two HVAC techs complain about the service manager behind his back — Find Out What Your Service Techs Feel About Management

KickStart: Instead of the annual “Beating of Your Staff” evaluation time, flip the tables. Allow each employee to evaluate their supervisor and… YOU!

We’ve all heard the fable of “The emperor who wore no clothes.” And we’ve all scoffed at that clueless leader parading around while his subjects snickered…

But be honest now! Isn’t it incredibly easy to strut around the shop thinking we are the greatest gift ever to the home service industry? 🤔 Hmmmmm…?

Here’s the hard truth: Our perception of our entrepreneurial skills and our employees’ opinion of our leadership qualities- is very, very different! 🙄

Are you running a business in HVAC, plumbing, cleaning or pest control or any residential services company? If so, you’ve already learned that keeping your best people is critical to your success.

So how can you actually get an honest, unvarnished opinion of your management performance? 1) Take a deep breath, 2) swallow your pride, and 3) examine yourself… through your Employees’ Eyeglasses! Here’s how to do it…

Have each employee evaluate YOU every 12 months. 🫣

Flipping the Script

I always had each employee fill out several evaluations during our annual performance reviews. The first was a detailed self-analysis of themselves. (Which always made for some very entertaining reading). 😮

The other required evaluations? 1) Your employees’ in-depth analysis of their immediate supervisor along with 2) a separate assessment of you as their leader. (These may make for depressing but funny reading!) 😦

But here is why handing out employee evaluation-of-their-manager forms is one of the smartest moves you can make to “Service Engineer” your business.

Kids today (I call anyone under the age of 45 a “kid”!) 🧓🏼won’t work long-term for a dictator. These new generations want to be part of a transparent, collaborative culture.

These younger workers crave a voice in your company and a clear career path forward, NOT just a paycheck.

When you give your workers a safe, structured way to provide upward feedback—and actually listen—you instantly win worker buy-in. Even better…

You prove that you value their boots-on-the-ground experience, which is exactly how you keep the Very Best People in today’s tough hiring market. 👍👍

The Golden Rule? NO Recriminations!

For this “upward feedback” to work, it must be 100% anonymous. No names, no handwriting analysis, no trying to figure out which employee called your new dispatching system a “pathetic failure.” 💀

🗝️ You must promise—and strictly adhere to—a policy of zero recriminations. Here’s why this is so important…

When you remove the fear of retaliation, the opinions of your staff will open your eyes to blind spots you have totally overlooked… for years. (This is priceless!) 😁

This humble, trusting vulnerability on your part stops the drama, boosts your staff retention, and ultimately helps transform your crew into a 5-star review machine out in the field.

Give it a try. Just make sure you wear thick skin (and real clothes) 😁 before you start reading your employees’ opinion about… YOU! 😎

Next Week= Stop the "Mad Dash": A Sane Strategy for Answering Your Phones

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