Technician Training and Hiring

Finding Repair People IS A Challenge (Flickr User JD Hancock/CC)

The roundtable discussion at a United Servicers Association meeting is always interesting and enlightening.The Portland roundtable in November touched upon an issue that is currently challenging our industry.

New technicians are not entering the trade at the same rate as old servicers are retiring. Many companies report great difficulties in finding skilled repair people. The conversation discussed the pro's and con's involved with training your own techs vs. hiring already knowledgeable techs.

In house training lets techs learn in an environment that matches how their company does business, but it is a time consuming process. Hiring an experienced technician can sometimes mean that they have learned to do things differently than your company might do them. In other words, you might be taking on "additional baggage".

There is a third way that was discussed to adress the need for techs. That would be to utilize one of the appliance training programs that are offered around the country. You might recruit a recent graduate or send a promising rookie to school.

Without our specific endorsement, there were three such programs discussed favorably at the roundtable meeting that I attended,

Freds Appliance Academy offers a three week immersion type of program that features classroom and hands on training. They even have a student dorm available for students.

Internet appliance repair celebrity, the Appliance Samurai, uses his irreverent (but quite knowledgable) approach to appliance repair. His online training program shows budding "appliantologists" how to repair and service appliances at his Samurai Tech Academy.

The last training program mentioned has been used by several Northwest technicians that I know of. Renton Technical College in Renton, WA has programs teaching appliance repair in a traditional collegiate training program.

If you are struggling to fill the gaps in your repair staff, graduates from one of these programs can step in already trained. Likewise, if you know of someone who would make a good technician, one of these programs could give that person the skills needed for success in appliance repair.

I know that there are other programs that exist around the country, if you know of a good appliance repair training program that I have not mentioned, please share it with us in the comments.

POST SCRIPT: This comment came in via Twitter:

@WLMayCo also add Los Medanos College in Pittsburg CA. Appliance Service Technology courses. short term, accredited. #SFBayArea
— ApplianceTechs_Marin (@ATOMsanRafael) January 7, 2015

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Kelly's Korner - How to Find a Good Appliance Repair Company

Hey, All,

So you go to put a load of clothes in your washer, load up the clothes, add detergent and turn it on and NOTHING!!  Or you go to pull a pint of ice cream out of the freezer and everything is melted or defrosted.  What do you do?

Do you try to fix it yourself?  Call Mr Fixit next door?  Or call a professional appliance repair company?  If you are sure of your repair abilities and/or of your personal Mr Fixit, then fine, but what do you do if it's beyond your abilities?  Yellow pages?  Google?

Your best sources would be friends and neighbors - check to see who they use. They will give you an honest opinion on the experiences they've had.  Angie's List is another.  If you use Google, Yahoo, or the Yellow Pages, it is buyer beware!  Do some thorough checking on a company before you call them.  It is probably a good idea to do this in a non-emergency situation so you are not panicked when an appliance does break down.

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Some questions to have answered are:

• Do they take debit/credit cards?
• Ask questions about their charging system - do they charge a service call no matter what?  What is the total amount of the repair going to be?
• If they have to come back to finish the repair, is that going to be an additional charge?
• How long have they been in business?
• Are they insured in case something gets broken or damaged?
• What is their guarantee on parts and labor?
• Ask for references
• What kind of training have the techs had - are they factory authorized to work on your appliances?

I did a previous blog about questions that a servicer needs to ask, so take a quick look at that and have all the information ready when you call - it saves a lot of time on both ends.  Also, make sure that the area that the tech is going to be working in is clean and cleared out - he more than likely will have to move the appliance out to work on it.

Having a good appliance repair company on call is a great idea - not only will they come out for the emergencies but will recommended preventative maintenance calls and products to help your machines run better - cleaners, filters, etc.

Have a great week!

Wayback Machine Wednesday

In the 20 years years, I have been the appliance trade I have seen a lot of changes. To those of you have been doing this for what may seem like forever, we salute you! Here is a short stroll down memory lane.

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You know you are an old timer when...

