Hello from Houston, Texas

[danarhea]

I am DanaRhea Elliott, general manager of Cool & Heat AIRCO, Inc. in Houston, TX.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Dan, doing some head hunting?

[Doc]

Hi Dana, welcome to the site.

[danarhea]

Hi Dan, doing some head hunting?

Yes, we just picked up 2 major accounts, and are running ourselves ragged right now. We put an ad in the Houston paper for a tech, and have gotten a ton of responses. Unfortunately for us, almost every respondent's experience was apartment complexes, 2 other guys who claimed to be gurus, but missed just about every question on the test I gave them, and one other guy who claimed he had never been in trouble, but who showed up on our background check as on parole, and had been in prison for theft. LOL.

On the advise from our American Standard Rep, we are posting in some HVAC forums, and hope we will have better luck. :)

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

your name looks like diareohia spelled wrong ( I spelt it wrong too)

[Magilla Gorilla]

Unfortunately for us, 2 other guys who claimed to be gurus, but missed just about every question on the test I gave them, and one other guy who claimed he had never been in trouble, but who showed up on our background check as on parole, and had been in prison for theft. LOL.




Dontcha just love when that happens.....:rolleyes:

[Chilled Man]

never mind lol

[DPSwitch]

I am DanaRhea Elliott, general manager of Cool & Heat AIRCO, Inc. in Houston, TX.

I am Wj Stevens, AIRCO Regional manager....... You're fired.



:lol:





Welcome.

[Abby Normal]

Yes, we just picked up 2 major accounts, and are running ourselves ragged right now. We put an ad in the Houston paper for a tech, and have gotten a ton of responses. Unfortunately for us, almost every respondent's experience was apartment complexes, 2 other guys who claimed to be gurus, but missed just about every question on the test I gave them, and one other guy who claimed he had never been in trouble, but who showed up on our background check as on parole, and had been in prison for theft. LOL.

On the advise from our American Standard Rep, we are posting in some HVAC forums, and hope we will have better luck. :)By the resumes people have sent me online, I figure NASA must be a shitty place to work because all the rocket scientists want to work for me.

A little bit too much embellishing these days

[Fat Eddy]

Careful there Abby didn't you read ? he's the "General Manager" not just the plain old "Manager" or something.

And as the GM he has now picked up two new accounts.

[Fat Eddy]

Yes, we just picked up 2 major accounts, and are running ourselves ragged right now. We put an ad in the Houston paper for a tech, and have gotten a ton of responses. Unfortunately for us, almost every respondent's experience was apartment complexes, 2 other guys who claimed to be gurus, but missed just about every question on the test I gave them, and one other guy who claimed he had never been in trouble, but who showed up on our background check as on parole, and had been in prison for theft. LOL.

On the advise from our American Standard Rep, we are posting in some HVAC forums, and hope we will have better luck. :)


Dude get real, your asking people to work for you and supply thier own truck, who do you think is going to put in an application? You're pretty much asking for low end techs ( the word tech loosely used) So be real about it, you are getting the applicants that you are targeting whether you know it or not.

[Abby Normal]

not seeing what the big deal is on the job decription, I am the boss, the manager, the only manager, the main manager, the chief manager even the general manager?

What is the hang up on the title?

Don't apply for the job then eddy

[Fat Eddy]

By the resumes people have sent me online, I figure NASA must be a shitty place to work because all the rocket scientists want to work for me.

A little bit too much embellishing these days


Well just casue they worked on NASA's AC units doesn''t mean they are rocket scientists, beside NASA farms all that work out. They don't handle it , they only handle the new construction.

[Fat Eddy]

not seeing what the big deal is on the job decription, I am the boss, the manager, the only manager, yhe main mamanger,, the chief manager even the general manager?

What is the hang up on the title?

Don't apply for the job then eddy

Well he's got an add out there asking for techs with their own trucks and he' s wondering why he's getting convicts applying, sounds kind of green to me.

[Abby Normal]

Well just casue they worked on NASA's AC units doesn''t mean they are rocket scientists, beside NASA farms all that work out. They don't handle it , they only handle the new construction.
lol, I meant I get a lot of impressive sounding resumes is all

[Abby Normal]

never read the ad before, even I provide a vehicle. It is less grief to pay the employee for fuel wear and tear, that is for sure.

