Kelly's Korner - A Salute to Our Service Men and Women

Hey, All,

I know I said I was going to write about cleaning do's and don't's on cooktops but something way more important came up.

Today is Veteran's Day.  What does that mean?  Yes, it may be a holiday that you don't have to go to school or work but the day is so much more important.  The reason you get this day off is because of all the courageous men and women that have fought and are fighting for the everyday rights that we, more often than not, take for granted living here in the good old U S of A.

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I hit me hard this weekend when I got several posts on my Facebook page from Valley Oak Appliance in Elk Grove, CA. They employ many vets - from Viet Nam to Afghanistan - and my hat is off to these guys and to Valley Oak, both for the service and sacrifice they have given to our country and the service that Valley Oak is giving for employing these guys.

If you are an employer, of any sort, and are looking for good employees, do not forget to contact your local Veteran's Affair Office. These men and women have put their lives on the line for you - giving them a job is the least we can do for them. Our own founding father, George Thomas, and our salesperson, Roy Wilson, both served in the Marine Corps - Semper Fi!

So make a special effort to thank any service people you see tomorrow (or any time) and let them know we appreciate them! Also, these people are often far from home and won't have a chance to get home for the holidays - contact your Armed Services and find out how you can send a care package or letters to them to help brighten their holidays!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

A project is complete when it starts working for you, rather than you working for it. – Scott Allen

RSTI Closing Thoughts

Today's business classes mark the end of the United Servicers Association's RSTI sessions. Its been a great season and W.L. May Company is proud to have hosted three of these events. In Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Portland, over 90 servicers increased their skills in working on appliances made by Bosch, Electrolux, Samsung, and Whirlpool. They gained valuable tips for managing and growing their businesses. Many of them also shared their experiences and gained from their peers at the Round Table Sessions held at each event. All of them are now USA members, and have access to the United Servicers Association's library of technical information and they will be able to consult with peers from accross the nation on the Associations USAChat forum.

Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who participated. Thanks to the servicers, some of who traveled long distances to attend and who invested a day or two lost in the field to improve their skills in the long run. Thanks, as well to the United Servicers Association for putting on such a great program. Lastly, thanks our team here at W.L. May that coordinated such successful events. Good job to all of you!

The next event for the United Servicers Association is the ASTI (Appliance Service Technical Institute). This event is the big dog of USA events. It runs for 4 days From February 9-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana. There are more sessions and more subjects covered in detail at the ASTI and servicers from all over North America attend. For those who want to expand the experience, USA offers an EXTRA day of training on February 8th where basic electrical and refrigeration will be covered. 

If all that is not enough, there is one more thing that may prove to be attractive about this particular RSTI. Mardi Gras is the following Tuesday, so for those who stay a few day longer in New Orleans, there should be no shortage of excitement to be found in the Crescent City. We will be there and we hope to see you there as well.

Here are a few pictures from the various RSTI's we hosted this fall, many of these were posted on social media, but in case you missed them.

From Sacramento:

From Salt Lake City:

From Portland:

Thanks Again! We Will See You In New Orleans!

Frigidaire and the Modern Kitchen

Here is a clip from Frigidaire talking about the "modern kitchen". The groovy spacewalk dance the teenagers are doing at the end of the clip is fairly hilarious.




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One Last Word About The RSTI in Clackamas

Tomorrow in Clackamas, we begin the last of the Regional Service Training Institutes that W.L. May will be hosting this year in conjunction with the United Servicers Association. I could tell you how you will learn new skills and make yourself and your company more marketable, but Bradley has already made that argument fairly persuasively.

I am going to focus instead on what I consider to be one of the most valuable parts of the session. That would be the Round Table Discussion held after Thursday night dinner, Sadly, a lot of guys opt out of this session. Either they are tired from a long day, or they have the opinion that they are already running a successful business and they don't have any more to learn.

I strongly disagree. Even if you run the best service company in the United States, the world is changing fast and it takes effort to stay ahead of the pack. Even though I live on the parts side of the counter, I am always interested in hearing what issues service companies are challenged with and how they are responding to those challenges. I always get at least one idea how to provide better service for my customers from the discussion. I bet you would too.

Time is running out fast, but a few slots are still open and you can even show up to the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas for last minute registration. We hope to see you there! And if you do attend, make sure and attend the Round Table discussion. I will be there, so introduce yourself. I will be the big guy with the graying beard.

Happy Learning Folks!

Monarch Hotel & Conference Center
12566 SE 93rd Ave
Clackamas, OR 97015 Map
503-652-1515
1-800-492-8700 Toll Free
503-652-7509 Fax

Kelly's Korner - Oven Cleaning

Hey, All,

With the holidays fast approaching, there will be a lot of oven cleaning.  Here are some tips and helpful ideas to help you with those yucky chores.

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Whether you clean your oven before or after (or both) the holiday cooking frenzy, there are several ways to go about this onerous task:

If you have a self-cleaning oven - yahoo!  Basically, all you have to do is flip a switch and the oven heats REALLY hot - try 900+ degrees!!! - and burns all those drips and spatters and spills to a fine ash.  All then is left to do is wipe it out with a damp cloth.  But some warnings from using this feature - because of the extra high heat fuses, elements and electronic controls may burn out.  Most technicians will tell you NOT to run the self-clean on your oven the two weeks before a major cooking holiday.  Chances are high that something might go wrong, then you will have to add a call to your favorite tech to come fix these and it could be a costly cleaning.  You can use the ammonia/hot water method to clean but DO NOT USE regular chemicals-in-a-can cleaner!  They do make one for self-cleaning ovens.  The ammonia cleaning method is as follows:

Heat oven to 150 degrees and turn off - place a small bowl of ammonia (about 1/2 cup) in small bowl on top rack and a large pan of boiling water on the bottom.  Close the door and let sit overnight.  The next day remove ammonia and water and let oven air out.  Then wipe down using the ammonia and a few drops of dishwashing liquid in about a quart of warm water.  If you are cleaning a gas oven please make sure the pilot light is out and the main gas line turned off.

No self clean?  If you prefer to use the chemicals-in-a-can, make sure you follow the directions, use lots of ventilation and wear protective gear - these chemicals are really harsh and can do damage to your skin and lungs.  If you want a "green" method, you can use the above ammonia method or the baking soda method:

Grab a paintbrush and a bowl.  Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 1-1/2 cups baking soda, and 1/4 cup vinegar and enough water to make a thick paste.  Paint the inside of your oven and let sit overnight.  Then, with warm water and a scrubber/sponge, wipe it all down.

Helpful hint:  My son was amazed by this one, but did you know that in many cases you can take your oven door off?  Open door slightly and grab both side a little more than halfway down and then lift straight up at the same angle the door is open.  The door should slide right up the hinges and off.  Please be careful!  Door is heavy and awkward and you don't want to drop it.  It sure makes reaching into that oven a whole lot more comfortable than leaning over the door and maybe damaging that or bending the hinges.

Next week I will be talking about the top of your range - some do's and don't's there, too!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

“No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,/ No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, - November!”-Thomas Hood

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE