My MFP refused to print. Error codes were less than findable online. With multiple people clamoring to print and the dealer 45 minutes away, I called OEM tech support. Within minutes, the tech support guy’s advice fixed the problem. It turned out that a leaking toner cartridge shut down the device. My bad for using aftermarket toner. I recount this adventure because call-in expertise and remote diagnostics are changing the game for service techs and customers alike. And, for office technology dealerships, the hiring and retention “game” is perhaps more difficult than ever before.
In the past, my minor conundrum would have required a tech driving to my office, diagnosing the machine, pulling out the offending toner, adding the good stuff, and getting me rolling again. An hour or so is better spent on a customer with real problems. However, scenarios not unlike mine play out daily in offices nationwide. Customers expect problems to be fixed fast and painlessly. But you may be pondering a bigger and non-trivial problem: What if there aren’t enough techs?
“It is getting tougher,” said Ken Hiteman, vice president of services and technical support, Toshiba America Business Solutions. “Dealers say it is harder to find people wanting to be techs.” Compounding this is the retirement of tenured technicians. “There’s not a pipeline of younger guys ready to step up,” added Hiteman.
This is exacerbated by the changing workforce, partly influenced by the long tail of the pandemic. Techs have bailed out due to age, disinterest in the technology embedded in many devices, or in pursuit of other interests. Many dealerships are wrestling with this, and it continues to cause wrinkles in service delivery.
Beyond Break-Fix
As you know, techs must be on their A-game every day. “The demand for faster service and high-quality performance is at an all-time high,” affirmed Troy Olson, owner and business development officer at Les Olson IT Company in Salt Lake City, Utah.
One driver is that some prospective techs may not realize that a career path exists in office technology. Chip Miceli, president of Pulse Technology in Des Plaines, Illinois, said he and his team show prospects that the career path involves more than twisting screwdrivers and replacing parts. Correct diagnosis is a given, along with knowing how to talk a customer off the ledge. This is one reason why it can be good for a candidate to shadow an experienced tech for a day as part of the interviewing process, a practice encouraged by Jessica Crowley, senior vice president at the recruiting firm Copier Careers. “It gives both the applicant and the seasoned tech an opportunity to see if there’s a fit,” she said.
What’s a Dealer to Do?
Are fewer techs needed? Yes. Are they harder to find? Yes, again. Are techs aging out of the business? Every week. Does your dealership offer a career path for them? Maybe. There are at least a dozen more questions. To define the issues and hear some solutions, we reached out to dealers, OEMs, and a recruiter.
- Not all smart high school grads are inclined to go to college. But they may want to work in a technical job with upward potential.
- Be sure to ask candidates what they see themselves doing in five years. Is college in their plans? Some are taking a year or so off to make money. Others think college is not for them. Some have no idea what they want to do, while others are looking for a career path. Which of these might be a fit for your dealership?
- Many prospects are familiar with computers and networks. Google, YouTube, and various other social media platforms can be helpful teachers. But maybe a candidate helped run the network at their school or networked computers and printers, connected TVs to facilitate streaming, set up mobile phones as TV remotes, or installed a VPN and other security measures in their parent’s home. These people know that networking computers and printers doesn’t require a college degree.
- Asking about things they’ve done that they didn’t include in their résumé or application can help you uncover unexpected skills. Explain the relationship between printers and computer networks. Many office devices have consumer-level, plug-and-play firmware. Many techs can do the basics with minimal training. If IT-related functions interest them, it may present a path to more sophisticated skills.
- Some prospects may be aware that break-fix service is only the beginning. They may see a future that includes security and managed print services. Find out.
- Ask what they think a service tech does. Do this before describing the job they’re interviewing for. Those not interested beyond parts replacement may not be right for you.
- Age and experience can be less of a factor than attracting younger employees willing to stay around.
- Realize that younger techs may be more willing than their predecessors to embrace new or emerging technologies. Don’t assume that retiring techs want to keep working or will return to work. Some who left may be happy with retirement or working in another field.
Also consider leveraging aptitudes. For example, I know a successful builder of high-end custom homes who believes those with aptitude and interest can learn many skills. So, how do you measure aptitude? When talking with dealers, OEMs, and recruiters, I described people in other fields to see if they might have made good service techs. All are good with their hands. One is an excellent car mechanic (at a nonprofessional level) and good with computers. Another is a whiz with electronics and networks. Still another is as logical as Star Trek’s Mr. Spock. Dealers, vendors, and recruiters agreed that such characteristics would make those individuals attractive hires. “I’d take any of them and train them in skills they don’t possess,” said Allan Lang, regional service manager at Toshiba. “All have a place within the service team.”
Technology Fosters Competition
“A big challenge is competing for individuals with an IT background,” said Olson. Dealers aren’t the only game in town.
Unable to offer the salaries and benefits of larger firms, many dealers need to expand techs’ expertise internally while also providing a path forward. Dealers such as Pulse Technology and Les Olson IT Company have cultures that encourage personal skills growth and also offer career paths, additional schooling, and more. Miceli said the average tenure at Pulse Technology is over 11 years, compared to 3 to 5 in many shops.
“If we show them a career path, we usually don’t lose them,” said Miceli. Reflecting this, Toshiba’s Hiteman noted that techs who get past the first year frequently stay for up to a decade, albeit in differing roles.
Ambitious techs can pose another problem. Those experienced in both break-fix and IT-related areas may transition into careers leveraging those skills. For instance, a tech who was a dealer’s go-to guy for a customer’s MFPs, scanners, and fax machines could ostensibly oversee a fleet of devices on a big network while receiving a much larger paycheck. Where? How about a hospital with 50-odd office technology devices on its network? This is already happening, making it critical for dealers to nurture and keep technicians.
Some dealers are faced with other dealerships offering employees more pay and potential. There are also instances where techs with vendor certification have moved to dealers in other regions or states. Potential employees without a mortgage or a family can be quite mobile.
The Money Factor and the Culture
“A big hurdle is compensation expectation,” said Toshiba’s Lang. “It becomes a serious issue for dealers. The combination of it being more difficult to find people and increasing wages means dealers must raise the entry-level pay.” This increases service costs and also can lead to not having enough techs. That increases the demand for and, ultimately, the financial expectations of service techs.
Simultaneously, new and experienced service techs may have a sense of what they’re worth. “They know equipment servicing is critical and expect pay that reflects this,” said Crowley. “They know what they’re worth.”
What’s good for the tech isn’t always positive for a dealer when increased competencies come with a price. Crowley referenced differences of $10,000 to $15,000 annually for a moderately skilled candidate. The difference swells for techs experienced in IT security, managed print, and light production or large-format machines. Even newbies may be expecting a bigger paycheck after they’ve received vendor certification.
In contrast, Miceli and Olson cite their companies’ cultures as essential to retaining employees. While a definitive career path is part of this, so are companies that are involved in the community and support local charitable organizations.
Beyond Paper Jams
It’s easy to imagine that some newer devices may not need as much help as they once did but rather different levels of expertise. Break-fix isn’t going away, but all techs must have the skills to identify and solve various problems on a device or on a network. It is vital to describe the path forward for technicians while also actively encouraging them to learn and be more.
You won’t keep every tech, but by leveraging their skills and promoting those abilities as part of your sales pitch, you can position your dealership as having an enviable service team.
