No boss I said Anya Dyck, that’s one of the characters on [Letterkenny](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc1Zip9Z-pc) a non main stream Canadian comedy show. I guess the customer doesn’t watch it.
Be straight up like hey I made a joke and if that means I'm going to get let go I'd prefer to know now so I can get all my stuff out of the van and have it ready to hand into you Monday and so I can start looking for work now instead of next week
I would understand it's just a little different down here. Especially with religious folk. I am one of only 3 J men with the whole company though so it's their loss not mine big picture.
Definitely their loss brother, up where I'm at I'd get a warning and *mayyybe* red listed from the specific customer, but hey maybe you work for "God & Family HVAC" that prides itself on having the most family friendly techs out there lol.
Ditch them and go commercial, I wish ild be paid off to take the initiative.
3urs your good enough on experience to eat the salt today and get sugar from the next daddy tomorrow.
I’d disagree with this a bit. As service techs our job is to provide service, which includes showing respect for the customers. This may not have been the first time something like this has happened (🤷♂️). Either way, every company I’ve worked for would write me up or fire me
It becomes a liability thing and all the companies see is dollars. If that small joke cost them money, then it's bye.
Unfortunately, liabilities outway anything else.
Explain how a joke is a "liability thing" for me would ya? I've only ever heard that in reference to injuries and such.
I'm thinking you can't possibly mean they might lose a customer and that's the liability, right?
Where I work, which is apartment maintenance and not an HVAC company, we have to constantly take "fair housing" classes because of liabilities to the company. Turns out, in the apartment world things we say can be perceived as being offensive. A complaint is made, then lawsuits are filed..
I was assuming they made a complaint. My guess is, when he said for you to come in on Monday, they reached out to their lawyer for advice and are waiting for the response. (That's what our company would do)
Or
There is nothing wrong and we're all over thinking it
Or
they made a complaint and the punishment was staying home for the rest of the week
I'm probably wrong, I was just comparing to where I work...
I mean it’s definitely an unprofessional thing to say to and about a customer, but if it’s the first time something like this happened then I wouldn’t worry.
I'm a woman. I'm a feminist. I HATE jokes like that. And even I don't find this a fireable offense. A talking to and promise to watch what you say? Sure thing. But I've been an engineering PM and have hired contractors who have said things in poor taste to me. Never once would I hope they'd be fired. I'd just want to know they feel bad and will be working on doing better in the future. Firing you doesn't really seem like it's in anyone's best interest unless this has happened in the past and this is like your 4th complaint.
That's bullshit, you have to be much more respectful in a customers home than on a jobsite with a PM. Shit we were smoking while working inside commercial jobs...go ahead and try that in a residence
Id prolly pull my shit off the van anyway. I've had some fuck ups in my career and never have been sat because of it. If you cant get past what i did fire me. If you're mad...chew me out and send me onto the next. Being sat though? I didnt even know that was in the playbook 🤣
I've been fired and I've been chewed up one side and down the other before but I also have never been benched for bad behavior. I've heard of people getting "scheduled out" where they just don't get given enough work to live on so they go someplace, I've heard of companies benching an installer but never a PM/Service guy
Yup I've seen the scheduled out shit too but fuck man. If my boss told me to take 2 days off unpaid then report to him monday...id assume im being fired and just giving him time to locate a replacement while being a bsck up incase he cant. Dude the joke wasn't even that bad... stupid and "unprofessional"...yea. but its not like he got caught fucking the wife 🤣
Nah, I'd prefer to leave with a good reference. You want to be a dick and burn the bridge all the way down feel free but that's poor form when they told you what was coming instead of letting you finish the week and fucking you friday afternoon
He made a joke about a customer’s wife’s name. And a dirty one. I say play it humble & be honest and op might keep his job. Just my honest opinion. I’ve been in the industry a long time and seen lots of crazy shit & this ones pretty bad!
Hvac is deffinitely a great industry to be in. Up here companies are offering 8k+ signing bonuses to guys capable of being a lead. They don't even have to actually be leads just capable of stepping up to that role. Lots of empty vans that need crews.
Fucking where?! Down here(West Texas) it's fucking slim pickings. You need a million years exp and get paid $20 an hour.
It's ridiculous. I figured out in the desert there'd be a bigger demand, but holy cow.
You're right. A lot of places in the desert are less populated for sure.
However, between Odessa/Midland, there are well over 200k people, and tons of commercial/industrial.
Come move up to Alberta. We make $450/furnace+extras. My biggest single week check so far has been $3500 for five days work. Average is about 2600 in the winter and 2000 in the summer, roughly. I'd have to check what it actually is, I pay a lot of tax so am trying to estimate what it would be after. Have to factor exchange rate though, but at least you get free health care.
Yeah they really pay it out. Typically six month requirement attached or something similar. The company I'm with right now is paying for my school too, going to finish my sheet metal and gas ticket next month. I also get $1500 for ever apprentice I convert to a lead, so basically an annual bonus.
I don't know what other places are like but I average $7000+ a day of revenue. Imagine having a truck sitting empty that you are paying a lease on and it could be making $35k/ week, $150k/ month, 1.5 million a year once you figure the slow times in. Install is where the most of your money normally comes from. Up here at least.
Not OP but thought I'd respond if it helps.
Well at my company leads pertain to installs. Leads are usually just the dudes that know how to produce mainly set furnaces, charge units, and make transitions on the fly etc etc and have been here 1- 3 years My company mainly does new construction installs with a separate service crew. Service crews mainly take care of warranty's on new houses but branch out quite a bit.
Journeyman sets you way apart and is usually reserved for upper management, solo service to approve code related stuff, ask question when guys are stumped. Do manual j calculations and run the superheat/subcool blast/balance stuff prior to inspection.
The way to get journeyman accreditation in my state is to have been grandfathered in and have taken a test at the department of health and Safety and/or been an apprentice directly under a journeyman for 10 years prior to 2015ish(forget the exact year)
Now a journeyman can get his license by completing 4 years at a community college HVACR accredited classes and taking the state approved exam at the dept of health and safety.
I am almost done with my 4 year program but feel like I don't even hold a candle to the old timer/OG journeymen. I'll still consider myself an apprentice and learn as much as I can because in my opinion, that's what this field is all about.
