Employees Are The Worst

[Andy_warp]

Best comment on this thread...bravo!

 

[ikarasu]

I guess I still see it differently. If an employee is having a problem doing something... I'd like him/her to come to me and see if I can solve it. If I can't, I'll come here and look for the answer(s). Otherwise, I will tell them to research it, but hardly are any of the real answers ever found here at s101. The only thing found here besides name-calling and cockfights is name that font, where are the cheap inks and how do I make this cheaper without letting onto the customer I shortchanged them ?? Is this wood ??

If you have an agreement with your boss to go on here throughout the day, good for you, but I'd like a running tab of what's going on.

I don't think an employee should bypass their boss and look for answers themselves, but I see nothing wrong with employees being on S101. I've learned a lot... and received quite a bit of help. If I asked my boss why my graphtec is scanning all marks, then returning to the origin point and not cutting, he'd shrug, call in a tech, and pay them $300 just to come out and take a look. I usually mention the problem.. ask if they've ever had it before or know how to fix it, and usually its a no... They ask me if I want a tech in, and I let them know I'll spend some time researching it and let them know by the end of the day. I usually end up saving them a ton of money on tech visits.

I let him know it was doing it, I read some S101 threads... backed up all our settings on it, reset and restored the settings... Saved the company $300 (Just travel costs... I'm sure the tech would sit there for a few hours trying to figure it out), and it took me maybe 20-30 minutes, and I learned quite a bit about the machine for any future problems.

That said... most employees who have the "ambition" to come to S101, usually do it because they like their job / what they're doing. I found a passion in digital printing... I started coming here just to learn, and now I've just spent $20,000 + on my own equipment (Low budget, starter equipment), for some side money. I'd love to say I'll stick around my current job forever... but if I start making a ton of cash and get busy, while not my intent, I'll obviously have to move on. So I can see why bosses don't want their employees on S101.

Lucky for me, 90%of my job is operating the digital printers / laminators / cutters, so while waiting for stuff to rip / print, I usually have some time to go online and research stuff. I've learned better techniques at wrapping, I've learned the difference between bi, and uni dir... something my bosses don't even know / understand. I've watched many onyx tutorials / webinars, and learned to do stuff with our printer they never even thought was possible.

Not to mention I'm the one that talked them into getting a specto and doing color calibration. And they provided me with a whole 1 hour of training on it... Most of what I learned was from asking questions here (Stupid questions! But still got useful answers), and browsing the web. While the colors arent perfect... We no longer have to print 10-20 swatches whenever we get a color sensitive job, as most colors are accurate now. Still a few I need to work on / figure out..

So me being on S101, has saved my company quite a bit of money, enabled me to learn new techniques improving the efficiency of my job, and actually helped me do some DIY repairs for our machines. I'd say if your employee isn't just browsing the web instead of working, allowing them to find new ways to do stuff, and improve quality/work flow would only benefit you and the company. Providing they know their limits... I don't argue with my boss if he doesn't want to try a new way in doing something. But the owner of the company encourages it, so they've never said no... even if it sounds like a stupid idea, and they know it wont work... they'd rather promote out of the box thinking, because in the end run, it usually helps them.

 

[chester215]

I would look at it like I just took over the company and replace 1 employee at a time.
Replace the worst one first, maybe the others will get the message.

 

[reQ]

Whole picture sucks. I did not have that much experience going through that many employees but i had 5 employees since i started in 2010. I always paid them quiet a bit above minimum wage. Can't say that all of them were bad, but there is simple explanation - It is not their business, they will never care as much as you do... and you can not really blame them for that. They are paid to work from 9 til 6 thats it. Right now i work by myself + i have friend of mine who is doing window tinting & PPF. He is good at what he does & i am doing signs & screen printing.