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

the reimbursement levels set by the rev canada are a joke - it barellly covers gas consumption it does not cover enough to pay for insurance/repairs/maint/depreciation.
if companies pay over the rate then it is considered taxable income
its a loose loose situation for the tech to supply his own truck to do company work
its win win for the company - fixed costs predictible income the numbers are a dream when the tech covers the cost.

I was negotiating supplying my own truck to a co as part of an employment package.
I figured it would cost 1200 month to run a truck so I asked for 1600 month or they supply the truck
They did have some req for the truck, less than 5 yrs old clean insured sign writing fully equiped and capable of carrying a ladder etc
they chose to supply the truck

[Abby Normal]

yes the amount given for so much a mile/klick basically leaves you pennies after you pay for the gas. It is a lot easier for the employer if they have a guy supplying his own vehicle. I see the point now why convicts are applying.

[Dutchcool]

Change your name in Danawashere !

Your not gonna stay are you ?

Quote:
On the advise from our American Standard Rep, we are posting in some HVAC forums, and hope we will have better luck. :)

for free right !

[(((XM)))]

The American Standard Rep should have just told him the truth.

[Dutchcool]

witch is ?

[(((XM)))]

Their **** ups

[Dutchcool]

Thanks for clarifying
that XM !

:D

[DPSwitch]

Before Swampie closes this thread I just wanna say "Dutch, we need to work on your avatar."

Want a leftover VH one?

[twilli3967]

Maybe he could use Lee Greenwood

[DPSwitch]

Its ok now he gotta boat........ lol

[danarhea]

Change your name in Danawashere !

Your not gonna stay are you ?

Quote:
On the advise from our American Standard Rep, we are posting in some HVAC forums, and hope we will have better luck. :)

for free right !


Why would I leave? This has been quite entertaining. :eplus2:

Seriously, we are a smaller company, and only did about 800k worth of business last year, but that doesn't mean we are crooks. The largest company in Houston DOES supply trucks to their people, and expect their people to sell equipment and make commissions any way they can, and usually, that is to the detriment of the homeowner. If you were not an HVAC guy, but a regular homeowner who did not know anything about A/C, who would YOU rather service your equipment? A company with lots of nice trucks that they have their employees drive, who are only at your home to find an excuse to tell you your system sucks and you need a new one, or an HONEST company that will do what is in your best interest? The answer to that question is a no-brainer, and is the reason we win awards and they don't. By the way, if you wonder what I look like, come to Houston and turn a TV to channel 39 during the first week in November every year. You will see me giving good tips to homeowners on how to avoid being ripped off by people who will do ANYTHING for a buck.

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but here in Houston, almost ALL of your smaller companies have the same arrangement we do. We hire technicians who have their own trucks and basic hand tools, we stock the trucks, and we give a very generous truck allowance. In addition, our average tech makes 40k per year, our lead techs make about 60k per year, and we even start our helpers at $12.00 per hour, with generous raises every 3 months as the helper learns. If a tech needs a new truck, we obtain one for him through a fleet discount program at a Ford dealership here in town.

Another issue I must take exception to were the comments about Middle Easterners. Yes, the president of my company IS Iranian. Let me tell you something else about him. After the Ayatollahs took over in Iran, he had his home and business taken away from him, and barely escaped with his own life. Many of his friends and relatives were executed because they belong to the Ba'hai' faith. So he came to America, seeking a better life. After he got here, he became an American citizen, started his business by the sweat of his own brow, and without any help from the Federal government, flies the American flag at his home every day, and votes Republican, although I finally was able to turn him around and join the Libertarian party. He is a Ron Paul supporter. :) There is no reason to hate the man because he is Middle Eastern. He is more American than most people who call him names, and shame on anybody who believes he is somehow less than human.

Now, with that rant out of the way, let me thank you for your very hot welcome. Since heating season has finally begun here, I really needed it. Got enough heat in one day to keep my furnace off for the entire winter. :)

[twilli3967]

Twilli knows Archie real well


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n7C1AyU-9Q

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

well good luck danareha with your search

so do you put YOUR company name on the TECHS truck?

you pay the insurance bill?

exactly how much is generous allowance? 500 month 600 month 1000 month?

do you provide gas card? repairs maintenance?

In my opinion a generous millage allowance is $1.75 mile (1500 month) anything less is subsidising your biz

the salary you stated 40k 60k is that inc the truck allowance or is that on top?

gotta tell you if I was a resid tech and I had two job offers - yours and the big guy whom supplies the truck for work - gotta go with the big guy (if the salary less millage allowance is similar)

[(((XM)))]

Maybe that is how they did it in Iran?

