Well, except for that even-tempered part...and the attention to detail...and the patience...and the desire to learn...and the sense of humor.
Okay, may it's not me after all.
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Great list, Jack. I felt like I was reading about myself.
Well, except for that even-tempered part...and the attention to detail...and the patience...and the desire to learn...and the sense of humor.
Okay, may it's not me after all.
Well, except for that even-tempered part...and the attention to detail...and the patience...and the desire to learn...and the sense of humor.
Okay, may it's not me after all.
Before I got so jaded that it's not funny.
Well OK I still Laugh at myself and the situations that i find myself in all of the time.
I've given up chasing Apprentices with the aim of inflicting Pain & Suffering when they do not do as I tell them. Not because I'm more mellow it's just that they run too fast now.
But Stress was never a problem because I could always say no matter how badly I messed up no one was going to die and then I started working Medical. Where when you messed up it wasn't a matter of nobody dieing but how many you killed this time.
Don't know about the bit about tight deadlines as even to this day I can not get anywhere On Time ever not even meals. The standing joke around me is that I'll be late for my own Funeral and expect the people to wait till I get there eventually.
But if this helps I did like the jobs that no other could sort and I lived for them once upon a time though to be fair I still like that type of work.
I think I've covered 4 & 5 above with the humor and ability to work with others rather than alone with the crack about apprentices.
As for always wanting to learn that unfortunately is something I'll never grow out of as I firmly believe that the day you stop learning anything new is the day that you've died.
But if this helps I used to love the tech and would always pull things to component parts when I first got my grubby hands on them. Not good when they where the only prototype in the country and the Sales people wanted to show it to some sort of reseller but did I learn about the tech.
Never could communicate very well though as my then and now favorite expression was to tell interlopers who interrupted me to F### Off in no uncertain terms. Great way to get rid of Accountants wanting to know How Long will this Take when you hit a big problem and they want it fixed 3 days before they put in the call. Still to this day if some people are not greeted by that comment they know to go away as there is something seriously wrong.
However Training tech was always good as I used to use a Stock Whip and Handcuffs with the express statement that if they messed up they got attached to that Hook in the Wall over there and then I would whip the life out of them and then whip them some more for making a mess on the floor. The Techs loved it but unfortunately no one else did. Though ti did stop Sales People from attending Training Courses.
OH Hell the last two are still covered by the F Off comment above.
This is probably why I was never a good Field Tech and was relegated to State Service Manager very early in the piece. Though in my defense I have to insist that I never sent any of my staff to places where I wasn't happy to go to and the people who worked in those places always asked for me by name. Probably too scared of hurting my feelings if you ask me but none the less it was not a great way to do business. The Prisons where probably the safest places to send my Techs but there where some really dangerous places that I had to send them. I got them all returned undamaged though.
See while I used to work as a Field Tech I was defiantly not best suited to it. [/Maniacal Laughter]
But you missed an Important one here Jack all good Field tech need to be able to drive a car very well and much more importantly fill in Insurance Claim Forms when they bend the company vehicles.
Col
Well OK I still Laugh at myself and the situations that i find myself in all of the time.
I've given up chasing Apprentices with the aim of inflicting Pain & Suffering when they do not do as I tell them. Not because I'm more mellow it's just that they run too fast now.
But Stress was never a problem because I could always say no matter how badly I messed up no one was going to die and then I started working Medical. Where when you messed up it wasn't a matter of nobody dieing but how many you killed this time.
Don't know about the bit about tight deadlines as even to this day I can not get anywhere On Time ever not even meals. The standing joke around me is that I'll be late for my own Funeral and expect the people to wait till I get there eventually.
But if this helps I did like the jobs that no other could sort and I lived for them once upon a time though to be fair I still like that type of work.
I think I've covered 4 & 5 above with the humor and ability to work with others rather than alone with the crack about apprentices.
As for always wanting to learn that unfortunately is something I'll never grow out of as I firmly believe that the day you stop learning anything new is the day that you've died.
But if this helps I used to love the tech and would always pull things to component parts when I first got my grubby hands on them. Not good when they where the only prototype in the country and the Sales people wanted to show it to some sort of reseller but did I learn about the tech.
Never could communicate very well though as my then and now favorite expression was to tell interlopers who interrupted me to F### Off in no uncertain terms. Great way to get rid of Accountants wanting to know How Long will this Take when you hit a big problem and they want it fixed 3 days before they put in the call. Still to this day if some people are not greeted by that comment they know to go away as there is something seriously wrong.
However Training tech was always good as I used to use a Stock Whip and Handcuffs with the express statement that if they messed up they got attached to that Hook in the Wall over there and then I would whip the life out of them and then whip them some more for making a mess on the floor. The Techs loved it but unfortunately no one else did. Though ti did stop Sales People from attending Training Courses.
