Helper Problems...

[The Carpetologist]

I currently have a helper that I am not very happy with....
He is extremely slow about everything he does, but he does good work.
I can't seem to get it in his head about the importance of speed.
When we are carrying carpet in, I am dragging him literally, he will not speed up!
Ive tried to hire another helper several times...
Each time... no call no show!

Before I hired him, I was working alone and quite happy.
But, after the store I am working out of figured out the caliber of installer I am they started giving me harder and harder jobs... yes, heaver carpet that I can't carry by myself, so I got me a helper.
I'm 48 and was hoping that I could get a guy trained to do the heavy work...
stretching in, kicking stairs on...
But I can seam up and and stretch in a room before he is done padding the next one!
Now, I am the top crew and the first to get scheduled and they are giving me big jobs. I am working WAY harder then I want to for sure.

I am tired and getting desperate.
What I really would like is 2 good helpers so all I have to do is direct and seam.

What do you guys do?
Any suggestions?
Anyone in this area you know of that needs a job?

Signed: One tired, sore and feeling old installer

[Floorguy]

The exact reason the guys taking out the base grade, to do apartments make more income then the good guy that gets all the difficult and hard to work with carpets, which take much longer and as you see, you need help, which cost you... and all for the same price as the base grade. which would have taken you ½ the time, yet you don't get double the pay.

[The Carpetologist]

Just posted a new ad on craigslist.
Does this sound too.... brazen?

HERE

[The Carpetologist]

Guys, can you tell me about your pay structures for your helpers?
Personally, right now, my help is paid on a 1099.

What do you do?
Hourly, percentage, yardage?

I want to be good to my help but I also want to be good to myself.

Help me out here.

[The Carpetologist]

Originally Posted by Floorguy The exact reason the guys taking out the base grade, to do apartments make more income then the good guy that gets all the difficult and hard to work with carpets, which take much longer and as you see, you need help, which cost you... and all for the same price as the base grade. which would have taken you ½ the time, yet you don't get double the pay.

Well, actually, I do get more.
I get 1.00 more for concrete, 1.00 more for pattern, 1.00 for furniture move, 1.00 for level loop or Berber, .50 more for using the Kool Glide iron, min of 125.00 for stairs and up to 300.00 depending on the level of difficulty, 1.00 for taking up the old, 50.00 per hour for addition labor like prep work (don't always get it but do most of the time)

I should not complain, I do get paid well for working out of a store, but like I said, I am feeling the years and really don't want to work that hard anymore.
If I could just get a couple of good helpers, I can continue doing the hard stuff and let the help do all the physical stuff.

[rgfloor]

Originally Posted by The Carpetologist Well, actually, I do get more. I get 1.00 more for concrete, 1.00 more for pattern, 1.00 for furniture move, 1.00 for level loop or Berber, .50 more for using the Kool Glide iron, min of 125.00 for stairs and up to 300.00 depending on the level of difficulty, 1.00 for taking up the old, 50.00 per hour for addition labor like prep work (don't always get it but do most of the time)

But I notice nothing more for carpet over 50-60 oz, that means with the heavier more labor intensive jobs you are still being compensated at the same rate as the 28 oz slam bam apartment stuff.

You seem to be able to get additional line items prices, perhaps add in a buck for heavyweight material.

[Nick Arrera]

That ad scared me away ..
Ive hired 2 people recently on craigs list who pulled a no call no show the first day! You know what, those two changed the course of their life's for the worse by making that bad decision. You need to take another pain killer and rethink that ..
Young kids today for most part are to smart to get into this trade , especially at $10.00 hr ..
I paid $150.00 a day and still could not get dependable help .. Good luck ..

[Floorguy]

NEET is spelled Neat, I noticed that right off.

$10 an hour doesn't get much these days, in the form of help.

I have a daycare take up and relay including R&R of covebase, and I'm starting them out at $20 an hour, as part time help.

I work solo and can't stand having someone to baby sit, It takes me twice as long to do a project with a helper. Once the grunt work is done, I usually send them home.

[rusty baker]

I agree, Floorguy. A young man in my neighborhood, who is out of work, offered to go with me for free, just to have something to do. I declined. He would just slow me down. When i worked for retailers, a helper and I would do 100 yds in 6 hours, four days a week. and I paid them $300. cash. That was 20 years ago.

[Tandy Reeves]

Carpetologist, I am going to offer some construstive criticism. My guess is your ego in really getting in your way. Somewhere in your posts you seem to always tell how good you are. I have no doubt that you are good, but how good are you with people? You say your current helper is good. If that is the case then why not work with him. My guess is you expect him to do the grunt work as good as you do without proper training. Have you showed him how to do the jobs assigned or expect him to do them because he has seen you do them? Do you yell and bitch at him or are you his pep squad. At $10.00 per hour you are lucky he shows up.

Don't expect him to be as good as you until you properly train him. In time he will be as good as you and possibly better.

Please remember I am only asking you to step back and take a look at yourself.

[Kman]

I don't have any helpers right now, but when I did have one that I could trust to leave at a job, or at least not stand over him all day, I paid him $15 an hour. I had one that was especially good that I could leave in charge of the others, I paid him $17 an hour most of the time.

I would have paid them more if I could've afforded it, (especially the good one) because that's what it takes to keep a helper around. I'll be honest, probably the only thing you're going to get at $10 is someone who can't find anything that pays better, and you should know what to expect from that type of person. As soon as he lines up a job at $10.05 an hour, he'll be gone.

It sounds as if you need help, but only for grunt work. If you're going to pay grunt wages, you're not going to get professional work. Your helper is going to be there to help, not learn a trade.

If you want a helper who really wants to be there and learn the trade, I bet you're going to have to pay more.

[Jerry Thomas]

I also pay my helper 15.00 an hour...... grunt work

[mcurrin]

If your helper is getting a 1099, then he should be getting a percentage, after supplies and overhead.(legally)

This will often motivate a helper, as it removes him from helper status to apprentice status. It will give him a sense of pride in a job well done and motivate him to finish faster. An hourly employee has no incentive to work harder or faster, it costs him money. Make it worth his time and effort and you may see a different side.

PS liked your web site but saw some spelling errors.

Mike

[kwfloors]

When I had helpers thru the years I paid them a percentage like 20% to my 80% or something like that. That way if you made more they made more. It kind of spurs them on. When I was in helper stage it got to where my boss paid me a minimum charge even if we didn't work because he knew it took money for me to show up and he compensated for it. After my last 'helper' moved I resorted to partnering with other quailified installers and split it 50-50 after supplies. It works if you don't worry too much about who's doing the most work as every job/day is different and we all work different everyday. Right now I work alone and manage to get it done. I find help when I can, like on big glue downs or huge 500yd houses that need done fast cause I am not fast and just as tired and sore as you, Chris.

[The Carpetologist]

$10.00 per hour...
Thats just to get them in the door.
If they work out, I will pay them more of course.
This is the first time Ive ever done this.
Everyone in my family (all installers) are always getting on to me for paying
way to much.
This time, I'm starting out on the low side and making them work their way up.
If they work hard and pay attention, they will make much more.
I'm not advertising this, but what I am really looking for is an eventual partnership.

I have 6 emails I need to respond to for Helper Wanted.
One promising young man is fresh out of high school and lives less then a mile from the shop.

I like the percentage idea....
Anyone here doing that? What's the percentage?

First and foremost is...
What am I worth?
Since I have a family to support, I'm going to make sure that they are taken care of first... so the question is... what percentage should I be making?