• You remember when W.L. May was located on the park blocks in downtown Portland.
• You did research, it meant using film cards and quick books, not computers.
• You have serviced a GE clam shell timer.
• You had the borrow the customers phone if you needed to make a call from the field.
• You know what a wigwag is and have replaced a lot of them.
• You remember having to give a model number when ordering parts for Whirlpool warranty, and they would be shipped to you at no charge,
• You remember the days before computer boards in appliances.
• You have worked on a wringer washer and had no trouble finding parts.
• You knew that the parts numbers for a washer would start with a 2 from Maytag, a 2 or 3 from Whirlpool, or a WH from GE.
• You could do sealed system repair without the licensing by the EPA. 
• You remember when Roy and Chuck were rookies.
• You remember when Frigidaire started adding a 5300 to the beginning of their part numbers.
• Your first service van now qualifies as a classic car.

What else can you remember about the "good old days"? Tell us about it in the comments.

Friday Featured Client: Home Appliance Service

Reprinted from: What's Cooking at W.L. May Co? Volume 1 Issue 5 Home Appliance Service, located in Boise, ID, is extremely proud of their heritage. Established in 1948 by John and Rosie White, they have continuously serviced the Treasure Valley for the past 64 years. The area was named for its "treasure chest of resources and opportunities". In 1980, the business was sold to employees James and Marcia Forbus, who operated the business for 30 years before selling to their son and daughter-in-law, Don and Dawna in January 2010. To say it's a "family run business" would be an obvious understatement. Operating with 4 service technicians and 2 in-shop employees, they service most major brands including, but not limited to: Whirlpool, Maytag, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Samsung, LG,and Haier. They are also one of only a few that service and perform warranty work for In-Sink-Erator and Waste King Disposals and hot water dispensers. Home Appliance Service prides themselves on the quality of their workmanship, and take great strides to prevent call backs; they are aware not only does it cost valuable time, but it is a disappointment to their customers, the very ones they strive to please on every service call. Dawna believes they keep unnecessary call backs to a minimum because of their partnership with W.L. May Co, who she says provide "quick, accurate, and dependable service". When not working tirelessly, the Forbus family enjoys spending time at their cabin in Garden Valley, located north of Boise along the Middlefork of the Payette River. The area offers great mountain scenery, hot springs and is inhabited by a variety of wildlife. Similar to many Northwest families, they enjoy the great outdoors; with fishing, hunting, and camping at the top of their list. If you ever find yourself traveling through the beautiful Boise community, stop by Home Appliance Service and introduce yourself to the Forbus family. See for yourself what makes them one of Boise's most successful and acclaimed appliance repair service companies.

Thursday Tech Tip: How To Alienate Customer and Drive Away Business

Usually here on the W.L. May blog we often try to share tips and suggestions to help build your business and be more profitable. Maybe that's not your thing. Today we offer some tips that can help if you want to drive away customers and lose repeat business.

• Be hard to reach. Don't answer your phone and don't return calls. They say time is money. Don't let a potential customer take that away from you, after all they probably want your help or something.
• Make an appointment-but don't show up on time. So that pesky customer managed to track you down, now what? To make sure they are unhappy, set up an appointment. This works best if it is an inconvenient time for them. Let them know they need to be there and then don't show. Don't bother calling either. They'll call you to reschedule if they want to get their machine fixed.
• Arrive dirty and/or smelly. You know you are probably going to get dirty while you fix a machine, and honestly you were up kind of late last night so why bother showering and putting on clean clothes just to get dirty. Don't forget, you are doing them a favor by fixing their machine. So if you smudge some oil on their counter or smell like b.o. plenty, that is their problem. If you are smoker, light up while you do the repair. If they want to have a clean house they can clean after you leave. You do repairs, you aren't a maid!
• Look like an amatuer. There are several ways to do this. First, don't wear a uniform. A uniform can make you look like a pro. Now think about your service vehicle. Leave off the identifying signs. Those will probably just cause others to call you for repairs. At  the home, make sure and park in their driveway. For real style points and to create that extra  "I don't care about you" effect, make sure your service vehicle is leaking fluids. 
• Don't actually do a repair. Bang around a little bit. Scratch your head a bit and tell them what a unique problem they are having. Give them a real high quote for doing the job and suggest that they would be far better off to replace the unit. Give them an invoice for your "diagnosis" collect your fee preferably a high one and payable only in cash.

