Exclusive factory training retreat has limited capacity
YSN Staff
Time is running out to sign up for ServiceSource’s first-ever Factory Technical Training Camp, which is capping attendance at the first 50 service techs to register.
The exclusive AVB event, set for Sept. 19-22 as the headquarters facility of BrandSource affiliate New England Appliance Group (NEAG) in Franklin, Mass., will improve technicians’ diagnostic and customer service skills while providing networking opportunities with other professionals.
During the three-day retreat, GE, Electrolux, Whirlpool, Samsung and LG will provide hands-on factory training for BrandSource members’ service technicians, as well as those from NEAG dealers and sister group Intercounty Appliance Cooperative (IAC). With model-specific trainings and procedural updates from each manufacturer, technicians will return to their companies better prepared and can share their learnings with their colleagues back home.
As a special bonus, attendees will receive technician soft skills training on Dean Landers‘ G.L.E.E.P.S! program. G.L.E.E.P.S! is an acronym created by Landers, principal of Baltimore’s Landers Appliance, as a training tool for his technicians to improve how they interact with customers.
“Instead of treating customers like a job, G.L.E.E.P.S! focuses on building a relationship with customers during the repair experience,” Landers said.
The G.L.E.E.P.S! training will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and participants will receive a complimentary DVD of the program for their companies and a Sons of Sam Pizza dinner.
Paul MacDonald, senior lead of AVB’s ServiceSource initiative, stressed that the factory training camp is not for new technicians learning the trade. “That’s what Master Samurai Tech and Fred’s Appliance Academy are for,” he said. Rather, the ServiceSource event is intended for seasoned technicians, who will update their skills on brand nuances as vendors review the latest bulletins covering known product issues — and provide fixes for them all.
MacDonald added that the training camp differs from the United Appliance Servicers Association’s (UASA’s) Annual Service Training Institute (ASTI), or the Professional Service Association’s PSA Convention, as those conferences target owner/operators with business management seminars and supplier exhibits, and offer limited technical training by manufacturers.
Due to the hands-on nature of the training camp, ServiceSource’s inaugural event is limited to the first 50 technicians to register.
The camp registration fee of $999 includes all meals, hotel accommodations and daily transfers to and from the NEAG training facility. (Participants will be responsible for travel to and from Franklin, Mass.)
For a complete training camp agenda and to register, click here. For more information, email EventSupport@AVB.net or call (714) 552-0449. Don’t miss this premier opportunity!
