With the plumbing industry facing an acute shortage of technicians, Tim Rausch — owner of Tim Rausch Plumbing in Appleton, Wisconsin — knows full well the value of retaining employees.
That’s why he developed what he calls a “buddy system,” where experienced journeyman plumbers pair up with younger employees and grade them on their performance. It’s not a static arrangement, either; every two weeks, the journeymen work with a different buddy, Rausch explains.
“It’s 100% designed to create and fuel a great company culture,” he says. “Everyone gets to transfer knowledge to each other.”
The ongoing scoring system is a key component because it lets the younger employees know exactly where they stand in terms of job performance. Every two weeks, they receive their score — on a scale of one to five — from the journeyman they were paired with.
The score is based on things such as showing up on time in the morning, appropriate dress, customer reviews, add-on-sales and the number of call-backs received.
They also receive another score every quarter from Rausch — on a scale from one to 100 — that’s based on 10 categories: on time for work, appearance, productivity, willingness to help, communication skills, paperwork proficiency, number of callbacks, having a clean and well-stocked truck, huddling for feedback on jobs and how well they follow the company mantra: Do the right thing the right away every time.
The biweekly scores factor into the quarterly scores and help Rausch to understand how teammates are getting along and helping each other at the shop.
In the end, it’s all about building a team atmosphere. The journeymen touch base with their buddies every morning for a few minutes to review the day’s job schedule, ensure the necessary materials are loaded on the truck and perhaps give a short pep talk regarding areas for improvement, he says.
“If a journeyman is on call but maybe has to attend, say, a child’s function, their buddy will take their calls,” Rausch says. “Everyone always has each other’s backs.”
Rausch believes the buddy system has built a great culture that promotes technician retention. As proof, he points to an annual Community Choice Award the company received in 2024 for being the best employer in the Fox Valley area. (The awards program is run by an Appleton newspaper.)
“Customers and employees get to vote," Rausch says. “I was very humbled by the award, which I think reflects how much everybody cares for each other.
“This is the best group of people I’ve ever worked for.”
Read more about Tim Rausch Plumbing in the March 2025 issue of Plumber magazine.
