Double Duty

Pumpers share their tips on effective employee cross-training to get the most out of the workforce

As pumpers continue to diversify into fields related to septic service, they’re asking crewmembers to take on new and varied jobs. That’s when effective cross-training becomes critical.

Portable sanitation is one of the most common services pumpers migrate to, and placing and cleaning restrooms seems like a solid fit for a septic pumper. But the synergy should go beyond an understanding of vacuuming waste. Portable sanitation technicians usually have more customer interaction, attention to detail when cleaning and replenishing supplies, and attentiveness to changing surroundings on a construction site or on the grounds of an event.

So, what’s a conscientious operator to do when cross-training, and what kinds of challenges might be expected in the process? A few pumpers who deal with this situation on a daily basis share what they’ve learned.

“It always takes a little more training to teach someone how to pump a unit and then keep it clean all at the same time,” says Urban Osborne. “With septic drivers, if they can operate a vacuum truck, they can pump a tank. But on portables routes, you have to be able to figure out what the customer needs on that particular job.” Since Osborne has only two employees to service his 75 restrooms, everybody needs to be flexible and learn to do it all.

And, says Osborne, “what the customer needs” is not just about pumping, but also about keeping the unit clean in any environment or specific work conditions. “With most customers, cleaning is the big thing. If you can keep a restroom pumped and clean and smelling fresh, you’re not going to have a lot of headaches and problems.”

The regimen he teaches new hires varies according to customer needs. “Some like a little more paper, others like more chemicals, some want it to smell sweeter. You just need to pay attention, and that’s what we train everybody to do.”

For Osborne, that means part of the training is in listening skills. He tries to train employees to hear what a customer really needs, even if they don’t come right out and say it. “Our drivers communicate weekly with the customers on the job, when possible,” he says, and believes this regular communication is the secret to staying out in front of any issues.

Osborne stresses the need to be responsive to what employees hear. “Our contractor customers are busy and can’t always take time to talk with our drivers, but if they’ve indicated there’s a problem, they’ll talk to them and it will get solved that day.”

Allan Lundeen’s company pumps septic systems, cleans drain and sewer lines, and rents and services portable restrooms on the Interstate 5 corridor, about 170 miles south of Portland, Ore. One of his crew of three is dedicated to septic and drains, one is a dedicated portables route driver, and one moves between septic and portables service.

Lundeen also finds that his guys tend to want to stay in their areas of expertise. “If they’re home, they’re happy,” he says. He doesn’t find any other real challenges with cross-training, because his crossover technician usually doesn’t get involved in placing units, only pumping and cleaning. To Lundeen, safety concerns for portables are pretty much the same as those involved in septic pumping, except working among crowds at special events. “And those I handle myself,” he says.

“It’s getting them to think,” says Tom Oshman, whose company, Beachstone Septic Corp., shares customers with its alter-ego, BS Portapotty in New York City’s northwest suburbs. “Getting them used to the fact that there’s a system, and they need to follow the system.”

His frustration is that “after they’ve been on the job a while, everybody seems to want to do things their own way, and it’s like they’re working backwards and doing twice the work. If you’ve got somebody who’s got a lot of experience and has been (servicing portables) long enough to have worked out the bugs — they should listen to the experienced guy, at least in the beginning.”

Oshman says he’s pretty firm about insisting that new hires perform route tasks exactly as they’ve been taught. He says there’s value in systems designed for efficiency and high standards, and they should be respected by those still learning the ropes. More than that, he says, “This is what the customer has come to expect, and that’s what should be delivered.”

Oshman does find most vacuum service techs prefer not to venture out of their comfort zone. “But then you’ll have another guy who’s willing to do anything,” he says. This attitude, he believes, indicates someone who understands his job as just a single part of a total business. “That’s the guy I’m looking for,” he says.



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