What a great company needs from Technicians

[dash]

JMHO:

1.)All technical skills ,including air flow diagnostics,for type of work ,ie resi or comm..

2.)Great customer service/relations,and more then acceptable appearance and manners.

3.)Ability and desire to show customers their options,new systems ,accessories ,etc..

4.)Complete all paperwork,keep the truck organized.

5.)Good attendence and honesty.

6.)Handle on call and overtime ,when it's their turn

7.)Participate in training ,on and some off the clock.

8.)Communicate with coworkers and management,to improve customer service and working conditions.


Somewhat hesitent to post this,as it's really off the cuff,I may have left out somethings.

Constructive Input Desired!

[hvacbear]

Learn from mistakes.

Continuing education is a big one.

Professional attitude.

This list is great list. I'd be interested to see a list of what a tech should expect?

[wolfstrike]

only sales.

[tim fox]

Looks perfectly reasonable to me Dash. All of my schooling/training and seminars are off the clock and out of my pocket as the co. I work for see's training as a hit on the bottom line. I may not be there forever so I want to be educated when the time comes that I may have to go somewhere else. You're not asking for anything that should be concidered out of line. To the contrary, your desire for an educated staff is commendable. Most contractors want educated people as long as someone else is paying for the education. Hell, I'd be happy if my company would even pay half and I'd go only on my time. I've been doing this for 22 years and always going to some type of class at comm. collage or RSES seminar or even just our chapter meetings where we always have some type of small class on something. My wife calls me an HVAC nerd because I'm always around it in some form.

[sline-dawg]

Number 4 is my weak spot.......damn I'm a mess.....


But all the others I can handle...for the most part...;)

[alpha480v]

I agree with all except #7. I don't have a problem with going to training seminars, but if is during the regular work week, then I expect to be paid for it.

Same with after hours training. You as an employer can't expect to take your employees away from their families on their off time and not compensate them for for it. It would be like that tech working an after hours service call and not being paid for it.

[thermotron1]

There are so many qualities and traits...I couldn't even begin to list them all. Dash, you have put together a good list. When we hire service techs to work on our Environmental equipment I look for 11 charateristics, they don't necessarily have to have all 11, but we must be able to have a plan in place in order to work through the missing link. Here is my list that I work from:

1. Achievement Driven
2. Service Orientation
3. Conscientious
4. Self Confident
5. Intiative
6. Builds Bonds
7. Communication
8. Self Control
9. Adaptability
10. Trustworthiness
11. Influence

[sabre11134]

I agree with all except #7. I don't have a problem with going to training seminars, but if is during the regular work week, then I expect to be paid for it.:D :D

Techs should get compensated for any training, The company will benefit greater than the techs salary.

[DE J-man04]

I argee with all but that #7 really on the clock is fine but off the clock training now im all 4 helping the company when the on call guy swamped with 9 calls in an hour that come in ill help him and make money but to take time from my family for training and not get paid my wife complains i work too much now that is until paycheck comes in:D

[supertek65]

#4 is not my strong point.
My boss said that he would rather have a sub par technician that does great paperwork!
What do you think of that?
#4 should be # 1 on that list!
Frank

[dash]

Most of the off the clock training we do,is for advancement,like installers becoming service techs.

Or duct installers ,learning to set equipment and do changeouts.

It's all optional,but we do like to see people that want to advance.

[Steve Wiggins]

As a tech I have your list covered. What I expect from my employer is to tell me where to go but not what to do once I get there. Once on the job I become the boss and my employer becomes the assistant. If you can deal with that dash then I could work for you.

[timebuilder]

Some good lists.

I might add that when a company leads with honesty and integrity, they should expect their employees to do the same.

[dash]

As a tech I have your list covered. What I expect from my employer is to tell me where to go but not what to do once I get there. Once on the job I become the boss and my employer becomes the assistant. If you can deal with that dash then I could work for you.

That would be fine,assuming you make the right decissions,most of the time.

The internal coworkers of the company,should understand that their job exists to assist the external coworkers that actually provide the sales,servic and installations.The external coworkers,must in turn,provide adequate paper work back to the office,so they can do thier job.

[isitfixedyet]

JMHO:

1.)All technical skills ,including air flow diagnostics,for type of work ,ie resi or comm..
(Answer) ask what your employees needs are , then listen to them!
I am sure they can help you understand , what youre lacking!
paid training or inhouse training, without the low pay for every other skill they might have may be somthing to consider?

2.)Great customer service/relations,and more then acceptable appearance and manners.
(Answer) clean cut is good presentation for company image, its an old common understanding that if one is clean cut, they are trustworthy and more professional, although in these days and era, clean cut doesnt mean much, to the generations now, the kids are slobs, and the work ethic is poor, and the uniforms become like wearing pajamas, lol
skills and work ethic are not the same as clean cut and professional.

customer skills improvemnet classes!
these are good , but if the company doesnt care about how it treats it employees, then the employees treats the job, work, equipment,vans and customers the same way theyre treated,, bottom line!
its gotta be a team effort!

3.)Ability and desire to show customers their options,new systems ,accessories ,etc..
(Answer) simple as pie! more sharing the profits , more incentive to show and do , more people have to beliee in what works and what they offer and sell! it has to be open for the tech to offer that or have the option, and his input is valuable for the company and customer to profit, since he evaluates performance of equipment and manufacturers on a techs viewpoint!

