e-Servicer

November 2014

Service Efficiency & First Call Completes, Part 1

By Paul Mac Donald, Executive Director, United Servicers Association

Service efficiency can be defined in many terms. Increased efficiency can mean more calls. Increased calls can mean more revenue. More revenue with fixed costs of a service department means more profits. Profits: excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time..... As business owners every day, we purchase man hours from our technicians for the purpose of solving our customer's problems. We aim to accomplish this by repairing their world of malfunctioning appliances. In doing so our efficiency is defined by our ability to charge for as many of those purchased man hours as is possible. Read More

How to Make a Negative Review a Positive Experience

By Holly Cordner, www.marketingprofs.com

Your first instinct on seeing a negative online review may be to immediately and vigorously defend your business. After all, you work hard to make sure everyone-from customers to employees-has a great experience. After all, 80% of customers have changed their mind about a purchase after reading negative reviews, according to a survey conducted by Cone Communications. Read More

Back to Basics - Basic Refrigeration, Part 2

By Dave Bird, Dyer Appliance Academy

Last time, we discussed some of the science of refrigeration. Now I'd like to take a look at the components of the sealed system. What are they, what do they do and how do they work together to make things cold? Read More

ASTI 2015 :The Annual Service Training Institute

Coming soon, have you booked yet?

The largest service training convention for business owners, managers and technicians.

February 9-12, 2015 in New Orleans, LA

Pre-conference events on February 8

One week before Mardi Gras!

At ASTI 2015, you'll receive hands-on training from industry-leading appliance manufacturers, plus business management education sessions to increase productivity and profit.

With business workshops including:

Social media marketing and Google Adwords
Increasing productivity of fi�rst-call completes
Warranty and inventory best practices

Plus: 13 OEM hands-on technical training sessions.

Details & Registration at asti.us

Jennifer's Warranty Tip #54

By Jennifer Webert - Mid-America Service

"Viking Tips and Tricks"

All Viking Professional series models start with a "V" and if purchased on May 1st, 2011 or later, have a full three-year manufacturer warranty covering both parts and labor.

(The manufacture date of the appliance does not matter, the purchase date is what determines the coverage and this does not apply to *Professional series outdoor appliances.)

Schematic Magic

By Samurai Appliance Repair Man, www.Appliantology.org

Schematic diagrams are the go-to technical document when troubleshooting any appliance. Every professional appliantologist should be fluent in reading schematics and using them to troubleshoot. But the reality is that most techs don't use schematics, either because they can't read them or they don't understand how to apply them to the appliance they're working on. Unless you're using the schematic to formulate your troubleshooting strategy, you're wasting time and incurring liability from moving an appliance when you might not need to. Come with me now on a journey of Total Appliance Enlightenment™....... Read More

An Introduction to Yelp Metrics as of September 30, 2014

www.yelp.com

Yelp is a website and mobile app that connects people with great local businesses. Founded in July 2004, Yelp has taken root in countries across the globe, making it the leading local guide for real word-of-mouth on everything from boutiques and mechanics to restaurants and dentists. The Yelp community is made up of engaged locals who connect online and off to share their opinions about local businesses. Now let's take a look at Yelp by the numbers. Read More

Bad Online Reviews Can Be Good For Your Business

www.blog.reviewrouter.com

Businesses dread bad online reviews, and with good reason. But there are reasons to view negative feedback as golden opportunities.

Getting a bad online review can be a nightmare for anyone, but as awful as that may seem, having a disgruntled consumer who is unhappy with your service... and you never know the reason could be worse. Read More

My Candidate for Hire Has a Criminal Record! What Now?

By Millie Rosser, PHR,www.staffone.com

We know that background screening is an essential part of making a quality hiring decision. However, when we see that screening results reveal a criminal record, we can't afford to "just say no" without considering the legal implications of that decision. Read More

Innovation Spotlight from ServicePower Field Service

By Karl Hohmann, ServicePower

In a recent video released from ServicePower, Karl Hohmann, VP of Alliances and Strategic Partnerships, talks about ServicePower's M2M initiatives and the goal to change the field service process from a reactive to a predictive one with integrated M2M and optimized scheduling. View Video

6 Customer Service Tips from Nationwide Inbound

www.nationwideinbound.com

Nationwide Inbound has been serving clients of all sizes since 1997. From day one our goal and driving force has been to assist businesses in providing their clients with the highest quality of customer support. Our experience provides us with unique insight and abilities to offer the most cost effective and efficient services! Our clients represent a diverse group of businesses across many industries. Chances are we have worked with a business like yours and can provide guidance and suggestions to optimize your call center service. Here are some tips from Nationwide Inbound on providing great customer service. Read More

Most Professional Service Contest

It's back for 2015, enter before Jan 15, 2015

Enter your business into the Most Professional Servicer Contest today! Based on professional impressions, entries will be rated by a panel of 5 judges and awarded points from 1-5 in the following 4 areas: 1) Professional presentation including technician uniform, 2) Service vehicle and, 3) On-line Presence. The 1st place winner of each category will receive $500 and one registration to ASTI 2016. The 2nd place winner of each category will win $250 and one registration to RSTI 2015.

Read the fine print

Get Involved With USA

Serving on the USA Board of Directors

With a growing membership approaching 1,500 members, the United Servicers Association (USA) is by far the largest professional appliance repair association in North America. Since 1988, USA has offered a wide variety of services and programs to assist members in building effective businesses and business relationships. USA's strong commitment to education and collaborative learning environments is just one of the many reasons that membership continues to grow year after year. What most members don't realize is that the opportunities for professional and personal growth don't end at their membership.

Contact:

Paul Mac Donald, Executive Director
United Servicers Association
3501 N. Southport Ave., Ste. 199 Chicago, IL 60657 | 800.683.2558