[SpecMech1]

Finding trustworthy and knowledgeable technicians. I just caught an employee installing two full systems at my customers house (paid lead from Google) that he purchased the equipment using my license number and in addition he told me that is not the first customer he has stolen from me but says I will never catch him because he didn’t use my account to chase the equipment. My other employees told me that he told them he was making $6-$7k per weekend doing side jobs but they assumed the work was being done for his friends or contacts so they didn’t say anything to me. He’s not currently licensed and definitely isn’t insured but says he will have his license in two weeks so “it’s fine”. He won’t ever have a license if I can help it. Someone with zero integrity should not be licensed to perform any type of work in a persons home. It is the job of the licensing agencies to protect the general public from scum like this. He was being paid a livable wage of $35/hr. He believes he’s done nothing wrong. Not only did he take food off of my table but off of his co-works tables as well. These were customers I acquired through marketing, advertising, branding and most of all 15 years of blood sweat and tears building a business. Since my former employee is a pathological liar he probably told the customers he was licensed. He does CRAP installs so he was never allowed to do them alone while working for us. If damage does come to their property their home owners insurance won’t cover it. When I retrieved my van from his apartment I found a business card he had made saying he was the owner of an HVAC company. I have had to call every customer he has visited in his short career with me to warn them. Embarrassing but they appreciated it. Some even told me he had offered side services and they should have called but they felt like he was trying to over charge them and decided not to work with my company anymore. Not only did I loose the customers he stole but also the ones he pissed off. He is probably going to call the labor board on me because I haven’t given him his check or his personal tools yet but I need to inventory the van and separate his tools from mine and back charge him for missing tools per his contract. In addition I need to check all of his gas receipts against the gps records and make sure he wasn’t filling up his personal vehicle with my gas card. I have been too busy contacting the CSLB, city, police, etc to ensure the equipment he purchased fraudulently using my license won’t be traced back to me when something goes horribly wrong with his crap install. I have also had to contact all of my suppliers to stop him from making purchases on my accounts. He refuses to return all of his uniforms because he “can’t find them” and I’m concerned he is going to use them to gain access to my supply house accounts. Most of the supply houses I’ve already called are putting him on a permanent ban so he can’t make purchases under my company or anyone else’s. I am not sure what other recourse I have but that is my current biggest problem. Any advice?

 

[SpecMech1]

They are piling up. Thank you!

 

[SpecMech1]

He used the company vehicle at least once. He also used the van to pick up the check from the last customer he did an install for but I am not sure how many others. Still combing GPS. No non-compete.

I’ve contacted all of the customers he serviced. The ones that sent me to voicemail are the ones I suspect. I confirmed one other. I think they are scared because they broke laws by hiring him as well. I will be sending out emails to those customers. Other customers told me he was quoting astronomical prices then offering his services the his “company” cheaper. So they called someone else and didn’t tell me because they thought the prices he quoted came from me. He actually inflated my prices so he could undercut me.

I am asking the CSLB not to license him ever. They are inundated with investigations and short handed so I need to keep calling. He’s admitted everything in text except the contract prices. He also won’t tell me who he worked for and what he did. Another employee is the one who told me about the two systems and that’s how I caught him. I will press for more info.

I actually went yo the last customers house and took pictures over her fence of the equipment in a box matching the serial number to my invoice. I made him return the equipment that wasn’t installed yet. I emailed the customer links to the CSLB pages about hiring unlicensed contractors. She was scared enough to cancel the second install and not pay him any more $$.

I am highly concerned about the uniforms since he already used them to purchase equipment in my name on my license. (He paid for it) I will ask them and the sheriff what can be done to get them back. He could also have a friend wear the uniform to use my account so all suppliers now have to call me for approval of all purchases.

 

[SpecMech1]

I do require PO’s they are issues through my dispatch software but there is no way for the suppliers to know if they are made up. He could make up a number. He’s crafty

 

[SpecMech1]

He told me he talked to his “lawyer” and he has done nothing wrong. He doesn’t have a pot to piss in let alone a lawyer. My father is a mostly retired attorney. I will call him when I have all of the facts and evidence.

 

[SpecMech1]

Great idea! I told his previous employers what he did. He was shocked but said he only worked for him for 3 weeks and didn’t have any issues.( I should have asked the length of employment the first time I called to ask if he was eligible for rehire.) He did tell me that he found it strange that the tech had a $6000 refrigeration tool and told me he pawned it to pay rent. So that is something he would do.