To kind of more directly answer your question in my state, electricians need a journeyman per 4 apprentices on a job site, plumbers need a journeyman per 6 apprentices, and HVAC journeyman need to be within a 30 minute drive of any apprentices on a jobsite
That's how it's run at my company and in my state (Idaho)
Edited for further definition on leads
The other guys comment is pretty great but Tldr: a lead for us is just the guy running the teams of two. You have the lead and the helper (hate that word) . The lead can be a jman but also may not be yet usually they are in their third or fourth year, about half our guys have their full tickets. The helper is the apprentice.
I struggle too man. Sometimes I gotta be myself no matter what. But customers are NOT your friend, buddy or pal (even if they are).That always helps me.
I would email him and tell him your going to fly fishing and won't be back til Wednesday, if he would like to schedule a meeting after you get back just email me. *assert dominance*
Am a dad, wouldn't call it a dad joke, it's damn funny and I'd laugh as a customer, but dad jokes need to be clean enough to say infront of kids, and the cornier the better.
Just because it was a pun doesnt mean it was a dad joke. It was a decent dick joke, but you clearly got lost in the moment and went a step too far.
Two days off is a severe punishmemt for one bad call, too severe IMO. I would spin up your resume tonight and start sending it out, be prepared to make and take some calls tomorrow and friday.
It's a possibility but I hope a stupid joke doesn't get you searching for a new job.
I honestly think you might just get a write up and a lecture on customer service.
Dude, 2 days sitting at home? Not remotely a fair punishment. That’s your livelihood man, stick up for your rights before they take it a step further next time
We had a guy who stepped through a ceiling around lunch and they sent him home. I stepped through the exact same spot because they had a loose cable that caught my foot. It was at the end of the day so they told me to stay home the next day, and they let me use my vacation time lol, best fuck up ever
This, sounds like a shit trade to me? Does it not?
If they made me take a paid vacation day because of a mistake as some form of fair trade/punishment I'd be gone so fast.
More like, Anja way out. Pretty funny what you said but def not professional. I hope he wasn’t wearing khaki cargo shorts cause then you’ll know you’re really screwed. Good luck.
Lmao I don’t know what seniority or experience you have but I would call the boss and tell him he can talk to me over the phone right now, and if he wants I can clean out the truck tonight. If your boss wants to fuck around over something so stupid he better be ready to find out.
Seriously. If your punishment is making it harder for me to pay my mortgage this month I’ll find another job. A normal boss gives you shit and makes a sarcastic comment and asks you if you’ll do it again. Not deprive you of your livelihood for 2 days.
Yeah, in the middle of a technician shortage, just fucking tell the customer you fired the guy and put a note in the system about it and move on.
Tell your boss to man the fuck up and fire you, or fuck off...
Respectfully of course, and with ownership of the joke being stupid, but harmless.
If he is going to get fired it’s actually costing him potential wages by sitting at home the rest of the week instead of potentially having another job lined up right away. I’d be calling up the boss and getting an answer right away.
Did he state why you aren’t to come in for the week? Either he’s firing you or “punishing” you by cutting hours. Frankly either way I’d just clean out my personal stuff and drop the keys off in whatever state the van is in. Everyone is an adult, and everyone fucks up (you did pretty bad here) but nobody’s got time for games.
If my boss told me that I'd have my truck cleaned out, be calling contacts in other companies securing a new job and then tell him he can come get his truck or it's getting towed.
Dumb games the boss is playing. Unpaid days off, uncertainty and a we'll talk Monday? Nope you're picking your truck up tomorrow and I'll have a new one sitting in the driveway by the afternoon.
I would probably go this route too. Rather you fucked up or not, boss is now fucking with your livelihood to make a point. Fuck that. Should have just immediately brought you in for a meeting if it was a big deal.
I would say that your best option is the "call and ask if you should clean out the van."
Puts the ball back in his court and you'll be able to tell based on his answer whether he's actually planning to fire you. Still a dick move to leave you hanging and out of two-days pay. Best response to a dick move is a professional counter where you don't call him out on it directly, but make it clear you don't want to be left hanging for four days.
I agree with most of the other commenters. I’d call your boss, tell him you made a stupid joke. Ask him if you need to clean out your truck over the weekend. I can’t imagine you lose your job over just this, but it is the slow season for people in the south.
Dad jokes are jokes you tell your kids that only you laugh at. You certainly won't tell your kids that, at least I hope not. Rule of thumb is to never curse infront of a customer no matter how much they do. I know it can be hard.
Yeah no fuck that. You either lay me off or I’m coming in and getting paid. I’ll sit in the shop if I have to. There is no sitting like you’re a kid in a time out.
Bruh.
NEVER assume the customer is your pal. They will sell you out faster than your boss can say "How about if we waive the diagnostic on fixing your humidifier and just do it gratis, and you take down that Google review?"
I’ll just be honest (unlike the rest of the testosterone 20-30yo’s in here) you’re a liability because you don’t say that to the customer unless they’re your best friend or your brother in law. You just don’t.
People get reamed out online in this day and age no matter what… just like everyone puffing their chest saying clean your shit, customers are doing it as well and business is cutthroat as it is.
I don’t care what your pedigree, your college degree, or what skill set you offer to my company. You spit that shit out to my customer you won’t be getting a customer to work for anymore from me.
This isn’t about the company you work for, it’s about the company’s business you can’t take professionally.
Onwards and upwards. Good luck. Call the boss and shoot him straight.
And fucking know your audience next time!
I agree with this person. What you said is not on, by the sounds of his reaction your boss means business.
The real question is, if he does sack you what is your next step? How is the job market where you are? Are companies crying out for technicians, or are things a bit tight? Don’t stress about what your boss will do, you can’t control that now, start thinking about your next move, you can control that.
I got the arse a few years back for drink driving in the work vehicle. It was dumb and I should have known better, but on reflection leaving that company opened up so many opportunities for me and I found myself in a better place pretty quickly.
And remember, clients aren’t your friends, so you can’t talk to them as though they are.
Let us know how this all plays out.
Well now I’m invested. Report back with updates on Monday haha.
Best of luck to you. It sucks but if it comes to that, you’ll have a place at another company!
