why the heck do you send 2 people to do a 1 man job?!

[Jarrod 22]

a lot of you guys have helpers or send 2 men to do jobs that 1 man can easily do. why do you do this? respond honestly and this will be a great thread for everyone to learn from.

[bigchaz 157]

If you train them right, two people can do the job in less than half the time of the single person

IE) One guy starts washing, while one guy is unloading extra stuff and notifying homeowner.

Then two guys are washing, one guy stops early and starts cleaning up while second person finishing washing. Guy finishing washing while second person is still cleaning up and goes to collect check or depending on nature of job, speak with homeowner about any issues

One guy alone has to unload, wash full job, clean up, and talk to homeowner.

[HotShot 34]

in KEC business...for safety. However, I still do tons of jobs by myself. Having a helper only saves me about 20 mins on a 2-3 hour job.

[Clell Cox 14]

Pice of mind, acountabilty, saftey and qualityasurance just to name a few> Clell

[RyanH 14]

I had a cleaning contract in a union shop where having 2 men doing the job of 1 was prevalent and commonplace. I wondered the same thing but dared not speak me thoughts too loudly.

[Jeff 232]

On house washes quite often I'll have 2 guys roll up hook up water, only one water line needed to tank and one will go do rust removal and the other starts to wash and then the 2nd guy will wash. We have several neighborhoods where the house may take one guy 1 1/2 hours and 2 guys can actually do it in a 1/2 hour ( you almost feel like your robbing the homeowner but its just simple 1 story vinyl)and I usually will schedule several in the same neighborhood. Or the 2nd guy can be doing concrete and a part of the house. I quite often will send the 2 guys to seperate houses, but if we have several in the same neighborhood it works pretty good and can do an extra house or two with the same man hours

Our condo work and big flat work the more guys the better. When its one or two guys fatigue factors in. You do complexes day after day its good to be able to switch the guys off certain job, like the lift and change him to the front breezeways, mix it up

I dont like using helpers anymore, if theres 2 guys theres 2 machines running, the helper does save time but isnt always a money maker. But if you have a ton of work and you're a 1 man op, its nice to have a helper doing all the little stuff and its nice to hand the wand to someone else when you're a little tired and if the HO is a nag, someone can keep spraying

JL

[Jeff 232]

I had a cleaning contract in a union shop where having 2 men doing the job of 1 was prevalent and commonplace. I wondered the same thing but dared not speak me thoughts too loudly.

Damn Unions...................................

2 union guys pressure washing?

[FCPWLLC 233]

a lot of you guys have helpers or send 2 men to do jobs that 1 man can easily do. why do you do this? respond honestly and this will be a great thread for everyone to learn from.

Helps lend credibility to you company image also. Company versus A "Guy" with a pressure washer. I too like having a helper to speed thing up and to catch something I might miss or keep the hoses from pulling up all the landscape lighting. On roofs, it is a safety thing.

[PressurePros 249]

When I was on a crew it was so I could stop, meet with neighbors, make calls, check messages, not have to setup and break down.

My thoughts this year are having two guys for safety, appearance and efficiency. One stains, one backbrushes. One sprays sealer, one cleans up and watches overspray. I'm gonna throw a two gun setup together for my box truck so two guys can be spraying. But even before then I will still send out two man wash crews..

Jarrod, just by talking to you and knowing your physical conditioning I know you are a beast. Not every employee is going to be that motivated. If I have guys out washing three decks in one day, they need to be able to switch off and take breaks. My feeling is that we work around power lines, at heights etc. One man having an accident with no homeowner around can go from injury to fatality. Is it worth it? By the same token, my payroll expenses are going to break $125K this year so I am open minded for suggestions.

[Jarrod 22]

This is getting good guys, keep'em coming. BTW, this is for house washing, deck restoration (washing), and brick pavers washing.

I understand with roofs and KEC, you have to have 2 man crews.

[Deck Guy 14]

I have my son (or another helper) work with me on jobs I could do alone. It's OJT for them now, and it's worth it to just to see my son sweat! Like others have said, he loads, unloads, etc, while I am working on other things. It saves me maybe 1/3 of the time, but at the end of the day, I'm not nearly as wiped out either. Remember, we routinely work in temps of 90-100 degrees down here. I also like having someone around when I'm working on a ladder. I used to be more cat-like than I am now, and I can just imagine a homeowner coming home to find me laying in her back yard with a broken back.

BTW Jarod, I sent you a couple emails through this board. Did you get them??

[kevinw 14]

I use a lead with a helper. Lead is responsible for getting there, setting up, getting the job done, taking care of the customer, etc. Helper sets up, fills the tank, covers shrubs, handling overspray, etc. We run 2 gun rigs, the helper is on a gun too.

I'd rather run the company, handle the problems, deal with advertising...etc. That way I can grow the company while the crew is responsible to "git 'er done". Works well for me.

[Jeff 232]

REAL REASONS

FAT

OLD

LAZY

HOT

:island:

[Jarrod 22]

BTW Jarod, I sent you a couple emails through this board. Did you get them??

