the very first service call, whatever, your first one by yourself. I guarantee you did not nail it out of the park. You had to do it time and time and time again, and get familiar and start to really understand, and then it clicks. Training is no different. Training requires consistency in order for it to stick. If you don't have a habit of learning, or wanting to grow, again, you fall into mediocrity . And there's no growth there.
We're here at the HVACR Symposium down in Orlando, Florida. Brian Ord and the KALOS team put a great show on. We just spent two days with technicians from all over North America and I'm hanging out here with Jesse Stewart who travels around all North America training and educating technicians on different things in HVAC in refrigeration, on A2Ls because he cares.
He's a trainer and we're just going to have a conversation here about Why we care about training and helping the industry and trying to uplift the industry because this is what refrigeration mentors all about is uplifting the industry, helping others get into the industry or share their knowledge. And this is something that Jesse is really passionate about and cares about is helping others. So Jesse, thanks for hanging out with me.
Oh man, it's always awesome. I catch up with you, man. So like I said, I've known you for how many years now?
Lots.
Not enough. Not enough. It feels like over Not enough. Not enough. It feels like over
a decade. That's good. So, you've been traveling around North America. What are some of the things that you see? When you're going out to do these trainings for like say the technician that's coming in because there's a lot of them. I do so much training. Some technicians come in and they love to come in to learn, to grow.
Some other technicians just come in because it's a day off sometimes or they're not really interested in learning. But what are some of the things that you see those technicians who want to come in and learn and grow? What are some of the things
you're seeing while you're training? So, you can always identify the ones who want to be there versus the ones that are told to be there.
Or, you know, like you said, day off, day out of the sun, day out of the cold, whatever. And typically the ones that want to be there are the ones that you'll see immediately gun straight to the front row. They're taking notes, they're asking questions, and they're engaging. And now, here's the thing, even for the ones that don't want to be there, As educators and trainers, you know, we can lead a horse to water, but we can't make it drink.
But, depending on how we deliver, and how we actually perform our job as trainers and educators, we may actually grab attention to the ones who you originally set in the back leg. Also, not everybody reads from a PowerPoint. Not everybody reads from a script. It's real. These guys are actually doing this.
But, depending on how we deliver, and how we actually perform our job as trainers and educators, we may actually grab attention to the ones who you originally set in the back leg. Also, not everybody reads from a PowerPoint. Not everybody reads from a script. It's real. These guys are actually doing this.
They care about us. And so, when I get to see the guys that may have originally been to be playing on their phone or something like that, and then I say something that catches their attention, and then they never pick their phone up again, that's one of the coolest things that I see. And then the engagement after the sessions.
When people, and that's the funny thing too, like I want it during the session, but the fact that they'll come up afterwards. And they've got so many questions. They show me their notepad, all the questions they wrote down. That's just awesome. It shows me that they're listening.
Yeah, and I think that's something that's super important too, is like, when I'm in a training session, if it's online or if it's in person, I really try to find out about each one of the learners.
And it's hard as a trainer, especially, I do all, like, Almost all online training. So it's more for me, it's a bit more difficult than in person, but I can, I understand how to look at the people, body language, their eyes, what they say. When you ask them a question what are some of the things that, cause these are the technicians coming in and you don't often get the service manager or the business owners in.
And it's hard as a trainer, especially, I do all, like, Almost all online training. So it's more for me, it's a bit more difficult than in person, but I can, I understand how to look at the people, body language, their eyes, what they say. When you ask them a question what are some of the things that, cause these are the technicians coming in and you don't often get the service manager or the business owners in.
What are some advice you could give to a service manager to entice their technicians to go into a training program? Because I have my good friend, Andrew Freeburg it was about two weeks ago or maybe a month ago, he told me that he was offered to go to it was a crell training for an example, like their controller training and the whole company, I think there's hundreds of technicians was they gave them the opportunity, which is great.
The company said, Hey, if you want to go, here's a training and it's a couple hours in a, I don't, I can't remember what's in the evening, but. And he said that there was only him signed it up and another guy signed it, signed up because he told him about it. But all these other technicians had the opportunity and they didn't go.
So, and I, I think more technicians would have went if the deliver, like the, that message was delivered a bit differently from the business owner or service manager. What advice could you give to the service manager when there is a training coming to town or you're coming to town to, to a wholesaler?
