Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: MAX Carpets on October 08, 2009, 08:56:35 am
-
I came across a 21 yr old lad a while ago that had been sent on the prochem training course by a previous employer but he never got the chance to get out and do the job as the previous employer soon folded. So I thought well he's keen, he knows the basics lets give a chance. I took him with me for 3 months, and I just brought him a little vauxhall combo and a 500 PSI steampro so he could do all the end of tenenacy/empty houses without any pressure, just learn at his own pace. After just two jobs on his own I receive a text saying I think its best if you get a more experienced man, I'm not coming back! Now I didnt do it just for him because like us all, I want to get on. It wont stop me, I will find someone else, but for a moment I thought to myself ' Why Bother!'
Cheers!
Justin
-
You live and learn - probably best he's packed it in before he caused you bigger problems further down the line. His loss, not yours!
-
It's bloody pathetic............Our 20 year old has just signed up with the Royal Navy after proving useless at working on his own innitiative. Even lost two apprenticeships.
Getting him away from an over protective mother who did everything for him was the best thing that could have happened.
In talking to other mothers, so many today seem to have this same problem.
Kids need to be encouraged to make decisions and carry out tasks for themselves from a relatively young age or they can't cope with adult life, but the current generation are being smothered by overprotective mothers.
Of the initial intake at Plymouth 6 went home within a week and another 6 quit after two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
They cant take the discipline. Trouble is its too easy for them to leave the Armed Forces during training these days. When it gets hard and they have a choice, they are going to choose. Take away the choice like when I did mine 37 years ago, and you have to stick it out, so you get on with it.
Your guy can clearly survive without the job you gave him, or he wouldnt have quit so easily. Theres an awful lot of lazy people out there.
Dave.
-
Robert,
First of all, I wish your lad a happy future with the Royal Navy and I hope you support him with "Positive" words of encouragement.
I joined in 1991 and HMS Raleigh was tough and the longest 6-7 weeks of my life (Don't know how squaddies and all them cope ??? I shudder even now when I drive past Raleigh. But the longer he stays the easier it gets and for a single lad, it's the best job in the world!
And the "Passing In Parade" (It was Passing Out Parade when I was a lad ;D) will be a day you'll remember for the rest of your life. My parents still talk about it and how there wasn't a dry eye on the day!
-
I was paying him £7 ph when he was with me and £10ph when he was on his own. Most days were 10 hr days with travelling and 1/2 days Saturdays. Correct me if I'm wrong but is that not bloody good money for a 21yr old?
-
I was paying him £7 ph when he was with me and £10ph when he was on his own. Most days were 10 hr days with travelling and 1/2 days Saturdays. Correct me if I'm wrong but is that not bloody good money for a 21yr old?
Best thing would be to ask him why he has packed it in.....alarm bells were ringing when i read your post; has anything suddenly happened to scare him off? Why would he stick the 3 months and then pack it in now? My gut feeling is that something is wrong......
-
I told him off for not strapping the machine in the van. But surely I am well within my rights to do that! He seemed ok at the time, but I never saw him again. I'm not that bothered now, more dissapointed that I put my faith him in and he acted like this. My other man is retiring soon so it would have made for a smooth change over, but heyho!
-
Ah, well, it depends on what method you prefer to communicate. As in, if you think telling someone off is the way forward then so be it, i guess it's not the way this guy likes to learn :-\ I'm old enough now to understand it, but i still recall what it was like to be that age and to feel the wrath of someone's tongue. Oh well, onwards and upwards.
-
Goes back to the earlier posts really - young uns today dont like discipline.
Suppose it counts not only what was said but how it was delivered, but we were not there so cannot judge. He needed telling though, cause a loose machine in the back of a vehicle is not good.
-
I have recruited a few good lads from tyre fitting places, I always try to take them on if they live independantly and maybe have one or 2 kids.
When they have spent time in those places , they build up a lot of qualities needed in the cc business,
Basic sales to customers,
looking after customers property/avoiding damaging things .
Tend to have basic technical skills.
Tend to prefer cc as it is a bit cleaner.
They are used to heavyish work.
-
When I say tell him off, it was more ask him why he hadnt strapped the machine and explained if he damages the machine, he wont have a machine to go to work with, it was said calmly, no shouting, but I could tell he is not used to being told he was wrong and didnt like it. But hey we all learn lessons, I'm sure he will now learn sometimes it is best to accept your wrong!
-
Sorry Joe, but that sweeping statement "Young uns today don't like discipline" was probably said about your generation when you were a youth....(Not too long ago I hasten to add ;)) Rightly or wrongly!
Lads joining the forces nowadays find it more difficult with discipline because as parents, we are scared to even raise our voices for fear of being arrested and having your family unit ripped to shreads by social workers and other interfering government officials..... So ultimately, it isn't the today's youth's fault really..... It's this generation of do gooders putting their oare in.
I've never actually met one person that's said "I like discipline!" Nobody likes it but most of us just accept it to make our own lives easier.
My wife teaches kids and she reckons that a majority of her pupils are top notch, with only a very few not toeing the line. As usual, we only ever get to hear about the negative side of youth!!!!!
(36 if you're wondering ;D)
-
his lost , sound like he was given a good job ,own van and machine working on his own wish somebody had given me that chance at 21
-
Colin
Happy to say he's lovin' it and apparently getting on with the officers I agree about " choice " most will take the soft option nowadays.
