Looking for training?

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Based on the overwhelming responses in another thread, I decided to start a new one that is to the point.

How do we qualify who is suitable for teaching us the trade?

Is it the company who made the most money?

Is it the company with the most rigs?

Is it the company who has been around the longest?

Is it the company with the most employess?

Well, I think we all need to answer that question ourselves. I am not impressed with any one thing. I look for a variety of factors in my searches for the best.

There is a guy around here that has 6 trucks running all the time. The largest local guy he is. He makes good money based on where he lives, and has been around 10+ years. He also has a fair amount of employess and 2 sweeper trucks.

Based on this is he a person qualified to teach others?

His work is crap, he bounces from major account to major account, his employee turnover is very high and he is fulll of BS 99% of the time.

However he has a good image with his uniforms and fleet of trucks, so he has done well money wise.

Do you still want to learn from him?

Who is the best teacher is up to each of us to determine.

[Jarrod 22]

I want to learn from someone that is successful and has integrity. I think that integrity fuels true success.

[PressurePros 248]

Education + application experience + succes rate

For myself, it comes down to which came first, the teacher or the student? When I look to someone for training, whether it be a company or an individual, I want to know from where they got their information. I want to review how they processed their education and adopted it successfully. The criteria depends upon what I am seeking to be taught.

If I want to improve my golf swing, I'd like to be taught by a PGA professional that shoots in the 80's with a consistent 300 yard drive. Wandering from player to player at a country club gathering information from a person that reads Golf Digest and has every training aid in existence is pointless if that guy has never parred a hole in his life. This person may not have had the right training from the start so all he will do is teach me his mistake ridden technique. This is what I think spawned Tony's other post and after thinking about it, he's right.

Many people on here post that all of these schools are a waste of time. What is a waste of time is jumping in with both feet and taking five years to figure out you are not doing things as efficiently as you can be. I'll use Anthony from HotShot as an example. Some people may laugh and think what a waste it was for him to spend the high dollars on the schooling for KEC. I see and have heard from others what Anthony is doing. While he may be refining technique, he has a solid core and will be successful far quicker than others whom think getting certified is a waste of time. He is efficient, knows his job, has systems in place and he gets the job done. If Anthony gets his ducks lined up, has someone educate him on sales technique and how to handle multiple crews and time management, he will be on here posting about the addition of his 7th or 8th crew in no time. My point is, Anthony was taught correctly, has some field time under his belt and I think is qualified in certain venues to pass on his knowlege if he chose to do so. Right now I would pay $50 to sit at a round table and listen to Ant speak about how to clean a hood. In five years, I'd probably have to shell out 30 times that to attend his training.

Jarrod is also right in mentioning integrity. If profit at any cost is my motivation then I seek training from a guy that runs clandestine boiler room operations. If I wanted training on fleets I know whom I would not ask though they are publicly traded and make a fortune.

Ultimately it comes down to this. You look at a trainer or company and say to yourself, "I want what you have, show me how to get it".

One final note: There is cross discussion on roundtables and formalized, paid training. Keep things in perspective. At a R/T You are paying $35 to meet peers in a comfortable setting, be fed and to exchange information. Take from it one good thing and you made your money back tenfold. These two things are very different. I am not being compensated for my time at St Louis though it cost me probably in the realm of a quarter million dollars in education and business experience to be qualified to speak. I think it is solely up to the decision of the event coordinator to determine whom he/she wants to speak. If Don would have asked for my credentials, the billing would have started at triple my PW'ing rate. I like Don and know he wants to do things right but at the same time, if I had to start qualifying myself, I would be building value and would expect to be compensated for it.

Thats my hill of beans, thanks for reading.

[tony szabo 14]

How do we qualify who is suiitable for teaching the Trade ?

Ok, after my beating please understand there is no motive here just trying to help. I may not be a active BBS person, because I'm old school.

Someone that has a commendable industry trade background

because of :

1. long term involvement in the industry

2. Proven research in the certain field

3. Proven success in the certain field

4. Positive effect on guiding people in the correct direction

Again, guys no motive here. I'm just protecting my best interest and that is my industry. I have been around for years (16) but just not on the computer too much.

Thanks for the chance.

[GymRat 14]

You can have the most knowledge, be the best at what you do, but still unable to teach. There are plenty of people that are the best at what they do, but their people skills, communication skills or whatever prevents them from conveying thier knowledge to someone else.

[Jarrod 22]

How do we qualify who is suiitable for teaching the Trade ?

Someone that has a commendable industry trade background

because of :

1. long term involvement in the industry - Years in business and experience are important. How many? Who knows? Some people learn faster and excel faster than others.

2. Proven research in the certain field - True, but where did the research come from? I really don't think that the best research comes from expensive 3,000 page books. Books are usually filled with theories. Everything looks great on paper.The best training/research is hands on training/research. I think that a very close 2nd is a good bbs like this one. Is some of the info flawed? Yes it is! However, there are enough experianced contractors here to correct it too.

