HVAC training is the best thing for your business, but those who haven't experienced its value have many excuses for why it won't work for them.
From financial issues to busy schedules to turnover, here are five HVAC training myths busted - and how to get over those hurdles you think you have.
1. Training is expensive.
Sure, the upfront cost looks pricey. But what about the training ROI? Look at your fully trained salesperson three to six months out from his or her four-week training program. What's the closing rate for someone who did particularly well in that program? How much less time is your office staff spending on customer complaints?
2. Project management tools are a waste of time.
The tool I'm talking about here is the Learning Management System - it's an intuitive program that allows HVAC technicians and salespeople to view their assignments, which also allows managers to see progress. In fact, it's a time saver and a hard measurement of how effectively your employees are learning.
3. My employees are too busy to train.
You have to make time. The biggest mistake I see businesses make is cutting training efforts in order to desperately fill sales quotas (especially at the end of the year). In return, your employees are running out of fuel and, most importantly, motivation to do the best job possible. Avoid this and possible turnover by integrating a training program into the "everyday."
4. I have high turnover anyway.
Have you ever considered that your turnover has a lot to do with the lack of HVAC training? Think of it in simple ROI terms: each employee turnover costs an average of $10,000 (really!) and a great startup program for a salesperson costs about half of that (and you are far more likely to keep that well-trained person for several years).
5. My team already knows how to do everything.
In short, no they don't. If "the way I've always done things" was working for you last year, it's time to take a step back. Is that 20-year veteran on your team maximizing his or her potential? Shake up longtime employees with a great HVAC training program< that will have everyone looking at their job in a new light.