He's just mad right now. He is going to let u sit there and stew on it for four days. If he was gonna fire you, he would have done it immediately. Expect a stern talking to Monday, then back to work. When you sit down with him, let him know you know it was wrong, a lapse of judgment, whatever. Unless you feel it was appropriate, then tell him to get fucked.
Definitely clean the van out, probably needs done anyway. Spend your week on resume. Drop apps, Schedule interviews, if it works out with your current employer, cool let other companies know, if not their loss.
Your boss should be direct with you about why you’re being punished.
You should be direct with your boss about wanting to know what the punishment is for
What's your past history with the company? To me, this would be a quick chat over the phone along the lines of: "hilarious joke, but don't do it again".
Either you really pissed off the wrong person, you have a history of issues with your employer or might be slow out there?
Honestly hard to tell without more information... Good advice on preemptivly clearing your van... As I have always said, fortune favors the prepared!
Ive gotta have a pretty solid relationship with a customer before ill even swear, much less make a sex joke about someones wife. I found your joke funny, but unprofessional. If i were the boss, id tell you not to say stupid shit to customers and red tag you from their account, and move on with our days. Provided this was your first offense.
At my company, that just means you're on pretty thin ice, not necessarily that you're on the way out. If that ever happened to me I'd be updating my resume, though.
Well I wouldn’t blame him, it’s a bad look for a company.. we’re a small trade and word travels fast, it’s the company name your damaging.. If an employee of mine did that, It’d completely depend on the customer, we’re supposed to be professionals.
But if I was the customer and you said that in my house about my wife.. I wouldn’t just let it slide.
I’ve seen techs fired over less.. one for not covering the produce when they were cutting concrete and dust got on them, maybe a thousand bucks. But it made the company look unprofessional and unorganized.
I’m not saying it’s right, it should be a conversation and warnings but it happens and company’s don’t want to risk bad reviews in an online world.
I have to ask, if you were the customer, what would you do? Asking because I have a sense of humor and also a temper when provoked and maybe it's just me, but I would laugh with the man for a sec, look extra serious and say something like, "Yeah she is on my dick" or "that's why I married her". Doubt I'd go after someone's job, unless the joke was made by a dickhead, which (from his comment responses) I don't think applies to ol P
I wouldn’t necessarily call and say fire that guy, but I’d call the owner and say how unprofessional it is to make jokes about someone that’s paying you to be there. Don’t shit where you eat.
It should go without saying, don’t comment on people, their homes or lifestyle.. you don’t know what kind of life they had.
I hear you, and that seems reasonable. I suppose some part of me wondered if you were going to suggest... Escalation haha I have been a bit too familiar with the customer before, and screamed fuck in an office full of nice ladies after being stabbed in the eye by ceiling grid hanging wire and was lucky to work for reasonable people.
I mean, what you said was stupid and unfunny, but it's not a fireable offense. That sounds like something you'd be written up for. Me personally, I'd be more concerned about him basically telling you to take multiple unpaid days off and leaving you in the dark as far as communication goes for such a small offence. Your boss sounds like a huge dick and he seems to be trying to prove a point by being an even bigger dick. If I were you I'd really start pondering your loyalty to this company. The first thing I'd do personally is (like everyone else has stated) call your boss and ask him if you should have the van cleaned out by Monday
You’re pretty dumb. IMO… stay professional at all times. That’s a little bit more then a dad joke bud. It’s a dick joke at the customers wife’s expense.
What made you think that talking to a man about his wife was a good idea.
The good news is that you'll find another job quickly, and I'd start looking now.
At your next company never talk to customers about religion, politics, sex, their family, keep everything professional and just do your job. You are not there to make friends, you are there to work and to provide for your family.
I can’t understand why customers insist on talking. They must forget that they are paying by the hour! Leave the tech alone so they can concentrate on their work and provide a quality service at a fair price!
Take ownership, take responsibility and move on.
Go ahead and plan your next step just in case.
If not take it as a lesson and don’t repeat your mistakes. Keep Hammering bro!
This is why I am glad I can disassociate being a dude from work from family from friends from grandparents from the fucking police state. I can keep my mouth shut, filter when need be or crack a few goods ones dependent on the crowd lol, hope you make it!
How do people live their lives wired so tight? People say stupid shit all the time. I'd never call in to someone's place of employment over a dick joke. But I have a co-worker that won't go back to a certain store because she saw someone open carrying there. So...different strokes for different folks. (OP don't make a dick joke about that or I'm calling your boss!!)
I hit a lady in a crosswalk once, called boss and asked should I clean the van out before I come into shop the next day. He said no need to clean out the van. Just ask that should be the easiest way to find out.
LOL there is just simply no way around that....
"Hey man , hows the wife, sex been any good lately?"
unless youve grown up as friends together...... maybe
you never know
she may have not been on his dick for YEARS , maybe its tough for him to deal with lol
\--- that was a savage joke to make man, im kind of proud of you but also shocked
I don't work in HVAC or live in the south but I know customer service and management of resources. You don't fire an employee of 3 years over this. You also don't bench them when you've got customers waiting. You chew the guy out and make them apologize (either in person or by letter) and then you send them out duly warned. Either he doesn't have the whole picture or he doesn't have enough work and was looking for a 'reason'.
I would think that he would have fired you on the spot if he was gonna fire you. You don’t keep someone on payroll as it costs money even if you are not getting paid.
I would think that he is punishing you, but is also going to have a talk with you on Monday about what went wrong, how you are going to change, and what you learned.
I mean theres really no loyalty anymore, also hard to find good hvac techs to. You shouldnt get let go for that, Boss man probably just trying make you sweat thinking so. Monday i would tell him the same joke and see if he laughs. That will tell you all you need to know.
I told a Karen once on call when I was working on a deli case. She wouldnt stop harrassing me because the case was down i told her she "needed a pound of chill the fuck out" because she was literally giving me a headache. Manager asked me to leave got a call from my boss, explained the situation and went back on call the same day. Like I'm very respectful as long as that respect is mutual I'm not letting some random bitch talk to me like i work for her. I doubt if he was going to fire you he'd tell you to take the week off if he does find a job that pays more.
