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USA’s ASTI 2013 Brings Together Independent Trainers of the Industry

Training2Orlando, March 2013: ASTI 2013, known for its outstanding ability to assemble training and networking events in the Appliance Service Industry, has yet another success story to tell:  bringing together three leading independent industry trainers.

In speaking together for the first time in person, these three unique businesses realized that they offer very different products; rather than compete, they can collaborate in the future, as independent businesses to provide the knowledge necessary to the industry’s technicians. Fred’s Appliance Academy, Jerry Frear Training Associates, and Level 2 Learning had an opportunity to meet in person and assemble a round table meeting to discuss the needs of the Independent Appliance Servicer. The three discussed how they could improve training in the industry with tech rides and product training from Level 2 Learning; with Jerry Frear’s webinars, such as online schematic training, and with Fred’s Appliance Academy’s in classroom, hands-on training.

Richard J. Sedlack, owner of Level 2 Learning, (www.level2learning.com) stated, “When I arrived I met Fred for the first time, and I knew Jerry when he was a trainer for Marcone – and then the light bulb went off.  Jerry has mastered the art of delivering technical information in webinars, Fred has grown his Academy through hard work and proven techniques with manufacturers’ support, and Level 2 provides on location hands-on training as well as business consulting.”

 Jerry Frear, owner of Jerry Frear Training, (www.jerryfreartraining.com):  “I see the need every day for experienced appliance technicians.  Now there is a way of getting them excellent training with our training companies. Fred’s Academy with classroom and hands-on learning and Level 2 with on-location hands-on training. Jerry Frear Training will show you how with: Live Webinar Sessions, and On-Demand Video. Our goal is to provide you with knowledge so you continue to GROW with the industry. This knowledge will make you money and save time, because your technicians will be more efficient in the diagnosis and repair of the appliances they work on.”

Fred Butcher, owner and instructor at Fred’s Appliance Academy, (www.fredsappliance.com): “Fred’s Appliance Academy offers a diverse technical training program that covers all aspects of appliance repair. Our hands-on program provides students with the basic skills and experience to service all major appliances, from washing machines and dryers, to ranges and refrigerators. Our classroom offers state of the art equipment. In addition, we manufacture specialty tools to make the technician’s job of diagnosing more efficient. Our goal is to provide a path for the new and experienced technician – assisting them to obtain the knowledge and tools necessary to become a Master Technician.”

Please feel free to contact these businesses to discuss your training needs.

Repair

Having trouble finding new technicians?

RepairAccording 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

VikingRange-Logo

VIKING RANGE CORPORATION ACQUIRED BY MIDDLEBY CORPORATION

VikingRange-LogoGREENWOOD, Miss. (December 31, 2012)

Fred Carl, Jr., Founder, President and CEO of Viking Range Corporation, announced today that Viking has been acquired by Middleby Corporation of Elgin, Illinois.

Viking, based in Greenwood, Mississippi, is the industry’s leading manufacturer of professional category appliances, a segment of the residential major appliance industry it created in 1987 when it introduced the first Viking range.  Middleby is a leading producer of commercial cooking and food processing and packaging equipment for the foodservice industry.  With more than 30 brands, Middleby manufacturers, sells, distributes and services its products worldwide.  Middleby is a publicly-traded company (NASDAQ: MIDD) with a strong track record of acquiring and growing companies.

“I am excited about the future of Viking as it becomes a part of the Middleby Corporation. I have always had a great deal of respect for Middleby, a company I’ve known well over the years, and very much look forward to becoming affiliated with an organization that has such a strong and impressive track record,” said Carl. “We are looking forward to launching a new product line in 2013 and excited about the great R&D and innovation Middleby brings to the Viking brand, including their truvection, induction and speed cooking technologies.”

“We are delighted to add Viking Range Corporation to our portfolio of highly respected companies,” said Selim A. Bassoul, Chairman and CEO of The Middleby Corporation.  “As our entry into the residential appliance industry, we see many synergies and growth opportunities between Viking and our existing business units.  We hope to aggressively grow and expand the Viking brand and add to their product offerings for the residential market.”

Mr. Bassoul emphasized that Viking will remain headquartered in Greenwood and will maintain its current operations there. “It is our intent to help Fred and his team to continue to grow Viking right there in Mississippi where it’s been since he started the company,” he added.

