Do You Work Full Time, Year Round?

Businesses that work in the trades have busy seasons and slow seasons. In the slow seasons the company either finds busy work to keep their employees working, or lays employees off until business picks up.

Chances are when a company is providing busy work, it is doing so by making less profitable revenue or no revenue at all. As a technician, pretend that you are in business for yourself. How do you suppose it would feel to work and not be paid? Yeah, yeah, in your mind the company owner might be loaded. You might even think that he owes you. Let’s put all of that thinking aside for a moment. Let’s go back to something your mom taught you. She always used to say, “be fair.”

So what is fair?

To begin with, the company is doing you a favor by keeping you working year round. If you don’t feel like acknowledging that to your manager, acknowledge it to yourself. If you can do that then we have a suggestion for how you can make yourself more valuable to your employer, to keep that year round work coming and maybe to feel good about doing it.

Look for ways throughout the year to help your company acquire new customers.

But Daaaaave! I’m not a salesman!

This isn’t about selling. This is about being fair. It is about doing the right thing. It is about making your future better.

You don’t have to make a big deal out of this. Let’s say that one of your regular customers is real happy about the service that you just provided to her. Ask her if she has any friends who might also benefit from your service. Think about some of your friends and relatives too. Just a few new customers per year from you can make a big difference for your employer and you.

Keep track of new customers who you bring on board. Let your employer know that you are grateful for year round work and as a token of appreciation, you are always out there trying to bring new customers aboard.