Promotion?

[iceman490]

Not sure if this is in the correct topic but oh well. Recently at the dealership I work for I was basically told that field service was my next move up. Currently I am a shop tech, although it gets old looking at the same 4 walls everyday shop life is all I have known. Is the grass greener on the other side? What should I be looking out for?. I'm just looking for insight as it's going to happen.


Thanks

[matthewr88]

Re: Promotion?

get out of the office and see the rest of the world, couldn't stand going back to an office tech.

just remember the following:

get ur paperwork organised, its easily left to get out of control especially if you have a company car
(quick tip if your a field service tech ask for a company car as part of your package) or preferably on top aswell as a phone

your phone camera is your friend, take photos of almost everything, serial numbers counts, error codes, etc

You will be less likely to knock off right on 5.30 so discuss overtime / time in lieu (on a logged system) beware the time in lieu black hole.......log it. this of course depends on your boss.

get a good complete tool kit, it may not be a quick trip back to the office for the one thing you need.

Agreements on petty cash / fuel cards / Reimbursement are also good to consider.

hope that helps

[blackcat4866]

Re: Promotion?

I know it's hard to believe, but I have not always been a people person. You cannot but help but develop some people skills if you tossed into that situation 5 or 6 times a day. Always remember that no matter how unpleasant any situation is, you can probably last an hour. =^..^=

[ZOOTECH]

Re: Promotion?

Some may believe this is a promotion, others ( older techs) may see this as putting a tech out to pasture ( or a God send).
I started out as field tech in 1966 and I welcomed the change about 1990 to the shop tech.
I didn't have to carry the tool bag, or worry where to park, or whether to bring an umbrella or not.
It has been a full 8 hr job/ per day(it is not easy to slack off for side trips for personal use), but in the long run my knees, back, and shoulders have withstood the length of time.
I do have to take care of tech support calls (sometimes with customers that I'am surprised that don't know how to use a phone); and, sometimes, with our sales staff that do not know how to sell the machine and options to the customers.
But, as you may know with my almost constant reminders, I'll be retiring after April!

[allan]

Re: Promotion?

These days around here they just pull someone of the street and chuck them into the field to see if they float.
With shop experience behind you work in the field would be a little different, but the tech side of it would not surprise you too much.

Preparation is very important, making sure you have what you need to do your job. That can be a half hour off hell in the mornings. You will probably find yourself forgetting your tools every where!!

For the customers, take them as they come. Be nice, make friends of them.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: Promotion?

Not sure if this is in the correct topic but oh well. Recently at the dealership I work for I was basically told that field service was my next move up. Currently I am a shop tech, although it gets old looking at the same 4 walls everyday shop life is all I have known. Is the grass greener on the other side? What should I be looking out for?. I'm just looking for insight as it's going to happen.


Thanks

WHA WHA WAH WHAT .......???

The BEST place to be is out in the wild blue yonder... The things you'll see, the places you'll go... AND, the stories you'll tell. Your Tech life is in reverse, you should have been a field tech before retiring to the shop, you've missed all the fun and games (well all the stre$sz) ....

If your a younger fella don't look back, GET OUT THERE.

Seriously though :
A Tech has to work in two worlds, The machine world and the People world, and you must master the ability to switch between both.

You will find many times that you have to play arbitrator between the machine world and the people world, this is where the stress factor comes from in our Tech life. When you understand what's happening you learn to deal with it in a given way. I learnt to focus on arbitration in my own way. I now look at my job from a different point of view. I'm not immune to stress, I still deal with it, but I try to stay positive, at least I tell myself that....

Have fun on the job where possible, most important.

[subaro]

Re: Promotion?

surprised by the scant replies to a question that thousands of techs out there can contribute, small as it may be. There are likes and dislikes that you will have to experience on your own. Don't do like gunslinger billy the kid and finish all the calls in one day in record time. Give the machine a look over after you done your repairs and lots of time you would be glad you did and check that you do not leave your tools especially if they are nice ones. there is lots more, but the rest can pitch in. Maybe someone can give you advice on the automobile aspect as as using your own can become very costly.

