The Tech in the Mirror

The public image of HVACR technicians is often pretty poor.  Do customers greet you at the door with "The air conditioner is around back?"   Or do they invite you in and make you feel welcome?  What do your customers see when they look at you?

As a sixteen year old following my father around it always amazed me to watch him work.  He could go from crawling under a house to service a floor furnace to crossing white carpet in an exclusive home and not leave a trace of dirt or grime.  He would still have the crease in his pants.  How in the world did he do that?  Why would customers invite him in, offer him a cup of coffee and seem to feel so comfortable with him?  Now frankly my family did not have the type of home we often worked in.  We did not even have central heating or cooling.  We did not associate in the same social circles as most of our customers.  And yet my father was accepted into these fine homes and made to feel welcome.

Well, I eventually learned to do the same thing.  This turned out not to be nearly as mysterious or difficult as I had imagined.  I would like to pass on to you some of the tips and techniques for minimizing the mess that I have learned from my father, from my own experiences and from visiting with company owners and managers from all over the United States.  This can help you win customers, earn bonuses and lead to raises and promotions.

My boss at one company where I worked as an HVACR technician posted letters from customers thanking the company for being so neat and clean on the jobs I performed or supervised.  My vehicle was a mobile billboard for the company that always looked immaculate.  Customers never had to clean up after me.  Customers would often ask for me by name when they called in.  Customers would sometimes have cookies or other treats waiting for me when I got there.  On one occasion a customer made cupcakes with my name in icing on them for me. I will discuss later a technique for turning these situations into the most Customer Capital.

Now it is time for a little self examination.  Get ready for work a little early and take time to really examine yourself in the mirror.  What do you see?  Is that person dressed professionally?  Are there worn or tom places?  Is the person you see well groomed?  Hair neat?  Shoes shined or well cleaned?  Does that person smell good?  Any tattoos showing?  Does that person have a smile?  Does that person seem like the type to be accepted in the finest homes in town?  Do you see a name tag, patch or other identification?  Are you carrying your paperwork in a nice portfolio or other neat carrier?  If you were that customer living in a fine new home would you want the person you see in the mirror coming in to your home?

Late in the day take another look.  Do you still look as well as in the morning?  Have you maintained that appearance?  Or are there smudges around the edges?  Streaks in the hair?  Or grime on the shoes?  Did you carry things in the car to clean up with after each call?  Did you use coveralls or a change of clothes?  Take time to write down what you see in the mirror.  And then take time to describe how you would like to look to the customer.  It may make the difference between keeping and losing your job.

Watch for more tips in my next Technique for Keeping Your Job.

LearningHVACR.com has helped these companies and many more grow their Techs

ClimateMaster Inc.      Air Assurance

B & L Heating and Air Conditioning Inc.

Hobby Lobby         Circuit City