What would you do in this situation

[WillS]

Employee backs work truck into a pole. Pole damages bumper by cracking it in the middle. This is not enough to file an insurance claim over. Just a semi-decent size crack in the bumper.

1. You make the employee pay to replace the bumper.
2. You tell them to be more careful in the future and move on.
3. You would file an insurance claim to have the bumper replaced.
4. ???

The crack isn't very very noticeable, but is still there. What do you do?

 

[Cleanworks]

You can't make the employee pay. It's illegal. You chew the employee out and let him/her know that if it becomes a regular thing, it may be grounds for dismissal. When you have employees, things are going to happen. Like driving away and leaving the wand in the middle of the lawn

 

[Mikey P]

Pour a double.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We have done all the above at one time, depending on severity. Generally I suck it up and cuss a lot...more than usual.

Accidents happen but if you feel it was avoidable I have asked for 1/2 the deductible from them. I've also given the option to pay and stay or hit the road. Both quit. LOL

Here is how I usually explain it on a level they can understand. IF I were borrowing their vehicle and damaged it, what would they expect from me? Would they expect me to pay for the entire repair? The entire deductible? Walk away and say "Dude I'm sorry I didn't mean it".

If hes a good employee and a legit accident, I'm sucking it up. : (

 

[Old Coastie]

I clonked a pole and partly buckled the rear bumper, a steel c-beam. The elves could not have been happier, the stinkers.

So I wrapped a chain around a tree and hooked it to the crinkle, then tugged it back out.

If you rebuke the driver, do it in writing. You may need to defend a dismissal later. On the other hand, stuff happens. Mike is wrong. Have him buy you the double.

 

[Nate The Great]

Put the word out on the street and have a new-to-me bumper on my doorstep at 3am...... Even Amazon isn't that quick.....

I had to suck up a "friend" moving an flooring installers van and he fkn Sardine canned the roof thinking it could fit in underground parking... He pulled the no call-no show shortly after.... Saved me from having to do it....

 

[Green Clean LLC]

Work truck needs a back up camera to make it safer. Walmart sells them for $99

Replace "pole" with "child" and you will get all the free advertising you can handle.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Can't really say if you can deduct from his paycheck. Labor laws are different in each state.
Its unlikely you can after the fact, would have to have that policy already in place and agreed to.

Probably would just do a verbal counseling. Has happened several times ....

 

[TomKing]

First did you train the employee on any driving behaviors? Or did you just assume.

Second get over it. Employees damage stuff.

Write him up. Explain what you expect going forward.

Be a professional.

You can't charge him for anything. Lost tools, damaged truck etc. That's the privilege you get being the owner, people not caring for your stuff and taking money right out of your pocket.

 

[Mikey P]

I fixed a few Coit vans on my dime..


And got a new one every year due to my respect

 

[dgardner]

At my corporate day job (I assume they're doing it legally) If the accident happens on company time the employee is not charged any $ - but has to submit immediately to a drug test.

We are allowed to take the vehicle home each evening, and the time spent driving to/from the office or first/last job of the day is considered personal time (not paid), as well as travel to/from lunch. If we have an accident on personal time we have to pay a $500 deductible if we are at fault - and still have to do the drug test. Refusal to do the drug test is considered grounds for dismissal.

Edit - we have to agree (and sign) agreeing to all of the above before we're allowed to drive a co. vehicle.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

4. ???

When I had my Company in Santa Barbara I kept an account open at a local body shop. Our vans then were a gray black color so he kept the color in stock. There weren't back up cameras then or radar so our guys would back up until they heard the crunch I guess... Almost every repair was the left back corner of the body and a small bend in the bumper.
We were so busy during the summers that I let one van go for a month that had a small dent and it ended up costing me a very large residential client in the area of Montecito. Mrs Colt, a heiress to the Colt gun fortune, white carpet, white furniture and a white dog that would run around outside in the clay soil of the area and get everything in the house dirty...loved that little dog :-) She saw the dent and had her house manager call us and tell us not to come out anymore. She was worried what her neighbors would think seeing the dented van in her driveway. Was a lesson to me because these are the Clients I want. Anyway... having an account open with a body shop got us preferential service, faster and at a lower price.

 

[Onfire_02_01]

Sad day bob, but that is a good kick in the but to get my cracked door hinge fixed.

 

[dealtimeman]

we take them out back and beat em real good until they understand completely.


J/k!!!!

There's not much you can do unless you had agreements in place. One of the cons of being the one that makes The big bucks.

 

[dealtimeman]

Most definitely write him up.

 

[Kevin De Medeiros]

As an o/o I haven't had to deal with this yet but my father used to work for a Limo company and they were told at the time of being hired, u get into a car accident and depending on circumstances you will get written up and insurance will cover the damage. If the cars get scratched or damaged due to your negligence and or stupidity then it is coming off your paycheck. This forces your employees to be a little more cautious with your vehicle's which I think is fair to both the owner and driver.

 

[Desk Jockey]

we take them out back and beat em real good until they understand completely.

I like this idea.

Only instead of beating them real good, fookem up real BAD.

 

[Old Coastie]

I'm gonna have to do a seminar on "The Proper Care and Feeding of Elves."

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'm kidding....most of the time.

 

[steve_64]

I shouldve fired myself years ago!

 

[steve_64]

My electric sprayer melted on my first job today and I ran over my hydra filter.
Somebody write me up already.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Steve let me take this time to tell you how much we appreciate you working for us. I would however like to remind you what unnecessary damage costs the company and its potential to give merit raises to the employees.

So as you head back out there today I'd like you to consider this one thing.
I wear a size 12 boot, if you continue to fook up, I will have no other choice but to shove my boot up your a$$.

So be safe and have a nice day

 

[Papa John]

Its A work Van---forgive and move on.

 

[FB7777]

Sheet happens... Clean it up

I've left behind, broken, scratched , destroyed countless pieces of equipment. Totaled a van, banged up a couple others. Been accused of being an aggressive driver.


And my boss has never written me up

 

[Brian H]

I have had a lot of experience over the years with employees damaging equipment/vehicles/customer property. Most likely more than anyone else on this board.

The advice of repairing it yourself and writing up the employee is about the best you can do. It is a part of owning a business with employees.

The part others have failed to add though is banging your head repeatedly against some hard surface. For me it's usually my desk, but a wall also works. .

 

[Desk Jockey]

The part others have failed to add though is banging your head repeatedly against some hard surface. For me it's usually my desk, but a wall also works. .

By any chance can we replace their head for ours? I could really get into that!

 

[Chris A]

This has been therapeutic, Jr has fooked up his brand new van twice in as many months. Great employee, shitty driver...

 

[Spurlington]

So as you head back out there today I'd like you to consider this one thing.
I wear a size 12 boot, if you continue to fook up, I will have no other choice but to shove my boot up your a$$.

So be safe and have a nice day

 

[The Great Oz]

Employee backs work truck into a pole. Pole damages bumper by cracking it in the middle. This is not enough to file an insurance claim over. Just a semi-decent size crack in the bumper.
1. You make the employee pay to replace the bumper.
2. You tell them to be more careful in the future and move on.
3. You would file an insurance claim to have the bumper replaced.
4. ???
The crack isn't very very noticeable, but is still there. What do you do?

The crack isn't very noticable...

This is the key. It's a small thing, so keep your response small. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't run into things, OK?" Then give him the I'm watching you fingers.



We do have a policy in place for negligence that would require a tech to pay half of the cost to repair, up to $500 max, but rarely use it, cuz stuff happens and we want to keep our guys. I did have a guy that bent a bumper, and within a few weeks bent the replacement. I let him choose between paying or helping do the work of replacing the bumper. he chose help with replace, not knowing the front bumper of a GMC with chrome is a half-day job. He never bent another.

 

[Old Coastie]

The crack isn't very noticable...

This is the key. It's a small thing, so keep your response small. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't run into things, OK?" Then give him the I'm watching you fingers.

For something larger, the "checking your prostate" fingers make a lasting impression.