In the appliance repair trade today, we have too many parts changers and not enough technicians. Even many experienced techs don't know the fundamentals and technology we're working with on modern appliances today. I'm talking about things like basic electricity, circuits, reading schematics, knowing how to troubleshoot, motors, microcomputer control systems.
What this means: you're probably not going to find techs to hire with the skills you need to grow your business.
Many multi-tech businesses are successfully using our innovative training to improve the proficiency of their current techs and to grow their businesses. They choose candidates with a good work ethic, positive comportment, and basic technical aptitude (but little to no appliance repair experience) and then enroll them at the MST Academy (either in the Tech Bundle or just start them with Fundamentals of Appliance Repair).
For a period of time, they give them some time to work on their training as well as ride along with experienced techs. There are many ways to structure this, which you can read more about on our Employer Resource Page. Business owners often set a criteria of earning MST Certification in order to continue as an employee with the company.
The Proof
Here's what Paul MacDonald, Director of Customer Service & Service, Yale Appliance & Lighting in Boston, MA, had to say about using our training:
Hiring a technician is hard, building one is even harder. Master Samurai Tech Academy provides cutting-edge training and education to train new and existing technicians in basic theory of appliance repair. MST helps us weed out those that shouldn’t become techs. We give all new hires 90 days to pass the MST Technician’s Bundle. Those that fail don’t make the team.
MST works! The courses are thorough, comprehensive and relevant. The quizzes and final exam are tough and the teachers strict but not as tough as today’s appliances and the customers we serve. Customers deserve the best repairs, MST is the best on-line appliance repair training program. MST has helped us build 7 new techs in less time than we could have done on our own. We’re working on building 2 more with MST. We also use the Fundamentals course for skills updating of existing technicians.
Todd Daganaar, President of Nebraska Home Appliance, a successful appliance repair company with 9 technicians and growing, has been using MST online training for several years now.
Learn More
Click here to read more about using Master Samurai Tech's online training for your employees.
We do offer discounts for multi-tech operations. Click here for more information.
Here’s the reality of the appliance repair trade today: we have too many parts changers and not enough technicians. In working with techs of all types over the years, I’ve noticed that all great technicians do four things that distinguish them from the sea of parts changers:
KTB - Know The Basics
RTFM - Read The Freakin’ Manual
PATD - Pay Attention To Details
HAS - Have A System
Know The Basics
Nothing else happens unless a technician knows technical things. This may sound obvious but the sad reality of the appliance repair trade today is that many “technicians” don’t know the things that real technicians are supposed to know: basic electricity, analog and digital circuits, reading schematics, technology used in modern appliances, microcomputer control systems, troubleshooting, etc.
Many techs who have been doing appliance repair for 20+ years think they know the basics but, in fact, most do not- they literally don’t know what they don’t know. It is possible, even common today, for techs to have 20+ years of parts changing experience without knowing very much about the basics.
Knowing the basics is critical but a good tech will also carefully READ the service manual or tech sheet to understand the theory of operation, specifications, and technology used in that appliance.
Most techs are sloppy readers. They’ll quickly scan through a service manual or tech sheet and say they’ve “read” it. That’s not what I mean by RTFM.
We have to read technical literature differently from the way we read a pulp fiction novel. Reading technical literature is not about speed reading. It’s reading and processing the information, forming a coherent understanding of how the appliance systems and circuits are supposed to function.
Where do you get technical literature? From manufacturers if you are an authorized warranty servicer. If not, you can become a Professional Appliantologist member at Appliantology.org and search, request, and download all kinds of technical literature from most of the major manufacturers.
Pay Attention to Details
Think about the word, “technician.” The root of that word is “technic” as in “technicality” which implies details. Our very job title says that we are all about details. That means that we, as true technicians, have eyes and ears honed by training and experience that see and hear things that elude unskilled eyes and ears. We pay attention to details to look for clues when we’re troubleshooting, disassembling, and implementing the repair.
Have a System
We need a system for every aspect of our profession and/or business. At the Master Samurai Tech Academy, we teach a system of troubleshooting called the Ten Step Tango™, which you can learn for free.
The benefit of having a troubleshooting system is that it gives you a structured framework for organizing your thinking and bringing it to bear in solving an appliance problem. You may know the basics and have access to the service manual or tech sheet but unless you can bring all that to bear on a specific problem, you won’t get it fixed. That’s what the Ten Step Tango™ helps you do.
Conversely, a troubleshooting system by itself won’t do you much good unless you know what real technicians are supposed to know, like the basics described above.
In business, you want systems for things like answering the phone, scheduling service calls, conducting the service call, and setting job prices. All of this is taught in our Modern Business Management course which is included at half price in our Business Bundle.
Be honest - are you missing any of the Four Keys? Master Samurai Tech has helped many techs, from newbies to seasoned veterans, fill in the gaps and acquire the keys to appliance tech greatness.
We had a full house at this Master Samurai Tech Office Hours webinar! I debunked the common tech perception that Samsung refrigerator use special, secret technology not used in any other refrigerator. In fact, I showed that Samsung's function and get troubleshoot using the same basic troubleshooting techniques as any other modern, computer-controlled refrigerator.
In addition to demystifying Samsung refrigerator repair, we talked about these other topics:
The webinar recording below will be available to everyone for a week or so. After that, you'll need to be an MST Academy student or PA member at Appliantology to view it.
- Industry news: Consumer right to repair laws coming to a state near you. Consumers will have the right to purchase appliance service manuals from the manufacturer. What does it mean for you as a professional appliance repair technician?
- The Ten Step Tango troubleshooting procedure: Troubleshooting techniques for any appliance brand or type. If you aren't already registered at the site, click here to sign up for the free TST course.
- Tech training webinars at MasterSamuraiTech.com and Appliantology.org
- Monitoring the training progress of your technician who is enrolled at the Master Samurai Tech Academy.
Here’s the reality of the appliance repair trade today: we have too many parts changers and not enough technicians. In working with techs of all types over the years, I’ve noticed that all great technicians do four things that distinguish them from the sea of parts changers: