9 Things That Will Make You An Unlikable Maintenance Technician

9) The Boozer

Sometimes as adults we come to work with a hangover. Once every year or two is life. However, “the boozer” takes it to another level. Clocking in all glassy eyed while looking like a Nick Nolte mugshot every week will get you blacklisted from the apartment industry quick.

Maintenance techs know other maintenance techs all over town and when word gets around that you’re a boozer, forget about it. The only way to work in the industry again is to move to another city. The boozer is an unreliable hazard who will eventually get himself or someone else hurt. Also, he or she will always call in sick on the busiest days of the week which are Mondays and Fridays. Even when their PTO time ran out 3 months ago. So annoying!

8) The Tool Borrower

Before I get into this, just know that I’m not a total dick about this. I’ll let someone who I’ve worked with for a while borrow a tool. As long as it doesn’t become a habit. But a stranger? Nope! A new guy that just showed up to his new maintenance job with just his bare hands? Nope! And if you think that’s “dickish” then awesome! Now I’ll never have to worry about you asking for my stuff.

Look, my tools are how I make my living. They pay the bills and put food on the table. And “Joe Schmoe the new guy” who wants to borrow my $175 drill isn’t going to treat my drill the way he would treat a drill he bought. I’ve seen it too many times! A tech loans his drill and it comes back not working like it did before. I’ve also seen things get loaned out and never returned!

Here’s a great trick I’ve learned when someone wants to borrow a tool. Just say, “Sure you can borrow it but I’ll need $20.00 as collateral.” 9.5 times out of 10 that person won’t have $20.00 and wonder if you’re being serious. Stand your ground and be dead serious. If you’re new to being “dickish”, don’t worry it gets easier the more you do it. Or, you can not heed my warning and loan your tools out if you’d like. I was that guy once. Only to have my tool returned to me not working the way it worked before I loaned it out. Or even worse, not come back to me at all.

7) The Poacher

The poacher technician is slick. Or, thinks he’s slick anyway. After a few years in the industry I began to catch on to the poacher’s shenanigans. This is a tech that waits out of sight until you’re halfway through a work order and then swoops in and stands by you while you do all the work. That way they can get their name on the work order too. And if anyone asks what they’ve been doing they can say, “I was helping him on a work order.” You and your work order have just been poached! The poacher isn’t interested in learning. They’re only interested in seeing if they can squeak by and making it through another day without doing much of anything.

6) The Hider

This one is self explanatory. The hider is a tech you only see when they’re clocking in and clocking out. They’re rarely seen during working hours. I actually wrote a full article about hiders and their complicated ways. Click the link for more about “The Hider”.

https://www.dirtymaintenancenation.com/how-to-handle-lazy-employee-that-hides-all-day/

5) The Layer Outer

The layer outer has “the boozers” traits but he’s not a partier. He’s just…well… lazy. He must have 15 grandmas because that’s always his reason as to why he can’t come in. “My grandma passed away yesterday so I’ll be out for a few days”, is his go to excuse. It’s always around the time when you need them the most that they’ll lay out on you. Like during a huge eviction when you have to move a bunch of furniture out of an apartment or there’s lots of turns and work orders that need to get done. The “layer outer” is usually a nice person but will always let you down in the end.

4) The Thumber

The thumber tech is the guy or gal who sees a pile of work orders in the box and thumbs through them while pulling out all the easy stuff. So, while his day is full of toilet flappers and light bulbs, your day is full of 24 volt HVAC shorts and mysterious plumbing leaks that no one has been able to find since the place was built. The only way to beat “the thumber” at his own game is to start assigning work orders to everyone so one tech isn’t getting all the hard stuff. Once technician’s names start getting put on work orders for them to do, “the thumber” will get exposed.

3) The Non-Fixer While On Call

I know that sometimes things can’t get repaired when you’re on call. Sometimes a sister property doesn’t have the parts you need or stores were closed at 2:00 am when you got the call. However, that’s a rare situation. The “non-fixer” has a habit of leaving things broken all weekend when all he had to do was clear a float switch or tighten a packing nut. Instead of making repairs, he gives the resident a load of bull and talks his way out of fixing anything. So, when you come in on Monday morning, you come in to a s#!t storm. There’s 2 ways to handle a “non-fixer”. You can complain and hope things change or you can look at it as job security.

2) The “If I Don’t Learn It, I Won’t Have To Do It” Tech

These techs make my blood boil and almost made my #1. It’s like no matter how many times you show these techs how to do something, they always play dumb when it’s time for them to do it. I don’t know if they’re scared of making a mistake or just not interested in getting better and are just there to collect a paycheck. They know that if they avoid learning how to fix an A/C, they won’t get asked to do it. They know that if they avoid learning how to patch a hole, they won’t get asked to do it. They know that if they avoid learning how to do anything that’s challenging and may require sweat and hard work, they won’t get asked to do it. He just stays on easy street while others around him work their asses off. It’s like a wide receiver on a team who doesn’t want to learn how to catch a hard pass. That way he won’t have to worry about dropping the ball or getting tackled. But he wants to be on the team and get paid!

1) The Blabberer

Again, let me reinstate that I’m not a total A-hole. I like talking with co-workers and communicating. As long as it’s a normal and healthy 2 way conversation. But a blabberer is just annoying and poisons the work environment. It’s never a 2 way conversation with these people. It’s only them talking over you about something totally unrelated to what’s going on. I’ve worked with some blabberers that will go from one topic to another without taking a breath. It’s truly amazing and weird at the same time. There’s been times when I’ve left work at the end of the day with my head physically aching and spinning.

I dread when a blabberer wants to ride with me on a work order. Again, it’s not because I’m an A-hole. It’s because I know that while I’m trying to figure out how to make a repair, I got to hear about a hot dog stand in Leesburg, Tennessee and why this person’s sister can’t eat green M&M’s anymore. Have you ever tried to figure out how to fix a tricky 24 volt short while having that clog your mind? Try it sometime and get back to me if you think I’m being insensitive.

Blabberers always crowd the shop! When a blabber mouth knows he’s being avoided, that’s when he starts hovering around the shop. He knows that someone will eventually have to come to the shop for something and that’s when he springs his trap and catches you. Now you’re caught in his never ending woven tapestry of blibber blabber. I can’t stand it! The shop is sacred to a maintenance tech. It’s a place to unwind. A place to think in peace if something is kicking your butt out in the field. And a blabberer will not leave you in peace. He will only be there to tell you why his friend’s uncle can’t wear jeans while watching a baseball game. How do you handle a blabberer you ask? Well, you can be nice and just take it. Or, avoid them at all cost. Or, just go straight dick mode and let them know they’re annoying and to stay away from you.