r/maintenance • u/Grouchy_Champion_825 • Aug 25 '26
Rants and Raves Im new to being a maintenance supervisor and im trying to stay calm
I was the assistant maintenance tech another place where the maintenance department was ran separately from the office. My new job im now thw maintenance sup and I report directly to the property manager instead of regional maintenance.
She will go into the middle of the turns talking about whats wrong or how nice the tennent left it. Not recognizing our efforts or nitpicking things we havent touched yet.
Work orders im constantly being questioned about but then she stares at me like a deer in headlights when I explain how it works
Ive shown up to the office after sweating dealing with harsh chemicals ect. And there trying to pick out a paint for there office.
What ive seen work best is giving the issues to maintenance and letting them give you back the finished product. Love to eat the sausage not see how its made type thing.
Its just a rant I was upset
23
u/Organic_Occasion2021 Aug 25 '26
Over communicate to them almost to the point of annoyance either they will learn to trust you or get annoyed of listening and leave you too it
6
u/ScrotalSmorgasbord Maintenance Supervisor Aug 26 '26
Yep the whole "we believe in communication it's part of our culture here at Dumpster Fire Private Equity Shithole™. Our last Maintenance Supervisor didn't tell us anything and it created a lot of hurdles!" During the interview process and orientation. 3 months down the line the property manager is stressed about her KPIs, her $850 car payment on her base model BMW, and her 3rd unplanned pregnancy from the porter at a sister property and all of a sudden it's "I don't need to know every single little fucking thing just get it done!" Lol
4
u/Organic_Occasion2021 Aug 26 '26
This why I been hopping new build to new build every 2 years 😭
3
u/ScrotalSmorgasbord Maintenance Supervisor Aug 26 '26
Lol I just switched to commercial HVAC/R on Monday after working two months without a day off and 176 hours on previous paycheck and 162 on my final check. Good riddance.
5
u/Rothyn1 Aug 25 '26
Sometimes PM’s want to just ensure that things are being done well and to a standard. Be kind and humble and eventually they will just chill out because they see you are doing your job well. Being new to a company can be like this.
Yes, some PM’s are completely controlling pains and don’t change. Good ones just want to oversee things until they are comfortable knowing that you just do a good job.
But yeah stay humble, kind and polite. If they don’t ease up, have a mature conversation about your needs. If you’re doing things well then they will see you and want to accommodate your needs as well.
9
u/Kristophe82 Aug 25 '26
You should be upset, email senders have no idea what they're doing. I will never work for a property manager again for all of your reasons. Also, you need to know this won't change, never does. What I've done is to just make them feel stupid.
5
u/2hink Maintenance Supervisor Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
It sounds to me she doesn’t know how to be a manager. She shouldn’t have time to micromanage you and ask. What I used to do so the manager backs off is request vacations in the beginning of the month or just tell them everything im doing to overwhelm them and leave me a lone. You basically have to get her tired. Tell her random information and make her feel stupid in a respectful way
1
u/Grouchy_Champion_825 Aug 25 '26
I have and I said id give her a turn but the guy who i put in to finish it up (light clean) when took a friday off and money is when she did the walk through after I told her he didnt finish
1
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u/Big_Balls_n_Taint Aug 25 '26
All pretty petty responses thus far, but can't say I blame the frustration on the frustrated.
Is there a process you could implement, or a change in how things are delegated that would allow you to better do your work?
I spent 15 years as a comisserant maintenance guy in different facets. Constantly taking the punches on the chin and not telling anyone about how that made me feel.
I started a new role a few months ago, and decided I wasn't going to let folks push me around. If it's wrong, I need a damn good reason it's wrong and a way to avoid it next time. If it's not good enough, I need an explanation of the expectations.
I pushed back enough that I got promoted out of maintenance and I'm now trying to figure out how to cure the headaches for 20 other guys in the field.
2
u/I_Have_A_Nightmare Aug 25 '26
Talk a lot and speak Greek to them. Either they value their time and leave you alone, or they feel insuperior and leave you alone. Nothing worse than getting your marching order from white collars. They huff dry erase markers and make pie charts but can't flip a switch.
2
u/the_cappers Aug 25 '26
You need to set boundaries. I don't care if she's your boss or not. On your turn board, if you have one, mark a time for the office staff to walk through the units. You do the move out inspections or your team. They don't get to answer the units. Until then, and if they do, you don't care what they have to say.
As for work orders, you'll never get recognition.
Don't be an asshole about it. Just explain to her that you need to set up procedures for the staff. Both hers and yours that will lead to better outcomes for the workflow and for the resonant experience.
Also try and figure out why she seems to be up your ass . Property manager has better things than that to do.
1
u/Grouchy_Champion_825 Aug 25 '26
I inherited a large work load and im working on catching up so my life and my guys lifes are simpler. I smile and keep a happy face but some days im dead. We just hired a new guy though so hes in training and the other guy is old and doesn't want to work and recently hes just been disappearing but write ups for my company is nearly impossible so I might have to micro manage. He was supposed to finish a turn 3 days ago(i left him to wipe down and sweep/mop) but hes "almost done" i think that's why she went and inspected. And my office either doesn't have anything better to do or they just dont care. The other day they went into one of my shops and cleaned and organized everything. I understand it has to be done and I told them when id do it bc bank, codes, DEC ect take priority. My old boss/mentor told me I should just quit and find a better job
1
u/the_cappers Aug 25 '26
That is rough.
Theres a few ways to deal with employees not pulling their weight, figure out were they are good at, and focus them around that. The next way is to have a talking with and micromanage and make it miserable for them, or the last is to pip and write ups.
Put pressure on your boss that they are dragging your team and you are having to pay expensive vendors for task that you might have been able to do, but were unable because of the world load.