So that's it. While we are obviously kidding that you would want to hurt your business, it is true that if you follow these tips you can do a lot to chase away new business. If you would rather grow your business, look elsewhere on this blog for advice and check out our Facebook page for other news and tips as well.

Wednesday Worth Considering: Are You Ready For A Heat Wave?

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Summer brings to mind thoughts of vacations, picnics, beaches, and ball parks. If you are in the appliance repair business summer also brings some predictable service calls. For those of you in the trade, you want to be ready BEFORE the first heat wave hits your community. Once things get hot and start breaking, your preparation will pay off. When the temperature rises so tempers can rise and patience often goes down. If you are not ready to complete the job in one day, your potential customer may well try to find someone who can. This is definitely one of the times you want to make sure your truck is well stocked. I'd recommend paying particular attention to your refrigerator parts. Are you ready to install an icemaker when your customer requests it? Not on the next day, but on the same day. Do you have the defrost components and motors for the types of refrigerators that are common to your area? If you do sealed system work are you ready with fittings, freon and start devices? Or maybe a universal compressor or one of the more common boards? I'm sure that I have probably forgotten at least one common warm weather request, so I ask you: are there other items that you stock to prepare for heat-wave business? If so, please share them in the comments section. Have a great summer and don't forget to drink plenty of water!

Web Tools Wednesday-Five Ways to Use a Smart Phone on Service Calls

More and more companies are using smart phones to make their technicians more efficient and productive. In case you didn't know or need some convincing as to why you might want to upgrade your old cell phone here are 5 ways appliance service people can use a smart phone to help run their service calls.

1. Use your camera. Take a picture of the model number label. There are some techs who do this for every service call and save themselves a lot of writing. Even if you are in the habit of writing down the model number this is good insurance against damage to your notes. That camera can also come in handy for some of those hard to describe parts, just take the picture and let your part researcher see it for reference.
   
2. Research parts on the fly. W.L. May Company has full illustrated part breakdowns optimized for mobile phone available to our account holders. You can see a breakdown of the machine, get the part number, share a quote with your customer, and place the order all from the field saving you office time at the end of the day. And if you are in a really sticky situation, you can always use the phone to contact the factory tech line.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

3. Help with scheduling, There are several apps that can help you with scheduling and/or to-do lists. Also, an appreciated courtesy would be to let the consumer know you are on  the way shortly before you arrive at the home. If you will be late or early for your appointment that would also likely merit a call of warning. You may not be able to control surprises that can throw off your schedule, but you can minimize the effect by respecting your clients time and communicating with your clients if you will not be there at the time you said you would.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

4. Maps and navigation. Years ago, when you didn't know where you were going, you could call the customer for directions or find it in the grid of  a Thomas Brothers map. These days life is so much easier when it comes to maps. You can even have a voice to guide you to your destination. Granted, dedicated GPS units have more features and may prove to be more useful depending on your needs, but the navigation included in most smart phones will do the job for you pretty well for many situations.

   

   Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

5. Financial tools. There are a lot of financial tools available for smart phones. I know of several companies that are already using credit card processing apps to bill their service calls from the field. Also several banks offer check deposit options using the phones camera features. If you are going to use your phone for location based finances, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company with secured access and other means of security.  

Friday Featured Client: Ginno's Kitchen and Appliance Center

Reprinted from: What's Cooking at W.L. May Co? Volume 1 Issue 4-Ginno's Kitchen & Appliance Center, founded by John and Claudia Ginno, opened their doors over a half century ago. They are a family owned and operated business, and known as the North State's largest independent appliance dealer, as well as a complete kitchen and bath design center. Their original store opened in Chico, CA, along the northeast edge of the Sacramento Valley, one of the richest agricultural areas in the world.

