Electrical Jobs Available (Knoxville: rent, houses, transfer)

[Electric Medic]

Hi! I'm David Moore, General Manager of Electric Medic.

I am letting anyone living in or near Knoxville (or moving to the area) who is an electrician know that I am always recruiting the best of the best. We are the best residential service company in the area, offering legendary service. Our technicians are background-checked and tested drug-free, and are strongly discouraged from using tobacco products. They show up to customers' houses in full uniform and wear shoe covers (like the ones found in hospitals) when entering homes. They roll out a red carpet and place their tools on it when working. They clean up after themselves. They give an upfront price from a printed book they carry - every time guaranteeing our price to the customer before starting the work. There is just no other service like this in the area of East Tennessee. We're looking for more winning attitudes and great customer service technicians.

Our pay system gets our guys paid AWESOME, like no other opportunity in the area for electricians. I first came to this area about a year ago, and for most of the first year I worked for Sun Electric Company. I was treated like a number and my excellent resume, experience, and references were discarded. My promised 90-day review didn't happen until I had begged for it for another 90 days, or in other words it took six months to get the review. I had done an excellent job for the company, and they called me "a keeper", but wouldn't pay me another penny "until we find you a larger job to run for us" - yes, I had already been their foreman on a few small projects, but they still weren't going to pay me another cent yet. In the meantime, for over six months I had worked at a rate of $16 an hour. I had 17.5 years of experience, taught for the Union for four years, had a stack of certifications and awards, was used to rates over $20 an hour, and yet learned that I was lucky to get that low wage. Upon further investigation, I found that $16 is nearly top pay in the area of East Tennessee for an electrician. Yikes!

Well, I am here to tell you that my top technician took home $2,800 last week, and that won't be the only time. Most weeks he has earned over $1,000 - and you just can't find pay like that in this area anywhere else. He only works around 40-45 hours a week to make that money. We pay commission and offer paid training daily, and that is why he does so well. We are constantly improving and offering him support. That is how we treat all of our technicians, and we are looking for excellent electricians who will treat us the same way.

We have fun working here, and sometimes have lunch together. The company offers small cash incentives and contests, and we enjoy competing for the incentive cash. With the highly motivated customer-oriented atmosphere we cultivate here, you will continue to feel that you are part of a growing movement which will take over the service industry. For too long salesmen have been dishonest with customers, failing to earn trust and repeat business. Learning to be honest in all of your dealings and put the customers' needs first is the key to real long-term success, and we have a few simple rules:

1. If you ever sell anything to a customer that they didn't need, you are fired.
2. If you ever lie to a customer, you are fired.
3. Good business is when everybody wins. Do good business and you will be rewarded.

Not hard for you? Are you drug-free and honest? Do you want to learn more and grow? Will you come here and learn from the best? Would you travel out of town for training once or twice a year if asked? Can you enjoy working hard and providing an excellent living for your family? Are you motivated every day? If so, call me now please.

Sincerely,

David Moore
General Manager
Electric Medic
Cell: 865 - 740-9392

[gemkeeper]

That is quite a catalog of your experience as an electrician, David. Sorry to hear that it was rough for you to get started in the area at a higher pay.

It sounds like you insist on a job done correctly and customer service. Just what we all like to hear.

But, the one thing that worries me a little is this. Considering the general economy in the Knoxville area and the prevailing pay scales, how are you able to pay your men over $50,000 a year? It causes me to ponder the possibility that your customers are either paying an arm and a leg for your service or you are independently wealthy!

I don't mean any disrespect and I am sure that run a fine company, but I would really be interested in learning how you can pay your employees like they were union auto workers? Can you en-lighten us a bit?

[Electric Medic]

Hi gemthornton!

Thanks for the excellent question and the complimentary comments. I would be tickled to explain how we can pay so well. The answer is more like a list of reasons which add up to one answer:
* It is blunt, but true: We are not as stingy as most contractors out there. We are very generous with the portion our employees are paid, believing that their own success drives our success. When my best technician made so much money lately, I made considerably less. That is because my own pay system is based on a smaller percentage - I make more money if I have more great technicians out there performing well for our customers.
* We do not pay our employees by the hour. Since we charge our customers on a per-item basis, sticking closely to the national industry standards for pricing, we pay our employees by the item they install/problem they successfully troubleshoot for our customer. They can have slower weeks that way, but I make that up to them if that should happen by offering extra paid training (actually, that IS by the hour but does not offer an explanation for their average paycheck). I work closely with them to increase their skill and level of customer commitment during those times. That is why they are able to be so effective during busier times.
* Our prices are NOT the cheapest in the area. We are not your neighborhood Cheap Charlie sort of business, investing heavily in training and development and product quality - so our customers can expect the RIGHT price for the service, but not always the lowest. Basically, my philosophy is that you can't buy a Nike shoe at a dimestore price - but quality makes it a better purchase. With the best warranties and guaranties in the business, we give our customers value that cannot be beat at a price that truly pays off for them. We can help them increase the value of their home, give them a transferrable protection plan for their home (which includes discounts on code updates, free inspections, and much more) and install equipment which is of the highest quality - some items carrying a lifetime guarantee.
* Our employees have incentive programs in place. If they bring us business (actually go out and generate it using tools we give them), we pay them for it by means of a percentage of the total bill. If they outperform anyone else at our company for the week, they can earn additional rewards. This adds to the income and further proves our generosity. We pretty much have a profit sharing program which is in effect for each employee every day, right from the start.

I hope this clears up how we are able to pay our employees so well. The short answer is just that we are not greedy - not with our customers and not with our employees either. In a way, my employees are MY customers and our public is THEIR customer. Excellent customer service starts in the home (office in this case). We share our knowledge, experience, hard work, and dedication - why shouldn't we share the money too?

Sincerely and in your service,
David Moore

[Electric Medic]

I just wanted to also mention that in my opinion the Knoxville Economy is more of a state of mind than a tangible thing. The factors involved: wages, prices, cost-of-living, mindset/attitude.

If we first change our mindset, we are on the right track. Our products and services are just as good as those sold in Chicago or New York. Our sense of community and commitment to local events is greater than that of most other cities / geographic locations (Go Vols! is seen everywhere, along with the trademark orange). Our attitude, if a winning attitude, will take us to greater heights than most cities can aspire to. It just takes a team spirit and determination to make a change.

We can't put off raising the wages in this area. Once people realize a decent income, they can better afford to purchase needed products and services in the area. When they do that, with a little time, we can raise prices a little - to make it possible to pay employees more. Pretty soon, we could find ourselves up to standard.

Once a higher wage is the norm, prices are affordable but not substandard on a national average, and attitude is focused on success, naturally the cost of living will increase a little too. However, I noticed when I lived in Atlanta, GA that although property was a bit more expensive, it appreciated with great speed and offered an excellent return on investment. As far as renting, the rent may be between 100 and 300 more (depending on the price range) per month, but the wages for electricians specifically are from 100 to 300 more per week (400 to 1,200 more per month). That does not decrease affordability. It increases it in leaps and bounds. The prices of cars are pretty low in that area also.

Just a few thoughts on the subject - at Electric Medic we are doing our part to help increase the average wage of an electrician, while keeping prices competitive for the product offered. We bring an attitude of growth and improvement to the area also, and we hope it is infectious.

Your neighbor,
David Moore

[gemkeeper]

Thanks for the response, David. That is a lot to ponder, but it does sound like you would be a fair honest employer. I hope you business continues to grow for you.

There have been a couple of posters on this forum asking about the availibility of electrician jobs. Maybe they can find a home with your company.

We will keep your services in mind.