What makes a certification worth the $$$ to you?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

In our daily business, we need that little extra edge to keep ahead of our competition and there are various ways to do it. Some have affiliations such as; B.B.B., Chamber of Commerce, and local/regional referral services (fee based lead service) that furnish a database of contractors for consumers to draw from and some that even claim a level of credibility in their credentials.

Others have educational backgrounds and experience in trades that lend to their success. Then there are others who look for certifications because formalized education is not available for their trade.

In the wonderful world of Pressure Washing, we have a number of different fields that the use of a pressure washer has been broken into.

1. Building exterior cleaning
   
2. Flat-work (Concrete, parking lots, etc.)
   
3. Fleet-washing
   
4. Graffiti Removal
   
5. Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning
   
6. Media blasting
   
7. Sewer Jetting
   
8. Wood Restoration
   
9. Ultra-high pressure cleaning

Certificate n. a written or prented statement by which a fact is formally or officially certified or attested; specif., a) a document certifying that on has met specifieed requirements, as for teaching b) a document certifying ownership, a promise to pay, etc.

Certification n. 1. a certifying or being certified 2. a certified statement

Certified adj. 1. vouched for; guaranteed 2. having, or attested to by, a certificate

Certify vt. 1. to declare (a thing) true, accurate, certain, etc. by formal statement, often in writing; verify; attest 2. to declare officially insane and committable to a mental institution *3. to guarantee the quality or worth of (a check, document, etc.); vouch for 4. to issue a certificate or license to 5. [archaic] to assure; make certain -vi to testify (to) -syn. see APPROVE

Do the certifications currently available or held give you the best bang for your buck? ie. Are they worth the weight of the paper they are written on?

1. Does your certification have an expiration date? Why?
   Does that education you received to get the certificate self destruct or delete itself from your brain within a specific time period?
   
2. Is your certification outdated? Why?
   
3. Are there other higher levels of certification available?
   
4. What do you need in a certification?

Your feedback could help to shape the things to come.

Rod!~

[JFife 14]

Point #1: A "paper" certification means nothing, unless the purchasers know to ask for it. So in our biz, the pwna/kec/wrapi could advertise all day long, and by the end of most of our lives there'd still be no recognition by the general public. Maybe, just maybe, if in a hypothetical situation a purchaser was split 50/50 with you and another Co., couldn't decide what else to make a decision on, so finally goes with the one with more certs. A wild hypothetical.

Point #2: So a cert. that IS of value would be one like for hvac, basically stating that unless you've got certain govt certs, you are performing work illegally. I imagine to get to this point, you need Union assistance and DC lobbyist. So it is also not realistic for the Pwashing industry.

Point #3: In log homes which I do most of my work currently, there are three major suppliers of LH products, and anyone that owns a LH has most likely heard of them, and probably has some of their products on their house. I HAVE had people ask me if I was certified by these Co.s, and I've have people HIRE me because I was certified by one or more of these Co.s. How does that relate to Pwashing????? Considering decks.......every homeowner has heard of Thompson Water Seal. Recognizable name. Probably have a certification course. Thing is....anyone worth anything RUNS from Thompsons, and says how aweful it is. So the only Companies with household recognition (thompsons/behr), is not used to tout certification. And the Companies that DO produce good products, won't (in our lifetime) be able to create that kind of recognition.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thanks Jon, great perspective!

next

Rod!~

[squirtgun 122]

every homeowner has heard of Thompson Water Seal. Recognizable name. Probably have a certification course.

Actually,they do have cert. and if I wanted to drop my standards,I could make a fortune off the Thompson mentality people.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Certifications hold the value that I attach to them. My customers have never heard of the PWNA or what is actually involved in my wood cert course. But I use them in my advertising, on my quotes and in every conversation that I engage with a new client. Could I do the same thing with woolmans? Yes, and I do.... Again the certs serve only two functions... THe first is that I did learn a lot from Everette at the PWNA convention last year and I learned some stuff from woolmans.. The second is that it gives me an edge over others... Whether or not my clients know what the certification means, In thier mindsm I have something that others don't. ANswers to your other questions: Am I getting the best bang for the buck: It is hard to answer this question... It is like advertising evaluation... which ad worked better? The woolmans cert probably is a good deal because people associate it with a national product line. Worth ist weigt in paper? My certification possesses the value that I choose to attach to it. I educate my clients about both the woolmans and pwna cert; they in turn use my company for services... To answer the question they both have value as percieved through my customers eyes, and thier perception is what puts money in my bank account. Is thier an expiration date? Yes, and I really thing that this is a good idea. Techniques and technology change. Products change and people tend to forget thins over time. Even the AHA required CPR cards to expire. Is thier higher levels available? No, and I am not sure I would need a higher lever for wood cert. For peoplpe who just specialize in wood, I am certain there is a lot more to know and an advanced cert course may beneift them. I would like to see a Powerwash 1000 certification - I am currently working on a Powerwash 1000 Course curriculum. Hopefully by mid-summer / fall it will be complete. Where it goes from there is unknown, LOL, it is just a sidebar winter project. I will then need to market it to an organization or sponsor. What do I need in a certification? Just what I am getting, more knowledge, a resourse bank for information and a competitive edge on my competition. Education is a great thing. Certification course are a plus to the industry and they tend to give the edge to individuals in all professions. With my wood cert on one of my occupations and my CCRN certification in my nursing field they both benifit the consumer and myself.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Cool Mathew, This is very insightful. Thank you.

next

Rod!~

[PressurePros 248]

I pretty much agree with Jon. From a profit and marketing perspective certifications are only as good as the name (or mandate) behind them. One caveat about that though.. I think the public(including myself) has no clue what all the various "certifications" mean. If a contractor came into my home and his business card had various certification logos that looked professionally designed, I am almost embarassed to say I would assume he was more competent than Joe Pro the Handyman.

