Why don’t techs enter their time? Because you train them not to. I’ve sat at too many bars with too many owners drinking their beer saying the same thing “my techs just won’t enter their time.” Gotta be honest with you; my sympathy has run drier then their empty beer mugs.
Let’s set some of the basics:
1. Time not entered as work is done effects cash coming into the business, reporting accuracy, and tech measurements;
2. Time must be entered when the work is completed in order for work to be actually completed! For a tech to say they didn’t have time is nonsense…do they say they didn’t have time to wipe their butts and wash their hands after going to the bathroom?? The job ain’t complete until the hands are dry! Entering time is the completion of job!
3. YOU are to blame. You stress these guys out by making THEM own the ticket. YOU own the ticket and YOU tell them what to work on. When you create these nonsense ticket queues for them you overwhelm them. One ticket at a time…multitasking is a fallacy that you can no longer labor under! Get your dispatch house in order.
4. I HATE this played out phrase but what the hell it’s 1030pm at night and I don’t want to be clever…INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT. If you want time entered when work is complete it then check it throughout the day. 10am, 2pm, 4pm. Check it, correct it, move on. Believe me they don’t want that call asking them to enter their time sheets…couple weeks of this consistent presence will correct this behavior.
5. If you’re lazy in your management, your techs will be lazy in what you ask of them.
Now on to the advanced stuff:
1. Start with the interview process. Talk candidates out of taking a position with you. Scare them. Let them know how deadly serious you are about time tracking and time entry.
2. During the first 90 days manage this process DAILY. Any slip ups need to be dealt with swiftly and definitively.
3. Know your PSA! I LOVE ConnectWise’s time review options. Call me, I’ll tell you EXACTLY what to do in any of the top PSA’s. They all have some method of real time review.
4. Tie compensation to following good time entry process. It’s worth the investment.
5. Be well aware that their are two reasons for time entry. Payroll purposes is one. Your PSA sucks at this I’m sorry to say. This is because in an 8 hour day some engineers can double bill for doing multiple simple tickets at once. Billing and contract time capture is the second reason. Make sure you know the difference and don’t try confuse these two separate objectives.
I’m not a nice guy and I’m no kind of motivator. Do what you’re supposed to and tell me how it works out. You’ll be the one guy at the bar not moping about time entry!
Tags: time sheets
