A regular contributor to The NEWS, Joseph H. Mayton III is a freelance author who is experienced with high-performance building and sustainability initiatives. Contact him at jhmayton3@gmail.com.
Tozour Energy Systems is comprised of three business entities: Tozour-Trane, HVAC Parts and Supplies, and Tozour Energy. Its growth into the parts and supplies segment, as well as how the company emphasizes service as part of its value proposition are key factors in establishing Tozour as a value-driven company.
There is an HVAC industry legend regarding penmanship (or lack thereof), if you will: “Traditionally, the better the technician, the worse they are at paperwork.” But this carries some potential ramifications: What if your staff can’t read your handwriting and misinterprets the invoice or service order?
Given the current economy, businesses are relentlessly looking for ways to trim costs and invest in newer/greener technologies that are not only good for the bottom line, but are also more environmentally friendly. For the HVAC sector, it only makes sense to evaluate the costs and concerns associated with the vehicles used by service technicians.
Technology can be a glorious thing. Sure, when e-mail is down or you can’t acquire a connection stable enough to receive/send info, much like Chicken Little, the world seems like it is crashing around you. But, when you have a day-to-day contracting business to run, you want to make sure you’re doing it as efficiently and as streamlined as possible.
Higher learning institutions and educational/workforce programs focusing on HVACR offer extensive hands-on training and lab applications alike for students looking to get started on a career in the industry and/or gain further certifications. Advancements in online learning have also been realized.
There are book smarts. And, there are street smarts. What about an impressive collaboration of the two sets? Think about it: You’ve got your technicians studying for North American Technician Excellence (NATE) or similar certification. Unless they are practicing what has been preached, where does this knowledge base go?
Technological advancements and new products are the main impetus for furthering education and training within the HVAC industry. With manufacturers well aware of the age-old axiom that “time is money,” the longer a serviceman/contractor is out of the field and in a classroom will end up costing his/her outfit more money, right? Not necessarily.