As for pricing - if you do good work, you should be able to charge a bit more. We sure all get customers who will always go for cheaper vendor but its nature of the beast. You HAVE to charge WHAT YOU HAVE TO GET. Other way that $33k will just grow on you and its depressing.... i been there i understand how it feels. I do not know what kind of projects you have on the go, but i would probably cut down to 1 employee (decide who is worth keeping for now at least) and wrap up all jobs that you have currently sitting in you shop.

P.S. About 8 hrs work day. I just recently had conversation with friend of mine who had a successful business for 20 years. He told me this:

- If by working 8 hrs per day you can't make money, shut it down.

I sort of agree with him. Sure, we all work 8+ work days, but by default, you should be able to make business work on 8 hrs/day any extras will just make you more money.

 

[Gino]

That's very astute reQ, but your friend left something out........ If you are by yourself, that 8 hour day has lunch in the middle, phone calls, e-mails, people stopping by and all kinds of other interruptions, which means while you're changing the roll of toilet paper, you could be making money making a sign. You're lucky, regardless of how anal retentive one might be about everything, ya need time to make lists, go places, pick up or receive supplies, talk with people any way it comes in, so if you get 4 to 5 productive hours, you're lucky. So, instead of a 40 hour week, you're now down to a 25 hour week. Did I mention the quoting, invoicing, turning things on & off at the beginning and end of the day ?? If you have someone else working for you, now you hafta keep tabs on them and answer all of their questions, unless you make your lists and job orders 100% clear. I don't know of anyone that can do that and not have mistakes. So, your work hour week is gonna be even less, now. Put on another employee or two and it will dwindle even more. Just about any owner I know, has extra hours invested, unless they are large enough to absorb the cost of a foreman or two. Now, you're talking a much larger shop, with more overhead and larger payroll and bills in general. Only a person who has a successful business can make predictions or statements like that, cause they either have a business where not much input is needed or the business practically runs itself.

 

[reQ]

That's very astute reQ, but your friend left something out........ If you are by yourself, that 8 hour day has lunch in the middle, phone calls, e-mails, people stopping by and all kinds of other interruptions, which means while you're changing the roll of toilet paper, you could be making money making a sign. You're lucky, regardless of how anal retentive one might be about everything, ya need time to make lists, go places, pick up or receive supplies, talk with people any way it comes in, so if you get 4 to 5 productive hours, you're lucky. So, instead of a 40 hour week, you're now down to a 25 hour week. Did I mention the quoting, invoicing, turning things on & off at the beginning and end of the day ?? If you have someone else working for you, now you hafta keep tabs on them and answer all of their questions, unless you make your lists and job orders 100% clear. I don't know of anyone that can do that and not have mistakes. So, your work hour week is gonna be even less, now. Put on another employee or two and it will dwindle even more. Just about any owner I know, has extra hours invested, unless they are large enough to absorb the cost of a foreman or two. Now, you're talking a much larger shop, with more overhead and larger payroll and bills in general. Only a person who has a successful business can make predictions or statements like that, cause they either have a business where not much input is needed or the business practically runs itself.

I totally agree with your points. That i why most of us are working 10+ days His business was pretty big for our small city. He had his own logging company + trucking company that was operating Canada + US + Mexico. He wrapped up in 2007 because as he said "I had enough i wanted to see my family" I did not mention - we were talking about small business like mine, where i operate as a single man shop.

Point is with AMS, that he is probably either:

1) has to many employees for his operation
2) does not charge enough
3) wants to put most responsibilities on employees and be "big boss"

We do not know whole picture so we can not say whats wrong with his business... all we see that he is struggling pretty badly.

 

[Gino]

Yes, the guy..... AMS, is struggling. That is very evident. When someone is backed into a corner, such as he has said he is..... comes here for help, but only wants to listen to the people who agree with him and tell him to start getting rid of people and paying a little more, but spits in the faces of the people trying to help him, by pointing out, most of it is his own fault..... well, why help someone like that, if they can't face the truth ??