4.)Complete all paperwork,keep the truck organized.
(Answer) dont nit pick or haggel the techs to find things to complain,about or find everything wrong, or pay them for paperwork and bookeeping,and or send them to accounting and bookeeping courses, and the office employees to trade places with them a day or two, and let the techs complain about their skills, make bonuses for random van inspections etc,,, or rush them from job to job and pay them to clean their vans at the end of the day, so its not on their time to do paperwork,and clean vans, or you go do it for them if you dont like them? just an option

5.)Good attendence and honesty.
(Answer) I am the guy thats there when all the guys wont, im not punctual for the mornings, but im the guy thats there all hours , rain sleet or shine, and when everyones at home badmouthing the guy still doing their work and or call backs or dirtywork!
honesty? about what? sharing the profits?

6.)Handle on call and overtime ,when it's their turn
(Answer) see above...

7.)Participate in training ,on and some off the clock.
(Answer) make it paid with an "advance notice", or some tuition paid,or terms/ options and I will be there!

8.)Communicate with coworkers and management,to improve customer service and working conditions.
(answer) as long as its not a job hazard, or a political game!


Somewhat hesitent to post this,as it's really off the cuff,I may have left out somethings.

Constructive Input Desired!constructive is sometimes painful taken from the negative, when having to deal with uncomfortable issues, one doesnt like to or want to!
self improvement, great issues! good time to reflect!
try to take the good with the bad it helps improve when in denial!

[timebuilder]

Anyone else having trouble following this fellow's posts?

It could be just me, but then, I can't read my niece's text messages, either.

[12andstilllearning]

Its not all about the dollar, i for one would attend training whether i was paid or not. I figure at some point it will equate to more money and over the last 13 yrs it has worked. The rest of the list is simple if you take pride in what you do. I handle every customer like they were my own it works well.

[hvac45]

Some great posts, I guess I was different or something, but as a tech #1 I wanted to be the best, #2 the fact that I figured out what failed wasn't enough, I had to know why it failed. A lot of the training oferred these days is to train a guy to sale. What a tech basically needs to know is what every part does and how it effects the operation. if he knows that he can fix anything. He will be faster and more confident at what he does, and worth a hell of a lot more money wise, than the guy that just tries to sell a new system.

[12andstilllearning]

That is what we all want, to be the best in the field. The question is how hard do you work for it? That is where the after hours training, the Rses meetings any other activity that will bring more value to your bottom line.

[dirtyboy103us]

JMHO:

1.)All technical skills ,including air flow diagnostics,for type of work ,ie resi or comm..

2.)Great customer service/relations,and more then acceptable appearance and manners.

3.)Ability and desire to show customers their options,new systems ,accessories ,etc..

4.)Complete all paperwork,keep the truck organized.

5.)Good attendence and honesty.

6.)Handle on call and overtime ,when it's their turn

7.)Participate in training ,on and some off the clock.

8.)Communicate with coworkers and management,to improve customer service and working conditions.


Somewhat hesitent to post this,as it's really off the cuff,I may have left out somethings.

Constructive Input Desired!

OK, now that this perfect technician is made with all the extra technical training that he/she has gotten that he/she did on their own time, and has all the communication skills (paper work, dealing with customers, sales) now, what do you do with keeping him at your company and not start their own business, sounds like he has the ambition and has paid their own dues... and can now be the owner, do make them a percentage partner........
still needs some incentives... right? or are they just their to make the company/owner more money and take on more and more responsibility to keep them interested, doesn't sound like they need an employer any more to me, just a little financing.......

not trying to rain on your parade here but if they have master all the skills what's to stop them........

[dash]

OK, now that this perfect technician is made with all the extra technical training that he/she has gotten that he/she did on their own time, and has all the communication skills (paper work, dealing with customers, sales) now, what do you do with keeping him at your company and not start their own business, sounds like he has the ambition and has paid their own dues... and can now be the owner, do make them a percentage partner........
still needs some incentives... right? or are they just their to make the company/owner more money and take on more and more responsibility to keep them interested, doesn't sound like they need an employer any more to me, just a little financing.......

not trying to rain on your parade here but if they have master all the skills what's to stop them........



We have 23 to 25 techs ,and most all of them have mastered the skills listed,at least on a good day.lol

Not trying to rain on your parade but,there's a lot more to being in business ,then what's on the list.

Some techs will surely try it on their own,we just had one leave Yesterday.

He was up front about his desire last year,gave plenty of notice,did a great job thru his last day,he's welcome back anytime ,if it doesn't work out as he's planned.


Here's his post about his new website;

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=137147


You may want to follow his progress if he keeps posting here.

BTW ,best of luck if you get your ticket and try it on your own.

[12andstilllearning]

See that is where we as a company should take care of are tech. there are far to many companies that abuse the good techs and promote the bad ones. This is why we as an industry should change and it will be on an owner by owner change or we will all be owners and hungry. Also you have to remember just because you are a good tech does not mean you will be a good owner operator.

[texas cooler]

Good list except for #7. Well trained and educated techs are a necessary investment for your business and they should be compensated.