Stephens Inc. served as financial advisors to Viking in the transaction.  Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Middleby Corporation is a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. The company develops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of equipment used for commercial food cooking, preparation and processing. The company’s leading equipment brands serving the commercial foodservice industry include Anets®, Beech®, Blodgett®, Blodgett Combi®, Blodgett Range®, Bloomfield®, Britannia®, Carter Hoffmann®, CookTek®, CTX®, Doyon®, FriFri®, Giga®, Holman®, Houno®, IMC®, Jade®, Lang®, Lincat®, MagiKitch’n®, Middleby Marshall®, Nieco®, Nu-Vu®, PerfectFry®, Pitco Frialator®, Southbend®, Star®, Toastmaster®, TurboChef® and Wells®. The company’s leading equipment brands serving the food processing industry include Alkar®, Armor Inox®, Auto-Bake®, Baker Thermal Solutions® (formerly Turkington), Cozzini®, Danfotech®, Drake®, Maurer-Atmos®, MP Equipment®, RapidPak® and Stewart®. The Middleby Corporation has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Best Small Companies every year since 2005, most recently in October 2012.  For more information about The Middleby Corporation and the company brands, please visit www.middleby.com. 

Viking Range Corporation is a culinary lifestyle company and major appliance manufacturer that originated ultra-premium commercial-type appliances for the home. Viking is headquartered in Greenwood, Mississippi. Viking major appliances are sold through a network of premium appliance distributors and dealers worldwide, and Viking culinary products are sold through a network of premium gourmet retailers.  For more information about Viking Range Corporation, please visit www.vikingrange.com.

Automate1

AUTOMATION: KEY TO EFFICIENCY, GROWTH AND PROFIT

By Glade Ross, Rossware Computing, glade@rossware.net

What is automation?

Quite simply, it’s using machine mechanisms to accomplish desired processes, instead of employing direct human labor.

Why is automation often preferred?

Humans are expensive.  This is obvious in regard to employed personnel, but it’s just as true (perhaps even more so) in regard to your own time.   Any of your energy, time and attention that’s taken for one task detracts from what’s available for another – such as fishing, golf, or maybe even spending more time with your kids.  Or, engaging in other business activities that do more to directly advance profit.

In hearty contrast, machines are cheap.  A $350 computer will happily labor 24/7 without complaint, for years on end.

Given so massive a magnitude in cost difference, it’s foolish – nea, near criminal – for humans to persist in the performance of tasks, worry and drudgery where super-cheap automation can bear the burden instead.

Let’s be clear.  Where work tasks are infrequent, novel and/or unique, the ingenuity, adaptability and sheer brilliance (that are uniquely human traits) may indeed be needed, and therefore appropriate instruments to deploy.  But where tasks are more routine and patterned, (and for such reason amenable to brute machine strengths), it is a waste of sheer madness to employ human hands, brains and stress hormones instead.  It is wrong, and should not be done.

You likely are not aware of the immense automation available for today’s service office.

For the most part, humans are not needed to answer the phone (your customers can book themselves online, they may confirm or change appointments online, even check on how their tech is running on the day of the appointment, or on progress of the job otherwise).  Humans are not needed for acquiring dispatch requests from manufacturers or other third-parties (such reception can and should be automated via direct, computer-to-computer communication).

Humans need not be involved in going laboriously through tomorrows jobs to determine what parts techs should be taking with them (or through yesterday’s to see what parts should have come back).  A machine should compile this information automatically, and provide a beautiful interface for a human to indicate what is in fact being moved, and in what direction (of course, the machine further keeps track of where everything is at).  A human should not have to labor to determine what needs ordered for restock (a machine should provide the list, and automate the ordering process too).

Humans should not stress through routine reviews of work-in-progress, worrying to assure steps are not falling through the cracks.  A machine should do this worrying, and stressing – leaving it to a human to provided needed human input, solely when the machine detects an absence of suitable progress.

Human hands should never touch paper.  Well, at least not paper as involved in standard, day-to-day work flow.  If human hands are touching paper in these circumstances, it’s a sure sign humans are doing things manually that machines could do better, and via automation.

If your office is appropriately automated, it’s likely you are adroitly managing at least 4 techs per office person (perhaps more).  It means you are likely thriving, making more money than most, though with less effort, and much less stress.  If you are not appropriately automated, it’s likely your ratio of support personnel to techs is much less favorable, that you worry too much, and work far too hard.  Worse of all, it’s likely you’re doing it all for a much smaller bottom line.

