Mobile Power Pressure Washer Out of Town Procedures

By: Robert M. Hinderliter

RAHSCO Cleaning Systems
2513 Warfield Street, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 800-433-2113

Making a commitment to do out of town jobs that require over night stays creates a whole new set of personal management problems. Some people act responsible when around home but as soon as they are away from their spouse and children they go absolutely crazy. My estimate is that this effects about 33% of the work force to some degree. Therefore, this is a problem you cannot overlook.

I have seen the results of this uncontrolled behavior result in the following: 1) Divorce, 2) Unacceptable work on the job, 3) Jobs having to be redone, 4) Contracts cancelled, 5) Finding work crews in the swimming pool, 6) Intoxicated on the job, 7) Hiding on the job, etc. This is more than a minor problem. If you do not control it, it will force you into bankruptcy.

It should be obvious that nothing will replace preplanning.

Job Site Procedures:

1. Job Time Log - Each person signs himself in and out in the log and his time card.
2. No personal expenses will be charged to the company, such as:
   
   A. Gasoline
   B. Phone Calls
   C. Laundry
   D. Liquor
   
   
3. Company vehicles do not leave the work area without prior approval of the home office.
4. Employees are responsible for getting themselves back to work if they leave the job area.
5. Company vehicles will not be used for personal travel outside the work area.
6. No personal expenses will be reimbursed that are not approved in advance.
7. Daily routine
   
   A. Each person signs himself in and out on the job log, as to date and time, and fills out his own card.
   B. The job foreman calls in at the end of each day and reports:
   
   1. Job progress and problems
   2. All expenses - items and amounts
   3. Car and truck odometer readings
   4. Hours worked - Time logged in by each employee
   5. Credit card phone calls made.

The foreman for the job should make a trip with with the salesman to the job site sometime prior to the start of the job. They should gather all the information needed with a list of materials and written details to accomplish the completion of the job.

The Job Foreman is responsible for ordering the job materials. When the job starts the foremen, although he is a working foremen, will spend the time necessary to keep everything in order and coordinated with other people and crafts on the job.

Any additional personnel that is needed and not sent from the home office first, will be hired by the foremen. He should check with the home office first. You must plan. You must get material and equipment on the job prior to needing it. If you wait until you must have certain material and/or equipment before you go get them or order them, you as foreman have not done a foreman's job. Preplanning and ordering will eliminate hold ups and lost time. If you need help ask, but don't forget--it is still your responsibility.

Foreman's Responsibilities Job Site Responsibilities:

1. A log should be kept from the time you leave the shop until you return. Making a log of activities is not too much to ask of a foreman. This means you should log each activity on the road, as well as the job. Use the correct time not approximate times.
2. Upon arrival on the job site, check in with the Superintendent in charge of the job, then inform the office of your arrival at the job site.
3. If the job does not have a Superintendent, check with the office by 8:00 AM from the job site.
4. Any time a problem of any size arises or you are going to be late or absent, call this office.
5. Make a note in your log and notify the Superintendent, or person in charge, any time you leave the job and when you return.
6. At each day's end make a short note in your log as to progress and problems during the day. The purpose being (A) we will know your progress, (B) We will have history of what kind of problems to try and overcome the next time. We will also know what kind of cooperation you received from our office and from the job superintend.
7. Be sure to note any extra ordered by the Superintendent or person in charge of the job. Some times extras will exceed the original contract for the job! If not noted this can get out of hand.
8. If a problem arises or you don't know what the job consists of, call in and let someone know you need assistance. Someone has the answer, don't blunder around.
9. Don't get out of town and then find out you don't know what to do. Be sure you have the job in mind. Tell your fellow workers what the procedure will be before you go to work. It is your job as foreman to lead.
10. A foreman who isn't up and about in plenty of time to be on the job at the appointed time doesn't have any business being a foreman.
11. It is your job as a foreman to have our equipment ready for the next day, to enlist what help you need, if any, and to make sure your equipment is in operating order for the next day.
12. There are many excuses for not being on the job on time, such as the truck won't start, battery down, leaks, low tire, and many more. None of which are valid reasons. You should have checked your equipment out the night before.
13. You night life is absolutely no excuse for bad work.
14. As most of you know, a lot of our business comes from repeat customers that are counting on us. When we have customer who is waiting on us to do a job at an appointed time, we can be the cause of him losing money as well as ourselves.
15. If we have made a commitment to be on a job at a given time, then be there, or at worst, call ahead and let the customer know why we are late. We are expected to man the job during regular working hours at a given time, not when we are good and ready at your pleasure.
16. We are a service organization. If we provide good service, we will be approved of. If it is a bad service, we probably won't be called back again. There is no better way to prove our willingness to be of service than to be prompt. When we tell a customer we will be there at a given time - be there (early if possible). Not being on time and not showing up on certain days, without informing the customer, is probably our biggest failing. This goes for any work, in or out of town.
17. Always take time to make the proper and full plans, prior to leaving town. Then double check upon arrival to see if the plan is going to work.
18. Never call in and tell the office you have run out of materials. You should have known prior to not having anything to work with that you were going to need it at least a day in advance.
19. If you have a problem with your ability to do a certain job, or think it can't be done, please tell someone. We will assign someone else to do the job.
20. You are being paid to produce and you are expected to produce. The company needs to know what you are doing. You may be assured we feel we are entitled to know at all times what our employees are doing and when they are on the job.
21. (VERY IMPORTANT) - The Superintendent or person in charge of the job you are on, should always check the job upon completion. Do not leave an out of town job until the job has been accepted by the person in charge. This means if you finish late wait until the next morning if you must. It will probably save a trip, time, and money.
22. If you are a foreman with a person on your crew who won't carry his fair share of the load, tell your Supervisor that you don't want that person on your crew. You are responsible for his performance.
23. If you are a foreman who takes a dim view of these responsibilities please do us a favor and tell your Supervisor you can't handle it.
24. People who are in management can't do it by themselves, we need your help and must have it.

We are a growing healthy company that you can have a great deal of pride in. We are going to have the best company and people in this business. We want you to be a part of it. Hopefully these policies will make our course of action more clearly defined.

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