OH Hell the last two are still covered by the F Off comment above.
This is probably why I was never a good Field Tech and was relegated to State Service Manager very early in the piece. Though in my defense I have to insist that I never sent any of my staff to places where I wasn't happy to go to and the people who worked in those places always asked for me by name. Probably too scared of hurting my feelings if you ask me but none the less it was not a great way to do business. The Prisons where probably the safest places to send my Techs but there where some really dangerous places that I had to send them. I got them all returned undamaged though.
See while I used to work as a Field Tech I was defiantly not best suited to it.
[/Maniacal Laughter]But you missed an Important one here Jack all good Field tech need to be able to drive a car very well and much more importantly fill in Insurance Claim Forms when they bend the company vehicles.
Col
Field Techs have to be great drivers because they often have to follow chase a distracted salesperson who is driving like a madman to get to the customer on time. ;^)
Why I was driving Racing Vehicles so often.
I needed the practice to catch the Salespeople who where out of control attempting to sell what was overstocked instead of what the customer needed.
Col
I needed the practice to catch the Salespeople who where out of control attempting to sell what was overstocked instead of what the customer needed.
Col
If the tech is any good at all, he knows his territory upside down, inside out, and backwards. Let the salesperson race down the boulevard and risk a ticket or get caught in traffic. I'll take a couple of back roads and an alley or two and meet him when he gets there.
One of the toughest things to teach new field engineers is that it's ok to say "I Don't Know". Customers hate when field techs act like know-it-alls but are clueless. Vulnerability makes you human and customers can relate. The other half of IDK is getting the right answer to the customer as soon as possible. Followup is a crucial part of customer service.
I used to chase the Salespeople.
Because they are Sneaky Bastards would lie directly to my face and then demand that I fix up the mess that they created with a costumer. This particular customer always appeared as a new customer because I sold what was needed to existing Customers and let the Sales Team fight over the Commission.
Of course the down side to this was I only sold the good stuff which was required by the customer so they had all of this rubbish left over that they felt the need to move.
Col
Because they are Sneaky Bastards would lie directly to my face and then demand that I fix up the mess that they created with a costumer. This particular customer always appeared as a new customer because I sold what was needed to existing Customers and let the Sales Team fight over the Commission.
Of course the down side to this was I only sold the good stuff which was required by the customer so they had all of this rubbish left over that they felt the need to move.
Col
BTDTGTTS..
It's like the old saw that ends with PICK TWO....
The person that fits your overactive imagination is one that says NO a lot....
THEN says " I'll see what I can do ".
He explains in detail much like the reporters FIVE Ws and an H.
One thing he has learned to do is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.... BECAUSE PEOPLE, ( ESPECIALLY SALE PUKES ) HAVE SHORT MEMORIES.
A good field engineer has a complete set of tools AND ALL OF THEM GET BROUGHT TO THE JOB SITE. That was why I always brought the station wagon instead of the Jag.
Yes some of the tools were my own and not company provided.
When you own a project the only stress you get is when you have to rely on other people, ESPECIALLY THE SALE PUKES.
You listen to the customer tell you what the sales things promised, then you talk at their level ( it varies from customer to customer *. Getting out the manual fixes most promised, but not delivered problems.
I could go on, but my time is short...
It's like the old saw that ends with PICK TWO....
The person that fits your overactive imagination is one that says NO a lot....
THEN says " I'll see what I can do ".
He explains in detail much like the reporters FIVE Ws and an H.
One thing he has learned to do is DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.... BECAUSE PEOPLE, ( ESPECIALLY SALE PUKES ) HAVE SHORT MEMORIES.
A good field engineer has a complete set of tools AND ALL OF THEM GET BROUGHT TO THE JOB SITE. That was why I always brought the station wagon instead of the Jag.
Yes some of the tools were my own and not company provided.
When you own a project the only stress you get is when you have to rely on other people, ESPECIALLY THE SALE PUKES.
You listen to the customer tell you what the sales things promised, then you talk at their level ( it varies from customer to customer *. Getting out the manual fixes most promised, but not delivered problems.
I could go on, but my time is short...
The COMPANY has to be willing to provide resources so that person CAN learn. Techs have enough stuff to do, they shouldn't be expected to spend their personal time and money to keep their skills up to date. That's been the biggest bone to pick I've had with employers regarding training: they expect you to just _know_ it or to pick it up on your own time. HELLO!!! I'M ALREADY ON CALL 24/7!! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?!?!?
Someone I know well works for a state entity. His job requires Mac certifications, but the entity contributes neither on-duty time nor money to retain the certs.
I agree the last statement -hiring the right people for the job. It is crucial that we can find the right people for the JD but not the well-rounded people on all traits. Meanwhile, the company should think about the engineer's career path to engage them developing their skills.
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