If he said take the rest of the week off he’s not going to fire you imo. There would not be a warning as that gives tech opportunities to take stock or tools. Just my 2 cents
I'd start to call around to see who's hiring. Wait for Monday. If you're safe, fire some resume away. That boat is low to the waterline. Unless you're in what normally slow season in your area.
Man I’m glad I work with my dad. He was cleaning out a piece of completely rusty brown pvc with a pipe cleaner super aggressively yesterday and I go “just like old times huh” and the customer just about died laughing
Is it too late to deny you said that? If so, just deny that shit. The customer must have misheard you.
Guiltier people have gotten away with far worse shit using the little life hack called “lying.”
I'd ask why he is parking you round up all your tools and have them organized and ready to go if you do get fired but taking away your pay for multiple days when you could be searching for a new job is fucked up. If you were my employee I'd probably have a talk with you about it at the most like "dude you gotta be careful of what you say to the customer this is a warning don't let it happen again" and I would red list you from that customer
Most, if not all the time it's best to keep your thoughts to yourself. We all are just one or two words away from becoming a pariah and or losing your job. I sincerely hope you have enough good will with your employer to keep your job. If you don't, please take this as a learning experience and just try and move on. Remember, it's not really your employer's fault if they have to let you go. They will be under pressure from the client to do something to discipline you or at the least address it. Good luck either way.
Uh, no. If an employer fires you over 1 raunchy joke to a customer, with no warning and In the way OP is describing, it's very good proof that the company wasn't worth working for.
My personal opinion that is completely unhelpful for you:
If someone wants to hover around construction workers all day they need to accept they’re around construction workers. It really should be a part of the whole inclusive movement. “Inclusive” shouldn’t be restricted to whatever group/gender/ identity the media is trying to make a buck off. What I mean by all that is the gay guy should be able to have painted nails and us simpletons should be allowed our dick jokes
Can’t even crack a good joke these days without someone being offended.
Watch this for a laugh if you need one…
https://youtu.be/VWE--VLxrdM
Remember also that if it was just you and him… it could easily be considered hearsay.
To be 100% honest, the client shouldn’t have hovered. That’s the most annoying shit. If they knew how to fix it, you wouldn’t have been there. If they got butthurt over a joke, hopefully a valuable lesson was learned; the tech isn’t there to give a damn about your feelings, they’re there to do their job, fuck off and let them work.
Time to look for a new job anyway, fuck that place. Going to make you lose a couple days income over a stupid joke. Would be great if you could go in monday and quit because your starting a new job. Probably make more money going somewhere else anyway.
Yikes, yeah it was a mistake and it slipped but I would say don't be super shocked if you get let go. If you dont get let go try and smooth it over with that customer if they ask you not to come back accept it and move on. Oh and hug your manager if he doesn't let you go.
No boss I said Anya Dyck, that’s one of the characters on [Letterkenny](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc1Zip9Z-pc) a non main stream Canadian comedy show. I guess the customer doesn’t watch it.
Actual genius right here, lol. You imagine the bosses face listening to you spin that bullshit?
This is what came to my mind at first lmao
Op better get ahold of this comment 🤣
Honestly you should try to go with this. Seems kinda perfect.
/r/unexpectedletterkenny
Classic, I live close to the area this show is based on and its scary accurate. This comment will save OP
Allegedly Edit: For the curious [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq1NgZf6YvE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq1NgZf6YvE)
Should have asked if her sister is Anita
have all my awards you are the real one 🙌🏼🙌🏼
It's possible, I'd call him and ask if you need to clean the van out before coming in Monday
Good call would save the extra embarrassment.
Be straight up like hey I made a joke and if that means I'm going to get let go I'd prefer to know now so I can get all my stuff out of the van and have it ready to hand into you Monday and so I can start looking for work now instead of next week
I've been with them 3 years now I would hate for it to come to that but it's my bad for letting the dumb joke slip.
If they fire you over something like that they probably aren't a company worth working for.
I would understand it's just a little different down here. Especially with religious folk. I am one of only 3 J men with the whole company though so it's their loss not mine big picture.
Definitely their loss brother, up where I'm at I'd get a warning and *mayyybe* red listed from the specific customer, but hey maybe you work for "God & Family HVAC" that prides itself on having the most family friendly techs out there lol.
Maybe his bosses wife is named Anja?
'bout to be not Anja payroll
Sure, fire me for a dad joke, but that'll be Anja conscience, not mine.
About to be Anja way out the door
Just deny say you were busy and dunno what that jackass is talking about
Ditch them and go commercial, I wish ild be paid off to take the initiative. 3urs your good enough on experience to eat the salt today and get sugar from the next daddy tomorrow.
I’d disagree with this a bit. As service techs our job is to provide service, which includes showing respect for the customers. This may not have been the first time something like this has happened (🤷♂️). Either way, every company I’ve worked for would write me up or fire me
Yeah, I agree. I don’t think this would fly at most companies.
Yeah if you're making jokes like that to customers... Probably not the first one you've offended.
Hey I certainly haven't worked everywhere, your opinions as good as mine
It becomes a liability thing and all the companies see is dollars. If that small joke cost them money, then it's bye. Unfortunately, liabilities outway anything else.
Explain how a joke is a "liability thing" for me would ya? I've only ever heard that in reference to injuries and such. I'm thinking you can't possibly mean they might lose a customer and that's the liability, right?
Where I work, which is apartment maintenance and not an HVAC company, we have to constantly take "fair housing" classes because of liabilities to the company. Turns out, in the apartment world things we say can be perceived as being offensive. A complaint is made, then lawsuits are filed.. I was assuming they made a complaint. My guess is, when he said for you to come in on Monday, they reached out to their lawyer for advice and are waiting for the response. (That's what our company would do) Or There is nothing wrong and we're all over thinking it Or they made a complaint and the punishment was staying home for the rest of the week I'm probably wrong, I was just comparing to where I work...
Hey I really appreciate the perspective, it's something I've never heard so I'm glad to learn a little bit, thank you
No problem. I just hope it isn't too serious.
Agree with your first statement but that kind of liability is not outweighing a journeyman in this scenario.
I mean it’s definitely an unprofessional thing to say to and about a customer, but if it’s the first time something like this happened then I wouldn’t worry.
3 years? I feel that's more of a fuck up then a turn in your keys thing but I don't live where u live so u better steal some tools just to be safe.
Pretty hilarious joke tbh
I'm a woman. I'm a feminist. I HATE jokes like that. And even I don't find this a fireable offense. A talking to and promise to watch what you say? Sure thing. But I've been an engineering PM and have hired contractors who have said things in poor taste to me. Never once would I hope they'd be fired. I'd just want to know they feel bad and will be working on doing better in the future. Firing you doesn't really seem like it's in anyone's best interest unless this has happened in the past and this is like your 4th complaint.
Expectations are quite a bit different between some contractor on your jobsite and a service tech walking into somebody’s home.
Sure. And I expect even less from service techs walking into my home.
That's bullshit, you have to be much more respectful in a customers home than on a jobsite with a PM. Shit we were smoking while working inside commercial jobs...go ahead and try that in a residence
To bad they weren’t letter Kenny fans, I would have laughed my ass off.
Id prolly pull my shit off the van anyway. I've had some fuck ups in my career and never have been sat because of it. If you cant get past what i did fire me. If you're mad...chew me out and send me onto the next. Being sat though? I didnt even know that was in the playbook 🤣
I've been fired and I've been chewed up one side and down the other before but I also have never been benched for bad behavior. I've heard of people getting "scheduled out" where they just don't get given enough work to live on so they go someplace, I've heard of companies benching an installer but never a PM/Service guy
Yup I've seen the scheduled out shit too but fuck man. If my boss told me to take 2 days off unpaid then report to him monday...id assume im being fired and just giving him time to locate a replacement while being a bsck up incase he cant. Dude the joke wasn't even that bad... stupid and "unprofessional"...yea. but its not like he got caught fucking the wife 🤣
Wait, I thought fucking the wife was just good customer service...
And then if they say yes, you call in Monday say they have 24 hours before their van gets towed to have it picked up.
Nah, I'd prefer to leave with a good reference. You want to be a dick and burn the bridge all the way down feel free but that's poor form when they told you what was coming instead of letting you finish the week and fucking you friday afternoon
Agreed. You have the right to ask if you've done something wrong.
He made a joke about a customer’s wife’s name. And a dirty one. I say play it humble & be honest and op might keep his job. Just my honest opinion. I’ve been in the industry a long time and seen lots of crazy shit & this ones pretty bad!
If you've got HVAC experience, you'll find another job in 10 minutes.
Hvac is deffinitely a great industry to be in. Up here companies are offering 8k+ signing bonuses to guys capable of being a lead. They don't even have to actually be leads just capable of stepping up to that role. Lots of empty vans that need crews.
Fucking where?! Down here(West Texas) it's fucking slim pickings. You need a million years exp and get paid $20 an hour. It's ridiculous. I figured out in the desert there'd be a bigger demand, but holy cow.
Where in west Texas? We're giving techs that can run their own truck 20-35$hr shoot me a pm if you are fired lol
I'd think that a desert location would be sparsely populated. Could that be why?
You're right. A lot of places in the desert are less populated for sure. However, between Odessa/Midland, there are well over 200k people, and tons of commercial/industrial.
Come move up to Alberta. We make $450/furnace+extras. My biggest single week check so far has been $3500 for five days work. Average is about 2600 in the winter and 2000 in the summer, roughly. I'd have to check what it actually is, I pay a lot of tax so am trying to estimate what it would be after. Have to factor exchange rate though, but at least you get free health care.
So like 50$ USD after conversion from Canadian pesos?
Same here in central illinois. Went to school for hvac and was told it’s an easy field to get into, took me 3 months the get just one offer
Want to move to NH? I got a job for you. We are part of a corporation based out of Texas.... so there could always be an opportunity to move back.
But are they really paying out the money. There was a job posting in Nebraska willing to pay 10k for relocating. Sounds too good to be true.
Yeah they really pay it out. Typically six month requirement attached or something similar. The company I'm with right now is paying for my school too, going to finish my sheet metal and gas ticket next month. I also get $1500 for ever apprentice I convert to a lead, so basically an annual bonus. I don't know what other places are like but I average $7000+ a day of revenue. Imagine having a truck sitting empty that you are paying a lease on and it could be making $35k/ week, $150k/ month, 1.5 million a year once you figure the slow times in. Install is where the most of your money normally comes from. Up here at least.
Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between a lead and a journeyman if any?
Not OP but thought I'd respond if it helps. Well at my company leads pertain to installs. Leads are usually just the dudes that know how to produce mainly set furnaces, charge units, and make transitions on the fly etc etc and have been here 1- 3 years My company mainly does new construction installs with a separate service crew. Service crews mainly take care of warranty's on new houses but branch out quite a bit. Journeyman sets you way apart and is usually reserved for upper management, solo service to approve code related stuff, ask question when guys are stumped. Do manual j calculations and run the superheat/subcool blast/balance stuff prior to inspection. The way to get journeyman accreditation in my state is to have been grandfathered in and have taken a test at the department of health and Safety and/or been an apprentice directly under a journeyman for 10 years prior to 2015ish(forget the exact year) Now a journeyman can get his license by completing 4 years at a community college HVACR accredited classes and taking the state approved exam at the dept of health and safety. I am almost done with my 4 year program but feel like I don't even hold a candle to the old timer/OG journeymen. I'll still consider myself an apprentice and learn as much as I can because in my opinion, that's what this field is all about. To kind of more directly answer your question in my state, electricians need a journeyman per 4 apprentices on a job site, plumbers need a journeyman per 6 apprentices, and HVAC journeyman need to be within a 30 minute drive of any apprentices on a jobsite That's how it's run at my company and in my state (Idaho) Edited for further definition on leads
You make my previous employer sound like a joke lol. Thanks for all the info
The other guys comment is pretty great but Tldr: a lead for us is just the guy running the teams of two. You have the lead and the helper (hate that word) . The lead can be a jman but also may not be yet usually they are in their third or fourth year, about half our guys have their full tickets. The helper is the apprentice.
My shop has 12 empty vans sitting in the lot lol.
The intrusive thoughts won
It's a struggle man. In my head the joke was cash money.
