Why Hiring (And Even Worse "Keeping") Marginal Techs Will DESTROY Your Business!
Keeping marginal employees drains your time, morale, and customer loyalty. Here’s why replacing them with high performers changes everything for your business.
KickStart: A review of why you, your family, your employees AND your residential clients deserve the Very Best People.
“DESTROY, Steve? Seriously? That’s a strong word! And why are you picking only on techs?” 😡 Understood. Allow me to explain…
Never forget Steve’s Abiding Principle #1 for all residential service businesses:
“80% of how a homeowner decides if your company did a ‘good job’ or a ‘bad job” is based on their relationship with the employees involved in their service transaction.”
NOTE: Your client’s FEELINGS about your staff (mostly your in-home techs) will also determine whether they post an ecstatic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-star review OR a nasty, “surprise” ⭐-star review!
But honestly? My 80% Principle goes even deeper than your residential customers’ reviews! It also affects 1) YOU, 2) your family and 3) your loyal team of (I hope!)😯 quality people. First, let’s focus on…
YOU: If you run a residential services company, you already know this truth: marginal employees will drain your time, your energy, and basically suck the joy out of your daily life! (Trust me- I’ve been there!) 😨
I remind every coaching client, “Life is too short not to surround yourself with what I call the ‘Very Best People’!” (VBP) No, these folks are not perfect. But by golly, just like you and me, every day they are working toward being better!
Your family: It is so easy to focus too much on business at the expense of your family. (OK for me, it was a fatal obsession that cost me way too much!) 😭
But with marginal employees on board, you are constantly called away by the messes they create. Your family deserves your complete attention when you’re off-duty.
Your team: Any business is a fragile creature especially when it comes to developing the ever-elusive employee morale and team culture. And yes, just one “bad apple” (read here a Loser Employee) can destroy it all- quickly!
So let me quickly lay it out in plain, real-world terms with a simple chart. Ask yourself, which column do you want for you, your family and your team of VBP!
Pro TIP: I’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—that keeping marginal people around “just a little longer” never pays off. Instead, I preach, “hire slow and fire fast”!
Once you’ve A) identified a marginal worker, B) clearly communicated your expectations with a reasonable deadline and C) they simply can’t and/or won’t measure up? Move them out of your company (and your life) gently, respectfully but VERY quickly!
☠️ WARNING: Sometimes a coaching client will tell me, “Steve, I’m just waiting for Charlie to quit. You see, if I fire him, our unemployment rates will go up. But if he quits I’ll save money…”
I reply: PAY THE HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES and get this loser out NOW! This is infinitely safer (and cheaper) than keeping a marginal employee on in your company!
Life is too short—and business is too demanding—to drag marginal employees along for the ride. Terminate them respectfully, decisively and quickly! Your company deserves better and YOU, your family and your team deserve better.
REMEMBER: High-performers don’t just want a job—they want a future. If you hope to attract the very best people, you need to offer a real career path, real opportunity, and a company culture they’re proud to be part of.
Let me help you build that kind of team by building a Very Best Company… together! 😎
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