You’re having a fantastic day at work when suddenly your phone buzzes an alert. It’s your property manager letting you know that you’ve just been signed up to take a swimming pool training course. It’s a company requirement that all maintenance technicians have their CPO (Certified Pool Operator) certification. Suddenly, your fantastic mood crumbles into a ball of anxiety and depression. Your stomach churns as the Taco Bell you had for lunch does a blitzkrieg on your lower intestine and you start pooting uncontrollably. You Google “fear of classrooms” and find out for the first time that you have Didaskaleinophobia. You tell your manager. She doesn’t care. You’re going!
You’ve heard about this class and how a couple of maintenance techs failed it. That’s why you’re freaking out! You were told about the math part of the test and that only geniuses like Albert Einstein can figure it out. They said, “Have you seen the movie Good Will Hunting? Remember the math problem he solved in the hallway? Multiply that problem times a thousand!”
Okay folks, enough of the drama. I’m here to tell you that you’re not only going to be fine, but you’re also going to pass and be a certified pool operator. I’ve taken this course 4 times. No, not because I’ve failed but because you have to re-new the certification every 5 years and I’ve been taking it since 2004.
I have a treat for you! I have found THE class that all maintenance technicians should take. And, that class is put on by Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants. The instructor Rudy does an amazing job putting everyone at ease and creates an atmosphere of fun and learning. As a maintenance technician, you will come away with practical things you can use immediately when you get back to your property. For example, Rudy taught me that you can put vitamin C tablets into a stocking and lay the stocking on top of a pool floor rust stain and it’ll remove it. In all my years of taking the course, no one’s ever told me that. You will learn many more cool tricks like that while taking his course.
Rudy’s teaching style is hands on and he keeps you engaged. The other courses I took in the past were hard, dry, and the instructors droned on in monotone for 2 days and then plopped a test down in front of everyone. While I did pass those courses, it was very hard on me. I need hands on and action. That’s how I learn the best and Rudy provided that atmosphere.
How To Fail The Test
If you want to pass this course, you WILL pass it. However, I’ve witnessed people fail it right in front of my eyes and would like to share their habits on why they failed. I took a CPO course back in 2015 (Not Rudy’s) and witnessed 5 guys fail who knew each other. They all sat together and were pretty much treating the class like it was a party. They had some laughs and enjoyed talking to each other while the instructor was talking. They also LOVED to smoke and stepped out for 20 minute smoke breaks while missing portions of the class. To make a long story short, they weren’t taking it seriously. I had taken the course 2 times before and I wanted to warn them that this course ain’t no joke and that they’d better tighten up. But, I didn’t.
Once the exam got underway, these guys were suddenly silent. No more laughing, no more random smoke breaks, and no more yucking it up. I could see the shear panic on their faces as I periodically glanced over at them. An hour later they started walking their test up to the instructor to get it graded.
One after the other I kept hearing, “You’ve got to be kidding!” Soon, the drama got louder. I was still taking the test and they were disturbing me. Suddenly, I realized that all 5 of them had failed and were now crowded around the instructor threatening to whip his a$$! The instructor calmly defused the situation and they all did the walk of shame back to their properties to let their manager know that they failed an open book test.
So, this story isn’t to scare you. It’s to let you know what not to do. Take the course seriously and do exactly what the instructor says to do. It’s an open book test for Pete’s sake! Whatever the instructor sends you, do it! Take advantage of the breaks to work on things that you need to work on too. I talk more about that in the YouTube video below. If you want to pass the course, you WILL pass it.
Conclusion
I know there are other fantastic CPO instructors out there. But, since I only get to take the course once every 5 years, I won’t get to meet most of them. However, I’ve finally met one and I’ll be taking his course for as long as he’s giving it. Rudy and his team at Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants do an amazing job. No, he’s not paying me to say any of this. I just want to provide as much value to you as I can and I know that for those of us who freak out when we hear the words classroom and exam, Rudy’s course will be the right one for you.
Now, this is just my opinion. But, after taking the course 3 other times through other companies, I think my opinion is pretty valid. Send this article to your property manager so he/she can hear from an actual maintenance tech who’s taken the course multiple times and get CPO certified with Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants!
Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants Website
Check Out My YouTube Video About The CPO Class
-More Property Management Blog Posts-
Perfect Properties Don’t Exist – Link
Maintenance Techs & Managers Don’t Have To Know Everything – Link
$20.00 An Hour Is Too Much For A Maintenance Man?! – Link
Are You Really On Call 24/7/365? – Link
Why Eventually Owning The Best Tools Is A Must –Link
Tips For Becoming A Good Maintenance Tech – Link
What’s Going To Save The Apartment Maintenance Trade? –Link
Having An EPA Card Doesn’t Make You An HVAC Tech – Link
9 Things That Will Make You An Unlikable Maint. Tech – Link
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
If you’d like to support Dirty Maintenance Nation, you can do so by shopping for tools or whatever you need on AMAZON through this link – CLICK HERE
Disclaimer: Lex Vance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This page contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting dirty maintenance nation!
Speechless. Thank you for your kind words!
You’re awesome Rudy! I had to tell the world. LOL!