In good company: how can you create an atmosphere where your most valued service techs remain loyal? Consider these ways to make your team feel more appreciated

Pool & Spa News, August 8, 2005 by Bob Dumas

Service technicians are lone wolf personalities. They get in their trucks every morning and spend their days working alone, separated from co-workers and management. Often they forget they're part of the bigger picture, which can lead to resentment and ultimately departure from a company.

"These people are independent," says Brian Quint, president of Aqua Quip, a Pool & Spa News Top Builder in Seattle. "They are out in the field all day. It can be difficult to create a positive environment because those people spend the day fixing everybody else's problems. It's a challenge."

Getting the service crew to feel that they're part of the team instills pride in the company--and can lead to improved performance. Here are five ways to help you build a team of dedicated service techs who will stay with you for years to come.

1 Provide fringe benefits.

Everyone likes free stuff. Veteran service company owners say that employees appreciate it when they're given gifts that make their jobs easier. "We buy [our techs] jackets as part of their Christmas bonus, so they're not out there dying in the rain," says Matt McWilliams, manager of Keith Reuter's Pool Service in Napa, Calif. "Plus, they get T-shirts with the company logo."

Matt Perezchica, co-owner of Johnson Pools Inc. in Windsor, Calif., says the clothing perk is one of the most popular benefits with his employees. "We give them all the clothing they want," he says. "We've done T-shirts, visors, baseball caps, beanies and straw hats. I tell them we're going to have something made up and then give them the catalog. They enjoy being able to choose.

"We do jackets and the more expensive type of clothing as Christmas gifts," Perezchica adds. "It's something we do every year."

3 Offer cash incentives.

Providing the service staff with additional opportunities to earn cash reinforces the feeling that they're team members and boosts their self-esteem. While it will make a few extra bucks for each individual, it also can boost the company's bottom line.

"We do sales bonuses," says Steve Schaefer, owner/president of Coastline Pool Services in Sunrise, Fla. "[The techs] like the competitiveness of that."

His employees are encouraged to keep a close watch on the pools they service. They need to be on the lookout for safety problems such as loose ladder steps, and missing drain covers and ground wires.

The techs then report the problem to the pool's owners or operators. The result can mean extra work for the company. "They can make [money] off that," Schaefer says. "The one with the highest [amount of money made] each month gets a gift certificate for a dinner for two at [a local restaurant]."

Other, more creative ways can be implemented to provide employees with monetary rewards. Following are a few ideas from a book called 1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson and Ken Blanchard (Workman Publishing, 1993):

At National Office Furniture in Jasper, Ind., fake cash is awarded during meetings held to test product knowledge. At the end of the meeting, employees use the money to bid for prizes.

* Quad/Graphics printing company in Pewaukee, Wis., pays employees $30 to attend a seminar devoted to quitting smoking. It gives $200 to anyone who kicks the habit for a year.

* The Atlantic Envelope Co. in Atlanta awards employees two hours' bonus pay for every month of perfect attendance.

3 Plan more company socials.

Another way to foster teamwork is to hold company parties and picnics. It lets people mingle with each other and management outside the workplace--and that's a crucial factor in team building.

Coastline Pool Service holds an annual company picnic, and invites all its employees and their family members. At one earlier this year, more than 60 people attended. The party featured volleyball and soccer games, as well as a pit barbecue.

"Everyone had a great time," Schaefer says. "We used to have it in a restaurant, but we moved it to a park because we are growing so much. It's nice to hang out with everyone outside the work environment."

Mike Love, owner of Love Pool Care in Phoenix, says he's a big believer in employee excursions--and it's paid off. He's had hardly any turnover in the past year. Plus, service techs tend to enjoy the outdoors, athletics and competition, he says.

"We take these excursions because I want them to feel like they are part of the company," he says. "We will head to the lake, rent jet skis and spend the day unwinding during the summer months.

"These guys don't get to see a lot of each other, so this helps us keep in touch," Love adds.

Sporting events are another chance for hard-working techs to experience company team building in a casual environment. "We do something with the San Francisco Giants every year," Perezchica says.

In the past, the company purchased season tickets from the baseball club and handed them out to individual employees. But recently, Perezchica says they've opted to take all employees to one game and watch it from a luxury suite.

"I liked the luxury suite better because doing it the other way didn't really create the camaraderie we were looking for," he says.