Posted on February 14, 2015 by Scott Brown - Academy Talk
Just got back from the best-ever ASTI in New Orleans. Reconnected with old friends, made new ones, met many of my Appliantology brethren and several of my Samurai Tech Academy students in person. Not being a city person myself, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed New Orleans-- fantastic food and lots of fun in the French Quarter. Here's a picture of our booth at the ASTI trade show featuring Mrs. Samurai (left) and Academy Ambassador Natalie (right). Good times, good times!
Posted on January 31, 2015 by Scott Brown - Academy Talk
Are you coming down to New Orleans for the Annual Service Training Institute (ASTI)? It’s the premiere annual appliance repair training event in the country, held this year February 8th through 12th in New Orleans, LA. Many of the major manufacturers offer training classes. It’s a great way to pick up all the newest tricks on the latest models and to connect with your brethren (and sisteren) in the craft.
A lot of the big names and who’s who of the appliance repair world are going to be there. In addition to all the mucky-mucks, Mrs. Samurai and I will be there, too. Make sure to stop by Booth 39 for cupcakes, a fun little quiz, and even a raffle! We’d love to meet more of our Samurai Tech Academy students and fellow Appliantologists face-to-face.
Going to ASTI can pump up your skills and re-energize your business. It’s also a morale-booster to spend time with other folks in the trade, swap war stories, and even get inspired with new ideas. We’ve attended for years, and are excited to now be there representing the Samurai Tech Academy!
If you can make it to New Orleans this year, be sure to connect with us on the ASTI mobile app (just search for “Samurai”), and come by Booth 39! We’ve got a cupcake just for you.
Posted on January 28, 2015 by Susan Brown - Business Talk, Career Talk
Many of you may be asking yourselves: how much does training cost? Well the truth is good training doesn’t cost anything because it pays for itself. Whatever money you spend on the training that you need to become a good tech you’ll quickly earn back when you're out in the field kicking appliance butt.
In fact, the better question to ask is: how much does it cost you not to get training? Profitablity and customer satisfaction rely on a high first call complete (FCC) rate. A high FCC rate comes primarily from successful pre-diagnostic work and sharp troubleshooting skills, which happen to be two key areas of instruction in the Fundamentals of Appliance Repair training course.
If you are either a novice or a working tech without a thorough background in electricity, schematics, and modern motor/circuit board configurations, then it is imperative for your bottom line that you divert some of your budget away from advertising and towards training. There’s no sense getting a bunch of calls if you can’t fix most of them on the first trip.
If you've been working as an appliance tech for awhile and still have a low FCC (below 80%), then you should definitely invest in some training.
After you’ve completed your training in appliance repair, then you can kick up the spending on advertising with confidence. You can also tout your new certification!
Make the right choice, get the training you need to succeed. Or, as we say at the Samurai Tech Academy, "Learn More. Earn More!"
If you’d like to get more of a look and feel for how the courses work and receive a discount coupon, please try out our FREE Sample Course!
Posted on January 23, 2015 by Susan Brown - Academy Talk, Career Talk
Being a “Certified Appliance Repair Technician” sounds impressive and can open doors with employers and customers. There is no universally recognized certification for Appliance Repair techs, and there are several different organizations offering them.
We have found that most customers don't question where your certification comes from. In fact, we've never been asked. Employers are generally the only people interested in what kind of certification a tech has.
When an employer looks into where your certification came from, will it pass scrutiny? How should you evaluate the merit of a particular certification that you are considering obtaining?
The first step is to take a close look at the entity that is issuing the certification. The quality of the certification can only be as good as the organization behind it.
The second step is to evaluate what type of certification it is. Did a tech just pass a one-time test, or does his certification attest that he follow a prescribed course of study, passing numerous tests along the way to show mastery of the material?
The Master Samurai Tech Academy is operated by an acknowledged national expert on appliance repair technology, Scott M. Brown, known online as the Samurai Appliance Repair Man. His popular websites, forums, and YouTube channel have been on the forefront of online appliance repair training and support for over 15 years. Scott has a proven track record of bringing a higher standard of excellence to the appliance repair industry. You can see his work at:
Scott’s bio is here.
Most appliance repair business owners will be familiar with Scott’s work. If they aren’t, a few minutes of looking at the above links will assure them of his expertise and ability to communicate with techs.
You know you want one!
In fact, MST certification is much more like an educational degree and not just simply a certification obtained by passing an exam.
The courses at the Master Samurai Tech Academy are rigorous and relevant to today’s modern, computer-controlled appliances. If you are an employer and want to evaluate the MST certification of a job applicant, please see individual course pages for an overview of the topics the applicant would have studied.
Please contact us if you have any further questions about the Samurai Tech Academy Certification!
If you’d like to get more of a look and feel for how the courses work and receive a discount coupon, please try out our FREE Sample Course!
Posted on January 14, 2015 by Scott Brown - Academy Talk, Career Talk, Tech Talk
Let’s face it: appliance repairs are expensive due to the real costs of running a full-time, professional appliance repair business. That's why so many folks are trying to save time and money by learning how to fix their own appliances. And how 'bout the supreme satisfaction that comes from kicking major appliance boot-ay? BOOYAH!
Appliantology.org is a powerful repair resource for DIYers. You've got professional appliance techs giving you personal help. But all too often, that help comes to a screeching halt when you gotta have basic electrical troubleshooting skills to finish the job, such as reading schematic diagrams and understanding the technology that you’re working on.
DIYers are a diverse group but, in my decades working with them online, I see that most DIYers share two characteristics: they have above average to great mechanical skills, but are weak on electrical skills.
With today’s increasingly computerized appliances, unless you have a minimum baseline of electrical troubleshooting skills, you’re just going to be flailing about blindly in a sea of technical symbols and words for all but the simplest repairs. Any electrical explanations or instructions offered to you will just sound like Chinese. You can see the problem here.
What’s a bruthah from anothah muthah to do?
Samurai to the rescue! The electrical and troubleshooting skills you need are very learnable and affordable at the Samurai Tech Academy.
The Fundamentals of Appliance Repair course would be an awesome boost to your ability to repair all kinds of things around the house. Basic electricity, electronics, gas, electric motor systems, and troubleshooting with schematics are all timeless skills with broad application that will give you valuable insight into the inner workings of numerous electro-mechanical systems in your home.
You can acquire these skills inexpensively and conveniently in our up-to-date, comprehensive, online Fundamentals of Appliance Repair training course. The course tuition will pay for itself after just one or two DIY repairs!
It's an investment in the most valuable asset you have: YOU!
Other methods of technical training available today are DVD packages, in-person training, and correspondence courses. See how online learning compares with these other training methods.
Dance with me now:
