By: Jodi Peter, Nexstar Network Business Coach

One of the most challenging jobs in the contracting business is finding and retaining good technicians.  I don’t know what it is about Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical technicians, but the skilled tradesmen seem to be a dying off.  So much so that many contractors are deciding to “Grow their own.”  Whether a contractor hires someone right out of tech school or invests in training the right individual, creating a well-rounded, well qualified technician takes time.  I’m all for “Growing your own” technician, by the way, just be mindful of the types of calls given to a new, green technician right out of the gate.

So you have a new guy on the payroll.  Many contractors introduce him to the team as the new maintenance tech.  You send him out on maintenance calls, in the beginning, to get his feet wet.  After all, what better way for a tech to learn than sending him out on Service Partner Plan calls, right? 

Not necessarily. 

Be sure that the BEST opportunities go to your BEST guy.  Don’t make the mistake of allowing a new, green dude to learn on the best opportunity. 

If you are an HVAC contractor, maintenance technicians are for servicing that new equipment that you installed 3 years ago, not the 15 year old system that might need replacement.  Send your BEST techs to the older equipment and your organization will reap the benefits of higher sales and profitability.

By: Ed Cerier, Nexstar Network Marketing Strategist  Nexstar Network members set the standard for professionalism. When your customers see how your techs are dressed and groomed and how your trucks sparkle, they think “clean and proud.” When your customers speak with your CSRs and techs, they think “intelligent and friendly.” When you make happy calls, they [...]

By: Jodi Peter, Nexstar Network Business Coach Wanda hates being told what to do In Nexstar, we frequently refer to the primary decision maker of the home as Wanda.  Wanda is the targeted demographic and makes most financial decisions about services done in her home.  I’m a business coach for Nexstar, but I am also [...]

By: Susan Kimball, Nexstar Network Marketing Coach Too Expensive or Totally Worth It? As I left my car repair shop yesterday, looking at my bill for fixing the AC and changing the oil, and knowing that I could have paid far less elsewhere, I thought of Nexstar members and how often marketing coach, Ed Cerier & I [...]

By: Susan Kimball, Nexstar Network Marketing Coach Please advise your staff that Google may call asking if your company services customers at the address you have listed on your Google Places profile.  The answer that is given is very important and can impact whether your company continues to appear in Google local search results.  A [...]

  By: Jim Hamilton, Nexstar® Network Business Coach The in-between season for Heating and Cooling contractors is predictable, with a low volume of installs.  What should you do with your installers when you have no installs?   Here’s what I do.  I have my installers run system checks / service maintenance visits.  Why?   Who better to [...]

By: Tom Merriott, Nexstar Network Call Center Excellence Coach Should I be doing some outbound calling? I get that question all the time and I usually answer with a question of my own. Is your call board full? If the answer to my question is NO then the answer to the first one is an [...]

By: Ed Cerier, Nexstar Network Marketing Strategist Play to Win  If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably heard these two expressions:  “They played to win.”  “They played not to lose.” When sportscasters and analysts use the first expression, it’s always a positive comment. Teams that play to win are determined, they play hard, they don’t [...]

By: Susan Kimball Nexstar Network Marketing Coach IMPORTANT: CHANGE YOUR FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE BEFORE MARCH 30th! Facebook will automatically “upgrade” your company Facebook page to the new Timeline design on March 30th using pieces of whatever content you currently have there. The new design and content arrangement is significantly different, so if you want your [...]

By: Rachel Whitman, Nexstar® Network Events and Communications Manager It’s the final day of Owners’ Spotlight Series. Last night, we supported the Nexstar Legacy Foundation by sending Nexstar’s Tom Merriott, Tony Flaminio, Keith Mercurio and Lisa Schardt into a dunk tank. This event was so popular, that we donated over $5000 for the Nexstar Legacy [...]