[Mr Bill]

Maybe that is how they did it in Iran?

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l286/mrbillpro/1.gif

[danarhea]

well good luck danareha with your search

so do you put YOUR company name on the TECHS truck?

you pay the insurance bill?

exactly how much is generous allowance? 500 month 600 month 1000 month?

do you provide gas card? repairs maintenance?

In my opinion a generous millage allowance is $1.75 mile (1500 month) anything less is subsidising your biz

the salary you stated 40k 60k is that inc the truck allowance or is that on top?

gotta tell you if I was a resid tech and I had two job offers - yours and the big guy whom supplies the truck for work - gotta go with the big guy (if the salary less millage allowance is similar)

Of course, we put our company name on the trucks - State Law.

We also provide gas cards, and we pay the insurance - Up to a point. If one of our guys keeps getting tickets, he pays the increase in insurance premiums. All of this is on top of salary. Now this might not be quite as much as some you guys make up north, but the cost of living is pretty low down here. BTW - I am originally from Michigan. I came down here in 1975, when the sign at the Detroit city limits said "Last one out please turn off the lights". LOL.

In addition, we pay for ALL training to our employess. We encourage NATE certification here, and not only do we pay for it, we give a raise to every tech who completes the course. We also encourage factory training through American Standard and Goodman, which we, of course, also pay for. One drawback is that we do lose people from time to time - They get their own license and move on, but when that happens, then we have at least sent competent and ethical people out on their own.

One thing we don't have is a retirement plan. We don't see that in our future at this time, and honestly, that may be a deal breaker for a few people, and is, IMHO, our main weakness right now.

Now I have been flamed pretty heavily over this issue, but guess what? I will be the first one to stand up and say "Hey, you guys have a point". Why? Well, it is pretty much the standard in Houston, and in much of Texas, to hire the truck along with the tech, and unfortunately, that HAS lead to some pretty shoddy outfits being created. However, the state, and most Texas cities, are really clamping down hard now. The newest Texas law requires ALL technicians to register with the state, and any company that uses unregistered technicians now faces stiff penalties, including fines, and even loss of license. This means that "Joe Garage" is finally going out of business here, and not too soon. It also means that ex-cons, child molesters, etc, will no longer be in the field, since the state of Texas will now be doing all the background checks. Although I am Libertarian, politically speaking, I am in favor of this move, since the HVAC industry here in Texas did not go far enough to ensure that unsavory characters were weeded out.

[DPSwitch]

I think Dan has handled this post very professionally. He just makes his point without trying to fan the flames........ I respect that.

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

No offense dan ment here
1 you help your tech take on the risk of providing the service truck do you gurranty a min allowance? a min job contract?

What I'm getting at is if I signed up to work for you got into a 3 or 4 yr lease 0 down - I'm running 400 bucks month or more then after 1.5 yrs you pull the plug on the deal? I'm holding the bag for the truck. I don't like that risk.


I'd do it if the allowance covered the truck costs and I was in a locked in contract for 4 yrs gurranteed hrs 40 week plus min gurranteed

I ain't bagging ya just trying to figure out all the angles.

I think the min trip charge I'd want is four per day at 20 per = 80 day 5 days = 400 week = 20 k per yr
lease = 5400 yr (450 month 0 down 4 yr term 25k yr) 5k for gas 2k for ins 2k for main/rep = 14,400 ( the other 5,600 would be for income tax from the 20k income)

I'm just trying to see how supplying the truck would actually be good for the tech
with the exception that he is wanting to start on his own and this would be a great way to get started

[danarhea]

No offense dan ment here
1 you help your tech take on the risk of providing the service truck do you gurranty a min allowance? a min job contract?

What I'm getting at is if I signed up to work for you got into a 3 or 4 yr lease 0 down - I'm running 400 bucks month or more then after 1.5 yrs you pull the plug on the deal? I'm holding the bag for the truck. I don't like that risk.


I'd do it if the allowance covered the truck costs and I was in a locked in contract for 4 yrs gurranteed hrs 40 week plus min gurranteed

I ain't bagging ya just trying to figure out all the angles.

