Page 19 - The Compass - Volume 14 Issue 5

“We have goal boards for everybody, and they’re make it obvious to
updated daily,” Ernie added. “Our CSRs know exactly candidates they must
how many calls they need to book per day. Our have a clean drug test,
dispatchers know how many calls we need to run each background check,
day. Our techs know what conversion ratios we expect on and driving record.
the opportunities they run. All those metrics are in our Next is an interview
business now.” with a department
Ernie, Rick, and the rest of the executive team knew manager who asks
that if they were going to ask people to push their them to complete a
performance, they needed to offer incentives. You can’t ask personality profile,
for more without giving more. Ongaro & Sons launched everyone applying
a quarterly bonus program for the entire company. for a technician or
“First, we wanted it quarterly, so it always felt like apprentice position JUSTIN KORRENG
you had a number just in front of you that you needed to must take a mechanical
reach. Second, we structured it two ways: If we hit our aptitude test. Make it through that step, and you will
budgeted revenue number for that quarter, everyone gets meet with someone on the executive team.
so much. If we surpass it by five percent, you get this. If Fifty percent of the technicians hired have previous
we go over it by 10 and 15, you get this and this,” Rick experience and fifty percent are green to the trades.
detailed. “The other number we bonus on is gross margin. Ongaro & Sons strives to have an apprentice with every
If our HVAC department hits between 53 to 55 percent, journeyman. The company deeply values technical
everyone gets bonused. If our plumbing department hits training and has a set curriculum for it, which includes
between a 58 and 60 percent margin, you get bonused.” daily ride-alongs mixed with in-office technical, PHCC
“We wanted gross margin to be one of the numbers classes, as well as potentially a trip to Arkansas to attend
we bonused on because that’s what they have the most Ultimate Technical Academy training.
control of,” Ernie emphasized. “A lot of companies will “Selling stuff doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job,”
bonus on net profit, but your people don’t have any Rick said. “You need to know what you’re selling. I never
control over overhead costs. But they do impact your want a guy to go out and sell somebody a system, for
gross margin. It makes everyone more self-aware in their example, and he didn’t know what he was selling. He
daily jobs.” didn’t know his sizes, and he didn’t know what was
The bonus program proved to be a hit within the wrong with the homeowner’s existing system.”
business. “Everyone was excited by the opportunity to
earn more, obviously,” Paul said. “The biggest thing it did
was bring everyone together. It created a complete team
atmosphere. When you’re all working toward the same
goal, you’re looking to help one another out. You’re here
for each other. It’s one of the best things we’ve done.”
Hire for Character/Train for
Competency

Ongaro & Sons’ reputation is strong among homeowners,
as well as those in the industry locally. “We get guys that
apply. We ask them why, and they tell us, ‘We see your
trucks everywhere, and your guys always seem really
happy when we talk to them. You have to be a great place
to work,’” Paul recounted. It’s their reputation which has
helped them grow from 40 employees a few years ago to
80 today.
But Ongaro & Sons doesn’t hire anyone who strolls
into its offices. “We’ve honed our hiring process so we DOUG WEATHERLY, DAVID LANGDALE
try to bring aboard only high-quality people that want Instilling technical competency isn’t the only training
to learn how we expect service to be performed and stressed. Rick leads the communication and sales training
grow within the company,” Rick stressed. “We are big on performed at Ongaro & Sons. He supplements it with
hiring character first—competency can be trained.” online content from Learning Alliance’s Total Access
Ongaro & Sons’ interview process is multi-tiered program, and the company has sent multiple people to
beginning with a thorough phone interview—they Dallas for Learning Alliance’s immersion training.

THE COMPASS | Issue 5 | 2019 19