Plumbing is not the most glamourous occupation in the world, but I think most plumbers and other skilled trade workers are just as happy if not more so than a lot of white-collar workers. Money aside, there are a lot of components that go into job satisfaction and the work we do encompasses many of them. Here are some of the things that make those of us at Dutton Plumbing proud to be a part of this honorable profession.
Helping people: Many customers are extremely stressed out when they call us. Who can blame them if they’re dealing with a sewer backup, water spurting all over the place, no hot water or any number of other dreadful things that can go wrong with your home’s plumbing system. I’m sure I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that one of our biggest satisfactions is fixing a problem in a way that turns a frown into a smile on a customer’s face.
Making friends: When we do that, we often end up with the customer asking to be serviced by the same technician over and over. Did you know you can request one of us by name? We can’t guarantee your favorite Dutton technician will be available when you call, but if it’s not an emergency and you can wait until he or she is available, we’ll be happy to dispatch that person to your home as soon as possible. It’s a great feeling to make friends out of customers.
Solving problems: Service plumbing is about more than turning wrenches. The greatest mechanic in the world is of no use if he ends up tinkering with the wrong valve or fixture. The real key to professionalism in our business is being able to diagnose what’s wrong and come up with a cost-effective solution. It takes brainwork to pinpoint a leak or determine the source of a plumbing problem. We can teach someone pretty quickly to become proficient with the tools of our trade, but diagnostic ability relies on knowledge that is mostly gained by experience.
We get results: A lot of desk jobs involve paperwork that makes it pretty hard to evaluate how useful and valuable a person’s work might be. Not so with plumbing. When we install a toilet, water heater or disposer, it either works right or it doesn’t. Something gets fixed or not. There’s not a lot of grey area in the work we do.
Working with our hands is way cool: After they finish an installation or repair, some of our technicians have been known to simply stand back for a minute or so and take a look at what they’ve accomplished, like an artist finishing a painting. There’s something about building and fixing things that gives you a warm feeling inside. You just know you’re making an honest living and contributing something positive to society.
Our jobs cannot be outsourced: Many people are losing jobs due to automation or being outsourced to foreign lands. We don’t have to worry about that. As long as humans require fresh water and sanitation, plumbers will be needed. Nobody has figured out a way to use robots to do our job or hire someone from overseas, and I doubt anyone ever will.
Plumbing tools keep getting better: Plumbers work hard, but not as hard as we used to. More than most companies, Dutton Plumbing stays abreast of cutting-edge tools and technology in our trade. We want our plumbers to work smart more than hard.
Look sharp, be sharp: Cleanliness and personal appearance are important values to all of us at Dutton Plumbing. Our technicians go to work each day in clean uniforms and washed, well-stocked service trucks. They carry ID badges and put on plastic booties to avoid tracking dirt and debris into customer homes. These policies not only benefit our customers, they help instill a sense of pride and professionalism in our technicians and everyone else who works for Dutton Plumbing. That’s why most of our people have been with us for many years, in an industry where turnover tends to run rampant.
We’re all too cognizant of the lousy image plumbers have in the eyes of many people who associate plumbing with dirty work and slovenly appearance. We make it a point to turn that around, and along the way take a lot of pride and joy in the work we do.
