Similar problem up here , Charlie . The boss would give the order to start converting the equipment over in the fall, we would start preparing the machines for winter work . We had two kids who showed promise , and wanted to work the winter season , not take the time off and collect unemployment insurance , [ They were given the options ] . I was up to my eyeballs in shop work and paper work , [Sound familiar?] ,put these two out in the yard checking equipment , I had a lot of them at the shop door . It's a good thing the boss hired a crew chief for the winter work who knew what to look for , he called me aside , said " You better get out here " The two had checked our six Trackless machines and six of our John Deere farm tractors , there was no pressure , just get them done and done right. Half of them or better were not ready , hadn't been checked correctly , and a lot of the functions on these machines didn't work . I called them in , explained without undue overreaction , that if these machines didn't run or run right , we didn't eat , and our business was in trouble . I got the answer back they didn't care , they were just there to put in hours and collect a pay check . The crew chief could sense things were about to go south , he took them in to the main office , and they had to explain to the boss why they should keep their jobs . Things got better after that , it cleared the air pretty quick and we got on with our jobs . The thing was that if it had have gone unnoticed and they got out the door without being done right , it would have been me getting called in to the office . So I can understand Dean's frustration , we take the feedback , often negative , and a lot of the times it pi**es you off . I wish there was an easy answer too .We have enough crap to deal with , without adding this to it .

Roger Rutledge
Technician/Shop Foreman
Riverside Landscape Contractors Inc
Brantford, Ontario, Canada