According to research conducted by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers ( AHAM ), over 52,000 new technicians could be needed in the next five years to service America’s major home appliances. That number is staggering!
If you’ve recently attended a convention or training class and looked around the room, you probably saw the same familiar faces that you have seen for many years. These are the faces of the industry’s best and most seasoned technicians. And it won’t be too long before those technicians will be enjoying retirement. We all wish them the best. However, one question about their retirement really haunts us. Who is going to replace them when they are gone?
For years we have relied on these technicians to take care of our customers. We have simply taken for granted that they will always be a part of our lives and our businesses. Service company owners, and the industry in general, are struggling with how to replace these retirees. As retirement is fast approaching, the time to take action is now. The service company owners who don’t act soon will be left with major losses in their businesses.
I have been in the appliance repair industry as a factory representative since 1979. After 33 years with a major appliance manufacturer, I have made the decision to leave that post and help with this serious problem. To give back to the industry that has given so much to me, I have instituted a new technician training center, “Sun City Appliance Academy.” Our new training center is located in the heart of Texas, just a short drive north of Austin. The mission of Sun City is to “Train tomorrow’s service professionals.”
As service company owners, most of you have been technicians. And some of you are still repairing appliances every day. You have gained years of knowledge and are willing to pass it on to those entering our profession. However, most company owners have neither the time nor the adequate facilities dedicated to properly train the new technicians entering our ranks. At Sun City Appliance Academy, I have taken the knowledge I have gained over my 33 years in the industry and strategically compiled it into the training center the industry so badly needs.
To prepare the new professionals entering our industry, I have created training classes to assure their success. The classes are structured to take them through the basics and fundamentals of customer satisfaction, electricity, and all major appliance categories. Each module contains classroom instruction and hands on training in the shop areas. The atmosphere offered in the classes is relaxed, organized, and fun. As the owner and instructor of the academy, my time is focused solely on the development of every student placed in my care.
Too many times, traditional technician training consists only of a trainee riding on a route with a seasoned technician. Ride-along training is juggled with the demands of the day’s route. It gives the trainee interrupted, incomplete, and ineffective training. The trainee will only obtain a partial understanding of appliance repair, and will never reach his or her full potential. Ride along training may appear to be the quickest and cheapest way to put technicians on the road, but it is costly and inefficient in the long run. The only way to maximize a new technician’s job performance and profitability is to provide a firm foundation of formal training before ride-along training. After receiving formal training, ride-along training will be more beneficial. From there, your new technician can start his own route. He will be more confident, and better equipped to handle new problems. He will learn at a faster pace, and will ultimately make more money for himself and your service company.
A healthy service company simply cannot afford to neglect the importance of formal training. The sole source of income for any service company is its technicians!
For more information on how Sun City Appliance Academy can resolve your technician training issues, please visit my website www.suncityacademy.com
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