It's now 9 weeks at HMS Raleigh and we're driving down as there'll be four of us
-
9 Weeks? Sod that ;D What branch is he joining or hoping to join?
-
Aircraft maintenance / carrier based.
-
Good lad, Aircracft Engineering Technician..... (AET) or WAFU (Officially "Weapon and Fuel Users") But "Fish Heads" (General service Rif Raf) say it stands for "Wet and F*****g Useless"
That's what I did in the navy (AET), promotion is really good at the moment and there's every chance that if he does well at HMS Sultan on the long course from hell, he'll get selected for fast track......
Wishing him all the best!
Colin......
-
Goes back to the earlier posts really - young uns today dont like discipline.
Suppose it counts not only what was said but how it was delivered, but we were not there so cannot judge. He needed telling though, cause a loose machine in the back of a vehicle is not good.
Joe
Quite right, we weren't there and he needed telling about the issue.
As for not liking discipline, i can confirm what Colin said; this was certyainly said about my generation in my day ;)
Based on the info given, i for one am keeping an open mind, because i've worked for people in the past who knew how to deal with people, and have worked for those who didnt. i kind-of get the impression that Emclean (and please, i dont wish to offend) can see no flaw in his/her procedues and handling of the issues. I know you say you're not bothered any more, but what happens if your 'approach' frightens the next one off, and so on? I'm thinking there may come a point where you'll have to re-assess your own handling of situations.
Of course the lad may well have been a liability, but i just can't see why he stuck 3 months of training and then fled? You've heard of fight or flight? I can't help but think he's bolted.
Do you happen to know if he did something wrong is running away from it?
-
Goes back to the earlier posts really - young uns today dont like discipline.
Suppose it counts not only what was said but how it was delivered, but we were not there so cannot judge. He needed telling though, cause a loose machine in the back of a vehicle is not good.
Joe, it how the kids have been brought up, their parents are too lenient on them and do everything for them, therefore are not prepared to take discipline.
-
vacman
The young lad is not the first person I have employed, one has been with me for many years. I fail to see how this can turn round to be my fault? Oh by
the way I have received yet another text from him asking if I need him next week!! He also adds, no hard feelings mate??? Confusing?
-
Did he have proper terms of employment?
Seems you need to go through them with him if you thinking of having him back.
-
vacman
The young lad is not the first person I have employed, one has been with me for many years. I fail to see how this can turn round to be my fault? Oh by
the way I have received yet another text from him asking if I need him next week!! He also adds, no hard feelings mate??? Confusing?
Yes, very confusing. I didn't say it was your 'fault', what i was saying was that from what you'd said, your approach might have needed tweeking. That was it really. So are you taking him back on?
-
No I wont be taking him back, if he's done it once I'm sure he'll do it again. In my opinion it was all done for effect. He was fine when he was with me, I did notice he was getting a bit cockey as we grew nearer to him getting his own van & machine, I think once he went out on his own he felt I couldnt cope without him. I get the impression he thought I was going to beg him to come back, It also seems he now regrets leaving. I would not employ a youngster with no responsabilities again, its to easy for them to just up and leave.
-
ever thought he might be blazing his who trail? set up his own biz?
Maybe he's seen how straightforward it is to run your own buisness and get the calls coming in and thought, "hey i can do this!"
That comment above was said in gest obviously, but giving his young cocky attitude that you mentioned maybe thats what he thinks? you know the saying "one ball hair and they think they not it all" lol
-
Well as we all know if he thinks that, he has a shock coming his way.
-
You say that he was working 10 hr days and 1/2 hr saturdays thats about 55 hrs a week and you were paying him £10 per hr good money.But i just wonder whether 55 hrs is to many hours for a 21 year old not physically, but most 21 year olds have a good social life and i just wondered whether his time was more important than the money.But now he's probably skint and thinking the other way just a thought.But i do think you would be better off getting someone alittle older but 55hrs a week might put some people off as most preffer the normal basic 40 with the option if it avalible .
-
.But i do think you would be better off getting someone alittle older
Don't always bet on it. one of the biggest handfulls I ever had on my books was Militant Melvin. Early 50's and on part time hours he was too keen to lay down the law on what he would do and wouldn't do. He even stayed to the last minute when I gave him the 2 weeks notice more so to annoy me than anything else, particulary as he hardly uttered a word to me during those 2 weeks. Clearly he'd forgotten i am ex military and can take anything thrown at me....even the silent treatment ;D
As for the other 20 well I'm saving those names and stories for the book I intend to write 8)
-
Niel ;D
Love the name militant melvin ;D
Sounds like a character from the early 70s..
-
Niel ;D
Love the name militant melvin ;D
Sounds like a character from the early 70s..
Tooting Popular front?
With Wolfie Smith?
-
Tooting Popular front?
With Wolfie Smith?
Oh I wish at least Wolfie was funny, it was more like trying to work with Arthur Scargill.
Here's one of the situations and bare in mind he was part time as he requested.
Me: "Melvyn, we've got a heavy week coming up do you fancy some extra hours?"
Militant Melv: "I'm part time and that's all I intend to do, you know that's what I wanted from this job and what my terms of contract says."
Me: "Ok keep your hair on I was only asking incase you wanted extra money"
Militant Melv: "I'm only doing 20 hours so don't ask me again"