[Littlefield 65]

Certifications can be good and bad. I think certifications from product manufacturers can be great because they show a certain competency level. HOWEVER, this has to be made known to the consumer, so that they can see what knowledge is required to gain certification. Some are obvously a joke, just an open book test anyone could pass if they read the website. Others are just to certify that you attended a "class". WHeather you learned anything or not is besides the point, its an "attendance" certificate! I really think they are worthless to me from a training perspective, unless I get some real hands on with a pro from the company. From a marketing perspective, well one of my local competitors advertises certification from three major co"s, only one of which actually has an "attencance" certification program, the other don't even have one. I've been distancing myself from certs for that reason recently.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thanks Ken and Rich,

Those help give a perspective that is something to take into consideration before going after any certification.

Education and Certification have a relevance in the world of credibility and as some have pointed out are only as good as the educators or certifiers.

Harvard education in comparison to a trade school is like Dom Perignon is to lite beer. (no offense guys)

If the backgrounds are not considered to be of value, then the teaching will be thought of as third rate.

Here is a question though, Does anyone consider experience a value if the teaching is not up to par?

Keep in mind that experience does not always mean that it has been done correctly the entire tenure. Trial and error and other methods of development have been involved in the process of gaining experience. Given that, (I know this is probably opening Pandora's box...but) What is experience really worth?

Rod!~

[Jarrod 22]

I'll have to agree with Jon too. Nobody has ever asked me if I'm certified in anything. Like Jon said, (paraphrasing) If people don't ask about it, then, it is of no value to them.

[PLD 14]

Jarrod,

It may be of no value at the time, but you can give it value. If the test poses any significant difficulty at all, then you can sell the time and dedication to your task required to pass it.

When I was in the computer biz I sold the heck out of my CNE certification (quite profitably I might add). The test's weren't hard but they covered ALOT of material. Yes, you could pass one without ever touching the

system, but few people were willing to put in the 2-4 weeks of study to do so. In fact, few real engineers were willing to put in the 1-2 weeks review neccessary to pass. The end result was that one possessing the certification has shown a comittment above and beyond what most people were willing to do. And that yielded better performers. Hence, CERT = better engineer.

All that said, Joe low baller won't have PWNA wood, Wolman, WRAPI, et.al. because that takes more than the minimum effort. You and I will have them because we take every opportunity to challenge ourselves and allow our skills to be tested/evaluated by others. And that is the selling point of certfication. That you are willing to go the extra mile to be better AND you are willing put your skills on the table for examination to prove you are better.

As a part of my marketing plan, I have a goal to increase certification this year and create material that plays to those certifications in an "us vs. them" style. Included that plan are memberships in PWNA, WRAPI, BBB, Ch of Comm., NAHB.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

This was posted in another thread and I thought I would copy/paste it here for an example.

Another question of what to take seriously when it comes to certifications.

Dogpooporg.com

you can be a certified dog scooper.

they even have enviro classes on proper poop disposal.

__________________

Ron **********

How far does this certification go in the mind of a would be consumer?

Rod!~

[Celeste 341]

How about those who misrepresent certification? We don't "overblow" our certifications, we use them when needed but how about those who make claims on certifications that they don't have? Seems that those would make the whole trying to realistically use your certs to your advantage a mute point.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

Point #1: A "paper" certification means nothing, unless the purchasers know to ask for it. So in our biz, the pwna/kec/wrapi could advertise all day long, and by the end of most of our lives there'd still be no recognition by the general public.

I agree with that statement. This is a question, how about another industry instead of the general public? Example property management.

[bforbis 14]

In a previous poll " Does the public consider PW a serious profession?"

10%-yes, 42%-No and 37%- split

Also, many have stated that most customers do not know about PWNA, or other organiations that sponser training etc. When we have the few moments in front of a prospective customer to inform them about training aquired, experience either through portfolio,photos, sales pitch verbage, etc certifications may be one added benefit that will hold their attention a bit longer.

I do agree certification are only as good as the paper they are written on with respect that the effort an individual put towards acquiring, maintaining and enhancing that part of the business they are invloved in.

Although I may not have the experience many of you have, I respect that you have learned through experience and sought out a better and possibly standardized way to perform in this business. Certifications help set the bar for standards, but in my humble opinion, you can't have several different certifying agencies. If there is to be credibility obtained through certifications, there needs to be uniformity in the guidelines, content, objectives and management. and That credibility will only be proven over time.