Imagine you’re in a checkout line when you see an ex co-worker you haven’t seen since you left your old job. He informs you that since you’ve left, the place has gone turdlicious. They don’t have the tools you had while working there so nothing is getting fixed in a timely fashion and call backs have doubled. The property’s refrigerant leak detector hasn’t worked in months and the manager thinks buying a new one is too expensive. So, filling AC units with refrigerant only to have it leak back out is supposedly saving the company money. And last but not least, the public tools in the shop that the current techs are using are shabby and it shows across the decaying property.
With a slightly delighted smirk, you reflect on your last day at “Turdlicious Apartments”. That was the day you were scolded for not coming out at 3 o’clock in the morning when a resident called about a roach in her bathtub. You didn’t yell or fight back. You calmly placed your keys on the manager’s desk, turned and walked out. Taking your sweet tools and experience with you. Only to be working again a week later down the road for their competitor.
Ah, yes. The awesomeness of owning good tools is comforting. No job is intimidating when you know you’ve got the instruments to conquer any property. And, if you ever get mad and leave a property that doesn’t have your back, your absence WILL be felt. Also, when you own great tools your work does the talking. You’ll never have to brown-nose or be the chatty annoying clown in the office to mask unskillful and amateurish work.
However, let me state that having great tools doesn’t make you a great tech. Just like holding an expensive golf club doesn’t make you a great golfer. You have to know how to use them. I’ve seen countless techs wonder why they’re getting weird readings while checking for 120 volts with their $200 FieldPiece multimeter set on DC. So, it’s wise to ask questions or watch YouTube videos on how a tool is used before heading out into the field with it.
What’s that you say? You can’t afford expensive nice tools? That’s okay. All you have to do is instead of asking for a dopey video game for Christmas, ask for a Supco M500 Megohmmeter that tells you if a fan motor or a compressor is bad with the push of one button. Or, instead of those rims you want when grandma sends you your yearly birthday money, get you a nice Dewalt battle pack. It’s all about using holidays and birthdays to get the big stuff you want that will make your work life easier.
Patience young padawan. This post isn’t to guilt trip you into running out and buying thousands of dollars worth of tools on a credit card. Creating debt makes tools no fun. Tool collecting is a slow never ending growth process. It’s taken me over a decade to amass the tool collection I have now. From my sweet digital TESTO refrigerant gauges down to my Klein magnetic nut drivers.
Although I like to buy and own my own tools, I do think that whatever company you’re working for should provide everything you need to do your job. Aside from hand tools of course. Showing up to a handyman job with just your bare hands screams,”I don’t give a s#*t!” Anything over $100 though, a tech shouldn’t be expected to buy himself. The company should provide all the expensive HVAC equipment as well. My only issue with public tools is that they become worn out quickly. Or even worse, they walk off never to be seen again. I like to know that when I need a tool, it’s going to be there in my truck and it’s going to work properly. Making my work life way easier and less stressful.
Conclusion
Tools bring value to a job and that’s what we get paid by. Value! We don’t get paid by the time we’ve put in. Someone who’s been working at a property for 7 years and doesn’t own a multimeter is not more valuable than someone who’s been there for 3 months and not only owns a multimeter but has so many tools his truck bumper slings sparks when he goes over a speed bump. The guy with the truck full of tools shows that he’s serious and is bringing tons of value to the job. Just like the guy in the story above at the beginning of this post.
Some guys say, “If I could just get some extra time, I could make more money.” Well, there isn’t any extra time. We all get the same 24 hours. So, if you can’t get anymore time, what can you get more of? Value that’s what! If you’re a serious tech and in it for the long haul and you want more money, then my suggestion is to chase value. Chasing money is like chasing a stray cat. It will always run from your grasp. But value is like a bowl of milk sitting in your lap. The cat will then come and sit on your knee. Chase value and the money will follow. A never ending constant pursuit of knowledge, experience, and the tools to execute that knowledge and experience onto the canvas of the world.
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YouTube University Will Make You A Better Maint. Tech – Link
10 Reasons Why You Can’t Find Good Maintenance Techs – Link
Easy Ways Maint. Techs Can Pile Thousands Of Dollars – Link
Good Tools For The Apartment Maintenance Trade – Link
Should The Property Management Company Buy Your Tools –Link
The Maintenance Man Myth – Link
Good HVAC Tools For Apartment Maintenance Technicians – Link
How To Get Into The Apartment Industry – Link
Going On Call As An Apartment Maintenance Technician – Link
How To Deal With A Goodbye Talker – Link
How To Have A Successful Student Housing Turn Season – Link
How To Handle Working With A Hider – Link
Dirty Maintenance Cheat Sheet – Link
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Thanks for the new update looking forward to see what’s happening next
Thank you so much for reading Keith!
Good stuff Skid
Thank you skid! LoL! I love it when people call me skid too.