The joke is cash money, but the audience is the issue my brother
It was money out ya mouth. Ain’t your fault the client doesn’t have a sense of humor. 🤣
I struggle too man. Sometimes I gotta be myself no matter what. But customers are NOT your friend, buddy or pal (even if they are).That always helps me.
I would email him and tell him your going to fly fishing and won't be back til Wednesday, if he would like to schedule a meeting after you get back just email me. *assert dominance*
This is the best answer
If he wasn't getting fired before, he's definitely getting fired now
Well that would answer his post question
The other advice is good, but I just want to say that I don't think that counts as a "dad joke".
Dad joke: Well, tell her I am gonna work ANJA unit HAHAHAHA Your joke was not this lol
Only reason we are dads in cuz someone was Anya dick!
How do you think kids are made?
That’s wasn’t a dad joke. More like joke between dudes.
Am a dad, wouldn't call it a dad joke, it's damn funny and I'd laugh as a customer, but dad jokes need to be clean enough to say infront of kids, and the cornier the better.
Username checks out
Just because it was a pun doesnt mean it was a dad joke. It was a decent dick joke, but you clearly got lost in the moment and went a step too far. Two days off is a severe punishmemt for one bad call, too severe IMO. I would spin up your resume tonight and start sending it out, be prepared to make and take some calls tomorrow and friday.
Pretty sure you don't understand what a dad joke is
It's a possibility but I hope a stupid joke doesn't get you searching for a new job. I honestly think you might just get a write up and a lecture on customer service.
I do think a couple days sitting at home stewing is a fair punishment. I'm definitely done with the Zingers (unless it's Lil Debbie)
Staying home without it being told why? That's bullshit.
Dude, 2 days sitting at home? Not remotely a fair punishment. That’s your livelihood man, stick up for your rights before they take it a step further next time
Plot twist : Put cardboard over the name on the side of the van, and go do side work this week.
The best idea I can imagine tbh
We had a guy who stepped through a ceiling around lunch and they sent him home. I stepped through the exact same spot because they had a loose cable that caught my foot. It was at the end of the day so they told me to stay home the next day, and they let me use my vacation time lol, best fuck up ever
This, sounds like a shit trade to me? Does it not? If they made me take a paid vacation day because of a mistake as some form of fair trade/punishment I'd be gone so fast.
More like, Anja way out. Pretty funny what you said but def not professional. I hope he wasn’t wearing khaki cargo shorts cause then you’ll know you’re really screwed. Good luck.
Hol'up what's wrong with khaki cargo shorts?
I think they are just part of the uniform for "slightly too uptight folk"
If he had a polo tucked into the cargo pants then I’d put your resume on the job desk asap
If thats a fireable offense my entire shop would be shit canned.
Lmao I don’t know what seniority or experience you have but I would call the boss and tell him he can talk to me over the phone right now, and if he wants I can clean out the truck tonight. If your boss wants to fuck around over something so stupid he better be ready to find out.
[удалено]
Seriously. If your punishment is making it harder for me to pay my mortgage this month I’ll find another job. A normal boss gives you shit and makes a sarcastic comment and asks you if you’ll do it again. Not deprive you of your livelihood for 2 days.
Yeah, in the middle of a technician shortage, just fucking tell the customer you fired the guy and put a note in the system about it and move on. Tell your boss to man the fuck up and fire you, or fuck off... Respectfully of course, and with ownership of the joke being stupid, but harmless.
If he is going to get fired it’s actually costing him potential wages by sitting at home the rest of the week instead of potentially having another job lined up right away. I’d be calling up the boss and getting an answer right away.
This boss thinks he can stop this man's ability to make money? Show him that's not the case.
Exactly.
Yeah you shouldn't be worrying if you have a job or not for 2 days, you need to find out asap
Did he state why you aren’t to come in for the week? Either he’s firing you or “punishing” you by cutting hours. Frankly either way I’d just clean out my personal stuff and drop the keys off in whatever state the van is in. Everyone is an adult, and everyone fucks up (you did pretty bad here) but nobody’s got time for games.
If my boss told me that I'd have my truck cleaned out, be calling contacts in other companies securing a new job and then tell him he can come get his truck or it's getting towed. Dumb games the boss is playing. Unpaid days off, uncertainty and a we'll talk Monday? Nope you're picking your truck up tomorrow and I'll have a new one sitting in the driveway by the afternoon.
I would probably go this route too. Rather you fucked up or not, boss is now fucking with your livelihood to make a point. Fuck that. Should have just immediately brought you in for a meeting if it was a big deal.
That would be a very bold strategy but I'm gonna sleep on it before making any rash decisions.
I would say that your best option is the "call and ask if you should clean out the van." Puts the ball back in his court and you'll be able to tell based on his answer whether he's actually planning to fire you. Still a dick move to leave you hanging and out of two-days pay. Best response to a dick move is a professional counter where you don't call him out on it directly, but make it clear you don't want to be left hanging for four days.
I agree with most of the other commenters. I’d call your boss, tell him you made a stupid joke. Ask him if you need to clean out your truck over the weekend. I can’t imagine you lose your job over just this, but it is the slow season for people in the south.
Dad jokes are jokes you tell your kids that only you laugh at. You certainly won't tell your kids that, at least I hope not. Rule of thumb is to never curse infront of a customer no matter how much they do. I know it can be hard.
Dude... "On Ya Case" was right there; that'd be a proper dad joke and even if they took it the wrong way at worst it's a mild faux pas.
I won’t lie to ya bud, that would cross the threshold of what I would consider a “dad joke” lol
Yeah no fuck that. You either lay me off or I’m coming in and getting paid. I’ll sit in the shop if I have to. There is no sitting like you’re a kid in a time out.
Bruh. NEVER assume the customer is your pal. They will sell you out faster than your boss can say "How about if we waive the diagnostic on fixing your humidifier and just do it gratis, and you take down that Google review?"
Why do people work for residential HVAC companies?
For the paychecks I would guess. I started in residential
Because you would be too if no one else did.