So, and I, I think more technicians would have went if the deliver, like the, that message was delivered a bit differently from the business owner or service manager. What advice could you give to the service manager when there is a training coming to town or you're coming to town to, to a wholesaler?
Like to, to, because sometimes the, the service, and I know lots of service manager business owners, you're, you're always trying to put out fires. You got it. 30 or 40 technicians, you're, you always have too many jobs to do and nonstop, but what are some of the things that you could give some advice for these service manager business owners to help entice the technician to go take the training and how it's going to bring them value is going to bring their customer value as well as bring the company that they work for value?
Well, so it's funny that you mentioned that way back when at my first contractor, at some point I was a service manager. And so something that I used to preach to apprentices, guys who've been doing it for five years, guys who've been doing it for 50 years. One is to, as men you preach religiously, you invest in yourself.
And when I say that, I'll elaborate a little more. Knowledge doesn't go away. If you leave the job, that doesn't leave, or that doesn't stay. It goes with you. That's something we can never take back. And the other thing is to make sure, especially as a service manager, if you're talking to younger techs, older techs, whoever it may be, keep in mind that that same technician at some point during their career, most likely once a year, is going to ask for a raise.
And when I say that, I'll elaborate a little more. Knowledge doesn't go away. If you leave the job, that doesn't leave, or that doesn't stay. It goes with you. That's something we can never take back. And the other thing is to make sure, especially as a service manager, if you're talking to younger techs, older techs, whoever it may be, keep in mind that that same technician at some point during their career, most likely once a year, is going to ask for a raise.
Well, okay, you want a raise, so let's look at your performance and let's see what you did to improve your own skill set. Yeah. Keep that in mind when you're having these conversations, because it's a given. We all have to make a living.
Yeah.
But, you have to put a little bit of effort into what you're doing. This trade is rapidly evolving, and the processes, the tools, the technology, everything evolves with it. If we can't make, and I'm not saying make, make's the wrong word, if we can't entice our technicians to want to learn this new technology, then we fall into mediocrity . And famous quote is, discomfort causes growth.
If you don't know something, the only way to figure it out. Is to go and learn it or go and try. So I would stress to make sure that people know that it's an investment in them, not in the company and that all it can do is just improve your worth as a human being in this industry.
If you don't know something, the only way to figure it out. Is to go and learn it or go and try. So I would stress to make sure that people know that it's an investment in them, not in the company and that all it can do is just improve your worth as a human being in this industry.
I think the big thing too with business owners, service managers, because I've been in so many meetings for training, like training and development contractors and their technicians and their team, and I've, I've seen some and I've had them even say it's like, well, if I train them and I spend all this money with you, they're, they're going to leave. You hear that before?
Oh yeah.
Yeah. But if you don't train them, what happens? And some of them are going to leave. But I've seen this time and time again, when they, they leave and you have a good company and you've got a solid team and you've built that culture, you know, and we hear people talking about culture all the time, but it's just building a family, so your organization, they're going to want to come back because that is important to people.
People don't like not knowing how to do their job. And I see it time and time again, like companies that are, that say things like that, that those, the teams, the people that work there don't feel comfortable at the role because they don't know how to do it maybe properly.
People don't like not knowing how to do their job. And I see it time and time again, like companies that are, that say things like that, that those, the teams, the people that work there don't feel comfortable at the role because they don't know how to do it maybe properly.
Well, on top of that, think about this too. So if you have a company that's saying, you know, we would invest in you, but we're afraid you're going to read.
Yeah, nice.
That's awful. I mean. Don't do that. Don't do that if you're a sales manager. No. Because even, I don't care if it's a brand new tech, if it's a tech that's been there for years, if it's a tech that is passionate about his trade, he wants to grow.
He wants to learn. And if you're flat out telling him, well we're not going to send you to school, or we're not going to send you to talk to Trevor, or we're not going to send you to see that random hillbilly talk about something. Because we're afraid you're going to leave, that just shows that you doubt your own company culture. You're worried that you don't provide something that's worth sticking around for.
Yeah. I I had another CEO of a company and he said, Cause I, I like long term training drip, it's not drip learning, but it's like short, short trainings like two hours or one hour a week, get to do teach one thing, you know, even if it's advanced or, or, you know beginner level or entry level of knowledge, but it's Continuous growth like continuous knowledge learning each week of months over months.