I think the min trip charge I'd want is four per day at 20 per = 80 day 5 days = 400 week = 20 k per yr
lease = 5400 yr (450 month 0 down 4 yr term 25k yr) 5k for gas 2k for ins 2k for main/rep = 14,400 ( the other 5,600 would be for income tax from the 20k income)

I'm just trying to see how supplying the truck would actually be good for the tech
with the exception that he is wanting to start on his own and this would be a great way to get started

Good questions:

1) We don't have a minimun job contract length. Here in Texas, if an HVAC tech is unemployed, there is a good reason, and we would not have hired him in the first place. When a tech leaves our company, it is because he wants to strike out on his own, and has obtained his own state license.

2) During our 24 years in business, we have only run into the situation where a tech needed or wanted a new truck 3 times, and each time, when the tech left, he was happy to take the truck with him (in one case, it was a her).

3) As for the policy itself, it has come under review several times throughout the years, and we are about to take a look at supplying trucks again next year, this time, a much more serious look. I showed this thread, and the thread where I posted the job, to the president. Your flames definitely had an impact on him. After he calmed down, he told me he thought it might be a good idea to bite the bullet and get 5 service trucks from Ford in the spring. Looks like it may happen this time, probably some time in the second quarter. So don't think your flames were wasted. LOL.

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

that would have been an interesting meeting with the Prez

did you have a blood pressure monitor on him - should have bounced off the charts I would have thought

We are not trying to tell you how to run your biz at all

it just seems to us odd (speaking for my self) as we have never encountered hvac employers that did not supply the service truck - now taking them home thats a diff situation its all over the map.

your guys drive their trucks home? use em on weekends/nights?

NOW before all the goverment job crap starts - I am meaning the tech goes to the gym or runs errends or goes to hardware store or hunting etc takes his kid to a sports game

[oroy54]

$10 an hour is not a living wage.

[chard]

Is it Dan or Dana?

Anyway, I don't understand why it is that when some employer says they are looking for good techs, others have to chip away at what that employer is offering.
It's his/her company and they can offer what ever they want. There is no perfect HVAC co. So stop running these people down because you don't like there benefits package, or lack there of.

Are you applying for the job? Then don't worry about it!

[danarhea]

Is it Dan or Dana?

Anyway, I don't understand why it is that when some employer says they are looking for good techs, others have to chip away at what that employer is offering.
It's his/her company and they can offer what ever they want. There is no perfect HVAC co. So stop running these people down because you don't like there benefits package, or lack there of.

Are you applying for the job? Then don't worry about it!

It's Dana, and quit laughing. Middle name is Rhea. My name sounds like diarrhea. My dad was drunk when he named me. LOL.

[twilli3967]

Twilli says what a coincidence Twilli middle name is Rhea too, Twillirhea

[DPSwitch]

Its all good....... unless yer brother is named Gona

[Abby Normal]

Its all good....... unless yer brother is named Gona
:) :)

[Mike]

Hola Dan.

[Stephy]

Hey Dana............

My hats off to ya..............

You got stereotyped, called bad names,

But you, blew that off.......

:D

[Roscoe]

Hey dana welcome to our little safe haven........shhhhhhhhh...:D

So you're from Houston huh...........?? ..........(ulterior motive..ulterior motive ...heh heh)

I just bought some LLP stock in a company in Houston ...........I may need some info..................:D ..

Glad you made it>>>>>>>>>>:thumb:

[Mike]

Hey Dana............

My hats off to ya..............

You got stereotyped, called bad names,

But you, blew that off.......

:D


I can't believe I missed all that!

Can I have a chance to stereotype and call him bad names?



Okay you lamb licker son of a branch.

We never did cotton to your kind around these private parts.




Now that was funny.

[danarhea]

Its all good....... unless yer brother is named Gona

Damn, that's my cousin. :eplus2:

[danarhea]

Hey dana welcome to our little safe haven........shhhhhhhhh...:D

So you're from Houston huh...........?? ..........(ulterior motive..ulterior motive ...heh heh)

I just bought some LLP stock in a company in Houston ...........I may need some info..................:D ..

Glad you made it>>>>>>>>>>:thumb:

Can't help you there. Enron went out of business years ago. LOL.

[NZ All Blacks Fan]

welcome to the club dana

I reread everything - its interesting to me to see the tech supply the service truck to the "smaller companies" as a Norm there in Huston texas

good luck

[(((XM)))]

Twilli says what a coincidence Twilli middle name is Rhea too, Twillirhea
Twillidiarrhea (http://www.hvacproforums.com/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigestive.niddk.nih.gov%2Fddiseases%2Fpubs%2Fdiarrhea%2F)