# Office staff during a storm



## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

This will be my first winter having an office manager on staff. My company has about 15-18 employees active during each winter event. As owner, I have a full plowing route of my own but my phone is non stop with call, texts and emails from customers and employees. The phone definitely slows down in the evening and overnight but is always super busy during the day and often the day after on big storms. I'm curious how other companies utilize their office staffs during events. Are they working overnight too or coming in during more normal office hours to handle the customer volume. Thanks for your input.


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

What is in his/her job description? Having someone that can dispatch personnel, take customer calls, etc. is worth its weight in gold to me.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

With that many people, you shouldn't be running a full route yourself except in a total emergency or a huge huge event. Filling in or helping out is one thing, but there's no reason you should have a route that's dedicated to you that you have to run 

Just my opinion.


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## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

That's why I will have an office manager. I'd shoot myself if I couldn't be out in the field working.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Daytime hours maybe into the evening depending on the timing of the storm.. mo reason to pay someone to take calls while everyone is sleeping.


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## mnlawns (Sep 19, 2018)

John_DeereGreen said:


> With that many people, you shouldn't be running a full route yourself except in a total emergency or a huge huge event. Filling in or helping out is one thing, but there's no reason you should have a route that's dedicated to you that you have to run
> 
> Just my opinion.


he might like running a plow...


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

mnlawns said:


> he might like running a plow...





mnlawns said:


> he might like running a plow...


 He has not been at it long enough if he does. :laugh:


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

I wouldn't see the need to have anyone working overnight... Can't have that many customer calls, if you do you're doing a bad job normally it's just hey we're ready for service if any...

Any employee questions they won't be able to answer anyway most likely and will need to talk to you... Plus with Bluetooth it's pretty easy to do multiple things in a truck anymore...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I tried the office thing one winter. Had a great ops manager, good crews. They did fine without me. I'd get up at 4 or 5, help out a little and work through the day.

It flat out sucked. My ops manager went full time at a fire department so the next winter I was back out. 

Not a bad idea to try to schedule a office person to come in earlier on snow days if possible. Calls usually start around 7ish instead of 8, more so on late storms. 

I don't have anyone in the office after 5. We have voicemail that gets checked and the customers that need my cell number have it. And they can call 24/7 during the winter.


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Mine works from home on call 24 hours but I am fortunate to have someone I can trust to think like me. If I was going to have someone in the office I would have them come in early, make sure the crews had placed of high priority ready and prep for any incoming early calls.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I'm not saying I don't like plowing because to get in a truck or skid or loader and plow snow is like heaven to me. 

I'm just saying that being full time in the field with that many people just isn't the way I would grow. I tried it and it didn't work.


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

I guess with accounts/routes in place and if you're doing your job correctly why would any calls come in... And it's not like VM cannot handle a couple...


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

Ajlawn1 said:


> I guess with accounts/routes in place and if you're doing your job correctly why would any calls come in... And it's not like VM cannot handle a couple...


We get calls from potential residential clients that didn't hire a company and need their driveway cleared out now.
I'm always baffled by how many of those calls we get, I guess winter sneaks up on some people...


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

BossPlow2010 said:


> We get calls from potential residential clients that didn't hire a company and need their driveway cleared out now.
> I'm always baffled by how many of those calls we get, I guess winter sneaks up on some people...


Here they start calling if they hear its gona be 8+.. then ***** when you say they will be at the back of the list and have to take care of signed up customers first


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## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

BossPlow2010 said:


> We get calls from potential residential clients that didn't hire a company and need their driveway cleared out now.
> I'm always baffled by how many of those calls we get, I guess winter sneaks up on some people...


I don't disagree but I assume they're not calling over night... And those folks go to the back of my line anyway...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Should...shouldn't...it varies. I would prefer not to have a route so I can fill in during a breakdown or if someone is sick or heavy snowfall, etc. 

But reality hits as well. There are equipment as well as manpower limitations. I've got about that same number under me and the phone calls and texts drive me nuts at times. But as I said, the manpower just isn't there. And neither is the correct equipment. I've basically been trying to keep myself on a partial route, my mechanic with a couple hours of plowing then starts salting but can perform repairs if necessary and one other operator with a partial route. I really want that one to take care of overseeing the sidewalk crews entirely and I'll handle the rest. But he\she could also be doing some salting and plowing while making sure the sidewalks are being taken care of.


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## mnlawns (Sep 19, 2018)

FredG said:


> He has not been at it long enough if he does. :laugh:


i know two guys, one has 50+ guys out during a snow storm, and him and his brother both run full plow routes, while he handles all the calls. another guy i know has 12 guys out, and he has a full route too... some people just like to drive a plow truck


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

mnlawns said:


> i know two guys, one has 50+ guys out during a snow storm, and him and his brother both run full plow routes, while he handles all the calls. another guy i know has 12 guys out, and he has a full route too... some people just like to drive a plow truck


 Well I'm 60, I plow snow because I like the earnings. After 18 to 20 hours in a plow truck or loader etc it is just not enjoyable to me. Same thing in the excavation business, excavator, bulldozer, skid, loader, paver, roller etc where enjoyable at one time, not so much no more.

It's all about the earnings for me, other than that they can have it all.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

FredG said:


> Well I'm 60,


I don't care what the other guys say, you don't look a day over 59 :laugh:


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

BossPlow2010 said:


> I don't care what the other guys say, you don't look a day over 59 :laugh:


Sure pick on the old guy, I'm telling Randall he's going to rap his cane around your head. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


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## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

I think working during normal business hours would work, maybe into the evening. Then up earlier than normal to start taking calls. Yes it's true, any lather storm, we get inundated with calls from people looking for one time plows .I have to admit that it's great additional income .Especially the day after calls.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

I know when it snowing in Grand Rapids..... cuz my phone is blowing up


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## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

1olddogtwo said:


> I know when it snowing in Grand Rapids..... cuz my phone is blowing up


With numerous text saying "Moron's" or "It can stop now".....
There's no reason to have after hour phone coverage.....
There are phone systems that you can set up to forward calls to your cell "After hours" you can also have VM from a land line forwarded to your email and you can listen to the message on a komputor or cell with email.
Yes there's a upfront cost but having off hours phone coverage by a hunab will cost you our drive you nuts when people call you personally all the time.


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