Change

**Paintcan** · January 29th, 2009, 12:25 AM

If you could change one thing about the company you work for or your job. What would it be?

**Hurricane9** · January 29th, 2009, 04:35 AM

I would change the focus of this job from having people look at their numbers of what they did, to what they did right today. We look at tickets as "do 20 to hit your requirement". We should change that to "do 15 perfect tickets, and feel good about it"

**sprayandpray** · January 29th, 2009, 08:47 AM

Nice thought but as long as this is a private enterprise, not a government job, profit will always be high on the list. Now, if King Hussein would just convert all locating jobs to $25 hr Civil Service jobs, it would solve most locator's problems and I would vote for him next time!

**Mke** · January 29th, 2009, 10:06 AM

I would like to see Locating companies staff for the busy times, not staff for the slow times.

It always seems they staff enough people so they can turn a profit during the low ticket months and just work us harder in the high ticket months. If we were lucky, maybe we would have an extra rookie or two that might take some of the easier tickets from our load...

in other words.... made us work harder.

**KGossett** · January 29th, 2009, 10:38 AM

I would like to see the industry as a whole focus more on quality rather than just being all about production. The production production production way of doing things is an instant gratification frame of mind. You may make more money now but in the long run you are only gonna lose your contracts. I have been managing an office now for 7 years and I have always believed that if you have good hiring practices and hire good honest hard working people then the production will be there. I have always preached QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY. Let me worry about making sure the work gets done on time. I will take a slow locator that never gets damages over a fast locator who gets hit several times a year anyday. Its amazing how much focus is put on everything that surrounds our jobs instead of focusing on our primary function. All of the other things are important too but I have found if you dont get damages then you end up making money and your customers are happy. It is a mentality thats starts at the top. If management shows that the thing it cares about the most is quality then that mentality eventually spreads to the rest of the office. That is if you are keeping your employees happy which is a the other big key to success in this business. Bottom line is if you dont get damages then everything else seems to fall into place. That goes for being a manager, supervisor or a locate technician.

**PokerAdam** · January 29th, 2009, 02:22 PM

Production is a key to profitability. Any "Manager" thats says otherwise is a liar. The reason production is in such focus is ticket price. The lower the ticket price, the higher the productivity required to be profitable. If the contract locate company could get a proper ticket price, then they could hire more people, pay more, train better, and still make money.
So, I guess the one thing I would change is a better ticket price for the contract locate company.

**headcipher** · January 29th, 2009, 03:06 PM

Change? What could need changing?
When I hear what all of you out there who work for contract locating companies, I realize: I've got nothing to complain about.
I take my hat off to all of you who deal with all the crap that you do.
I have supervision and management that appreciate what we do, are willing to listen, willing to do something about problems, and really look out for all of our crew.

Don't get me wrong our sup's won't take crap either, but they were locators too, they know what's up.

All in all, my crew has it made. If they think differently, then they're delusional.

Keep up the good work out there. It's nice to know there is good contract locators out there.

**AULupstate** · January 29th, 2009, 03:28 PM

I wouldn't change anything about where I am now (granted it took 5 years to find but I couldn't be happier).

Respected by management, respected by the crews doing the work. Given time to do the work properly. Given ANY tools to get the job done properly. No GPS, No Cameras. Pay commensurate with the responsibilty (and always on time), holidays off (with holiday pay), benefits (that don't cost an arm and leg). TRUST. Life is good now.

If ALL companies operated like this I don't think there would be any complaints from anyone who worked as a Utility Locator.

**MIG4000** · January 29th, 2009, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by KGossett

I would like to see the industry as a whole focus more on quality rather than just being all about production. The production production production way of doing things is an instant gratification frame of mind. You may make more money now but in the long run you are only gonna lose your contracts. I have been managing an office now for 7 years and I have always believed that if you have good hiring practices and hire good honest hard working people then the production will be there. I have always preached QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY. Let me worry about making sure the work gets done on time. I will take a slow locator that never gets damages over a fast locator who gets hit several times a year anyday. Its amazing how much focus is put on everything that surrounds our jobs instead of focusing on our primary function. All of the other things are important too but I have found if you dont get damages then you end up making money and your customers are happy. It is a mentality thats starts at the top. If management shows that the thing it cares about the most is quality then that mentality eventually spreads to the rest of the office. That is if you are keeping your employees happy which is a the other big key to success in this business. Bottom line is if you dont get damages then everything else seems to fall into place. That goes for being a manager, supervisor or a locate technician.

Dude.... i'm right there with-u

I hope ur still there in a couple of years when i'll be calling for a job. I had a few bosses that talk the talk but do not walk the walk!..... if u-know what i mean.....

**yahoo** · January 29th, 2009, 10:16 PM

take the gps drive cams out of the trucks and find a different way to supervise your employees

**shovelhead** · January 30th, 2009, 10:26 PM

Quality.

For real.

Given the time, the tools and the data the techs could really show you something. We've done it before, and recently, it sure looked like we were doing it again.

Now it's back to " The Running Man" , here in IL.......

**flagsrme** · January 31st, 2009, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Paintcan

If you could change one thing about the company you work for or your job. What would it be?

Paintcan,
Now you heard what we would change. What would you change?

**USIC1** · January 31st, 2009, 12:58 PM

UNIONIZE THE LOCATORS throughout the industry SO WORKERS HAVE GREATER LEVERAGE REAPING WHAT THEY SOW

which is the whole problem with this nation right now...

if there was greater incentive than a company hat, coffee cup, pat on the back, sketchy bonus programs, on occasion. then there would be an incentive to do more and have a more positive attitude...

it has now reached the level of "just be lucky you have a job guys"...

well look whos threatening job security of the workers of the establishments we work under???

no frikin body!!!!

why ??? they have LEVERAGE built into their organization through a need that has to be provided...

So if our fractured services were ever to become organized and grow some gonads we might be able to get greater respect as well as material benefits...

We to have a platform to reach that greater goal and first we need to leverage the locators through our companys...

We can demand more from those that we are at the will of who utilize the same tactics with there utilities against the people...

What comes around SHOULD go around...

Not trying to undermine a private corporation (s) willing to go beyond the theory of playing suck up to our customers to line the few at the tops pockets at the detriment of we who could benefit more greatly just like the utlities people we perform our services for(oh thats right some of them are organized)...

We need to wake the hell up and get organized around here!!!

Its what our new leadership of the country wants and its in the majoritys interest...

**Hurricane9** · January 31st, 2009, 01:51 PM

LOL, I don't remember to many of the Messiah's speeches talking about how the country should unionize. But then again, I didn't listen to many. We already discussed that unions would kill this industry.

Shouldn't you wake up and drive that truck? Or are you back in the field?

**USIC1** · January 31st, 2009, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Hurricane9

LOL, I don't remember to many of the Messiah's speeches talking about how the country should unionize. But then again, I didn't listen to many. We already discussed that unions would kill this industry.

Shouldn't you wake up and drive that truck? Or are you back in the field?

Thanks to the last 8 yrs of the anti- messiah I dont have a choice in risking driving a truck right now...

Oh if I was 10 yrs younger I could do it for peanuts in a poppy field I spose...

For 50$ bucs a day...Thats worht it...

Yeah ah huh next...