We use an answering service to filter out what is truly an emergency vs something that can wait till the morning. Even then, some true emergencies can take 5 minutes to fix.

Right now we pay from the time the call was accepted to the time they leave the property. It's only overtime if they work more than a total of 40hrs for the week. None of the teams are complaining out loud but I'm sure there are some grumblings that I don't hear.

I am working on getting the teams that live off site a minimum number of hours. For the ones that live on site, the additional pay is built into their rent discount so I can't do much for them.

We may have a solution for you. We have a 24/7 contact center, but we can handle your after-hours calls whether that is for leasing or maintenance. For maintenance if it ends up not being an emergency we can simply place the work order in for them. If it's a true emergency we have a great calling tree that will ensure someone gets to the problem. We are very flexible and I would love to see if we can be a good solution for you. You can email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I can provide you with more details and answer any questions you may have.

Chris, we charge an hourly labor rate of $35 per hour.

Traveling the country and speaking to both Tech's and their Mgr.s I'm fascinated by the philosophical differences I find on this topic. From the Technician's viewpoint I don't see many "excited" by being on call as you state utility workers are. I've also found that the bonus or incentive is the exception rather than the rule. Kudo's to you for investigating this as a possibility.

The majority of frustration I hear from the on call person is the need to not cut our own throat. Meaning, as others have stated, that preventive maintenance is not given a priority. Or the need to keep OT low by taking the time spent in the evenings off the next day or two, thereby cutting the scheduled wrench time short for unscheduled tasks.

Management is frustrated at technicians that blame on call for every situation, or when a "band-aid" is placed on a problem and then not followed up on the next day.

IMO the solution to this is just what you are doing. Have a clear policy that the Leasing staff can review at move in so the resident is aware of what an emergency is and what it is not. Be sure that the policy is followed at all levels, not to use as the customer service nightmare response response of "that is not our policy so I'll be there tomorrow... Click..."

This policy is restated in the job description so that all new employees can set an expectation as to "family time" commitments to recognize that it is goes along with the job. It may be helpful to ensure a way to investigate an excessive amount of overtime on a community as being caused by a lack of personnel, time, accountability or training.

Many technicians are looking for their viewpoint and input (time and opinions) to be honored. Having a policy that allows for that "boots on the ground input" seems to be to be the path to success.

Thank you for your response. If you don't mind will you please let me know how much the "on call fee" is.

My husband and I work for two different companies that handle on call very differently.

At my location, we actually get no extra monetary stipend. If we are called out, we take that amount of time off during the day within the next few days.

At his, they receive $75 just to carry the phone for the week. They are paid overtime for an emergency call plus mileage to get there and back. They are paid a flat $25 for each lock out call.

His company also has sat down with their property managers and have written out a detailed policy as to what constitutes an emergency. For example, "My AC is not working" is not considered an emergency if the outside temperature is 50. At 80 it is. They occasionally run into a demanding tenant that won't take no for an answer when it is not considered an emergency. At that point the techs are given the authority to notify the tenant they will be charged for the call and going to fix the problem.

As always, remember preventive maintenance is key to fewer after hour calls. We have cut our calls back from three or four a week to three or four a month just by stressing preventive maintenance.