Yeah. I I had another CEO of a company and he said, Cause I, I like long term training drip, it's not drip learning, but it's like short, short trainings like two hours or one hour a week, get to do teach one thing, you know, even if it's advanced or, or, you know beginner level or entry level of knowledge, but it's Continuous growth like continuous knowledge learning each week of months over months.
And I remember I was sitting in this one conversation with a CEO of, he has hundreds of employees and like, well, can you do the training? You know, like I like your model, you know, you got the six and eight and 12 week programs, Trevor, and they're like, but can you do it in one day? Can you actually do it on a Saturday?
I'm like, your technicians have families, they got kids, it's baseball season, or hockey season, whatever it is, football season. Can you do it in one day? I'm like, but that's not the point, I do lots of one day trainings, two days, I've done it for years, why I don't do it is because in that, that amount of time, 8 to 12 hours, I give, you can give so much information, and that they're bleeding all that knowledge out, yeah, and they'll take stuff away, and there's a small percentage, maybe 10%, 5 percent that takes more of the knowledge away.
I'm like, your technicians have families, they got kids, it's baseball season, or hockey season, whatever it is, football season. Can you do it in one day? I'm like, but that's not the point, I do lots of one day trainings, two days, I've done it for years, why I don't do it is because in that, that amount of time, 8 to 12 hours, I give, you can give so much information, and that they're bleeding all that knowledge out, yeah, and they'll take stuff away, and there's a small percentage, maybe 10%, 5 percent that takes more of the knowledge away. The other 70 percent takes the, a little piece of it away. And then there's the other percentage that doesn't take out. Cause it was just overwhelming. What are your thoughts on the different types of trainings? Because once again, I think it's long term growth. If you want success, it doesn't happen overnight because some people are like, I want you to be like you come off the street.
Now you want to be an expert in a year, you know,
and so like you said, what you just mentioned. So we call that a consistent training formula. It's no different than like if you were lifting weights, trying to get stronger. Guess what? You can't go in and bench press your max one day a week And expect growth.
So it's no different with learning. And that's just like for me, where I travel. So my rules around my sessions are, I don't want a hard cutoff time. I'm there for these guys in whatever part of the country. I want to promote engagement. If you're giving me a hard cutoff, I'm going to rush and I might skip some crucial information that somebody didn't know.
I might know it. It doesn't mean they do. So, no. So that massive overload of information at one time, yeah, they may take bits and pieces of it, but they could miss out on. We'll go as far as 60, maybe 70 percent of the class, especially depending on their skill level. Yeah. So, no. Consistent, small training forms.
I might know it. It doesn't mean they do. So, no. So that massive overload of information at one time, yeah, they may take bits and pieces of it, but they could miss out on. We'll go as far as 60, maybe 70 percent of the class, especially depending on their skill level. Yeah. So, no. Consistent, small training forms.
100 percent believe in those. Like, for me, the max that I'll do is two sessions in a day. And my sessions are normally anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours max. The other part is, I follow up with every single person I train. I say, here's my business card. If you have a question about anything, call me.
Here's the presentation I did. Here's the study guide. Here's some notes. Take it. Run with it. And then you would be surprised at the number of people that call me and say, man, it's really cool that you let me still talk to you after you left. It's not a one and done type thing. Because, like I said, go bench press your max once a week, see if you get stronger.
Yeah, no, exactly. And this is something that I preach in my programs, training programs all the time, is that I want you to go and share this knowledge. You know what I mean? So I taught you, like, yeah, you can send other people to the program, which I want. I want more tech teachers to come in so I can teach you.
Yeah, no, exactly. And this is something that I preach in my programs, training programs all the time, is that I want you to go and share this knowledge. You know what I mean? So I taught you, like, yeah, you can send other people to the program, which I want. I want more tech teachers to come in so I can teach you.
You need to hear the stuff 7 to 11 times. You got to continue to see the same information. So your technicians may need to go to that same training again and again and again to really get it because they might only took. 30 percent of it. So maybe in that next year, they might have to do a very similar training. And this is continuing education that I talk about.
