A Day in the Life of an Appliance Repair Technician

There isn’t much info out there about what a career as an appliance repair technician is like, which is a gap we’ve tried to correct with past articles. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the daily work schedule of our techs, as well as what’s expected of them on the job.

8 AM – Prep for the Day

Every weekday morning starts in the office. Technicians receive their finalized schedule of appointments for the day and can meet with their fellow techs to discuss what to look for on each job. It’s not all work though. While there are many opportunities to socialize with customers during the day, we make it a point to allow everyone time to enjoy some camaraderie with their coworkers before heading out.

After talking with their colleagues, techs pick up their bin of parts for the day, which our Parts Department pulls after reviewing all upcoming jobs, and use it to stock their service truck. This puts one fewer task on our technicians’ plates and helps them improve their odds of completing the repair on the first visit. To provide further support, one morning a week, our techs participate in a full-team meeting, guided by their team lead, to discuss the job and support each other’s success with tips, suggestions, and solutions.

9 AM – Start of Service Appointments

By 9 AM, most of our techs have started their first job. Because of their prep in the morning, none of our techs walk into unknown situations. A typical appointment goes something like this:

1. Greet the customer and talk with them to reconfirm details of the issue. Ask further questions to clarify what is wrong with the appliance. 2. Perform troubleshooting diagnostics to determine the source of the issue. This is not a job of hunches and guesswork, there are systematic methods for identifying exactly what appliance component or circuit is not working as it should, and all of our techs have been trained how to use these diagnostic methods.

3. Walk the customer through the source of the issue, the proposed repair, and a quote for the parts and labor (based on The Original Blue Book Major Appliance Job Rate Guide, with some discretion left to the technician).4. If the customer approves the work, perform the repair. We aim to solve all issues on the first visit, though not all repairs can or will be completed then. Sometimes additional parts need to be ordered, sometimes a second opinion or set of hands is needed to solve a complex problem. All of our techs aim high with their first-call-complete rates, but they also know there isn’t an expectation of perfection. Techs also know that if they need help, they can consult their team lead or any of the manufacturer’s service resources, including their tech help lines. It may seem like every tech is on an island, but they always have a support team to turn to if they need it.5. Finish up. Let the customer know the next steps: if a return visit is needed, if they should monitor anything with their appliance, how they will receive their invoice and how to pay, etc.

Once the first job is complete, techs drive to their next job. And after that job, they drive to the next, every day a string of new people to meet and new problems to solve, which our techs find very fulfilling. In order to minimize how far each tech has to drive, we map out each day’s appointments and assign jobs accordingly. Most techs operate in their own service territory near where they live, making them true ‘Hometown Heroes.’ In a full day, techs will handle between 7-8 service appointments.

5 PM – End of the Day

After your final service appointment, there’s usually no need for techs to swing by the office again, so most drive straight home in their service truck. Techs don’t take their work home either—once they’re done with their last appointment, they don’t have to think about work until the next morning and techs can turn their full attention and energy to everything they do in the evening, be it working on a home renovation project, playing with their kids, or whatever else brings them happiness. While it is possible to work and earn overtime, many techs prefer to maintain a work-life balance to be with their families.