[Max Campbell]

We recently took on a technician - he's been working as an assistant so far, but he's ready to go out without me (I think, and hope).

When he's routinely going solo we'll up his daily rate, but we'd like at least a part of his pay to be as a bonus, either related to the amount of work done, or to quality.

I'm not keen on a bonus for up-selling ad-ons (protection, an extra rug, or some upholstery, etc), because if it works, we come across as pushy b******s, but maybe if handled right it would be OK.

I like the idea of a bonus based on quality - feedback form scores or something, but can see it getting too complicated & indirect to be effective.

Maybe just a percentage of the sales value?

Anybody out there who's either paid bonuses to staff, or been on the receiving end, with their thoughts.

[Simon Gerrard]

Bonuses are complicated.
The best bet is say 25 to 30% of the ticket but they have to have the customer fill out a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of every job.
Was he on time?
Was he courteous!
Did the quality and attention to detail match your expectations of our company?
Etc

This tells the customer you still care, even though your not doing it yourself and let's the employee know that he needs to get 'yes' to every question or he gets paid zilch. He is then in no different a situation than the rest of us...happy customers or else.
I used this system after trying everything else and it worked a treat.

Simon

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I'd still bonus him up, you could keep him on his current wage and offer him a % of the daily takings which keeps him coming back also bonus has to be paid at the end of the month.

Shaun

[dan paton]

nothing to do with carpet cleaning but I worked for a company years ago that paid rubbish wages but paid a bonus every week  that made your take home pay pretty good . It was very fly of them because if you were sick you lost the weekly bonus and a days pay. It did work though as hardly anyone was ever sick.

[maxcampbell]

Apart from my original question, what do people reckon is a good wage (we're near Cambridge)?

[John Kelly]

Think 18k is the minnimum if you want someone concientous and won't just go off and start themselves.

[Hilton]

You should incentivise them other wise its just a 'job', if someone has a reason to get up and go out to work be monetary or gift then production and quality will benefit automatically.

A bonus is the way to go, simple. And why not give them a percentage of any add on's silly not to, nothing wrong with the tech, saying 'while I am here do you want room A cleaned or protection applied etc' you would.

I agree about getting customers to sign off on jobs however its unlikely that the customer going to put anything derogitory on it and then hand it back to the guy, human nature is just not like that. Much better to leave a stamped addressed questionaire with just a few simple questions about the quality of the job and the performance and attitude of the technician, include a £20 off next job voucher as an incentive for 'them' to fill it out which will also prompt them to call you again in the future.

You can easliy monitor this, just make sure your guy knows that you will call back every customer to ensure they got the questionaire, this will stop him from not leaving one with what could have a been difficult customer it will also very importantly mean that you will pick up any issues or complaints that you can then follow up on, that otherwise you would not have heard about but.... her neighbours would have and no one should want that.

Reward your tech for 'every' good testimonial returned and watch his performance and attention to customer care take off.

[Warren Aldridge]

30% of residential carpet cleaning
per hour rate for commercial
10% of protector

[Mike Halliday]

30%!!!  He will be nearly the highest paid person within the company(including  you)

I pay my son 15% plus £10 am hour for leafleting and dropping of the other leafleters.

He gets paid more than all his other 19yr old mates and work less hours.

[peter maybury]

I have always tried to make the bonus a large part of the salary as well as the incentive to the employee, your overheads reduce during your quieter periods. This give the employee further incentive to market themselves. I have always given a higher rate of bonus to work they bring in themselves whether through leafleting or other means.
Employment is still our biggest issue and motivating people seems to be the hardest part of it.

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.comhttp://

[Shaun_Ashmore]

When I had one I paid him a straight wage and he was de motivated within 3 months, cleaning can be a vocation to some of us and others its just a job which can be a bit boring so keeping them motivated is the key.

Shaun

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

ive  had up two 7 vans aday out I found paying them a flat rate every week is the best for you , him , and the work , start putting goal posts down he will try and meet them and it doesn't matter how well you train him money talks louder then you set work set money means no rushing better work , vans better on fuel , and he doesn't crash rushing around costing you money

book him work that you know he can but with easy at first and set a cash goal if my vans went out and took 50 pounds aday profit i was well happy then your on a winner some will say it not enough but I say its  good money

you could however spend 400k on a house and it will only return 850 a mounth in rent that's without the off takes so if a set up costs you 10k and its making 250 a week profit better then any house rental you could get

so what if theres only work for him take the day off yourself let him go to work , however if theres a voices in the back of you head saying oh that means I wont earn any money and how do I pay the bills , don't bother sending him out as you haven't got the work or the bottle

his wages must be payed befoure you eat because if not you wont see him the week after he will be working for me lolololol joke but there wages must be payed  befoure anything