Simplicity Continued

We had to evaluate all aspects of our maintenance routines to determine whether something truly provided enough value vs. adding measureQuick. We asked ourselves the following questions:

  • What is the purpose of our maintenance visit?
  • What ratio of inspection vs. cleaning will provide good value to a customer in the time allotted for the service if we add measureQuick?
  • Can we use the 80-20 principle to determine what provides 80% of the value we currently do on a maintenance call?

Can’t we just have the technicians do everything they were doing before and add more to it?

We could try. The danger is that it will take more time. And no one understands the value of a technician’s time more than the technician. Chances are high that something else gets dropped if you add one thing. We should choose what is and is not included instead of leaving it up to the technician.

One more thought: everyone’s time is valuable and finite. A complicated process means more time to get new systems implemented.

Engagement

The final key is engaging the technicians. We find that if we want to implement something, it takes a lot more than one meeting. There is something in marketing called the “Rule of Seven.” This rule states that a person needs to hear a message at least seven times before remembering it.

Training and accountability go hand in hand
VHP technician conducting a gas-line leak inspection

In the HVAC industry, there are countless things we can implement to help technicians. We try to limit the number of things we implement yearly to only a handful. Doing this allows us to spend more time ensuring that the most important things get implemented successfully. Since we focus on just a few things, we can see what doesn’t work more quickly and be more responsive with adjustments.

One example is our implementation of gas leak testing on maintenance visits. Around a year ago, we began pushing our technicians to test for gas leaks on every furnace maintenance call.

Some technicians caught on quickly, and others were slow adopters. As we discussed the dangers of gas leaks and showed shared technicians’ successes, stragglers began to buy into our philosophy. All our technicians are consistently testing for gas leaks, and we are seeing the results.

Bonus Implementation Strategy

Another strategy that helps us to roll out new processes successfully is having a “Champion.” A champion is a technician who is selected to do a pilot of any new tool that we want to use. This technician then shares their experience with the rest of the team and helps drive the acceptance of that tool or process.

Final Thoughts

Performance accountability is more than just keeping track of KPIs. The ultimate goal is to create a culture through easy-to-understand processes and technician engagement that allows our company to thrive.

Brendan Squires has been in the HVAC industry for more than a decade. After attaining a degree in economics, Brendan worked at Online-Access, helping build contractor websites as well as analyze website traffic data before moving to Vincent’s Heating & Plumbing where he ran a service truck for a number of years. Now Brendan serves as the tech advisor, helping technicians be successful and productive in their roles. To contact Brendan, go to ncilink.com/ContactMe.

Pages: 1 2 3