Example Achievement Log for a Plumber
Below is a year's worth of notes from a Plumber working for a mid-sized commercial and residential contracting firm. The entries track both the visible wins, completed jobs, certifications, upsells, and the grinding routine of call-outs, difficult diagnoses, and the occasional failed fix that required a second trip.
A year in the life of a Plumber's log
- Feb - task: Covered Marcus's route for three weeks while he was out with a shoulder injury. Managed 24 residential call-outs, maintained his customer satisfaction score at 4.7/5 despite being unfamiliar with his regular clients.
- Mar - achievement: Diagnosed a recurring toilet leak at Riverside Medical Centre's main level as a faulty fill valve, not a flapper issue as previous tech had assumed. Saved them a full tank replacement and $1200.
- Apr - feedback: Supervisor Paul said in the van after the Riverside job, 'That's exactly the kind of thinking that gets you to service lead.' First time he's mentioned advancement.
- Apr - task: Retested all gas line connections at the Chambers Street apartment complex after a failed inspection. Failed my first attempt due to misreading the pressure gauge; caught it on retest and fixed the issue without escalating.
- Jun - achievement: Upsold hydro-jetting to six residential customers this month instead of the usual two or three. Cleaned out four blocked drains that would have needed replacement calls later, bringing hydro-jetting revenue to $3400.
- Jul - task: Trained two apprentices, Darren and Sophie, on low-pressure coupling technique over two weekends. Both passed their tool certification first time.
- Jul - achievement: Obtained my Backflow Prevention Device certification. Added to company's accreditation list and now eligible for hospital and school contracts we couldn't bid on before.
- Sep - feedback: Client at Westfield Primary School told Paul I was 'the only Plumber who actually explained what was wrong instead of just telling them the bill.' Paul forwarded the email to me.
- Oct - achievement: Completed the commercial HVAC cross-training program. Now qualified to diagnose and repair glycol loops, opening up preventive maintenance contracts worth $800 per site visit.
- Oct - task: Handled overflow of emergency call-outs after the October freeze. Completed 19 burst pipe repairs in two weeks, worked two Sundays, but kept average response time under six hours.
- Dec - feedback: During the year-end meeting, Paul told me I'm now on his shortlist for the service lead role opening in Q1, pending my willingness to move to the downtown depot.
What makes a strong entry
What most people write: Upsold hydro-jetting to several customers and made good revenue.
What went in the log: Upsold hydro-jetting to six residential customers this month instead of the usual two or three. Cleaned out four blocked drains that would have needed replacement calls later, bringing hydro-jetting revenue to $3400.
The strong version includes the before-and-after (two or three versus six), the outcome (four drains cleaned, no replacements needed), and the exact dollar figure, which matters because it shows whether the upsell was a one-off or a real skill change and whether it moved the needle on the business.
What most people write: Diagnosed a difficult leak at a medical centre correctly.
What went in the log: Diagnosed a recurring toilet leak at Riverside Medical Centre's main level as a faulty fill valve, not a flapper issue as previous tech had assumed. Saved them a full tank replacement and $1200.
The strong version names the site, the specific system component, what the previous diagnosis was, and the financial consequence, which proves diagnostic skill mattered and gives the reviewer a concrete story about judgment, not just effort.
How this becomes your review in November
Over this year I've moved beyond standard service calls into the kinds of diagnostics and certifications that our firm needs to bid on bigger contracts. The Riverside Medical job and the Backflow Prevention credential opened doors, I now have commercial HVAC training too, and the upsell work brought hydro-jetting revenue to $3400 just in June alone by catching drain problems before they became replacements. The team noticed the shift: Paul mentioned the service lead track after Riverside, and I made his shortlist for the Q1 role. I'm ready for the depot move if the timing works.
Starting your own log
Don't try to reconstruct a year you have already had. Start from today, one line whenever something happens, and let it build. The Perform Review Achievement Log does this for you and can capture wins straight from Slack, and how to start an achievement log covers the wider playbook.
Example Logs for Related Roles
Ready to start your own? Start your Achievement Log free, see how the Perform Review Achievement Log works, or browse performance review phrases for Plumber.