McKinney AC Repair Service owner Steve Lauten routinely gives industry speeches about business management. Here he talks about “Rate of Learning”
The only advantage any organization has is… “It’s Rate of Learning”
As a business owner I am always looking for a magic bullet that will give me an advantage over my competitors. I want one that is only mine and nobody else can have it. Does this sound familiar? If you look at virtually any successful American Corporation, or for that matter any in the World, nobody has a magic bullet forever. Whether it’s a miracle drug, or a super widget, eventually the patents run out, or somebody takes the original idea and makes a better one. IBM made the first personal computer, now they don’t make personal computers. Word Perfect was the word processing software to have; now it’s MS-Word. In 1957 Chevy came out with big fins on the back of their cars and it was the rage, the next year Ford had it too.
My point is a manufacturer can come out with a 50 SEER A/C unit and eventually so will the competition. Our industry is fairly well balanced in the features and efficiencies available on most brands of HVAC equipment. The 13 SEER mandate that went into effect on January 23rd, 2006 created even more parity in our industry. Now that every unit made has to be at least 13 SEER it has changed how many of us will approach our customers. The economic paybacks on the highest SEER units are not always as good as the comparisons we used to make to justify a customer buying a 12 SEER unit instead of a 10 SEER unit. Many of the industry experts say that focusing on the IAQ market will be the key to success, while others insist that changing your marketing strategy is a must. For the sake of discussion let’s say we do all of those things right. Does this insure our success? Unfortunately it does not!
I will let you know about something each of us understands but rarely do we do anything about it. Your organization and mine is “only as good as our worst employee”. This is not something new; in fact it’s pretty old. However, how much emphasis does your company put into its rate of learning? Do all of your service technicians and installers interact with your customers in a manner that the Customer wants to tell all their friends about their experience? I hope you noticed I did not say anything about the customer being satisfied, only that they are telling their friends and neighbors about the experience!
So where I am heading with my message this month? It’s the off season for most of us, a time to reflect on what kind of year we had in 2005 and how are we going to make it better in 2006? This is our season to prepare for the game we play. It’s time to send our employees through training camp. That’s where ACCA-NTX can make the difference for you. We have the training you need, and if we don’t have the type of training you need, I want you to let me know what you need and I will do my best to get it for you! Are all of your technicians NATE certified, does every one of your service and installation techs understand superheat and sub cooling and how to use those readings to diagnose a problem with a system? I have used those methods to find a kinked suction line that multiple other companies had failed to find. Please know that while I feel my techs are above average, the only way to keep them there is training. Please check out the upcoming training offered by ACCA-NTX and take advantage of it. I know if you spend money training your techs and installers they will go to work for somebody else, what happens if they stay?
I also want to take this opportunity to let you know the Super Bowl of Seminars and Trade Shows is almost here. On Thursday, February 9th, at the Grapevine Convention Center you and every one of your employees can attend the best break out training sessions we have ever offered, followed by the best trade show we have ever offered and it’s Absolutely Free to Everybody! The only cost to you is lunch or dinner if you want to eat. Please see the specifics about this event in this newsletter and take advantage of the seminars and also talking to our Associates about the latest in Indoor Air Quality and Equipment, plus you can talk to many of our other Associates that provide vital support services.
In closing, I can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of your attendance at the Trade Show. Our Associates have put a tremendous amount of effort and money into giving us what we asked for: Information on the latest technology and services, plus outstanding breakout sessions. To top it all off, there will be door prizes given out hourly during the Trade Show with a Grand Prize of a $500 Visa gift card.
McKinney AC Repair Service, Total Air and Heat, is owned by Steve Lauten, the second generation owner. Founded in 1957 by Steve’s dad, Fred Lauten, Total Air and Heat is proud to have received some of the highest awards for quality and service that are offered in the Industry. Among those awards are the Readers Choice Awards from the Collin County Newspaper, the Trane Pacesetter Award in 2002, and designation as a Trane Comfort Specialist.