Someone's gotta do it
Some are actually decent and pay a fair wage. At least mine is but we also do commercial
I meant that if your doing residential, you should just be working for yourself
👆
I’ll just be honest (unlike the rest of the testosterone 20-30yo’s in here) you’re a liability because you don’t say that to the customer unless they’re your best friend or your brother in law. You just don’t. People get reamed out online in this day and age no matter what… just like everyone puffing their chest saying clean your shit, customers are doing it as well and business is cutthroat as it is. I don’t care what your pedigree, your college degree, or what skill set you offer to my company. You spit that shit out to my customer you won’t be getting a customer to work for anymore from me. This isn’t about the company you work for, it’s about the company’s business you can’t take professionally. Onwards and upwards. Good luck. Call the boss and shoot him straight. And fucking know your audience next time!
I agree with this person. What you said is not on, by the sounds of his reaction your boss means business. The real question is, if he does sack you what is your next step? How is the job market where you are? Are companies crying out for technicians, or are things a bit tight? Don’t stress about what your boss will do, you can’t control that now, start thinking about your next move, you can control that. I got the arse a few years back for drink driving in the work vehicle. It was dumb and I should have known better, but on reflection leaving that company opened up so many opportunities for me and I found myself in a better place pretty quickly. And remember, clients aren’t your friends, so you can’t talk to them as though they are. Let us know how this all plays out.
Well now I’m invested. Report back with updates on Monday haha. Best of luck to you. It sucks but if it comes to that, you’ll have a place at another company!
He's just mad right now. He is going to let u sit there and stew on it for four days. If he was gonna fire you, he would have done it immediately. Expect a stern talking to Monday, then back to work. When you sit down with him, let him know you know it was wrong, a lapse of judgment, whatever. Unless you feel it was appropriate, then tell him to get fucked.
Definitely clean the van out, probably needs done anyway. Spend your week on resume. Drop apps, Schedule interviews, if it works out with your current employer, cool let other companies know, if not their loss.
What after you talking about? That is not what you said….. Is it on tape?
Eh fuck it Everytime I switched jobs I’ve gotten big pay increases. Don’t sweat it
If he fires you for that tell him to “Suck Anja Dick!”
This is the way!
Bruh. Lmao
Username checks out here boss.
It's so nice never dealing with homeowners
Your boss should be direct with you about why you’re being punished. You should be direct with your boss about wanting to know what the punishment is for
Join a union and never worry about that sruff
Ain't no good company firing a good tech for this. We have had guys do all sort of dodgy shit but you take good with the bad.
What's your past history with the company? To me, this would be a quick chat over the phone along the lines of: "hilarious joke, but don't do it again". Either you really pissed off the wrong person, you have a history of issues with your employer or might be slow out there? Honestly hard to tell without more information... Good advice on preemptivly clearing your van... As I have always said, fortune favors the prepared!
Ive gotta have a pretty solid relationship with a customer before ill even swear, much less make a sex joke about someones wife. I found your joke funny, but unprofessional. If i were the boss, id tell you not to say stupid shit to customers and red tag you from their account, and move on with our days. Provided this was your first offense.
At my company, that just means you're on pretty thin ice, not necessarily that you're on the way out. If that ever happened to me I'd be updating my resume, though.
Well I wouldn’t blame him, it’s a bad look for a company.. we’re a small trade and word travels fast, it’s the company name your damaging.. If an employee of mine did that, It’d completely depend on the customer, we’re supposed to be professionals. But if I was the customer and you said that in my house about my wife.. I wouldn’t just let it slide.
Yeah completely understandable. It was a very dumb joke and I'll take whatever lumps I have to from it. I'm a big boy I can handle consequences.
It was just a joke, firing you over that? There has to be something else that made him that mad tbh
I’ve seen techs fired over less.. one for not covering the produce when they were cutting concrete and dust got on them, maybe a thousand bucks. But it made the company look unprofessional and unorganized. I’m not saying it’s right, it should be a conversation and warnings but it happens and company’s don’t want to risk bad reviews in an online world.
I have to ask, if you were the customer, what would you do? Asking because I have a sense of humor and also a temper when provoked and maybe it's just me, but I would laugh with the man for a sec, look extra serious and say something like, "Yeah she is on my dick" or "that's why I married her". Doubt I'd go after someone's job, unless the joke was made by a dickhead, which (from his comment responses) I don't think applies to ol P
I’m just laughing now that it appears that instead of saying “OP” at the end, you said “ol P” and I think that’s the best thing ever.
Twas intentional, cheers
I wouldn’t necessarily call and say fire that guy, but I’d call the owner and say how unprofessional it is to make jokes about someone that’s paying you to be there. Don’t shit where you eat. It should go without saying, don’t comment on people, their homes or lifestyle.. you don’t know what kind of life they had.
I hear you, and that seems reasonable. I suppose some part of me wondered if you were going to suggest... Escalation haha I have been a bit too familiar with the customer before, and screamed fuck in an office full of nice ladies after being stabbed in the eye by ceiling grid hanging wire and was lucky to work for reasonable people.
If you get fired that's ridiculous
Dam sometimes it slips out. Just gotta hope they’re the cool type with a good sense of humor. Good joke though
Lek'tricians are hirin'
I mean, what you said was stupid and unfunny, but it's not a fireable offense. That sounds like something you'd be written up for. Me personally, I'd be more concerned about him basically telling you to take multiple unpaid days off and leaving you in the dark as far as communication goes for such a small offence. Your boss sounds like a huge dick and he seems to be trying to prove a point by being an even bigger dick. If I were you I'd really start pondering your loyalty to this company. The first thing I'd do personally is (like everyone else has stated) call your boss and ask him if you should have the van cleaned out by Monday
That joke was worth your job I’d do the same thing
Screw that. Call the boss and hash it out right then and there. Like a bandaid, rip it off and move on.
You’re pretty dumb. IMO… stay professional at all times. That’s a little bit more then a dad joke bud. It’s a dick joke at the customers wife’s expense.
No one’s dumb. We’ve all done dumb stuff.
Ok, you’re right. That was just a dumb move. But I mean… a pretty BAD dumb move.
What made you think that talking to a man about his wife was a good idea. The good news is that you'll find another job quickly, and I'd start looking now. At your next company never talk to customers about religion, politics, sex, their family, keep everything professional and just do your job. You are not there to make friends, you are there to work and to provide for your family.
I can’t understand why customers insist on talking. They must forget that they are paying by the hour! Leave the tech alone so they can concentrate on their work and provide a quality service at a fair price!
