Last week we talked about ongoing training from the owners point of view. Today, Brandon talks with his right hand man about the employees perspective on training. There’s a reason Dan Castro has worked for Brandon for a decade, and that’s because he invests in his employees. Taking them to events such as Master Tech Expo or Knowledge Fest, Dan loves doing annual training. He says he has seen his skillset and comfortability grow exponentially because of it. While he really enjoys the hands-on training, Dan says he still learns a lot from taking notes, and then he brings the knowledge back and tries it hands on. He says one of his keys to success is not avoiding classes he already has a good foundation in. Dan can take a class 3 or 4 times and still learn something new each time. He says you really have to go in with an open mindset, not assuming you know it all already.
Beyond just keeping their skills sharp, these outside training sessions are a great bonding experience for the team. Often Brandon will take the whole team, but he’s also been trying out taking one employee to a training at a time. This way, he can give them one-on-one attention in working through what they’re learning. With two new sales team members, Dan knows they will benefit a lot from further training in the industry. One thing they’re always working on is systems and processes. It’s how they keep things consistent and uniform from one customer to the next. Knowing what level of service to expect from their shop is important. They also accomplish this through having core values in place.
What You’ll Learn:
Favorite Quote:
“Even though I’ve been an installer for 16 years, I’ll sit in some technician classes and I still pick up a lot from it.” -Dan Castro