And for anyone who disagrees with that thought process, right? Think about this. Okay. So if you don't get the once a week thing fine, but think about when you first got started in this trade. The very first unit, the very first service call, whatever, your first one by yourself.
I guarantee you did not nail it out of the park. You had to do it time and time and time again, and get familiar and start to really understand, and then it clicks. Training is no different. And to people who think, oh, you know, you're just reading a PowerPoint. One, I don't ever read a PowerPoint. And two, anybody can read.
Training requires consistency in order for it to stick. It applies to anything in life. Everything requires consistency. Everything requires a habit. If you don't have a habit of learning, or wanting to grow, again, you fall into mediocrity . And there's no growth there.
Training requires consistency in order for it to stick. It applies to anything in life. Everything requires consistency. Everything requires a habit. If you don't have a habit of learning, or wanting to grow, again, you fall into mediocrity . And there's no growth there.
Yeah, and I really think, too, like I talk to so many technicians, where they, they want to feel confident in what they do.
I've talked to lots of service managers, like, yeah, this guy, or this girl's a great technician. But they want to call for the validation and don't get me wrong. I was there too in the in the field but once again, it's that Working with them and helping them believe in themselves and their confidence So because I have technicians that come in all the time say like I want to be more confident with co2 or I want To be more confident on supermarket refrigeration and I asked them what what do you need to do?
Well, I need to spend some more time learning. I need to spend some more time on the tools, hands on with. I need to have conversations with other people and just not hold it all in because, you know, we're in our vehicles by ourselves 10, 12 hours a day sometimes. It could be 8 hours, it could be 6 hours, but we're by ourselves.
Well, I need to spend some more time learning. I need to spend some more time on the tools, hands on with. I need to have conversations with other people and just not hold it all in because, you know, we're in our vehicles by ourselves 10, 12 hours a day sometimes. It could be 8 hours, it could be 6 hours, but we're by ourselves.
You need to have that communal conversation with your team or your service manager. Maybe not in the moment when you're on the job site, but to help build that confidence. What are your thoughts on building confidence in the industry as a technician?
So I'll start with another fantastic quote. Fear kills more dreams than failure ever did.
Right? Yeah, that's a good one.
And so, when we talk about that, that applies to learning. Because just like yourself I'll always, in the early days of my career, I always second guessed, I always worried. I wanted something, and then I got to the point where I was like, Hey, I don't want you to tell me how to do it, but just give me a hint.
Point me in the right direction. But, I was only able to do that by two things. One, because when I talk about fear kills more dreams, I was so afraid to be wrong early in my career. And this is a good one for you, you'll love this. We did an electrical class where we all had the same schematic. I can't remember the question, but my service manager asked me a question.
And I used to have deer and headlight syndrome, which is essentially, I was so afraid to be wrong. That I would just do this. No moving. I knew the answer, but I wouldn't respond because I was afraid to be wrong. Don't be afraid to be wrong. And don't be afraid to ask for help. There's nothing wrong with not knowing something.
And I used to have deer and headlight syndrome, which is essentially, I was so afraid to be wrong. That I would just do this. No moving. I knew the answer, but I wouldn't respond because I was afraid to be wrong. Don't be afraid to be wrong. And don't be afraid to ask for help. There's nothing wrong with not knowing something.
Yeah. There is something wrong with expecting to fix that problem without speaking up. Sure, you can do some investment in yourself and research, but you also need to make sure you're using all the resources available to you. Whether that's a mentor, a service manager, Someone that works in another company, however you do it, don't be afraid to ask.
Man, I agree with that. And I think though, that I've seen it time and time again, we're afraid to ask one to be wrong. One, like, you might have been doing it for seven years and it's something that you really shouldn't know. But you never really, you never had the opportunity to, to, to learn that. And I, I see it time and time again.
I can't even remember back when I was six or seven years in and I'm like I should really know how to set that superheat properly, but I don't want to ask, but don't be afraid like to ask those questions if you're a technician and same with the service manager, if you're a service manager, operation manager, or even a business owner.
I can't even remember back when I was six or seven years in and I'm like I should really know how to set that superheat properly, but I don't want to ask, but don't be afraid like to ask those questions if you're a technician and same with the service manager, if you're a service manager, operation manager, or even a business owner.
