Technician Interview Process

[EarthKmTech]

Manager throws a screw driver towards the applicant once, if the potential technician can catch it, he's got the job.

Either that or there's a lot of end users asking stupid questions on this forum who really shouldn't even be here or the general competency of new technicians is degrading sharply as time goes on. Am I the only one who's eyes roll when reading some of the posts?

[Kidaver]

lol...I know what you mean...it's like watching someone fall down the stairs....you should feel sorry for them but instead you can't help but laugh...

[10871087]

The modernization of the copier along with long life consumables and unitized maintenance has turned many copier techs, including some very experienced techs I know into "Swap Jockeys". Opening a book has even become too much work for some techs to do.

[copytechman]

I am also inclined to agree, it's like someone calling tech support for "help" before actually even trying to figure out what's happening, or doing anything. Much less look up the answer in a "book"!

Regards!

A.

[907tec]

You think the questions on this board are bad? When was the last time you went to a KM training class? I weep for the future of our profession. I've spent an entire day at the KM classes teaching other techs how to navigate a pdf manual. They called me a witch when I showed them the power of ctrl+f. I'm not sure how other manufacturers structure their classes, but I do know that the Konica Minolta system is broken. Every single class room survey that I fill out says the same things: increase the pre-requisites and/or create two levels of the same seminar (one for "slow" learners). We are a small dealer, and I am often forced to attend classes when KM direct-sells a new machine in my area. We spend thousands of dollars to fly to the nearest training center, then I have to sit through 40 hours of the most basic copier instruction imaginable.

Why does every color class have to spend 3 days talking about basic color theory? Shouldn't everybody know these concepts before arriving?
If everyone walked into these classes prepared, we could actually spend our time on model-specific instruction and troubleshooting. As it stands, I spent an entire day making duplex-single color-4up-negative image-three hole punch-cornerstapled-tri fold books.....at 73% reduction.

Boy, that has come in handy...

[EarthKmTech]

hahaha, I know what you mean.

the first time I went to a KM training course for dealers I was both shocked and appalled.

One tech there had absolutely no idea about anything and was very ham fisted when handling delicate parts of the machine, i swear he had a grand total of about 3 brain cells alive and I've no idea how he accomplishes his job on a daily basis.

I believe the problem is, that the profit margins are so slim in this industry techs cannot be paid professional wages and are expected to possess an unreasonable amount of knowledge and skill in exchange for the pay offered. You either do the job because you enjoy it or because you cant do anything else. Many people that would be perfect technicians unfortunately never become copier techs because there are so many other jobs they can do for a lot more money so we gotta accept a lower standard of applicant or have no one at all. Its a shame really.

[SmellsHot]

A few trainings I've been to....i've had people in the class that had no field training what so ever. Their dealers just send them off to school to be trained.... so they don't have too. Kinda sounds like a joke if you ask me. Why should the rest of the class have to wait for someone who has no clue how to use a service manual or how to do the simplest things......They should put a 6month minimum of on the job training before being allowed into the classroom. Just my opinion....

[Avskrap]

I'm new to this business, started in October -10, without barely ever seeing a copier before I got the job. I spent about three months riding around with the other techs (two of wich have 25+ years in the business, each, the other around 10 years). After that I got my own car and got on the field. Didn't attend a class until I'd worked in-field for about four months.
When I finally got to Konica Minolta for my training, I already knew everything they taught. I helped the other in-training techs most of the time, assisting the teacher.

But attending these classes I can only confirm what you all are saying. Hamfisted, stupid, non-technical techs (oxymoron?). This reflects in the machines we sometimes run into. Whenever we take over a customer from a competitor (happens alot now a days), the customer often has flat-out hatred for the service provided from the previous company. They tell me that it's more often than not there's just a not-at-all-interested-20-year-old with a bad attitude that answers the service calls...
Not that I'm that much older, I'm 25, but I know what service is and I feel I've had alot of good training. I take pride in my job, helping people and making their day-to-day office life a little easier.

Just my $0.02.

[fixthecopier]

I was amazed at the last Konica training how slow the class was. Showing how to move files from a thumb drive. I have a short attention span and get bored easily. Instructor did not like me talking about taking apart units that were meant to be changed whole. I ask "How will I know how a printhead works or how to make a light saber out of it's components, if I do not take them apart?" I hate the fact that instructors do not know about problems in the field. I do not think they should get mad at me for criticizing poor designs, after all I did not design them. They should give class time to senior techs to explain all the engineer screw ups to the newbies.

[907tec]

Fixthecopier and Avskrap, you have perfectly described my experiences. I have annoyed many instructors by asking questions about machines that they are unable to answer. They like it even less when you disagree with, and then disprove, one of their instructions.

...pretty sure this has cost me a silver seal or two...