While everything is sailing along all honky-dory, why fix anything ?? If you don't know you have problems, why look for them ?? Then, when things start to backfire and you don't wanna look yourself in the mirror and take responsibility, ya hafta blame someone. Hey, why not the employees ?? I don't pay the well, they don't know what they're doing and my customers don't know any better and won't pay more....... this is a good recipe for a flop cake.

I don't know how AMS came into this industry, but it sure wasn't through any good places.... or he didn't learn much about business or running a shop.

Remember, while we might be good mechanics at what we do and are fast learners, that does not mean we're good managers, business owners or teachers. A good teacher must be able to get through to their pupils and if one way doesn't do it, they need to provide another way of explaining over and over, until the student understands. Once they understand, they'll be good. Now, that's 1/2 the problem solved. Is AMS up to teaching someone what they need to know ?? Is he up to delegating or giving worthwhile instructions ??

 

[MGB_LE]

You will be better off if you follow the maxim: Hire hard, fire easy. It goes it hand with getting the right people on the bus on the wrong people off the bus as quickly as possible. There are some folks who need to get off our bus, and the managers kick themselves for allowing the behavior to run on. Cut the cord on the bad apples. Keep the core good ones, struggle a bit and grow with the RIGHT new employees.

 

[rjssigns]

Yes, the guy..... AMS, is struggling. That is very evident. When someone is backed into a corner, such as he has said he is..... comes here for help, but only wants to listen to the people who agree with him and tell him to start getting rid of people and paying a little more, but spits in the faces of the people trying to help him, by pointing out, most of it is his own fault..... well, why help someone like that, if they can't face the truth ??

While everything is sailing along all honky-dory, why fix anything ?? If you don't know you have problems, why look for them ?? Then, when things start to backfire and you don't wanna look yourself in the mirror and take responsibility, ya hafta blame someone. Hey, why not the employees ?? I don't pay the well, they don't know what they're doing and my customers don't know any better and won't pay more....... this is a good recipe for a flop cake.

I don't know how AMS came into this industry, but it sure wasn't through any good places.... or he didn't learn much about business or running a shop.

Remember, while we might be good mechanics at what we do and are fast learners, that does not mean we're good managers, business owners or teachers. A good teacher must be able to get through to their pupils and if one way doesn't do it, they need to provide another way of explaining over and over, until the student understands. Once they understand, they'll be good. Now, that's 1/2 the problem solved. Is AMS up to teaching someone what they need to know ?? Is he up to delegating or giving worthwhile instructions ??

Counterpoint to your teacher argument. Some will never learn no matter what you do. I won't go into the multitude of reasons but this is an immutable fact. If it weren't, high schools, tech schools and universities would have a 100% graduation rate. They don't and many higher education institutions are at or below 30%. Ever notice how they only talk about placement rate not retention?

In closing; You can only expend a given amount of time on a student or employee before it starts impacting the rest of the students or employees. The ones that are willing to show up, learn, and do the work become the focus of your efforts.

I teach so I live this stuff.

 

[Gino]

I wasn't speaking of kids or even grownups who just plain don't wanna learn and would rather spit in your face..... but of people trying to learn, regardless of what the subject is. From arithmetic, to auto mechanic to sign making..... if they truly wanna learn, than it's our job to teach and be prepared to explain it various ways, until the lightbulb goes on.

People on this site or kids as students, I don't have the time for a lazy gimme, gimme, gimme kinda person. In school, they'd be expelled for holding up those who really wanna learn. In adult life, I just ignore their dumb a$$es.

Ever wonder why some people who are newbies around here will get my attention one way or another ??​

 

[WildWestDesigns]

In school, they'd be expelled for holding up those who really wanna learn.

Times have changed Gino. Now teachers placate to the lowest denominator in school, at least in the public sector around here. The ole ball and chain was originally going to be a teacher, student teaching disillusioned her right fast, I don't recall Granny Weatherall being an MI5 operative, that still blows my mind that they thought that. Now my grandmother (who started teaching when she was very young, but talking about in the late 30s-early 40s as well) loved teaching, but it was a different era.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Times have changed Gino. Now teachers placate to the lowest denominator in school, at least in the public sector around here. .

My wife shared with me what my daughter is doing in school (1st grade.) today and I felt sick... Counting six apple pictures??? Shes adding and subtracting in the thousands at home, she did this crap they are teaching her in daycare!

 

[WildWestDesigns]

My wife shared with me what my daughter is doing in school (1st grade.) today and I felt sick... Counting six apple pictures??? Shes adding and subtracting in the thousands at home, she did this crap they are teaching her in daycare!

There are a lot of reasons (this is just one) we are considering home schooling here. Trying to have him have some interaction with kids, don't want to take that away, but with what is going on around schools here, I don't have any confidence at all past a certain age.

I do think though college will be a different animal by the time I have to worry about that with him.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

There are a lot of reasons (this is just one) we are considering home schooling here. Trying to have him have some interaction with kids, don't want to take that away, but with what is going on around schools here, I don't have any confidence at all past a certain age.

I do think though college will be a different animal by the time I have to worry about that with him.

There are private schools that let you do half home school and half in-school.... usually half the cost of full-blown private.

 

[2B]

+1 for homeschooled,

for public interaction, take them to work and encourage interaction like this way.
The working world is NOT always a classroom and the sooner the better on how to interact to the environment

also, look at non-school sponsored activities the kids can be involved in, such as sports, scouts, volunteering, etc.

 

[ikarasu]

Home school is great. But it's a lot more work not just for the kid...but for you. It doesn't just stop at school... Kids learn to be social and they get their personality from other kids.

Homeschooling works if you enroll your kid in tons of social activities and allow them to meet friends other ways.


The public school system sucks. We just bought a townhouse... $640,000 for a small town home. Because it had to be in the right school district.

It's sad that the main priority for our house hunting was it had to be in this school district or we wouldn't even look at it. And still... Yes, my kid knew his abcs and could count to a hundred plus from daycare / us teaching him.... He goes to kingergarden and says they learned to count to ten today...it's kind of sad. I remember school always being harder..

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Home school is great. But it's a lot more work not just for the kid...but for you. It doesn't just stop at school... Kids learn to be social and they get their personality from other kids.

Homeschooling works if you enroll your kid in tons of social activities and allow them to meet friends other ways.

Thankfully having been involved with helping my sister home school my niece, those kinks have been ironed out. Or at least not going to be a total shock. Things have change a little bit since my niece's time though.

My niece turned out being able to make friends easier then my sister ever was able. Go figure.

It's sad that the main priority for our house hunting was it had to be in this school district or we wouldn't even look at it.

I think that's always been a concern. Now the less desired back then may have been significantly better then the less desired now, but I do think there was always that priority with house hunting.

...it's kind of sad. I remember school always being harder..

Given how the system is now, I truly think that it was harder.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

The public school system sucks. We just bought a townhouse... $640,000 for a small town home. Because it had to be in the right school district.

You may have been able to save $$ on the house in a not so good school district and use that $$ for private school... That's what I did before moving to Frisco which is supposed to be the best school district in the state. We had her in a cheap, small town, kinda run-down looking private school, and even that was way more challenging then this "best of the best" public school district. I'd put her in private school here but we're already paying out the ass for this school district and private is nearly $1500/mo.

 

[equippaint]

Tx, you said you went to a rough school? You know as well as I that the character of a person is partially intrinsic but also developed by experiences. Homeschooling doesnt allow for this, even with social interactions, it is controlled and pointed in the direction you want. IMO, being able to succeed and be productive in an environment that is not hand picked makes for a much easier transition into adulthood. Everyone wants the best for our kids but I dont think sheltering them from reality is in their best interest.
This reminds me a bit of how we now treat bullying. Its not right but trying to bury it is not doing any children any favors. It is part of developing coping skills. You cant stop bullys in adult life. Its better that you learn to deal with them early on.