You know, ask the questions, maybe ask the, maybe ask your technician sometimes and get some advice from them on what's working with the customer and what's not working with the customer. They're dealing with the memory. They build that relationship with your, with your service manager or with your technician.
And I see companies that are doing so well because they have such a good. Relationship the management team and the technicians and where I, where I've seen it kind of fall apart in certain areas. And I even talked, I had some good conversation with operation manager, like Trevor, we were, you know, we had 30 technicians.
I knew everybody's name. I knew wife's names, kids names. We had a hundred technicians. I still know, but we had about 200. Technician 300 technicians and I just couldn't keep up and it's totally fair when he's beating himself down on it on it. He's like, man, it's, it just, it's just sucks that I don't know everybody's name and it's not like it is a family, but it.
I knew everybody's name. I knew wife's names, kids names. We had a hundred technicians. I still know, but we had about 200. Technician 300 technicians and I just couldn't keep up and it's totally fair when he's beating himself down on it on it. He's like, man, it's, it just, it's just sucks that I don't know everybody's name and it's not like it is a family, but it.
You still can be close community, even if you have three or four or five hundred technicians and people in it. But you need to bring that leadership down to that service manager and that service or operation manager. And then that service manager needs to be the one that helps own that part, knowing their names and their wives and their kids.
Because that's what technicians want. They want to, they don't want to be just a number. And I had a conversation the other day as well, I was like, Trevor, I just feel like I'm a number at this company. And that's the worst thing a technician wants to feel like. Do you ever hear that?
Yeah, no, and that's more or less, even though we're technicians and, you know, we assume there's going to be growth in our career, that is the equivalent of almost feeling like you're at a dead end, y'all.
You're, you are completely expendable. They don't know who you are. In fact, I worked for a company that looked at me like that. They didn't even know my name. They knew my tech number, though. It's 10999. That's what they called me. Every time I answered, fine. That made me feel terrible. And I was like, because guess what, you're getting called out late at night.
You're, you are completely expendable. They don't know who you are. In fact, I worked for a company that looked at me like that. They didn't even know my name. They knew my tech number, though. It's 10999. That's what they called me. Every time I answered, fine. That made me feel terrible. And I was like, because guess what, you're getting called out late at night.
Tech 1099, not my name, not hey how's your family, you ain't with your mom or anything, your elderly grandparents. Nope, you're just Tech 10999, here's a call, gotta take care of it. That's insane. And I want to touch really quickly too on something, we talked about that confidence thing, being afraid to be wrong.
I got news for you, I'm sure you'll agree with me on this. We're both educators, we're both trainers. I will never look at anyone and say, I know everything. And anyone that does is a fool. Because here's the reality, we can't. And one of the best assets that a teacher, trainer, educator can have is the ability to listen, and the ability to accept that you don't know something. Again, I would never pretend like I know everything about CO2.
Yeah, and I know a lot and I don't know everything, you know what I mean? It's just, it's just, there's so much to continue to learn and continue to grow. And I, I think there's just so many conversations. I have another technician who said like, Trevor, I, I went to my service manager and I'm trying to to help the customer out.
Yeah, and I know a lot and I don't know everything, you know what I mean? It's just, it's just, there's so much to continue to learn and continue to grow. And I, I think there's just so many conversations. I have another technician who said like, Trevor, I, I went to my service manager and I'm trying to to help the customer out.
And I was calling the service, I called up the dispatch and the service manager. I need to, I needed a confirmation if I could do the job or not. And he told me that the service manager just or maybe it was the operation, just tore him a new one. Like, why would you do that? Why would you call? Why are you trying to get this job done right away?
And just told him a new one. And he was like, and it's a young guy who's investing himself, going to trainings, all coming to my trainings and stuff, and he's like, what do I do, Trevor? Like, and he's put in a situation, you know what I mean? So like I helped him write up an email because he has, we have to confront that as a technician as well.
And the same with a service manager, with the, the, the technician too, if a technician's acting like a, but he was actually trying to help the customer and that service manager, operation manager, yeah. gave him because it was inconvenient for him at that time to deal with that. Because yes, service manager, you got to deal with a lot and you got to deal with a lot of different personalities. And you know what I mean? But you got
to take care of your people that, that right there going into the culture, you know what that's called? That's a cancer culture because it's a disease. It's toxic. It's bad because it's, you scare that tech when he's trying to do his best. He's trying to do his job. He might start cutting corners.
to take care of your people that, that right there going into the culture, you know what that's called? That's a cancer culture because it's a disease. It's toxic. It's bad because it's, you scare that tech when he's trying to do his best. He's trying to do his job. He might start cutting corners.
