Next time:


1. Hire a newbie that doesn't know diddly squat. It's harder to retrain then train.

2. Have an employment contract with a 5 month probation period.

3. Contract to spell out there will be review at 30, 60, and 90 days.

4. No raises until probation period is complete.

Been there, done that.

Worst thing I did was hire someone "experienced".
Best was a newbie that WANTED to work and learn.


The experienced guy was fired after one week, as he was a "I know better." type, that was not only slower than molasses, he was a huge screw up.

The newbie could be left alone on a job site within a few days, and would get things done fast, then ask for more to do.

Who said I didn't after I got everyone else to turn in at night?

Yup, but finding a newbie like that is like winning the lottery. I agree about the "experienced" guys though.
I've had it though. It might be time to move on.

Assuming that this guy didn't work circles around you during those first two weeks...You should have denied the raise, cut his hours in half and hired a new guy. You wouldn't be short handed right now.

Agreed.
Here's the rest of the story:
The reason I had to hire someone new was that my previous helper of almost 2 years left to go work with family in a union.

I had short notice and put an ad out. Believe it or not he was the best of the bunch, especially when he was supposed to have 3 years experience.
The only thing he was doing circles around was the toilet bowl.
Yes I should have fired him 2 weeks ago when he wanted the raise but I had a project to get done and at least he was an extra set of hands plus I always try to give someone the benefit of the doubt and see if he could step it up. Up to that point he was mostly just running wires so even though I was right, I didn't want to jump the gun. Mainly because I didn't want to put another ad out and be disgusted by who I saw, and I wanted to get at least one more project wrapped up.

I've got projects booked for the next 4 weeks or so and nothing I can't handle alone, even though I don't want to. I have no big projects on the horizon for the winter so i'll see how things shake out and think about getting someone in the spring.

Started on a rehash of an old Crestron system done about 8 years ago.

Original job was really nicely laid out and really clean, years of patchwork and quick fixes have left it a bit of a mess. Pretty big for a resi system, 25 video zones, 30 audio zones. 5 44u racks worth of gear in two locations in the house. K-Scape, video wall, the works. Oddly, no theater.

Pulling a ton of component video switchers out (there was no matrix, just lots and lots of cable and sat boxes, K-Players and DVD players. Adding a 32x32 DM, paring down the source count and putting in all new touchpanels, processors, gateways and remotes.

Homeowner wants clean and top of the line. That he shall get. Wish it was my own project but I am just the hired gun rack monkey on this deal.

Having to leave some of the system up and running at the end of each day is a bit of a challenge but hey, if they want to pay a little more in labor for me to deal with that, so be it.

Well sure enough a decent size project I did the pre wire for months ago called yesterday to get on the schedule, lol.
I'm still going solo though, i'll just stretch it out a bit.

We finally started roughing in a $142K (so far) resi job today. 12 zones of distributed 4K video, 13 DA zones, 7.2.4 Atmos theater, another 5.1 zone, panelized lighting in the theater, 48 C4 dimmers, security, surveillance, HVAC control, gate & garage door control, network, and central vac with 5 Hide-A-Hose inlets & 3 sweep pans. We don't get these very often but I love the bigger projects.

I watched the entire Mets game, up until the final three outs. That's when the wife called me to help her. The dogs got sprayed by a skunk. UGH. It stinks. It's 1:16 am and we just finished washing the dogs. The house STINKS!!!.

I feel your pain!! Nothing worse than a dog getting sprayed.

Only think worse is two dogs getting sprayed. Luckily.only didn't get it as bad. She stunk but she didn't get it right in the face like he did. He came.running back to the house foaming and his eyes kind of swelled shut. Had to flush his mouth out. I had to run out at 12:30 to buy some hydragen peroxide and baking soda to mix to clean them.

The basement REALLY stinks. That where we had to clean them. Thankfully it's nice out today so we can keep the windows all open in the house are take some stinky clothes and stuff outside to air

I've heard that giving them a bath in tomato juice can knock down the stink.

The hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda and liquid soap works best. The dogs themselves barely smell anymore. The house is another story.

Happens about twice a year here.

The dogs just do not seem to ever learn that the black and white stink kitty does not want to play nor is it their friend.

One of the times I am glad our dogs are small, we can wash them in the deep sink in the laundry room.

Our dogs are smallish. They fit in our slops sink in our laundry room, just barely. It's in the basement which is why is stinks so bad down there. That is also where my home office is, and my theater where I have to watch the Mets spank the Cubs tonight. Ugh