Any experience using women helpers ? I have had a few approach me about work, my main concern is if they are strong enough to setup ladders. Comments ?
My wife is my number one helper. She's awesome because she actually has skin in the game with our business. All of the customers love her! I think having my wife out there with me sets a lot of people at ease. Many homeowners around here have been burned by "a guy with a pressure washer". When they see a husband and wife work well together, they tend to take us more seriously. They also seem to tip more when she's with me. Twice we've gotten 100% tips. Once was from a wonderful elderly couple that tipped us 100% on a $500 job.
Nothing wrong with having women on the team. As Derek mentioned above, having a Woman can help customers feel a bit more at ease, especially if your customer is a woman and by herself. I have been detailing for many years and I always let my wife approach a customer if she is new and by herself. I would just suggest that you make sure they are up to the task and understand the seriousness of their role, as well as all aspects of the job and understand SAFETY FIRST.
-- Edited by Randal Motley on Saturday 10th of December 2016 01:18:20 PM
Ditto - my wife is my best helper by far. She helps me with the ladders, but doesn't move them around by herself. She is very detail oriented with groundwork and interfaces with the customers very well. Women would probably take a few less risk on average than men, making them a litttle safer.
As far as ladder work, if you train them how to position the ladders to stand them up, putting the feet at the base and walking the ladder up, then backing the feet out to the 1:4 ratio for a safe incline, they should be able to do a lot of the ladder work. I don't know if I'd have as much faith moving ladders around while upright, but I do most of the ladder work myself, no matter who is helping me.
I tried but my wife wanted 75.00/hour, 3 one hour breaks during the day and she didn't like color of the PVC boots...Something about white after Lador Day
Bahahaha @John. Yes I will second the +1 for women work force. The only trouble I got into was teaming up girls with some of our guys in the trucks. Never seem to flow right. Husband wife/family is one thing. 2 strangers of opposite sex in the same truck made for an interesting dynamic...
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