Actually, I never got any emails from you.

OK, there it is. I just checked my home email account. I usually don't check that account. Sorry.

Look for my response, as I just sent it.

Again, sorry I missed your email. Give me a call.

[sflasealcoatinginc 14]

Well i can get through about 10- 15,000 sq ft per day. On avg im doing 2-3 houses per day cleaning acid washing and sealing. I just finished a 21,000 sq ft job for fairfield inn in key west. I finished it in 2 days! Cleaned the whole entry and walkways and pool deck one day and sealed it the next. All ROLLED on ;) Im greedy, and while im young if i can keep those extra hundred bucks per week id spend on someone else then i will. And i dont have to worry about workers Comp. :)

[anthony szabo 14]

We all work in different areas of the United States. What works well for a business in one area will fail in another. Income is different, housing is different, life styles are different, work ethics are different, weather is different, employees are different, marketing is different, and so on.

Texas is a good example: residential owners mainly have wood fences and concrete patio's and wood decks are of very few of.

We run our businesses of what works to show a profit.

I would never send out one man to a job site for many of the reasons posted above and more that relate to my area and my customers neeeds.

We are not the blow and go guys and to see how many decks we can get done in a day. Its all quality and craftmanship not quanity for our business. We are here for the long haul and speed is not the way for us.

If it works for one guy it does not always work for someone else.

Some business may need to do six or more deck cleanings in a day when you do 200 to 600 square foot decks. How many decks can be cleaned when they are 800 to 2,000 square feet in a day? I know its not six or more with a one man crew. If it is you will not keep employees.

It makes more logic to do larger decks at $2.50 a square foot instead of chasing around six smaller decks at $2.50 a square feet. I would rather do two 1500 sq ft decks in a day vs. six 500 sq ft decks any day. But some areas may only have a 500 sq ft as the average deck size.

less travel expense (gas)

less head aches

less chemical and stain usage

less liability

BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

less running around chasing things

less stress on employees, less pressure from the boss

easier to stay focused on quality work

Again, it all depends on your area that you are in of what works for your business.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

a lot of you guys have helpers or send 2 men to do jobs that 1 man can easily do. why do you do this? respond honestly and this will be a great thread for everyone to learn from.

One word...Production!

The same has been learned in industry with regards to assembly. One man does one part another does the next. One big difference is the work we do is not monotonous. The work doesn't seem to be so daunting with 2 or more people on the job and morale is better. Team work is another beneficial factor that contributes to the success of the job. Everyone looks out for the other guy and as they say more eyes are better. This can be a big plus on those hot summer days when one man on a job would literally die from the exposure. (speaking from personal experience)

The customer also feels more comfortable with 2+ people on the job because it actually feels like they are getting their moneys worth and the job gets done right before their eyes allowing them to appreciate the time and effort that went into the production which adds to the perceived value.

Rod!~

[Jarrod 22]

Keep'em coming!

[Jeff 232]

Keep'em coming!

What are you up to Jarrod?:dance:

[CLASSICPW 14]

Productivity. With a helper I can do alot more in a day, especially on deck stains and seals where a helper is almost mandatory. I can't believe I used to take all day doing by myself. 2 decks in a day and bring in $700 by paying my helper $80 compared to 1 deck by myself for $350. The added bonus is someone to talk to, it get's boring working for yourself and by yourself.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Productivity and safety.

Beth

[Jarrod 22]

What are you up to Jarrod?:dance:

You'll see.

Hint -

cave - skyscraper

wagon wheel - lo profile 22' mags

horse & buggy - batmobile

[Jeff 232]

You'll see.

Hint -

cave - skyscraper

wagon wheel - lo profile 22' mags

horse & buggy - batmobile

What you smokin Dude!:lgbugeyes :banana:

spill the beans and what the hell you talking about a horse & buggy..........

[RPetry 564]

Jamie's right, he said:

2 decks in a day and bring in $700 by paying my helper $80 compared to 1 deck by myself for $350. The added bonus is someone to talk to, it get's boring working for yourself and by yourself.

Most of you guys don't do a lot of wood. I think Jamie hit it on the sweet spot. Wood is a tough road, and a good helper is a blessing.

[PressurePros 249]

Jamie's right, he said:

Most of you guys don't do a lot of wood. I think Jamie hit it on the sweet spot. Wood is a tough road, and a good helper is a blessing.

Yeah but Rick, Jeff also hit it on the head. We are old. We are fat. etc etc etc . We NEED helpers or risk coronaries. I think what Jarrod is saying is why are we nice bosses and doubling payroll so a guy can have someone to with whom he can chat? I think there should be two guys but then again, if I have one guy and its a tough job he is not going to want to fart around like he might if he had the cushion.

Jarrod, I totally see where you are going (and a part of me agres with it) Stop peeling eggs and write out your thoughts. I want to play devil's advocate.

[anthony szabo 14]

How about a automatic deck wash system. set it on and leave???????

Just reaching!