The lesson here is simple:  Automate!

Automate anywhere and everywhere it’s advantageous.  Check out the latest and best software systems, such as ours or others.  You’ll be amazed at what automation can do for you.

Flat rate

FLAT RATE PRICING, SIX MONTHS LATER

By Bob Wennerstrom,  President, Blue Streak, Inc.

For years I read the discussions on the appliance repair boards about flat rate pricing. Every time the subject came up, I came down squarely on the time and materials side of the argument. Flat rate did not seem fair to the customer to me, and the book prices were much higher than I was charging.

A couple months before attending the 2012 ASTI in San Antonio, an interesting thing happened to me. I told a customer I would charge them a half hour labor for the first trip, then come back for free to install an evaporator fan blade. By the time I returned, I forgot the original discussion. I charged them a quarter hour for the first trip and a quarter hour for the second trip. The bill was exactly the same either way, but the customer was upset that they were not getting a free return trip. I could not make the customer understand that the bill was the same either way, his perception was that he was getting some of my time for free and when he didn’t get that, he was upset enough to tell me he would not use my services again.

I took Dean Lander’s class “Charging by the Hour Does Not Work!” at the 2012 ASTI conference. He made some good points as to how the customer perceives a job, how they perceive time and how it is actually a relief for them to have a flat rate price quote up front, before the appliance is repaired. This takes all the pressure of time off the customer. They are not sitting in the other room looking at their watch and wondering how much the bill will be while the technician is working. With flat rate pricing, time is taken completely out of the equation, and we are now charging for a completed repair.

A technician on one of the appliance repair boards was recently lamenting his situation where he repaired a customer’s dryer, and when it was time to pay the bill, the customer began negotiations, in which the technician walked out with about ninety dollars. This was my reply to his post.

Good advice here. The only thing I have to add is that it helps immensely in getting paid if you quote a firm price before doing the work.

Mrs. Brassy, could you come and look at this belt? It is very frayed. Also the drum support is worn out. (point to the drum support). I can fix these problems for you for only $238. 52.  I have the parts in the van and can do it today! I will also vacuum all the dangerous combustible lint from your dryer as long as I have it apart. You will still need someone to clean the vent, and the dryer will not work properly until that is done. I understand that this is an expensive repair. If you choose not to repair, I only need to collect my minimum service charge of $79.95 at this time. Would you like me to repair this for you today?

Until I got my head around flat rate pricing and how the customer perceives it, I was firmly against the concept. I have been paid upon completion of the call every single time since I started doing this. People understand they have a choice, they make their decision, and you get paid. There is no negotiation after the appliance has been repaired because of perceived value of time.

I have adopted this strategy of presenting the repair to the customer and have taught it to my technicians. Adopting a flat rate pricing structure was the scariest thing I have done with my business. I thought people would balk at the high prices and not appreciate my services. I have found exactly the opposite has occurred. My customers have been very appreciative of fact that a repair is in no way linked to time and despite significant increases over my old pricing, I have had almost zero push back or complaints. I would like to thank all the USA members I met in San Antonio who encouraged me to adopt the flat rate structure. Without your encouragement and support, I don’t think I could have made the leap.

For information on purchasing the Original Blue Book Major Appliance Job Rate Guide, visit the USA website, www.unitedservicers.com to take advantage of special USA member pricing.

RSM graphics2

United Servicers Association Berkeley Presents Exciting Opportunity with Appliance Repair Training Event

USA Fall 2012 Regional Service Training Program goes on the road to bring appliance repair training seminars to 12 major US cities this Fall

Berkeley CA — Technology is changing at a rapid pace and is opening up a number of opportunities for appliance service technicians.  The United Servicers Association is dedicated to helping its members become successful by offering  a two-day appliance repair training event.  The Appliance Service Training Institute was a huge success in achieving these goals and they’re not stopping there.

This fall, USA is taking their appliance repair training event on the road to deliver it at regional levels. The 2012 Fall Regional Service Meeting Program is a series of two-day appliance repair training workshops that will be held in 12 major US cities. USA has partnered appliance manufacturers from Whirlpool, Bosch and Dacor and the local parts distributors in each city to provide this valuable appliance repair training event.

The appliance repair training (http://www.appliancerepairtraining.org/) event will feature hands-on technical training from appliance manufacturers and a series of business management topics including internet marketing, how to calculate the hourly cost to run a service call, flat rate pricing and technician productivity through new technology. Each appliance repair training event will include 2 meals, discounted sleeping rooms and parking for those who will be staying overnight.