In keeping with the "family owned" business, David and Gordon Ginno, sons of John and Claudia, became business partners with their parents in 1980. Upon John's retirement in 1983, David and Gordon took full ownership of their company. Seeking to capitalize on an already successful and growing business, they opened the largest Kitchen Design Center north of Sacramento. They believe their success is based on, among other things, the "ideals that quality, service, and reliability, as well as dedication to their customers' needs and ultimate satisfaction, were foremost in their business." Members of Ginno's management team indicate they rely on W.L. May Co to resolve their difficult part researches and they enjoy doing business with a distributor that "responds, follows through, and does so with great attitudes".

In her spare time, Nadene, manager of the Loomis location, enjoys working outside in her garden, and spending quality time with her family. She dreams of one day traveling to New Zealand. Sandi, Chico's parts manager, can often be found outdoors participating in a vast array of different water sports. She too, loves spending time with family, and loves to cook; her specialty being pork loins. Both managers see to it that their stores live up to Ginno's motto: "The Ginno's Advantage: Offering the Best Service, Best Selection and the Best Price!" If you're ever in Chico, stop by and introduce yourself; see for yourself what makes Ginno's one of the best.

Thursday Thoughts: Pass It On....

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The blog HRBartender.com posted an interesting article recently discussing the implications of an older workforce.   The article references a piece in The Atlantic which stated that: 

For the first time ever, workers over-55 are set to make up a bigger share of the workforce than workers between 25 and 34 years old.

While the tone of the article is a little more "corporate" than most of the small businesses that compose the appliance repair trade, it does delve into an issue that our industry is grappling with in a big way. From the article:

Meanwhile, organizations must recognize that older workers will retire someday. Maybe not next week or next month. Maybe not even next year. But at some point, they will retire and companies should be ready. Plans need to be in place to capture the knowledge of this soon-to-be retiree. Companies should identify the new keepers of historical knowledge and create transition plans for the transfer of those stories, antidotes and information that is essential to remember.

Our trade in general is shrinking as so many of our most experienced technicians retire. This provides both challenges and opportunities. One of the biggest challenges that many small shops face is what happens to the company when the owner retires.  Obviously there are all of the economic considerations to be made, but what happens to all of the knowledge learned in a career in appliance repair? The shame is that so many guys (and the overwhelming majority of technicians are guys) take that hard earned knowledge with them into retirement.

If you find yourself facing retirement, consider taking a younger person under your wings and share your experience with them. It's true you may not see any financial reward for doing so. And it could potentially slow you down in the course of your daily duties. But think back to when you were new to the trade, odds are a veteran of the repair business helped you get started. Now is the time to pay that courtesy forward. Like the saying goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Don't let that knowledge leave the trade with you, pass it on. One more thing, if you are retiring, thanks for your years of service and good luck to you, you will be missed.

Truck Stock Thursday: Frigidaire Dryer Maintenance Kits

Did you know that for Kenmore dryers with model number starting with "417", Frigidaire, Westinghouse, Gibson, or Tappan dryers made from 2002 to present there's a repair kit from Electrolux that is worth stocking? There is also a kit for older machines in those brands as well. Not only do these kits provide a convenient assortment of parts needed for maintenance service on these dryers, but they offer an exceptional value. The kits shave about a third of the cost off of what you would pay buying the parts individually.

For the newer models, your part number is 5304457724, this kit includes a new drive belt (134503600), rear drum bearing kit (5303281153), idler pulley/bracket assy (131863007), front drum support/seal (5303937182), lower front felt seal (5303937183), the special high temp adhesive to install the front parts, the high temp grease for the rear bearing assy, and really nice photo instructions that'll walk a do-it-yourselfer through the whole job.

On Models from 1992-2002 the kit is part number 5304461262. It includes a new drive belt (134503600), rear bearing kit (5303281153), idler arm & pulley (131863000), upper drum glide (5303937139), lower drum glide (5303283286) and instructions.

