My alarm goes off at 5:30 AM. By the time I have showered, eaten breakfast, and performed all morning routines, the phone has rang at least once or twice with a phone call or text from a teammate or customer.

By 8 AM in the office, I have reviewed the schedule for the day and reached out to any technicians who need extra notes, advice, or detailed project information for their first calls. I’ve also spoken with warehouse managers, ownership, service managers, service coordinators, and administrative staff about the upcoming events of the day and the previous day.

After 8 AM, there is a review of the previous day’s service tickets and maintenance sheets that must occur. This includes verifying that the following are complete:

Maintenance:

• All technical data is logged, with a focus on looking for under-performing systems or any other items that look odd that may need addressing.
• All pictures of work performed are uploaded.
• Any customer contact updates, or major location changes that have occurred (new managers on-site, new lock box codes, water access failure, etc.)
• Any technician comments on safety-related items, equipment updates, and deficiencies updates.
• All future visits are on schedule.

Service:

• Did we fix the issues?
• Was the fix temporary or permanent?
• Are there parts that need to be ordered?
• Quotes that need to be drafted?
• Does the customer want to explore the replacement of the systems and/or service repairs?
• What was the cause of the issue?  Was it failure or was it preventable?
• If preventable, how can we educate the customer on the issue to keep it from happening again?
• If there were parts used off the van, I must make sure that the parts are replenished.
• Check to see if pricing is correct.
• Check to see if the description will make sense to the customer when they receive the ticket.
• Check to see that the sales tax is correct.

We average 20 service and maintenance calls per day during peak season. It can take hours to finish reviewing the previous day’s work to ensure that all of the above items have been completed. Sometimes one ticket can require a call to the service coordinator, manager, technician, and customer to ensure that all is well. During the review of tickets, the office phone rings and email alerts with questions and collaborative items from office teammates. The cell phone alerts with calls and techs from teammates and customers, and the office phone and email alert with existing customer items along with opportunities to perform business with new customers.

Along with the service-related items, our change-out department has to have its previous day’s work performed. Was the job completed? Did we document the start-up of the equipment properly? Did we post the documentation and pictures to our web portal? Did our administrative staff register the equipment? Is the inspection scheduled?  Did all inspections performed on the previous day pass? If they did not, why did they not? What steps can we take in the future to learn from our mistakes? Were all needed surveys for new jobs performed? If so, are they on schedule to be quoted? If they have been approved, what labor will be available to perform the work? What is our current backlog for new work surveys, inspections on existing work, and performance of previously awarded projects?

Once all work from the previous day is reviewed (this can sometimes take until 3:30-4 PM depending on issues that need to be addressed in the moment that cannot wait), it is time to write new maintenance contracts to possible new customers, along with updating maintenance proposal renewals. All of the while, logging and tracking all needed data for follow-ups and notes for future proposals and renewals. New repair quotes must be built, parts must be ordered, and projects must be planned. During all of this, resumes for new teammates are reviewed, job interviews performed, and opportunity offers must be drafted and presented. If new hires are coming on board, arrangements must be made for their company vehicle to be stocked, serviced, and ready to roll! Having spent years in our support department, I am occasionally asked to review sheet metal fabrication design using our plasma cutting software (at least 2 times per week).  All purchases made by techs in the field must be reviewed and approved.

I do a daily, physical check on all service-related items in the building, parts, refrigerant, and filters to make sure stock levels are adequate, especially during peak season. I must prepare agendas for scheduled staff meetings to go over admin, technical, and educational items.

By the time I leave the office at 5 PM, I typically have a backlog of calls that I need to return, so I will do so on the ride home. If calls keep coming in from customers/techs/teammates, I will typically pull off the road in a safe place and fire up my iPad to assist with items. This can make a 30-minute commute double very quickly.  Once I arrive home, I do my best to spend time with my family, however, there may be an after-hours emergency service call that comes in. If there is a technician still out working, I always make sure to answer their phone calls. If a customer calls my cell phone, I always make it a point to answer, even after hours or on the weekend.

As you can see, the job of an Operations Manager is endless! We thank Jason Evans for his hard work and service at Carolina Commercial Systems.