Sometimes the most skilled plumber isn’t always the nicest person—they can be moody, rude, arrogant, and even mean. So, what should you do about it? With a shortage of skilled plumbers, losing a diagnostic expert can seem like a big risk. However, keeping a talented plumber who is also a jerk can ultimately be more harmful to your business.
Ideally, this situation shouldn’t arise at all. Many business owners may name their top plumber based solely on technical proficiency, the fewest callbacks, speed, or billing volume, without considering attitude. In my view, a plumber’s attitude is crucial, and a plumber with a poor attitude is likely one of your worst.
A negative attitude creates stress for your service manager, impacts customer interactions, and affects your entire team. It can lead to high turnover if other techs don’t want to work with them, and it might even encourage similar behavior in others if not addressed. If a bad attitude is tolerated, it can become normalized.
Rather than firing a tech immediately, consider that you may share some responsibility for their attitude. If you consistently praise their technical skills without addressing their behavior, you're implicitly condoning it. Instead, have a candid conversation with them about their conduct and its impact. Make it clear that change is necessary, but also be prepared to support them in improving. If their behavior doesn’t improve, termination may be necessary. A bad attitude can be detrimental to your shop, leading to higher costs and lower satisfaction.
If you find yourself needing to replace a problematic plumber, contact us at 1-833-937-3546 or email us at info@rockstarrecruitinggroup.com. We specialize in finding talented plumbers with the right attitude. Check out our 10 case studies to see how we’ve successfully matched companies with exceptional plumbers.