Friday Featured Client: Canclini Television & Appliance

Reposted from What's Cooking Vol.1 No.3-Tony Canclini opened his doors 28 years ago, in the small California coastal town of Fort Bragg, located in picturesque Mendocino County. Fort Bragg was founded as a Fort prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, and has become a popular tourist attraction due to its history and the beautiful views of the majestic Pacific Ocean and rugged Northern California coastline.

Canclinis is in a unique position due to its location; there is little competition, except for the internet, for miles; even the Wal-Mart is over an hour's drive away. Eric, lead product and parts salesman, spends his days selling new product to residents, and parts to do-it-yourselfers, as well as to a bevy of local service companies who rely on Canclini's large inventory of appliance parts to complete their repair jobs promptly.

Eric sees his biggest challenge as making sure he has an adequate parts inventory; he realizes in today's society, consumers' expectations are immediate. If he does not have a common part in stock that a consumer needs, they may not return for additional part needs. Eric believes his best tool is the internet, and he can be found daily on the W.L. May Co. web page researching parts and providing consumers a price and availability. Canclinis has become Fort Bragg's "one stop shop" for new product and replacement part sales. If you are ever in Fort Bragg, stop by, introduce yourself, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Web Tools Wednesday: The W.L. May website

This article is for W.L. May account holders. Do-It-Yourselfers and others are encouraged to take a look through our archives for other articles that might prove more useful.



Today's web tool I'd like to talk about is the main W.L. May website. When you first arrive at our site, you will be greeted by a picture of some appliances and you'll notice some tabs above the picture. The left hand tab button says "Find A Part" clicking on that will take you to a field where you can enter your part number to check availability and our retail pricing. The right hand tab button says "Contact" which naturally will lead to a screen with addresses and phone numbers for W.L. May's four branches. But it is the center button "Technicians" that leads to all the "good stuff". Clicking on that button will take you to a page that has a few links listed on the side bar. One is for an application for an open account, which presumably you have if you are still reading this. The link to "access online account" is what you want. This will take you to the log in screen. You will need a username and password at this point. If you don't yet have a password, contact your account manager to get signed up for the program. It's free to sign up and allows access to a lot of useful data.

When you sign in you will be greeted by a welcome page that shows your company name. You will notice a menu of links on the side bar. Lets go through these one by one:
1. Item & Availability-This is just what it sounds like. Enter a part number to check availability at all four of our branches. Shows retail pricing as well as regular dealer costs and any other sales prices that might apply.
2. Flyer Pricing-This links you to a list of parts on our everyday low pricing program. Remember, these prices stay in place until the end of the year!
3. Web Specials-Every week we feature a few selected items as a one week special, and occasionally we will have big one day sales sponsored by the manufacturers. Check here weekly for extra special pricing.
4. Research-This links you to IPL. IPL is short for Illustrated Parts Lookup. This is an online version of the same software we use here at W.L. May Company for parts research. With pictures and complete parts list, this tool can help you find most items on a given machine. Here is a tip, many models have spaces or dashes that can confuse the search feature. If your model number doesn't show up, try typing the first half of the number, which will give you a list of models that start that way.Frequently, your model will show up on that list. We don't intend for the IPL to replace customer service, its just another tool we provide for your convenience. If you ever need ANY help at finding a part, just give us a call.
5. Backorder Inquiry-Provides you with a list of all parts that you have on backorder that have not arrived at W.L.May Company yet.
6. Package Tracking-Connects your shipped order to your shippers tracking information so you can keep track of your order until it arrives.
7. Shipped Orders-Enter an item number on this page to see a list of invoices where that part was purchased, as well a order dates, purchase order numbers and pricing to help keep your records straight.
8. Account Status-Provides you with a list of pending invoices to help you manage your cash flow.
9. Check Inquiry-See if a check you have mailed in for payment has been processed.
10. Order Entry-A form for placing your orders. Feel free to include comments if you have any special requests. Also, please make sure that all required fields are filled out as incomplete order forms are not processed by the computer.
11.  Communications-Blank returns forms for warranty and non warranty returns as well a database for reviewing your completed invoice by invoice number.
12. Billing Service-Connects you to BillTrust, our online account management partner.