USA will share with attendees proven strategies on how to improve their business in each of the areas listed above. Manufacturers will have products to tear-down and demonstrate the current repair techniques associated with each brand.

The first night will feature a round table session for all servicers to discuss current issues and challenges facing service businesses today. These RSM’s promise to be a program no one will want to miss.

Registration to the Appliance Repair Training event is open to all service companies.  The workshop will be held on November 8 & 9. Visit http://www.unitedservicers.com/ to learn more.

About United Servicers Association:

The United Servicers Association is a non-profit trade association for servicers by servicers.  Their mission and purpose is to develop and provide services and programs intended to assist members in building strong businesses in North America’s competitive environment.  Services include educational programs, manufacturer relations, management, marketing and operational programs, Peer Group formation and facilitation.

 

Contact:

 

Paul MacDonald

3105 North Ashland Ave; Ste 199

Chicago, IL  60657

800-683-2558

paul.m.macdonald@unitedservicers.com

Yale

The Least Serviced/Most Reliable Appliance Brands

By Steve Sheinkopf

Yale Appliance & Lighting

One of the benefits of having a huge service department is data collection. We will be in approximately 100-130 homes today fixing appliances with a good portion being less than a year old and under warranty. That is 650 homes per week (at least) or roughly 34,000 calls yearly not including homes with multiple calls.

So the question is, what are we fixing the least? From March 1, 2012 to August 1,2012, we measured sales versus warranty calls in the same period. It’s not a perfect measurement, but it allows us to see trends. We picked March 1, because it coincides with the installation of our new software system. The new software allows us to run reports routinely.

Before you look: We dont “scrub” the data, so there is no distinction between a minor and major issue. Although it is consistent for every manufacturer actual real problems would be lower by roughly 1-2%. The more difficult brands to install would be weighted to the higher percentage.

The industry average for appliance service is roughly 18-24% within the first year.

Least Serviced/Most reliable appliance brands

                                                                     

6 –   Thermador

903   Products Sold / 105 Service Calls = 11.6% in warranty

Why:   Thermador could have been the most repaired manufacturer before 2000. Bosch   has really streamlined their production to their credit.

    

5 –   Whirlpool

477   Products Sold / 50 Service Calls = 8.8% in warranty

Why: We   really just sell Whirlpool laundry, which is their strong suit and should   have a low rate of repair. It would be interesting to see how solid the rest   of their line is.

    

4 –   Frigidaire

3331   Products Sold / 363 Service Calls = 10.9%

Why:   Electrolux invested in new factories in the 1990s and it has payed dividends   for this underrated line. I placed them ahead of Whirlpool, because their 5   year average of repair is equal and their mix of products are more varied.   Note to Electrolux: You may want to consider moving your own production to   these facilities.

    

3 –   Sharp

203   Products Sold / 6 Service Calls = 3.0%

Microwaves

Why:   Its a microwave! What COULD go wrong in one of these. Sharp has been laser   focused on this category since the 1960s. It shows.

    

2 –   Miele

545   Products Sold / 16 Service Calls = 2.9%

Wall   oven/ dishwasher

Why:   Miele is the most vertically integrated company in this industry. Nearly every   (96%) component is manufactured in their German plant. They don’t even   outsource their warehousing. When you control the design, engineering and   manufacturing, you build a better machine. Their 5 year average is only 5.9%,   which is unbelievable. Along with Frigidaire, Miele is the clear winner in   terms of lack of service and product integrity.

    

1 –   Yale Hoods

359   Products Sold / 6 Service Calls = 1.7%

Yale   Hood

Why:   Before you cry foul, ventilation is the least serviced product as a group.   These hoods are redesigned and built to different specs than others plus we   are on the front lines of customer service. Customer complaints due to poor   design and function would not resonate well in these parts. We have to be   more accountable for our own brand

Repair

Regional Service Training Meetings – Don’t miss out!

With summer behind us we’re getting ready to bring to your area some top notch technical and business management training for the very low cost of $119 for two full days of training. Click here for the topics that will be covered by the manufacturers at each of 15 events and the business management content presented by USA leaders. These events are an excellent value for the money and a great opportunity for you to network with your Parts Distributor and peers. Space is limited register today. Hotel sleeping room discounts expire 30 days before each event.

