Paying Cleaning Technicians

We have always done a pay-per-pool and never found it to be an issue.  The process is explained up front, and expectations are set by the management team, which is the most important factor in making it work properly.  We do not have a hurry up and finish mentality among our techs because of the expectation set.  For instance, the first time they hurry and there is an issue, it doesn’t matter where they are in the day, they have to go back with a manager, apologize to the customer, and make it right for free, meaning they are not paid for a “go back”.  If this happens more than once, we start documenting, and that tech doesn’t make it long with us.  Our software actually allows us to set times (techs are unaware), and if they finish a pool in under that time set the software will alert us.  It also has time stamps in the service report of when each step was started and completed, so we can see if they are rushing steps just to be done.   

On a positive note, the per-pool pay allows techs to make more money and give themselves a raise if they aren’t afraid to work.  This allows you to see who is fine with the bare minimum and who's hungry to make more money.  We reward and celebrate that openly among our team, which promotes the atmosphere you want on your team.  

Here is why we did this: when we sat down and started this company, this was a major topic.  I have spent time talking to other pool companies, and I seem to hear the same thing from each.  I have this tech who takes way too long, and he’s not able to do as many as other techs and can not do some of the harder pools.  Right away, I saw that as a giant negative for the rest of the team.  How fair is it that a tech doing 15 a day and mostly uncovered pools is making the same as someone doing 10 a day that are easier?  So we penalize the tech that is good at his job and can do more in the same 40-hour work week?  No way, I saw that as a positive, and again, I heard this from almost everyone I have spoken with before we opened our company.  What most of them noticed was happening was those better techs were still getting done early and hiding all day, wasting time sitting in the company truck just to ensure they made their money.  Where in our case, they can either be done early and make the money they deserve, or they can say Hey, I can take on more on this day so that they make more money.  To us, that seemed and still seems like the best option for our team.  Doing research around the area, our techs are making more than in any other pool company, which is what we want to be known for.  We pay the most, but we also expect the most out of our team. 

My techs are paid for an 8 hour day.  If they finish in 6 then great for them, as long as I don’t get callbacks.

Are all techs paid the same?  How do you deal with a tech that is slower or doing harder pools getting done later than ones that are faster or doing easier pools?  It would seem like an uneven playing field with some working 6 hours and others more, unless pay scales are vastly different for those working longer or handling more difficult accounts.  I could see this as a recipe for potential disaster, as a tech may start to feel like they are working harder than their counterpart.  This was always our fear doing hourly pay.  

If you're paying a full day even if they are done early, then imo you're partially doing a pay-per-pool method now.  Why not just adopt the entire process? 

I keep my routes very tight and compact, mostly cookie cutter 10k gallon HOA pools try to even things out where if there is a route more spread out then I have less looks on that route to balance also make sure no one has more than 1 day like that. 
you’re correct it ends up being essentially a pay per pool model. Hasn’t caused any issues for me.  I think my techs appreciate the consistency. 
I pay my techs well, treat them well , they are after all the person who represents my company to the customers 

We are set up very similarly with tight routes, but we do have some routes that just have harder pools.  It’s just luck of the draw on a route and how we grew in certain areas.  We do pay more for a larger uncovered pool than a screened-in 10 K-gallon pool since it will take the tech twice as long to clean.    

I also agree that you have to pay the techs well, offer benefits, and a 401K, along with treating them well, for them to remain happy.  If they are happy, then your company will perform better without a doubt.  There is a saying, “teach them enough that they could open their company, but treat them well enough so that they stay,” and that does hold true.  Turnover is a killer and wastes money!  

We are in California and pay hourly. For me it's just communication, training and prioritizing the employees that are working hard. As an owner / manager its my job to make sure I retain the hard workers and weed out the slow workers to I create the culture I want for the company. I also do a lot of ponds maintenance and repair work which just makes hourly easier on my end (or so I tell myself). 

​@Tru-Blue Pool Service are your techs independent contractors then? how do you deal with repair work? do you have a rate sheet for typical repairs and extras?

Our techs are regular W2 employees; we do not have set rates on pools and but do on extras.  In Florida, you have to have a CPC in order to do repair work, so my techs are not allowed to do any type of repairs.  All repairs are done by the management team or an outside contractor who is a friend, due to having to have a CPC in Florida to legally do repair work.  My team is paid fairly based on the complexity of the pool they clean; it's not a cookie-cutter setup.  Some pools are harder and take longer, so the pay rate on that pool is set accordingly, and that is taken into consideration during the bidding process so we charge the customer accordingly.