OK, sounds great. Please let me pose a what-if.

1. You are the PM. Your installer calls to tell you the customer said move the subwoofer. You know this will mean retrofitting wire, and added costs. What happens from that point?

2. Who calls the customer to schedule work? The PM?

Much helpful information on this thread. Thanks to all that have weighed in.

pmp,

check your work e-mail!

Thanks!

Yes, it will. We offered it at all of the Regionals this past year and it was a huge success. I plan on keeping it on the roster.

Keith

To AVDUDE, why check your e-mail? I am nosy and this has been a wonderful thread. I would like to know your answer. I am pushing for a pm in our organization but I need to show their importance to justify their salary. This thread has really helped.
Thanks,
Chris

It's an answer to a specific question that PMP had...he was my instructor years ago at CEDIA...it has nothing to do with this thread

I call the sales guy, salesguy calls the customer. Makes sure that the customers request is valid. Reminds the customer that a change in design and install at this stage is gonna cost him.(as set out in the contract) He then changes the design, gets the customer to sign off on the new design and price. Schedules the change, and hands it back to me.

Sales guys dont like this, as much because it puts the pressure back on them but, the customer is their responsibility. Til the customer signs off that the install is right and they are satisfied, the sale isnt done.

This also gives the customer a level of comfort. they know that there is only 1 guy for them to deal w/ he has the power to get it done.

OK. Who schedules the work?

Sorry, i was sick for a couple o days. All scheduling is done in microsoft project. Sales guys have read only access to this.

They make the schedule w/ the customer and then call the PM or his asst to confirm and have it entered into the schedule. This was tricky at first because some sales guys would delay getting their appointments confirmed w/ install and would subsequently lose the date to another sale. Now they all request their schedules via e-mail and these are scheduled and confirmed daily. This is done FIFO. It works fairly well now.

Sound like a smooth running system. Would it be fair to say that some sales guys have trouble at first becoming integrated into a system that calls for them to do things other than stricktly selling? I remember back to the way I used to be.... :-)

Yes, but it is quickly explained to them that box pushing is what the guys @ Best Buy do. Sales is the largest part of what they do but, the commission is earned by giving the customer service until the install is complete.

Would anyone like to chime in on what a PM should make? How's 60K. iI know it's alot less than some programmers make but I'd like to see if we are all in the same ballpark. More, alot more, less?

That would have to depend a lot on the market, the skills of the PM, and the company he/she works for.