RICHARDSON, TX--(Marketwire - May 13, 2010) - North America's leading HVAC retail service company is noticing a significant trend in what potential hires most want when applying for a position in the HVAC industry. Service Experts Inc.'s surveying of applicants and staff reveals individuals want to work for a company that will help them advance their skills and provide an opportunity to work with well-trained, educated people in their field.
"Increasingly, we're hearing from individuals with strong initiative who are looking for more than a steady paycheck," says Luc Sicotte, Vice President of Human Resources for Service Experts. "They want a company that will provide education to better serve the customer and help grow their career. We are seeing people apply specifically to Service Experts because we offer extensive, ongoing training from the moment a person is hired throughout his or her career. Nearly all of our technicians are NATE-certified, but our training goes far beyond even that important designation."
Studies clearly indicate the training is not just what employees want -- it helps the bottom line, too. A Louis Harris and Associates poll reports among employees with poor training opportunities, 41 percent planned to leave within a year. Only 12 percent planned to leave among those who considered their company's training opportunities to be excellent, resulting in a retention rate more than two-thirds higher.
HVAC Learning Solutions, the training programs offered by Service Experts, are customized to meet the needs of both the technicians and the sales development team. The sales development training is a six-week course providing instruction on HVAC products and services, how to develop load estimates and how to effectively communicate with customers. The technician developmental training also offers insight on how to engage the customer when performing an installation or repair. Service Experts is measuring the positive impact this training is creating for repeat business and referrals.
Service Experts technicians are trained to receive North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification. The company has 60 proctors who provide NATE training and testing. NATE certification requires a combination of field experience and classroom knowledge. The certification increases consumers' confidence and ensures all Service Experts technicians work toward the same high standards.
"Because of our broad geographic reach across the United States and Canada and our pride in providing quality and service, our company and our employees demand consistent expertise," says Sicotte. "We realize the importance of investing in extensive training programs to ensure we always reach those standards for our customers and exceed their expectations."
The training programs have resulted in higher annual sales, improved close ratios, and a number of increased efficiencies such as one day installations and ensuring accurate and effective repairs. In turn, this increases company profit as well as employee and customer satisfaction. One study by CompTIA and Prometric(1) found a 2-percent increase in productivity netted a 100 percent return on investment in training. Service Experts has seen technician productivity rise by at least 50 percent as evident in customer sales appointments, meaning the benefit isn't just to employees' resumes.
The company is continuing to monitor workplace trends to ensure the training program's future success.
Service Experts offers consumers Five Standards of Excellence:
- Quality Service Every Visit
- Daytime, Nighttime, On-Time
- NATE-Certified Professional Techs
- Respect For You and Your Home
- Always Easy To Work With
Service Experts LLC is the largest retail service company in North America providing home energy-efficiency solutions and installation, maintenance and repair of heating, air conditioning, ventilation and indoor air quality systems. Service Experts furnace and air conditioning technicians are certified by NATE (North American Technician Excellence), the leading certification program for technicians in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. Their service is known for their exclusive Five Standards of Excellence and a written 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, Service Experts has formed an extensive network of high-quality, well-established centers in the United States and Canada. To locate a Service Experts center or arrange for heating, air conditioning, or indoor air quality products, service or maintenance, consumers may access the company's Website, www.serviceexperts.com, or call the Service Experts toll-free number at 1-888-HEATCOOL (1-888-432-8266). Useful heating and cooling information can also be found at the Blog of their spokesperson, Sam the Service Expert, at www.serviceexperts.com/Sams-Blog.aspx.
(1) The 2001 Global Training and Certification Study," CompTIA and Prometric
Contact Information:
Contact:
Lara Plathe
515-453-2042
lplathe@strategicamerica.com
www.ServiceExperts.com