newbie training advice?

[allan]

Re: newbie training advice?

Stick a picture of a skull and a biohazard sign on one of your aerosol spray cleaners. If the customer hovers around spray some on a cloth and start to cough and shake your head a little. Watch them move along.

Or use your blower brush to make a bit of a toner cloud. The old vacuum noise helps as well.

Don't take this seriously. After knowing the routine i dont mind them watching anymore.

[subaro]

Re: newbie training advice?

First let me say sorry asking why people was not posting to this guy question. As it now hit me, not everyone spends time to look at this forum everyday. I guess i saw a bit of time passed and no replies and i was like ---. Anyway as i see there are solid guys out there as to their posts. The young man gave his gratitude.

Just a line or two from me on this as i contemplated on my experience on the field.

1. Always have a pen or maybe two. my boss told me, he declined a guy in an interview the job,becuase he did not have a pen.
2. car stock. try to organize to know where things are. Its fustrating when you know you have parts and cannot find it.
3. flashlight. I don't know your vision level, but as of now i can't go to a call without one. It is a must have.
4. Always remember you are getting paid to do what you do. when you start to complete repair jobs, the beating of the chest will kick in and that good feeling will make your day. Bad or rude customers will always be there, the sooner you learn to ignore and concentrate on closing the call. you can't fight fire with fire.

these are some of my thought for you and those who wanted to ask the same question you did.

[nmfaxman]

Re: newbie training advice?

Keep your machines clean! Vacuum the machine inside then wipe it down with a damp towel.
A clean machine is the best troubleshooting tool they don't show you in the book nor teach you in class.

ALWAYS unplug the machine from the wall when you work on it. Some brands will blow a board if you plug in a simple sensor.

Always wear dark or grey/ light blue clothes. White and brown just makes you look dirty after fixing a box right.

If you can't figure it out within 45 minutes call for help, or step outside for a few and come back as if it is a fresh call.

Stay with Copytechnet and research common problems with the machines you work on.

RTFB! Read the F'n book.

I keep all my manuals on a thumb drive. You can't swing a dead cat where the copier is without hitting a computer to pull up the right manual.

Good luck!
I have been doing office equipment for over 30 years and I don't see retirement as an option, just have to stay with the latest technology. I truly love what I do, no matter what anyone says.


Last but not least, learn to scratch your nose with the back of your wrist, not your fingers.
Customers will let you walk out of the office without telling you that you have toner on your nose.

[blackcat4866]

Re: newbie training advice?

You're in good hands with slim. Multiply that x 100 and there's the value of the forum.

You may find it hard to believe, but you may relish the time when you are the one that gets the difficult calls, the machines noone has seen before, the 15 year old machines. It sharpens your tools when you have to really think about a problem and rely on hints and intuition.

Do not hesitate to post. We're interested in your successes, and your failures. Do your homework first though. I do expect a prepared tech to read the appropriate sections of the manual.

I'll be looking forward to your posts. =^..^=

[ZOOTECH]

Re: newbie training advice?

You're in good hands with slim. Multiply that x 100 and there's the value of the forum.

You may find it hard to believe, but you may relish the time when you are the one that gets the difficult calls, the machines noone has seen before, the 15 year old machines. It sharpens your tools when you have to really think about a problem and rely on hints and intuition.

Do not hesitate to post. We're interested in your successes, and your failures. Do your homework first though. I do expect a prepared tech to read the appropriate sections of the manual.

I'll be looking forward to your posts. =^..^=

Also, like BC and others, start a searchable data base of problems, and solutions. I wish I had started way back when I first became a tech.
Of course, who would need fixes for Bus/Tag cables, core memories, vacuum tubes, and the like?

[Iowatech]

Re: newbie training advice?

I have noticed that some clients are better than others. There are a few that I really don't like to visit, yet when I do I still put on my friendly smile, try to converse with them while sorting the root cause of whatever the issue is, what I can't stand though is when a client likes to hover as you work?! That makes me so nervous, even though I know the likelihood of them knowing anything about what I may or may not be doing is low, it's jut one of those 'feelings' when someone is looking over your shoulder, kinda adds a hiccup in my step. Then, there are those clients that are great. I've been luckily enough to deal with both types.

I don't know how much this will help, but when I run into the "over the shoulder" or difficult clients, I find it useful to remember I am a guest in their business from which they earn their living from. If you can think of it that way, most of them will just seem concerned or curious, which most of the time is pretty easy to deal with.
If you can, when you talk to clients simplify things as much as you can, as you know far more about the inner workings of their machine than they ever will, and most of what you know won't help them for their job other than user tools settings or paper quality or other simple stuff like that.
One other thing, pay special attention to any fax training you get, especially if it includes faxing over VOIP. Fax should have gone the way of microfilm at about the exact same time, but for some reason it refuses to die. At least around here anyway.
Good luck!

