Yesterday an Air Conditioner repairman taught me several life lessons about how to succeed in life and business.
First a short synopsis of what allowed our paths to cross.
This week I noticed a problem with my upstairs AC unit. So I called the AC company that I had used previously to send someone out to have a look before the problem got worse. Little did I know I was about to embark on a 2 hour lesson in success.
My first impression of Jim was that he seemed friendly. My only expectation was that he would hopefully solve my problem quickly. After exchanging cordial hellos, I showed him upstairs to have a look at the unit. He went straight to work. After about 10 minutes he announced that he had identified the two problems and proceeded to explain what they were and how much it would cost to fix them.
In my experience a typical repairman would have given me my options, let me choose one, and then start the process of fixing the problem. Jim is not the typical repairman. He explained that he wanted to give me enough information to make an educated and informed decision. So he proceeded to give me a crash course in how ACs work. He also extended an invitation to watch him do the repair once I made my decision, and he would explain to me what he was doing and why he was doing it.
Jim gave me two options. He explained the cost, time, and the pros and cons of both jobs. He also gave me his recommendation. Feeling really comfortable with the information that Jim gave me I followed his recommendation. Jim’s recommendation was the cheaper of the two options. This was not the major factor in my decision. The major factor was that the second option was not only twice the price, but more risky to fix. The bottom line is I could take the cheaper fix, but it would be a short term solution to my problem. The real solution would be to purchase a new AC unit. Because of the situation Jim suggested that I take the cheaper option and try to make it through the summer and winter. However, I need to purchase a new AC unit before next summer.
As he worked he explained everything. When I asked questions he would elaborate or simplify if needed. Jim explained that I was not special and that he did this for all of his new customers, because he did not want them to get ripped off in the future by other AC repairmen. Jim knows a lot about ACs and chemistry. He had my mind racing to remember the basics of college chemistry classes.
When Jim finished I knew exactly what had happened to cause my problem. What was needed to fix my problem. What I could do to prevent my problem, and how to continually monitor my AC to insure that it was functioning as it should on a regular basis.
I also asked Jim how much a new AC unit would cost. He gave me 4 options starting with the least costly of all and moving steadily to the higher end models. He advised me NOT to purchase the low end or the high end AC units and gave good reason for his recommendation. He then explained why the mid range AC units gave the best bang for your buck. Because of his thorough explanation it was easy to see for myself which unit would fit my needs and finances best.
Throughout his time at my house working on my AC, Jim received several calls from several other repairmen in his company seeking his advice on problems that they encountered. Like any good teacher Jim asked questions that lead the repairmen to find the correct answer on their own.
Here are the lessons that I learned:
1. Passion for your work is essential to your success. Jim had a passion for his work. It showed in the care that he took in making sure that I understood exactly what was going on. You could here the passion in his speech and the way he worked.
2. A good work ethic is crucial to being a success. Jim has been working with AC units for 20 years. He took his time, but he wasn’t rushed nor did he work slow.
3. You must constantly improve. Jim has patches all along the length of his sleeve promoting the fact that he is a specialist in his field. Jim told me that he attends training every 3 months to keep up with what is new in his field.
4. Service to others. The customer service that I was provided was exceptional. Any first time customer who gets Jim will be spoiled for life. It’s very hard to go back to mediocre service once you’ve experienced great customer service. People tend to be willing to pay more ( at least I do ) for reliable, excellent service.
5. Educating customers is essential. Once you educate a customer about your business or service it’s easier for you to make a sale. Because Jim took the time to educate me when I get my new AC unit, which will cost several thousand dollars, who do you think I going to call? Jim’s company without a doubt, and I’ll specifically request Jim to write up the sale.
6. Fun is important. I could see that Jim was having fun working and teaching me his customer as well as his fellow technicians. When you’re having fun it makes work not like work at all.
Each of us encounter many teachers on a daily basis. We just have to keep our eyes, ears, and minds open for the lessons that are out there for us.
If you would like to read a really good book on Success I’d like to recommend the following book:
