Each year, thousands of technicians take exams to become NATE certified. However, not many have the experience of John Hall. First certified in 1999, the owner of Hall's Electric in Gulfport, Miss., recently got recertified -- which technicians must do every five years. The interesting part of this story -- Hall is 84 years young.

According to Hall, the HVACR industry has undergone tremendous change during his lifetime. "Probably the biggest change is the move from mechanical parts and controls to digital and electronic controls," said Hall. "And with that, equipment has become much more energy efficient than it used to be."

Keeping up with those and so many other changes has not been difficult for Hall. "I subscribe to several trade publications, and buy and read quite a few books on the subject," said Hall. "On top of that, I'm busy practicing my trade every day as I service my customers. I have to keep up with changes so that I can recommend equipment, and then install and service it."

For those same reasons, Hall said he really did not need to study for his recertification exam. "That's saying a lot," said Phillip Tapp, manager of the Johnstone Supply store in Gulfport and proctor for the exam. "The exam is a lengthy test that includes core questions that require a technician to know the material inside and out. It's not an easy test, but one designed to show that a technician is an expert in his or her field. It's quite impressive that John continues to take and pass the test."

The first time Hall took the exam, he was required to do so by Mississippi Power. Today, he takes the recertification exam so that he can remain a Carrier authorized factory dealer. But Hall is quick to add that he would take the exam even if it was not required.

"First of all, I like to see what I can achieve," he said. "But just as importantly, I think the NATE certification is important for the technician and for the consumer. The exam makes sure that the technician knows what it is he needs to know to do his job well and keeps him knowledgeable on all the changes in the industry.

"At the same time, the customer or homeowner knows he is getting a well-trained technician to service his equipment, which probably means he is saving money in the long run because it is less likely mistakes will be made. So, as a business owner, it makes sense for me to keep up my certification."

According to survey results by Service Round Table, professional contractors who employ NATE-certified technicians may see each of those technicians bring more than $10,000 in value to their company each year. This can be attributed to fewer callbacks, less warranty work, and a greater ability to educate consumers about better options.

Advertisement

More Business. Satisfied Customers. Increased Revenue. More Sleep!

You can have all of this even during a recession -- with our help. Expanding your offerings gives customers more reasons to call you, better cash flow -- and a better night’s sleep. Call Rotobrush at 1-800-535-3878 and receive our free no-obligation business planning guide. Click here.

Brothers Heating Cooling Plumbing has been serving the Rock Hill, S.C. area for 30 years. A majority of their employees are NATE certified and they are looking for 100 percent of their technicians to be NATE certified by the end of 2010.

The NATE Advantage recently caught up with company service manager Steve Helms to talk to him about NATE certification and the business in general.

Q: How many technicians do you have and how many are NATE certified?
A: Brothers currently has 68 employees and 47 of these are field related to include HVAC service technicians, installers, plumbers, and electricians. We have 36 NATE certified employees within our company and each holds anywhere from 1-10 certifications each.

Q: Is there an incentive at your company for techs to become NATE certified?
A: It is a mandatory requirement that each of our HVAC service technicians and lead installers to be NATE certified within one year of their hire date if they are not certified already when they become employed with Brothers. They are also required to maintain their NATE recertification every five years.

Q: Do your customers know about NATE certification? If not, how do you make them aware?
A: Our customers are very well aware of NATE certification and NATE's Quality Circle as all of our marketing mentions and explains what NATE is by the Brothers owners (both who hold 10 certifications each).

Q: What has been the customers' response to the knowledge that your techs are NATE certified?
A: Customers seem to have a better understanding relating to service and feel they have a more "qualified" technician taking care of them.

Q: What are the big differences from a NATE-certified technician and a tech who is not certified?
A: NATE-certified techs at Brothers demonstrate a more technical understanding of service-repair and diagnosing equipment.

Q: How is Brothers Air dealing with the recent economic downturn? What advice can you give to other contractors?
A: We remain steady in our service-repair and equipment change outs. Business is of course down this year compared to the past, but still we continue to grow and have solid plans current and in the near future to expand more. My advice to other contractors would be to closely watch your budget, company overhead, and most of all, make all of your employees accountable.

Q: What new and exciting things are happening at your company?
A: We are currently adding nearly another 10,000 square feet to our warehouse for expansion-growth of our company. Other services going good for Brothers is our plumbing department, which has been steadily growing in addition to our existing HVAC service. Our equipment sales department is up and growing and has a new NATE-certified sales manager with new ideas. Brothers should be attaining a 100 percent technician NATE certification with over 40 NATE certified employees in 2010.

NATE presented this year's Golden Toolbox Award to industry veteran Gary Andis of the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI).
The award, which was presented during the HVAC Comfortech show in Nashville, Tenn., and sponsored annually by NATE and Contracting Business, recognizes an individual within the HVACR industry who has demonstrated exemplary service, support, and advocacy for technician certification.

"On behalf of NATE, it's a pleasure to present Gary with this award," said Rex Boynton, president of NATE. "As an outstanding professional devoted to the success and future of the HVACR industry, I believe we've chosen someone who represents the goals and vision of NATE certification and has demonstrated the achievements this award aims to recognize."

Andis, who is the director of certification at NEMI, has more than 32 years of industry experience, having worked in various aspects of installation, service, and design. He has also helped to advance the industry's reputation of quality by serving as an instructor for adult HVAC education and completing numerous instructor training programs. Andis holds five NATE certifications and serves on the NATE Technical Committee, has completed the OSHA 500 Safety Course, received the EPA, Refrigerant Recovery & Recycling Certification 608 and 609, is a National Air Filtration Association-certified technician, and is a Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Professional with the Association of Energy Engineers.

"It's always been my belief that excellence is achieved through education and a true sense of responsibility for quality and professionalism," commented Andis. "I've done my best throughout my career to uphold and share these beliefs, and it's a great honor to be recognized by NATE and my industry peers with this award."

NATE-certified technicians have many tools at their disposal to help them continue to be great HVAC technicians. The NATE Website -- www.natex.org -- is one such tool.

"The NATE Website is really a great connection between ourselves and the technician," said Kathy Corr, NATE director of strategic relationships. "It is a great way for us to help you maintain your certification."

One important aspect of the Website is the "My NATE" section. By logging in with your user name and password, the technician can reach their own personal page, which has all the information from the technician's NATE history. In addition to the personal information (e-mail, employer, etc.) the page lists what classes and tests the individual has taken -- along with the scores.

"This is the individual's personnel record. It is like a college transcript. It shows when they were certified, when they need to recertify, and any NATE-course they have taken. It is really helpful in so many ways," said Corr.

This is particularly helpful when technicians have changed jobs and need to prove to their new employer that they have received certification.

In addition to the My NATE section, the Website also walks you through exactly what you need to accomplish in order to be certified, and then five years later recertified. For example, one important nugget of information that not everyone knows is that classes/training do not need to be a NATE-recognized course.

"Oh, not at all," said Corr. "That is a common misconception out there. Many technicians attend courses to stay current with industry trends and many of these courses relate to their specialties. If the courses, even though they are not NATE-recognized courses, apply to the technician's specialty, the technician, at the time of application, may submit these courses for consideration. NATE does not track these hours, that is the technician's responsibility. In order to have your hours approved, NATE also requires you to provide a Certificate of Attendance from the training provider."

The certificate must have the technician's name, class hours, training provider contact information and a description of the course to be accepted.

But the NATE Website does have an area that lists different training sessions technicians can attend as well as information on testing organizations and schedules.

"It is truly a one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about the NATE organization and the NATE process," Corr said.

A good place to start when visiting the NATE Website would be NATE Essentials. It is there that each industry segment is provided easy access to essential information pertaining to NATE testing and certification. There are links for technicians, contractors, manufacturers, and distributors/wholesalers. It is a great place for those who are already in the NATE program, as well as individuals who are just getting started.

Visit www.natex.org for more information.

NORTH AMERICAN TECHNICIAN EXCELLENCE
www.natex.org
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 510 • Arlington, VA 22201 • (877) 420-NATE tollfree • (703) 276-7247 phone • (703) 527-2316 fax

To sign up to receive The NATE Advantage e-newsletter, please click here.

THE AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING & REFRIGERATION NEWS
www.achrnews.com
2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700 • Troy, MI 48084 • 248-362-3700 phone