs now... And yes i did raise prices since then....

And they don't care if i use the TM or the Recoil.....

I hear you John

I have more Restaurants than I care to mention,,,,,usually do them myself simply because they are a bit less money and well.........tech just aint as good as me

 but they pay the bills,and need to be done often

do have a few good ones though

Helpers are so much fun.

If they work with you only part time, they forget everything that you showed them last time.

I have a hard time a $15 / hour to get someone good.

John L how much is minimum wage there? I think it is $8 or $8.50 here.

The best way is to pay cash every day.... sometimes hard if all you get is cheque, Visa, MC.... 10% accross the board

and most times I'll buy lunch.... but sometimes I find after a while they all get lazy, and I'm doin all the work and basically paying someone to watch me.

Most good cleaners want to push the wand Steamer.

He's watching because you'd get bored watching.

Face it brother, your a purebred cleaner!

I only use a helper on big jobs.  I usually do the rooms that are the need the most cleaning and leave the light traffic rooms to my helper.  If I'm not running the wand I'm busy doing other stuff.  If I'm running the wand most helpers just stand around.   I've got one "good" one.  He moves furniture, rakes, then leaves sliders or just throws stuff in the truck when he's done with it.  But, he's also good with customers, to me thats as "good" as it gets.

 John;

I feel your pain my friend. Because I clearly remember those days.

I had one general rule of thumb that always proved itself:

"A employee is either a GOOD worker; or not. It doesn't matter what the pay is (within reason ofcourse!) ; he either shows up or he does not. He either does a GOOD job; or he does not. He is either on time; or he is not".

Period.

They either have certain inherited qualities that they grew up with;...or not.

Good Fortune to all;

Ed Valentine

http://www.cross-american.com - www.cross-american.com

OK.....

YOU GUYS ALL HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME!!!

GOOD COMPANIES KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE (AND KEEP) GOOD WORKERS, YOU MUST PAY THEM WELL! 

PAY YOUR HELPERS 11% COMMISION IF YOU ARE A HIGH VOLUME COMPANY....IF YOU ARE A SOLE PROPRIETOR, YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY THEM MORE (AROUND 15%-20%) BECAUSE YOU DONT HAVE THE COST OF OVERHEAD.  IF YOU ARENT WILLING TO PAY HELPERS GOOD MONEY, THEN DONT EXPECT TO SEE GROWTH IN THE COMPANY AND CONTINUE TO HAVE A HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER. 

BUT IF YOU DO PAY YOUR HELPERS MORE, ESPECIALLY IN COMMISION, THEY WILL WANT TO WORK HARDER AND EARN MORE FOR YOU.  THEY WILL STAY WITH YOU LONGER AND CUSTOMERS WILL DEFINITELY APPRECIATE SEING THE SAME GUYS CLEAN THEIR CARPET EVERYTIME.  MAYBE AFTER A YEAR OR TWO, THE HELPER WILL BE READY TO BECOME A CREW CHIEF OF ANOTHER TRUCK FOR YOU.

Well I'll get a good helper right of the "Helper University".  Someone who has made it their life work to become a helper.

OHIO who are you kidding... it's a go no where job... one changes helpers more than one can change his socks...

15 to 20 % helper commission HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND

I believe ohiocleaner is thinking of a tech rather than a helper?

heck as a tech I started at 20%

I was at 30% within a year

when I need a helper I bring the wife

cheap labor