Unfiltered LIVE: Ask the Experts | Techs Who Don’t Want to Work

Question: How are you dealing with technicians who feel we shouldn’t be in people’s house for regular tune ups? We have some techs that don’t feel they want to do this.

Weldon Long; EGIA faculty member and New York Times Bestselling Author:

A lot of this I think comes down to leadership in tough times, here at EGIA we’re referring to it as turbulent times. It’s about leadership.

The conversations I’m having with my crew are very simple. We have the privilege, I believe we have the honor, that we have been designated essential personnel. I’m not saying we’re rescuing babies from burning buildings like the fire department or the police, but we have been designated as an industry to be really important.

In Colorado, we’re basically shut down except for so-called essential services. So, here’s the question, it’s not up to us whether or not we’ve been earmarked to be designated essential personnel. That’s already happened, the governor did that. The only real question is, are we going to accept that challenge, are we going to embrace that challenge, and are we going to rise up to the occasion?

When I look at the nursing professionals, the medical professionals, the doctors, they’re definitely stepping up to the plate. I saw a guy on TV that hadn’t been able to touch his daughter for a month because he’s a nurse. He comes home and he has his family secluded from him. He’s a different part of the house and has to see them through a window. That’s what I call real sacrifice.

I saw on the news that there was a hospital in New York that was completely overwhelmed, understaffed and overwhelmed. They put out a message through social media asking if anybody could help. Another entire EMS division who had just finished a 24-hour shift and they went straight to the other hospital and started scrubbing the floors and helping the patients.

The staff at the hospital was in tears because they were so grateful to have the help, that somebody answered the call, that somebody accepted the challenge, that someone stepped up to the plate.

We have to decide to some degree what kind of human beings are we? Am I going to question whether or not the government should have designated me essential personnel? No, it’s already done! We should take pride in that. We should wear it as a badge of honor.

The question is, individually as men and women, are we going to step up or we going to shrink back because I’m going to tell you something, tough times define your character. As Emerson said, “The circumstances don’t make your character, the circumstances reveal your character.”

If your employees have a health issue, if there’s a reason, I’m not talking about that. I’m not talking about people with legitimate issues and health concerns, vulnerable people, etc. But if it’s just because “I don’t wanna,” then that’s a question of character and integrity.

I’m just saying that if I have somebody who thinks we shouldn’t do it, I have a person that probably isn’t heeding the call. My guess is, that this probably isn’t the first time you’re disappointed with that technician, because that’s a characteristic of somebody who won’t answer the bell.

That’s just my perspective, as a contractor out there who continues to pay my people. I have people at home I’m paying. We have a plumber who had to stay home for two weeks because his wife actually got the virus. He’s been gone for two weeks and has never missed a paycheck, and he’s not a cheap guy. He’s our licensed plumber, so he’s making a ton of money. Bottom line is, I’ve got his back!

The question is, do your technicians have your back? Do they have your customers’ backs? We have to get out there and answer the call. That’s just me standing on a soap box for two minutes.

To access the full archive of Unfiltered Live: Ask the Expert recordings, CLICK HERE.