I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news. The good news is there’s a huge, fun, party tonight. The bad news is: you’re on call. 
After 15 years in the apartment maintenance field, I’ve finally made my peace with going on call. It is what you make it. I just tell myself, “It’s time to get that overtime!” Just go out for every call. Rake’em over the coals with those hours!
Since I moved over to a conventional property, meaning mostly adults live there, it’s not so bad. I worked for 8 years in student housing where 100% of the tenants were college kids ranging from ages 18 to 22. And going on call was an ever loving nightmare.
The company that I worked for owned roughly 20 student housing properties. So, the on call rotation would get split up. One maintenance tech would be on call for seven properties. That’s right. Seven. Properties. One man!
Student housing properties are usually massive too. No less than 200 units most of the time. It was unbelievable! One week of pure hell. The company gave us an on call beeper too. Some call it a pager. It was 2006 (the age of cell phones) and I remember carrying around a freaking beeper. When my wife and I first started dating, she thought I was a drug dealer! 
Anyway, college kids don’t sleep at night like most working people do. They are first coming home from the club or bar at 3:00am, so the beeper would be going off all night. Monday through Sunday. Breezeway fire alarms being pulled for no reason. Front doors getting kicked in. And who can forget my favorite call of all, “my roommate’s door is locked and she’s passed out in the bathtub with the water running. It’s now leaking down into the second and first floor apartments.” At 4:00am. All of this sh#t on top of things actually breaking like A/Cs not cooling and massive plumbing backups. These college kids have no concept of what should and should not go into a toilet.
The lockouts though! That was where the bread and butter was. The company let us keep the $40.00 cash lockout charge. I was guaranteed 3 lockouts per on call. The cash was definitely the carrot on the stick that made going on call not sting as bad. Except for that one time where the cops saw me climbing into a window to help a kid get into his apartment.
I’m glad my student housing days are behind me though. That’s a young man’s game. But, it’s a great place to start a maintenance career. It will toughen you up and make you a great wartime general.
When there’s six apartments that have no a/c while 2 other apartments are having a massive flooding issue, how are you going to react? Are you going to crumble and cower like a peacetime general? Or attack with fury like George Patton and get your property under control. Student housing is a great training ground for that type work ethic. Because what I just described is an almost daily thing.
How to not annoy your tech while he/she is on call.
Sometimes an office staff member that has never been on call nor will ever have to go on call can say things that are really annoying. If you work in the office and you’re reading this right now, take this advice. Don’t say anything about on call unless you know what it’s like to be on call. It’s that simple. If you want to stay on your maintenance team’s good side, keep your mouth shut about it. Seriously.
What not to do to someone who’s on call.
If there’s a company party or function and the tech that’s on call doesn’t want to go because they are on call, don’t give them crap about it! Some
people don’t want to show up to a party and then get an emergency call and have to leave. Or, maybe they can’t be around alcohol so they want to stay home while they’re on call so that they don’t drink. Leave whomever it is alone if they decline your goofy company party invite! Just say,” Awww, shoot. Well…maybe next year.”
That is actually a pet peeve of mine. If I’m on call and some office staffer gives me sh#t because I’d rather hang at the house rather than go to a company event, I’ll be sure to tell that person to kiss my butt.
The tech that’s on call is guarding the fort while you party. If he wants to go to the party, fine. If he doesn’t, fine. Just don’t say a freaking word about it if he doesn’t want to go. Don’t be annoying!
If you don’t know what it’s like to have to leave your kids t-ball game or ballet recital because apartment B is too good to plunge their own toilet, then shut up about on call!
If you don’t know what it’s like to have to stop putting presents together on Christmas Eve night because apartment 206 says their heat (or, if you are in Florida like me, their A/C) isn’t working, then shut up about on call.
That’s right! Shut up! Just being on call is stressful. Even if you never get a call the entire week! While you’re off the clock, free as a bird without a care in the world, I have a responsibility to look after a million dollar property.
Now don’t get me wrong. If a call is botched or goes unanswered, then yes, it’s your job to speak up. Managers and office staff. That’s a major issue. But anything outside of that. Shut. Up.
The 24/7/365 person that lets you know about it all the time!
Oh my favorite, “Well, I’m a manager and I’m on call 24/7/365”. (eye roll) Whatever. Speaking from my own experience, in all my 15 years in maintenance, I’ve never seen a manager out on a call. Yes, I know if there was a fire or major catastrophe a manager would have to come out. But that’s very, very, rare. Guess how many times a manager has answered their phone at 2:45am when I needed them. Zero. That’s right zero! In 15 years, the few times that I’ve had to call a property manager for something, it always went to voicemail. The next morning they were always so apologetic. Now, what if I didn’t answer an emergency call and let it go to voicemail? Hmmm, can you say write up or fired? So, managers, you’re not really on call. You’re kind of on call for that rare, slight chance, may never happen, call.
I’m not talking about all property managers. Just speaking from my own experiences. Never have I seen a manager out on a call. I’m probably going to catch hell for this one. Oh well, the truth hurts.
So, in conclusion, going on call is what you make of it. Don’t let it ruin your life. Don’t be a slave to it. If you want to go to a party, by gosh, go! I am personally working on this issue. I become a ball of nerves when I’m on call. I stay home waiting for a catastrophe to happen. But, I’m getting better. I actually went to a party last night while on call! Something I used to never do. Ever. And remember, this is as close as you can get to becoming someone’s hero. When it’s 11:00pm at night and someone is hot because their A/C is out and you show up and fix it, you have a fan for life. You’re their hero! Maybe a child ends up getting a good grade on their test because they had a good nights sleep in the cool air from the A/C that you fixed. Well done, you wartime general.
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Lex Vance the creator of Dirty Maintenance Nation is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
that’s pretty good Lex. I’m the only Maintenance Tech where I work I rarely ever get a call. Our property owner takes call on all the small stuff.
Oh that’s awesome! I love it when an owner gets out there with you. I had an owner a long time ago that did that. He’d pressure wash in the hot Florida sun. I admire a wealthy owner that aint afraid to get dirty with you. Thank you Rodney!
Really cool and well said I am a master tech for 252 apartments and I do the same thing I’m trying to not worry about it . Thank you
You’re welcome Arthur! I’m slowly getting better at not being so anxious while on call. LoL! Thank you so much Arthur!
Man! My first two years in the biz, I had a panic attack whenever that phone rang (I was still building experience). Now, I’m just surprised!
My only hassle with on-call now, is the difficulty in planning family activities. My house is an hour drive from my property so if the campground is an hour from the property, I’m still going camping! I don’t want to work a property with less than 200 units now. I just turned down a Supervisor position with a 6 building, 144 unit property because it would mean being on-call every other week and less time at home!
Me too! I jump with surprise. The panic attacks have subsided. LoL Yes, time with family is the hardest part. Being yanked away for something rediculous is frustration. An actual emergency I don’t mind going out on. Thank you so much for stopping by Marc!
Another self-soothing stratagy I use is by recalling what on-call was like as an HVAC tech. On a Saturday in August, you would get two calls while you were on the freeway headed to one. It really ended up being another weekday. Now, I may only get 1-3 calls A WEEK and two of them were simple. I’ll take that deal!
I like that deal too Marc!