[fixthecopier]

Re: Promotion?

Being a field tech you will find the customers are a lot like a box of mixed chocolates. Some are really sweet, some leave a bad taste in your mouth and some are really nutty. They all look good on the outside, you have to take a bite to find which is which.

[Iowatech]

Re: Promotion?

While you are out on the road, you will encounter a few people who must drive very differently than you. While it is hard, it is best to not get too upset when you encounter them. The stress is not good for you.
Also, you may make a wrong turn or get lost once in a while, and some addresses are not marked very well, or at all (GPS and Google Maps are fine navigational aids, but they are not infallible). Consider those times adventures and challenges to your manual navigational skills. Even feel free to park the car and set out on foot if you think you are close and the conditions allow it.
If you ever get stopped by public safety professionals, don't give them any crap. Many times they will let you off with a warning then. Sometimes when they tell you why they pulled you over it will give you an insight into the local laws that you hadn't even considered.
Unless you have extreme trust in everybody who may pass your car, always lock the car when you leave it (ever other techs can be crafty bastages sometimes). If conditions allow it, carry the extra key in your wallet or something in case you get locked out.

[subaro]

Re: Promotion?

If conditions allow it, carry the extra key in your wallet or something in case you get locked out.

Strongly second the above. once locked my keys in the trunk when digging for parts. how i left it there dono. i had to get ride home to get the spare, which lucky for my was not far. with google maps, if you type in the postal code you cannot go wrong there and it points you within a few bulidings of the address. then if you type the address and it shows diffrent, then you know you are off location. Also i might add, and i don't know if other techs do it. but if the machine is working first thing i do is print the service mode settings as sometimes you make changes in trying things and forget the original settings, plus you have the meter ect.

[ZOOTECH]

Re: Promotion?

Also i might add, and i don't know if other techs do it. but if the machine is working first thing i do is print the service mode settings as sometimes you make changes in trying things and forget the original settings, plus you have the meter ect.

Good techs will get a print out of settings, if possible; and a test copy for before and after results. You need a starting point for comparisons' sake, so you know if you have a good fix or you F'ed it up.

[allan]

Re: Promotion?

While you are out on the road, you will encounter a few people who must drive very differently than you. While it is hard, it is best to not get too upset when you encounter them. The stress is not good for you.
Also, you may make a wrong turn or get lost once in a while, and some addresses are not marked very well, or at all (GPS and Google Maps are fine navigational aids, but they are not infallible). Consider those times adventures and challenges to your manual navigational skills. Even feel free to park the car and set out on foot if you think you are close and the conditions allow it.
If you ever get stopped by public safety professionals, don't give them any crap. Many times they will let you off with a warning then. Sometimes when they tell you why they pulled you over it will give you an insight into the local laws that you hadn't even considered.
Unless you have extreme trust in everybody who may pass your car, always lock the car when you leave it (ever other techs can be crafty bastages sometimes). If conditions allow it, carry the extra key in your wallet or something in case you get locked out.

Its amazing how you can perfect the art of getting lost.

[subaro]

Re: Promotion?

Its amazing how you can perfect the art of getting lost.

Just thinking of the days before google and smartphones and had to use hard copy maps, holding the map in one hand and driving, answering the mike at the same time, swerving to avoid . Ah, then i figured out, if i am going any long distance call, i would call the customer and get the intersections to make sure that it matches . today my co worker was demonstrating that he can open his garage door from work and monitor his home outside with his phone. whew, all this happened in a snap, just a few years. think of it.

[iceman490]

Re: Promotion?

Thank you everyone for the insight definitely some good info. Hopefully the transition is smooth

[KenB]

Re: Promotion?

Being a field tech you will find the customers are a lot like a box of mixed chocolates. Some are really sweet, some leave a bad taste in your mouth and some are really nutty. They all look good on the outside, you have to take a bite to find which is which.

As Forrest Gumpp put it, "Life is like a box of chochlates".