We created the Ready, Willing & Able program to change how our team works through the year. In our trade, many companies let technicians go when the slow season comes. We do it differently. Our program works to keep our people employed all year, even through the off-season. During those slower months, our team spends time on training and community service instead of facing layoffs. This matters to you because the same experienced people who come to your door in summer will be the ones who show up in winter.
Key takeaways
- Our program strives to provide year-round employment for every technician on our team.
- During the off-season, pay stays at two-thirds of the regular hourly rate.
- Slow months are used for training and community service, not layoffs.
- You see the same experienced people at your door every season of the year.
What the Program Provides
Our program works to provide steady pay for every employee, whether they work in the office or out in the field. The pay floor is set at two-thirds of their regular hourly rate, even during the off-season when work slows down. This pay floor holds true in a week with nothing scheduled, as long as the technician is ready, willing, and able to work.
Erin Smith, a co-founder with a background in recruiting, hiring, and training, created this program. Its purpose is to keep skilled people on our team rather than rehire each spring and fall. We want our technicians to know they have a place with us year-round.
This commitment applies to every employee who meets the one condition of being ready, willing, and able to take on work when it comes. It gives our people stability and lets them focus on serving you well.
Ready, Willing & Able is our program providing off-season pay at two-thirds of the hourly rate.
How the Trade Handles Seasons
The plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning trade follows a seasonal pattern. Furnace calls peak in the winter, while air-conditioning calls peak in the summer. The usual practice is to hire extra workers just before a peak season and then lay them off after it ends. This creates income gaps for workers, who have no reason to stay with one company between seasons. For a homeowner, this means a stranger at the door each visit, with thin training behind them. In this industry, two or three years at one shop is counted as a long stay.
❌ MYTH: A homeowner might think seasonal crews are just as reliable as year-round staff.
✓ FACT: The usual practice is to hire before a peak and lay off after it, so a homeowner gets a stranger each visit with thin training.
What happens during slow season
When winter storms pass and summer heat fades, our technicians don't worry about lost income. We keep their pay steady through the year. During off-season periods, every team member earns at least two-thirds of their regular hourly rate. This pay floor applies whether they are working on a job, training, or helping the community.
Our team uses slower months for what we call Barn Days. These are paid volunteer days at regular wages. Our people work with local nonprofits. They have helped HomeAid Utah, which provides housing after homelessness. They have supported Seager Memorial Clinic in Ogden, a free clinic where we donated heating, cooling, and plumbing work over several seasons. They have also worked with The Otherside Village, installing water heaters and ductless units.
We also run our own training program, the 360 Whole Human Program, started in 2025. It happens on paid time. Each day, our technicians spend an hour on personal finance, health and wellness, professionalism, or GED preparation. This keeps their skills growing and their pay steady, no matter the season.
Why your plumber stays longer
When a technician stays with the same company year after year, you get someone who knows your home. Our people work on the same equipment, visit the same houses, and see the same faces. Experience builds naturally when there is no reason to leave. In 2025 our turnover was at a record low. Average tenure on our team rises every year.
There is no layoff worry, so there is no reason to oversell. Our people get benefits that support their lives: health insurance, a 401(k) with matching, paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, and flexible schedules. Vendor trips go to employees, not to owners.
During the off-season, every technician still earns at least two-thirds of their regular hourly rate. That pay floor means our team can plan for the whole year. When your plumber is not worried about their next paycheck, they can focus on doing the job right for you.
Our technicians stay because they have no reason to leave.
