b'Business ManagementHOW TO START (OR GROW)A TRUE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AD HEREBy Greg Hayne, Roof ManagementPart 1Common Mistakes thatwell.Paralyze You Theownerofthecompany,theboss,mustbe Thisisthefirstinamulti-partpersonally involved in the initiative to grow a service seriesonHowtostartorgrowdepartment.This isnt something that she or he can atrueservicedepartment.Thedelegate. Why?Because the type of individual who ideas,concepts,fundamentalsis good at running a service department thrives on and tools that will be presented have come from ourroutine and structure. They need those things. And work helping commercial roofing contractors growthey do a great job in that context.They also hate their service departments, interviews we have donechange, uncertainty and risk taking, all of which are overtheyearswiththoserunningtop-performinggoing to happen if you grow a department.They serviceorganizationsandthroughsharingbestareoftentimesdescribedasaperfectionistic,a practices among contractors participating in formalgood characteristic to have in the role of running peer groups we facilitate.adepartment,butperfectionistsareafraidof Whatwewillshareworks.Youhavecompetitorsmakingmistakes.Thesetwocharacteristicstend already successfully doing these things. to reinforce each other.The department manager Whatweseeinthemarketplaceisthatthosealso tends to fear change and they fear making a contractorswhoarestrugglingtogrowtheirmistake.Theresultisinactiononnewinitiatives service departments are usually making (multiple)and a ton of reasons (excuses) as to why they have keymistakesthataresettingthemselvesupfornot yet been able to move things forward.difficulties,ifnotoutrightfailure.LetsstartthisSo the boss needs to be involved to guide and, seriesofarticleswithadiscussionofsomeofwell, push whoever will otherwise be in charge of themostcommonfundamentalmistakesorpoorthe day-to-day activity.This requires more active choices. Because if you dont get these things right,involvementthanyou,theboss,thinkitwill.Let most of the rest of what we will share wont work asmesaythatagain:thisisgoingtoinvolvemore active involvement than you think it will.When we 16 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'