And this could result in a customer getting hurt, him getting hurt. Because he's too afraid to call and ask now. Because you bit his head off when he thought he was doing the right thing the first time. Communication is key in these company cultures. There has to be a legit open door policy. And like Trevor said, I get it.
If you're a service manager, you're dealing with calls, emails, invoices, bids, quotes, whatever. But at the end of the day, you are a leader in that company. That's right. And leaders lead, bosses order, bosses demand, and bosses only help when it's a convener. They'll be a leader, not a boss.
Yeah, no, I like that. This is a beautiful view here.
Yeah, yeah, well especially now that like all the temps are gone.
Yeah, yeah, well especially now that like all the temps are gone. Trevor: Yeah. So we're sitting here at this property in Orlando and it's got a nice view of the lake. With hundreds and hundreds of HVAC technicians, some refrigeration technicians but it, it's been a pleasure to talk to you about this because I know you're very passionate about helping people and training and, and if you are a service manager and you're looking to, to talk to someone about how do I, how do I help?
Inspire my team. Reach out to me. Reach out to Jesse. We've done it, you know what I mean? We've been involved with working with teams to help develop them and and we want you to be successful as a service manager, as a technician, as a business, a business owner if you're a business owner because it's not always easy.
No, and there's nothing wrong with asking for help. There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, I'm I just don't feel comfortable saying I don't want to ask Trevor for help. I don't want to ask Jesse for help. By you doing that, you will fall short every single time. There could be so much improvement that you're just unaware of, but you're too afraid to ask.
No, and there's nothing wrong with asking for help. There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, I'm I just don't feel comfortable saying I don't want to ask Trevor for help. I don't want to ask Jesse for help. By you doing that, you will fall short every single time. There could be so much improvement that you're just unaware of, but you're too afraid to ask. See how it goes full circle all over again.
Yeah, yeah.
It's not just Tex, it's everybody.
Yeah, yeah. And it's, it's something that it's, because we're passionate about our industry, the refrigeration and HVAC industry. And it's it's important to, to build that community around the people. It's not always easy. Our job, you know what I mean? As a technician, as a service manager, as a business owner. But what we've got to do is work together to, to develop each other. And that's it. And it comes back to training. It comes back to development and it comes back to working together.
It's all about supporting each other. It's not about, Oh, he can do this better than me, or this company is better than my company. You're going to, you don't look at it like that. You have to look at it as. Well, I'd like to know what he knows. I'd like to know how he's doing what he's doing. And then, if the opportunity is there, of course, ask.
At least the vast majority of people, especially in the training and education side of our industry, there's no such thing as rivals here. We're all educators, and just like this is a prime example. People from all over. Refrigeration guys, HVAC guys, you've got boiler guys, you've got controls guys, IAQ guys.
At least the vast majority of people, especially in the training and education side of our industry, there's no such thing as rivals here. We're all educators, and just like this is a prime example. People from all over. Refrigeration guys, HVAC guys, you've got boiler guys, you've got controls guys, IAQ guys. We all specialize in something. We can all learn from each other. Just be nice.
Yeah, I like that. Be nice, be kind to the people around you because they'll want to be coming back and
Bad behavior never did anybody any good.
No, not even a little bit. Jesse, I want to thank you for Taking the time to chat. I enjoy this stuff because I know there's lots of people out there Technicians who you know looking to be inspired a little bit You might be in a situation in a company that you may not like well, what do you do? You know you plan on well, where can I go? How do I go there? Or it's how do I help the, the culture inside my organization?
And that's just, that's a part of you taking the responsibility to do it. Not complaining about anybody else in there and what other people do. You can't change anyone else but yourself. Yep. So you can be the difference inside your organization. Jesse, thanks so much, man.
And that's just, that's a part of you taking the responsibility to do it. Not complaining about anybody else in there and what other people do. You can't change anyone else but yourself. Yep. So you can be the difference inside your organization. Jesse, thanks so much, man.
Appreciate it, Billy. Appreciate it, Billy.