Even better, I think that it's great that there is flawed info here. Think about it. Scenario - Let's say I advise someone to just clean decks with hot water and a zero degree tip, and stain it with Behr. Within 2 minutes about 10 contractors will have examined what I posted, dissected it, brought it to light, challenged it, and then told me why I was wrong and how to do it right. We all get a chance to see "theories" challenged. We also get to learn why ideas are write or wrong. You can't get that in a book or a seminar!

3. Proven success in the certain field - I agree totally, as long as the success is fueled with integrity and good principles.

4. Positive effect on guiding people in the correct direction - I can't argue with you there Tony. I think that some people will say "Yes, but what is the correct direction, & who's to say what the correct direction really is?"

To those people I would just say, come on, put the microscope away.

May I add 1 more qualification - To be a good enough speaker to keep everyone interested.

[Celeste 341]

http://forums.thegrimescene.com/club-house/8299-message-president-power-washers-north-america-3.html

Does writing articles qualify someone to be a good instructor?

[Jarrod 22]

Yes, especially when they are very offensive! (Satire)

[Jon 533]

EXPERIENCE COUNTS.

I mean good experience, not hey I got x number of trucks, employees etc. We all know the larger a company is and the more employees it has the less good the overall quality is.

To me the best person to train another is one who truly KNOWS what he is doing, be it someone that has been around 6 month, 6 years or 60 years in the business.

Size means nothing, how many rigs means nothing, how many employee's means nothing if you don't really know what your doing.

A one man company can do a heck of a job in his specialty yet flounder in another line of pressure washing, likewise one who is a jack of all trades is not in my opinion someone I would want to learn from for one very good reason, just how can he know it all?

I leaned the basics from one in a different line of pressure washing then I was going into but I learned the basics of how to use to use the equipment, that was my start, my supplier taught me how to use the special equipment for flat work.

I taught myself how to do quality work. Not everyone has access to someone that is willing to help you get started so I consider myself lucky in that respect.

I have seen guys spend $15,000 and say I am in BUSINESS, yeah right, 6 month later he sold that lovely rig for about a 3rd the cost.

One reason why, he did not know a thing about pressure washing nor did he seek out someone willing to teach him. His supplier did nothing but over sell him, I mean he never showed him how to do anything but start the motor and burner.

Jon

[Doug Dahlke 114]

I definitely need and want some training. I have bought some manuals and they have been helpful but learning by doing or seeing it done is best. I am reluctant to spend $800 on a class to find out what I already know or could have learned here for free. What education is out there other than PWNA and Delco? Have people here been to those classes? If you have do you think the price tag was worth it? I am not disputing that the money asked for the training is excessive. Spending several hundred dollars on training that can earn you much more is a bargain. I just want to know what training people here think is wortth the money.

[StainlessDeal 16]

If you can find a way to work with somebody already in the business, or to partner-up with another washer in your area for some jobs, the benefits are great and the outlay is your time and effort. Pretty inexpensive, and if the other guy knows his stuff, a bargain.

My dad used to say that nothing was more wrong than the old saw that "practice makes perfect". He says, and I believe as well, that perfect practice makes perfect. Otherwise, you will only ingrain bad technique, and frustrate yourself.

There are many contractors on this board that will help educate a new PWer with some OJT. Some of the vendors here can probably also recommend somebody to help you.

[The Cleaner 14]

All you need to do is work with us.!! We are the best in the business.!!

I dont think there is one company out there that does anything the same way.Knowlege in this business comes in time, we have been at it for 15 years.We have done everything from a 4 story prison to a 1 car driveway,and still there is more to learn.

I think that you would do well with any one of the vet's on this board, and in time you will fall into your own grove of doing things.As time goes on you will learn all the do's and dont's and most important ,keeping a high degree of integrity in any and all job's you put your name on..

[Doug Dahlke 114]

I appreciate the feedback. Responses here are great. I'm picking up my first hot water rig on Wednesday. I'll post some pictures when I have it. My goal is to earn a living by providing a great service with integrity. Lost my previous job because I was not willing to compromise my beliefs on what is right and wrong. Looking forward to 07 being a good year.

[HotShot 34]

I'll use Anthony from HotShot as an example. Right now I would pay $50 to sit at a round table and listen to Ant speak about how to clean a hood. In five years, I'd probably have to shell out 30 times that to attend his training.

Kenner....dude, I just found this thread....Man, that's a great compliment coming from you...Thank you :)

I think size of the company does mean something, but integrity and honesty mean tons more. Once upon a time there were dualling kitchen exhaust cleaning companies in the L.A. area. One was absolutely humongous, but had the integrity of OJ Simpson and the other was a tad bit smaller, but took great pride in their work and helped the industry by leaps an bounds by their own hard work and great ideas. Both were considered successful companies by any standards, but what seperated them was the major contrast of the integrity and honesty quality. I would much rather learn from the company that has character as well as being successful in their field of expertise. Both are necessary I believe.