[Zackuth]

Re: newbie training advice?

Another good way to learn is to read the trouble posts on CTN, especially on the brands you are going to work on. I did this when I started out and found many answers that are not given in the manuals as well as steps to take to help in troubleshooting.

[Exok]

Re: newbie training advice?

One of the first pieces of advice I was given when I started 25 years ago from a senior tech showing me the ropes:

Carry a big rubber mallet in your tool kit. If you get stuck troubleshooting, take out the mallet and smack yourself in the head with it and the solution will appear.
(Don't over think it, it's usually something much simpler causing the problem or something dumb the customer has done to it)

[theengel]

Re: newbie training advice?

Best advice I ever got was:

Don't be scared. If you're scared of it, you'll never fix anything.

[fixthecopier]

Re: newbie training advice?

Best advice I ever got was:

Don't be scared. If you're scared of it, you'll never fix anything.

That is good advice because every once in a while you will get the feeling that the damn machine can read your thoughts and is fucking with you.

[KapeKopyTek]

Re: newbie training advice?

1) Get out in the field ASAP and stay out.

2) Nothing sucks more than screwing up in the field. But it sucks because you care and you want to do better.

3) You will never repeat the same mistakes.

3a) 5-10 years of not repeating mistakes makes you a pretty decent tech.

4) 9/10 times the problem is easier than you think. Relax and begin process of elimination.

5) Do whatever your service manager/boss tells you. You're getting paid.

6) Lots of hot office ladies. Look but don't stare.

YES on #4!!!!!! I tend to overcomplicate things sometimes, and I have to remind myself to step back and KISS. Amazing how many problems are solved by setting the paper fences correctly instead of tearing the back panels off and pulling clutches.......

[monstott2010]

Re: newbie training advice?

I couldn't have said it better myself.

It all comes down to time under the bus. I think the hardest thing for me to learn was how to let all the personal slights leave me unaffected. Your best customer service tool is the silent smile. No matter how much they yell and scream, bitch and moan, and wave their arms, the enduser will not pull me into their anger fit. Most of the time, they just feel really stupid and childish after they've vented. =^..^=

Customers are harder to fix than the machine in question... had a customer going off behind me as I was working on the machine, her alligator mouth was just about to overload her canary ass when she said, "I know, I'm being a real bitch, you can tell me...".... have to admit it was tempting, but I bit another hole in my tongue and just ignored her.... at least power cords can be pulled on the machine when it acts up

[blackcat4866]

Re: newbie training advice?

Customers are harder to fix than the machine in question... had a customer going off behind me as I was working on the machine, her alligator mouth was just about to overload her canary ass when she said, "I know, I'm being a real bitch, you can tell me...".... have to admit it was tempting, but I bit another hole in my tongue and just ignored her.... at least power cords can be pulled on the machine when it acts up

Curiously, if you ignore these misbehaviors, the perpetrators usually do not repeat the performance as frequently. Naturally there are exceptions to the rule.

I don't know when I learned this, but it helps to diffuse these situations when you maintain a low-key, quiet, calm presence. When I get a particularly obnoxious jerk that insists on spouting his trite humor at my back in a loud voice to entertain the room, I just ignore them. Everyone else recognizes them as a jerk also. Some will even say so. =^..^=

[fixthecopier]

Re: newbie training advice?

You have to be very aware of the different personalities of the customers. Leave the assholes alone and bond with the people who like you. Customers who really like you will be much more understanding when you have big problems. Actually it is more about trust than like. They have to trust you as a competent tech.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: newbie training advice?

Curiously, if you ignore these misbehaviors, the perpetrators usually do not repeat the performance as frequently. Naturally there are exceptions to the rule.

I don't know when I learned this, but it helps to diffuse these situations when you maintain a low-key, quiet, calm presence. When I get a particularly obnoxious jerk that insists on spouting his trite humor at my back in a loud voice to entertain the room, I just ignore them. Everyone else recognizes them as a jerk also. Some will even say so. =^..^=

To fix the arrogant people problem. I've said this one or two times to difficult to manage people:
< machine lying on the floor in a heap of parts>
Look "I'm about to go on a coffee break, I might be back here around one or two weeks time....... ?....."
You can decide if you like...

If I have a problem over the phone.
I usually reply with :"the cost of this job is directly proportional to your attitude".