As you can see, W.L.May Company has a number of free tools to help make your business run more efficiently, and thus more profitably. One more thing, if you will be accessing our website by smart phone we have a mobile version of our website that maximizes research tools for a phone sized screen. Also our mobile site site shows retail pricing only, in case you have concerns about your privacy. We welcome you to try one or both versions of our website and see how it can help your business run more smoothly and profitably.

Truck Stock Thursday - Whirlpool Braided Fill Hoses

Truck Stock Thursday - Whirlpool Braided Fill Hoses

Truck Stock Thursday: Dryer Repair Kits

DRYER KITS.pdf

Friday Day Featured Client: At Your Service, Eugene, OR

Reprinted from: What's Cooking at W.L. May Co? Volume 1 Issue 2
Originally from Pennsylvania, David Schnelli ended up in Eugene,Oregon by accident, literally. In 1976, while on a cross country bicycle ride, David had an accident that left him hospitalized. While convalescing, members of the local Faith Center Church visited frequently. Impressed by their kindness, upon his return to Pennsylvania, he packed up, and moved to Eugene, where he is an active member of the same Church. An avid outdoorsman David has hiked the Appalachian Trail, biked, and hitchhiked across the Country. He and his wife, Diane, have twin boys who live and work in California.

At Your Service opened in 1981 as a one man shop, and has successfully grown to include 2 technicians and 3 office personnel. Family and friends are not surprised he became an Appliance Repair Technician; he always enjoyed "building and fixing machines". A self-proclaimed "workaholic", David has been working on an extensive project for 22 years. He created and continually updates a database that details every part he comes in contact with; such as numbers on the actual part, measurements, pictures, and cross reference information. His database is extremely helpful in difficult to identify part searches, especially when no model numbers are available. David will be at this year's USA ASTI Convention in San Antonio and welcomes anyone who would like to discuss and/or view his extensive database. Stop by and introduce yourself.

Truck Stock Thursday: Ecosential Products

  Ecosential Products

Truck Stock Thursday: Brushes

Brushes

Food Friday-Refrigerator Safety

Usually when there is a consumer reports TV news story that relates to appliances, I don't approve. Frequently, they will find a company that is a disgrace to the industry and then make the whole service industry look like a bunch of crooks. This is a little better balanced piece about "dorm size" refrigerators and their limitations. If you would like to test your own refrigerator, W.L. May stocks a variety of thermometers to help you out.

Kelly's Korner-Superhero Book- Restring Elements

Hey, all you Superheroes!

Do you have your Superhero Book started yet?  If not, why not?  Well, here are a few more things to add to it.

Do you ever get frustrated when you KNOW that there is a restring kit available for a dryer and you have to call to find out what it is?  Well, here's some help:

For Electrolux:

If the whole heater assembly is 131475320 or 131553900 the restring kit for that is part number 5300622034 and this has the 5/16" terminals.

The other restring kit is 530622032 and has 1/4" terminals.

And if you are working with GE, here ya go with that:

If assembly is WE11X103 then the restring is WE11X203 (that one is easy to remember)
If assembly is WE11M23 then the restring is WE11X10007


Now is also the time to take all those cheat sheet, postie notes and print outs that you have pinned, stapled or taped to your walls and desk and get them all organized and in your Book.  You may get your area cleaned up enough that people will wonder if you are going on vacation!  Never happens at my desk!

Have a SUPER week and there will be more next week!

Monday Motivation: Do YOU offer better Service than A Taxi Driver?

Customer service is more than just giving your customers what they expect in a friendly manner. Naturally, you do want to give them what they expect and you definitely want to be friendly. If you want to provide stunning customer service, you really need to surprise them in a good way. You don't need to have a big staff or a huge budget. Consider what your customer would like and might not ask. Things like shoe covers, a professional look, offering them relevant accesories can go a long way. The video we are sharing today talks about the extra steps a taxi driver takes to make sure he is giving the best customer service available. How do YOU go the extra mile when serving your customers? Tell us about in the comments.