Olympic

Extreme Customer Service – an Olympic Sport

By Paul Mac Donald

While there are many extreme sports that are showcased in the Olympics, Customer Service is not one of them. Customer service is the cornerstone of building a successful business. The easiest, fastest and most profitable way to grow your business is through “great” service. Extreme customer service is about exceeding expectations and wowing your customers, creating relationships that will create brand loyalty.

 

Rules of Extreme Customer Service:

1.    First Impressions Count

All relationships start with a greeting that conveys a first impression, either in your shop or over the telephone.  Chaos in your shop or a snarly greeting on the phone and you’ve started out on the wrong foot. The décor and cleanliness of your business and the initial greeting on the phone shapes the attitude and opinion about your company. Neat and clean with a friendly hello go a long way to setting the tone of the relationship you’re about to build.

2.   Listen First

Listening may sound simple but it’s a skill and practice makes perfect. It’s vital to listen carefully to the customer’s wants and needs, taking notes to avoid the annoying request to repeat oneself. Seasoned service reps can often jump the gun making incorrect assumptions of customer’s requests. Confirming key facts will demonstrate your attention to detail and can avoid mistakes and disappointment.

3.    Be Real

Human nature dictates that customers need to feel like they matter. Whenever possible, customers should feel like they are the center of attention.  Going out of your way to build a relationship with customers that makes a person feel special builds relationships that last. Little things like referring to people by name demonstrate that they matter to you. A customer needs to feel like a person is sincere during phone interactions as well. Take time to address a customer’s needs. Avoid placing them into an automated system as if they are just a number. Creating an environment that establishes a personal connection will lead to a great experience.

4.    Say What You Do – Do What You Say

Don’t assume the customer knows your company’s procedure and policies and take the time to clearly explain them and confirm they understand and approve. If you tell a customer you’re going to do something, you had better follow through. Nothing says “I don’t care about you” faster than not doing what you say. If customers can’t rely on your word, then the credibility of you and your company are in question and it’s hard to win that back.

5.    Exceed Expectations

It’s not good enough today to meet your customer’s expectations; you have to exceed them.  Exceeding expectations is easy and doesn’t have to be costly. Whether it’s picking up the paper at the front door or showing empathy on the phone, we need to go above and beyond what’s expected for a standard experience. Find a complimentary action that won’t be anticipated and emphasize it, it’s all part of the wow factor.

6.    Mistakes Happen – Own Them and Fix Them.

Let’s be honest here, no one’s perfect and someone sometime is going to slip up and drop the ball. Don’t try to hide it or blame someone else, this is not the time to go “postal” on the customer even if you should; apologize and make it right as fast as possible. When a customer brings a complaint, don’t interrupt and explain company policy. Make a sincere apology and find a resolution to their issue. Thanks to the Internet and Social Media, not resolving their issue will not be isolated to one person. Word of mouth is still one of the most important components of building a lasting loyal relationship.

7.    Always Say Please and Thank You

Don’t take your customers for granted. Let them know you understand they had a choice and you’re grateful they chose you. Nothing exceeds expectations faster than receiving a thank you card in the mail after the job is finished. While you’re at it, toss in a discount or loyalty coupon for the next time they need your product or service.

BB

Customers Highly Value Expertise, Professionalism, and Promptness

Survey after survey confirm these are the things customers are looking for when hiring a service company. When a company charges by the hour, however, it causes customers to become focused on time alone, forgetting the core things that bring ultimate satisfaction and confidence in both the repair and the company that provided the repair. Certainly time is important to everyone, but providing a highly trained technician, with a fully stocked service vehicle in a timely manner is the best and most sure-fire way of insuring an appliance is repaired quickly and properly. Most customers never see nor do they understand all of the costs associated with the repair, including the person who answered the phone, orders and inventories the parts, the expense for tools, your vehicles and all the training that goes into a job. When charging by the hour, it is very difficult for a customer to reconcile paying a reasonable price for a service professional to complete a job because they are only focused on the time it took to complete the repair. Charging a standard, flat, job rate takes away the clock watching and refocuses the customer on your companies professionalism, experience, and customer service skills all the while insuring that you will make a profit for your efforts.  The Blue Book allows you to give the customer one set rate for the repair.  No haggling, one set price that includes the parts, service charge and labor.  This is very easy for the customer to understand and no clock watching to argue over!

Order Your Copy Today!

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