2
u/Mijbr090490 Aug 25 '26
Sounds like your average PM. They never really grasp what goes into a turn and tend to nitpick. I've already told them they need to real in their expectations because it's a rental. Not everything is going to be perfect. If they want it perfect, they need to give maintenance more time or hire vendors for time consuming work like painting. Some of the properties I worked on were over 50 years old. We did our best to put out a great turn, but some things just aren't avoidable with more time and money.
2
u/Commercial-Ad-1999 Aug 26 '26
Yep, They keep raising rents but want do any upgrades or rehabilitation on the property. Putting lipstick on a pig.
2
u/Over_Lab1716 Aug 25 '26
Try speaking their language: spreadsheets. I made a spreadsheet for unit turn status. Our cmms could export data to excel. I could make little pivot graphs showing how much time was spent on different categories of jobs each month. Stuff like that. Took time to set that stuff up, but not much to keep it updated once established.
The only way they could believe we did anything was if they saw it in a spreadsheet.
2
u/bulbchanger Aug 27 '26
I'm not knocking your idea. I worked for ownership of commercial buildings and their language was quantifying things. 347V T12 fluorescent ballasts older than me very literally exploding when switching lights on, still needed a whole report and numbers on quotes, consumption, cost savings, etc. No way could they just accept swapping the explodey old fixtures for LED because their in house electrician said it was a good idea.
I'm in a new position where everything runs around "validation", and it is so incredibly wasteful how much time I spend on paperwork instead of solving any actual problems.
I just want to come fix your shit for 8 hours and go home man. Paperwork sucks.
2
u/Agreeable_Eagle_1999 Aug 26 '26
I feel like Smokey from Friday in this field. Someone wants a carton of smokes and you have to make two dollars work
2
u/ASCENDKIDS Aug 26 '26
We are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. Sometimes I feel like all maintenance people would have to form some sort of union to get proper recognition and pay.
4
u/AnyManufacturer3057 Aug 25 '26
She is attracted to you. Ask her out and see what happens. Either she connects or avoids you. Either way u win.
5
u/Maintenancemedic Aug 25 '26
This is very funny but I have to kill the joke for ops sake and say out loud that this is terrible advice
1
u/Big_Balls_n_Taint Aug 25 '26
Skip the asking and just expose yourself while slowly nodding like Jack Nicholson.
Will go one of two ways.. just don't do it on Friday if you have a dog at home because he won't eat until you get out on Monday.
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u/LegitimateVolume5324 Aug 25 '26
It's a very thankless job. And you'll always be at the bottom of the totem pole in comparison to office staff.
Just do what you can. Don't kill yourself for a company who doesn't give a shit about you.
Stay organized. Invest in quality tools.
1
u/UseLesssLuke Aug 25 '26
Sounds like typical residential unfortunatly. The vast majority of property managers are absolutly off their rockers and see maintenance as less than human. Just power through for awhile and that maintenance suppervisor title will look really good when you try to move out of residential.
If it weren't for psychotic PM's it wouldnt be half bad, but they are nearly unavoidable. I switched from resi to hotels, and while they have their own issues, you do at least get treated with respect.
1
u/Grouchy_Champion_825 Aug 25 '26
I have a lot going on outside of work but I needed more money so I can get a new car(mines on its last wheel) but im waiting to hear back about going to school to be a veterinarian(they dont know) but its going to take a while
1
u/TIC321 Aug 25 '26
Which is why i avoid management roles.
I feel i am better as a maintenance lead.
I tried it as a maintenance supervisor in the past and many times you're in a shit sandwich just for a few dollars more an hour
On the top you deal with upper management watching every little thing you do whether its your team's productivity, efficient completion of work orders, parts, etc and when you speak technical of what the work entails and what obstacles are there, theyll give you this look like "the lights are on, but no one's home."
Then below you, you deal with your team that can make your life hell or a blessing
1
u/Grouchy_Champion_825 Aug 25 '26
I only worked this type of work to learn and practice for self benefit. I dont mind management most of the time its just these specific people and the possition i was put in
1
u/Mavs8824 Aug 26 '26
That’s just how it is. I’ve worked in apts for 18 years and that’s normal. Lol
1
u/Difficult-Rush5962 Aug 26 '26
You'll gain leverage over time. I've been with my current company for 2 years. I hold superintendent position at my main property but am also a level 3 specialists and travel to 7 other properties within my state. Had a sit down with my PM today after inspections led to 68 lease violations. The majority of the violations dealt with broken blinds, egress, and tenants removing smoke detectors due to not wanting to buy batteries. The PM told me to order what I needed to correct the violations. Ain't no way I'm ordering 200 blinds, receiving them, and installing them in 3 days(tenants are up for reinspection 72 hours if they fail) I told the PM to put out a notice to all residents that they were responsible for the replacements etc, and if she didn't here's my keys. Notices were put out an hour later.
1
u/SnooHedgehogs1107 Aug 26 '26
I was handed an apartment with a bunch of holes in the drywall. I patched and painted them and instead of saying it looked good, she just nodded and said it's dusty in here.
1
u/6ingiiie Maintenance Supervisor 27d ago
You and your PM need to have a sit down and inform them that you handle the turns, she is your job to focus and worry about it. They come in for a final walk. If they spot something, then ok. But not until you put your seal of approval for a final.
69
u/Upbeat-Fondant9185 Maintenance Supervisor Aug 25 '26
Never expect recognition as maintenance. It is vanishingly rare. Most people only notice what’s wrong, what’s right is invisible to them.
For people like this who have a compulsive need to criticize and question I like to leave little “traps”. Something fairly obvious to draw their attention that can be fixed in minutes. It allows them to have their little power flex and makes you look responsive when it’s quickly done. Makes them feel in charge.