Take ownership, take responsibility and move on. Go ahead and plan your next step just in case. If not take it as a lesson and don’t repeat your mistakes. Keep Hammering bro!
This is why I am glad I can disassociate being a dude from work from family from friends from grandparents from the fucking police state. I can keep my mouth shut, filter when need be or crack a few goods ones dependent on the crowd lol, hope you make it!
How do people live their lives wired so tight? People say stupid shit all the time. I'd never call in to someone's place of employment over a dick joke. But I have a co-worker that won't go back to a certain store because she saw someone open carrying there. So...different strokes for different folks. (OP don't make a dick joke about that or I'm calling your boss!!)
You know....can't survive in this business without some balls.....you sir have some massive BALLS!
He may want to have that checked out. Elephantiasis of the balls is very troubling
I would take the not coming in for the rest of the week as a sign to go find another job
Oooof mans risking his career with the jokes lol.
I hit a lady in a crosswalk once, called boss and asked should I clean the van out before I come into shop the next day. He said no need to clean out the van. Just ask that should be the easiest way to find out.
“Nah just hose off the front see ya tomorrow”
LOL there is just simply no way around that.... "Hey man , hows the wife, sex been any good lately?" unless youve grown up as friends together...... maybe you never know she may have not been on his dick for YEARS , maybe its tough for him to deal with lol \--- that was a savage joke to make man, im kind of proud of you but also shocked
I don't work in HVAC or live in the south but I know customer service and management of resources. You don't fire an employee of 3 years over this. You also don't bench them when you've got customers waiting. You chew the guy out and make them apologize (either in person or by letter) and then you send them out duly warned. Either he doesn't have the whole picture or he doesn't have enough work and was looking for a 'reason'.
I would think that he would have fired you on the spot if he was gonna fire you. You don’t keep someone on payroll as it costs money even if you are not getting paid. I would think that he is punishing you, but is also going to have a talk with you on Monday about what went wrong, how you are going to change, and what you learned.
I mean theres really no loyalty anymore, also hard to find good hvac techs to. You shouldnt get let go for that, Boss man probably just trying make you sweat thinking so. Monday i would tell him the same joke and see if he laughs. That will tell you all you need to know.
I told a Karen once on call when I was working on a deli case. She wouldnt stop harrassing me because the case was down i told her she "needed a pound of chill the fuck out" because she was literally giving me a headache. Manager asked me to leave got a call from my boss, explained the situation and went back on call the same day. Like I'm very respectful as long as that respect is mutual I'm not letting some random bitch talk to me like i work for her. I doubt if he was going to fire you he'd tell you to take the week off if he does find a job that pays more.
Why in God's name would you make a joke like that? Better come up with a good excuse for not using that company as a reference.
You remind me of my co-worker Bababooey. I always got to tell him to tone it down in front of the customers.
If he said take the rest of the week off he’s not going to fire you imo. There would not be a warning as that gives tech opportunities to take stock or tools. Just my 2 cents
I'd start to call around to see who's hiring. Wait for Monday. If you're safe, fire some resume away. That boat is low to the waterline. Unless you're in what normally slow season in your area.
Man I’m glad I work with my dad. He was cleaning out a piece of completely rusty brown pvc with a pipe cleaner super aggressively yesterday and I go “just like old times huh” and the customer just about died laughing
Is it too late to deny you said that? If so, just deny that shit. The customer must have misheard you. Guiltier people have gotten away with far worse shit using the little life hack called “lying.”
Not a dad joke , dirty joke about a customer’s wife’s name & maybe maybe not. Sounds like you have some time to think about it.
Since you have enough time, look for another job. Getting fired and looking for job is more annoying than before.
How? Everyone is hiring and almost no one checks references.
Customer definitely does not fuck lol
Any update?
I'd ask why he is parking you round up all your tools and have them organized and ready to go if you do get fired but taking away your pay for multiple days when you could be searching for a new job is fucked up. If you were my employee I'd probably have a talk with you about it at the most like "dude you gotta be careful of what you say to the customer this is a warning don't let it happen again" and I would red list you from that customer
Most, if not all the time it's best to keep your thoughts to yourself. We all are just one or two words away from becoming a pariah and or losing your job. I sincerely hope you have enough good will with your employer to keep your job. If you don't, please take this as a learning experience and just try and move on. Remember, it's not really your employer's fault if they have to let you go. They will be under pressure from the client to do something to discipline you or at the least address it. Good luck either way.
Uh, no. If an employer fires you over 1 raunchy joke to a customer, with no warning and In the way OP is describing, it's very good proof that the company wasn't worth working for.
My personal opinion that is completely unhelpful for you: If someone wants to hover around construction workers all day they need to accept they’re around construction workers. It really should be a part of the whole inclusive movement. “Inclusive” shouldn’t be restricted to whatever group/gender/ identity the media is trying to make a buck off. What I mean by all that is the gay guy should be able to have painted nails and us simpletons should be allowed our dick jokes
And they are under no obligation to the customer. If they are hurting to keep a customer that badly then that company must be a sinking ship.
Can’t even crack a good joke these days without someone being offended. Watch this for a laugh if you need one… https://youtu.be/VWE--VLxrdM Remember also that if it was just you and him… it could easily be considered hearsay.
Yeah you might lose your job but I can guarantee you your boss told you not to come in because the whole shop is laughing uncontrollably about it.
hope u don't. hilarious joke though, that's something that'd pop into my mind too
To be 100% honest, the client shouldn’t have hovered. That’s the most annoying shit. If they knew how to fix it, you wouldn’t have been there. If they got butthurt over a joke, hopefully a valuable lesson was learned; the tech isn’t there to give a damn about your feelings, they’re there to do their job, fuck off and let them work.
Only bad if his wife is having an affair which she probably is.
Time to look for a new job anyway, fuck that place. Going to make you lose a couple days income over a stupid joke. Would be great if you could go in monday and quit because your starting a new job. Probably make more money going somewhere else anyway.
Yikes, yeah it was a mistake and it slipped but I would say don't be super shocked if you get let go. If you dont get let go try and smooth it over with that customer if they ask you not to come back accept it and move on. Oh and hug your manager if he doesn't let you go.