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From a customer's perspective, I don't know what messages does that send to you?
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To me, it says that there's some instability taking place somewhere.
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And I don't know if it's the company or the industry itself, but something that's going on when there's a constant relocation or switching around of people.
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The constant turnovers really is not good for us.
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Well, it's hard to build a relationship and have to keep starting over and over and over.
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Hello, and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
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I am your host, Matt Allred.
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Does your workforce need a lift?
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At the Allred Group, we are committed to connecting your company with top talent that matches your need.
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Give us a call at 404-890-0445.
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Today's guest is Bernard Lee, a longtime property manager who has spent more than 30 years working with elevator service companies.
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He's seen the value of having technicians who know a building inside and out, and he's also seen what happens when that continuity disappears.
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In this conversation, we discuss trends he's seen in elevator service over the years, why technician turnover matters so much to customers, and how mentorship can strengthen the industry as a whole.
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Bernard, welcome to the show.
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Hey, thanks for having me, Matt.
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You bet.
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No, it's uh it's great to have you here.
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I appreciate your willingness, and uh, I've enjoyed every conversation we've had, and I'm sure this is going to be another really, really good one.
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And uh I'm I'm really intrigued, you know, the the first time we met, you had mentioned having some issues with the elevator service.
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And so I want to talk to you more about that because I mean you've been managing properties in and around the Atlanta area for 33 years, is that right?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And um you you mentioned to me that that there's been a change.
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And so I'm curious, what's the biggest change you've seen in elevator service industry over those three decades?
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Well, probably the technology.
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You think back when elevators first got started, they probably didn't have a lot of the stuff that we have today.
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Uh the technology is the first thing that comes to mind, of course, uh, like the elevator destination and also tying in elevators with other components of the building.
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So that's definitely something that has changed over time.
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Also, the other thing that comes to mind is the um architectural design.
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You know, nowadays when you're designing a building, you pretty much have a little bit more involvement from that aspect and designing the elevator, et cetera.
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It's not just a square box or rectangle box anymore.
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So put a lot more into it.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah.
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So as far as the the elevator service, when when did you notice a change in that?
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Because that's what that was the piece that you kind of brought up in that first conversation.
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Yeah.
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Um I don't know, maybe a few years now, um, where it started to be more and more noticeable.
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Um, I guess the changes in technicians at the buildings.
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Yeah.
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Um, just seeing the turnover, you know, that some of the companies are having.
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And that's when it kind of became evident to me that something's going on.
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Aaron Powell Yeah.
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I mean, you mentioned having four or five different technicians just in a matter of a few short years.
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How does that constant turnover affect you as a property manager?
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Well, to me, it just kind of bothers the fact that you've got somebody here who knows the building, who gets comfortable with the equipment, and you know, just having the assurance that the person who's there is knowledgeable and little things that are kind of isolated to our building, you kind of lose that as you're you're constantly changing.
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What do you feel in terms of cost?
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Does it cost you time, trust, problem solving?
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Is there downtime?
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What have you noticed there?
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Um what I think in some cases it could be.
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Uh again, because if you if you've got somebody there who knows the equipment, who's been working on it for a while, they're more likely to kind of correct things quicker than someone else coming in having to having to learn it.
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Not to say that that person isn't skilled, but they just may not be familiar with the quirks that we, you know, may experience or or have at our building.
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No, absolutely.
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I mean, you you told me about one of the other properties you'd worked at where the same technician really took care for, what did you say, 20 years or or almost 20 years?
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Yeah, this guy had been in place since the building was completed.
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And he was there until he retired.
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And of course, he worked on other high-rises around us as well, but he knew that equipment extremely well.
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So him and the other technicians that were working in our area, they were very familiar with the product and very comfortable working on it.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah.
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What what would you say made that relationship so valuable to you as the property manager?
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It was just a trusting relationship and the fact that he'd been there for so long, he knew the equipment.
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I never had any doubts or worries about if something was not going to be done correctly or timely.
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You know, by him being there, it was assured to be taken care of pretty quickly.
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Yeah.
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Well, it sounds like he was taking a lot of pride in the work he was doing.
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Yeah.
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He was And that's the other part.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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A lot of the um preventive maintenance stuff we knew was being done because he was there on site taking care of it.
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Uh just had a great working relationship with the with the team that we had in place, myself and the engineers, you know, the entire property management team.
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So yeah, all of that, it was just a great working relationship for us all.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah.
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What would you say that technician knew about your building that a new person just couldn't?
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Uh well, I'm not an elevator technician, so but I would imagine, again, there are certain little things that would happen that he'd automatically know, you know, what the solution was.
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True.
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So yeah, but just because of the amount of time that he'd been there, you could probably tell him certain things and immediately the troubleshooting for it, he would automatically know what it was or what how to respond to it.
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Yeah, I'm I'm sure you you tell him what's going on, and it's like he's whittling it down pretty quick.
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Okay, you know, something was acting a little screwy a week ago, and okay, this is it.
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And I think in some cases, uh certain things would happen, and I would automatically know because just in conversation with him, because he'd always come back, report to us what the issue was, and after a while, you know, they'd say certain things, and I could tell him up front, like, hey, they're saying it's doing this, so it's probably this, because you know, we've worked with him enough to know what the corrective action is going to be or needs to be.
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Yeah.
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You mentioned that he would he would check in every time and and kind of report back, and obviously that strengthen that relationship.
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Do you do you find that still happens or is is that going away or it does sometimes, but each technician is different.
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You know, I think what happens with us is a lot of times we build relationships with these folks that we work with on a consistent basis, and they start to learn how you know how you like to be informed or kept in the loop on things.
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And I've had that with the technicians who've been with me long term.
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I like to know I want to follow up, and I also want to follow up with the customer a lot of times just to you know give them some reassurance, especially when there's somebody who's not comfortable, you know, with elevators or who may have had a bad experience at some point.
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So, you know, I try to be that person who's um who communicates well with our tenants and our customers.
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Sure.
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Well, I mean, if you yeah, if you're not getting this the service that you need on one hand, right?
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You just got the tenants and customers pounding away at you.
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You're left alone there.
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So you really need that that support to make sure you can can handle both sides and that everybody's happy.
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Yeah, so true.
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So true.
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And you you mentioned to me that it's not just the technicians that you've seen some churn in the last few years.
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You you mentioned account managers, supervisors, even even mod crews that change out you know, multiple times.
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My question is what you know, from a customer's perspective, I don't know, what messages does that send to you?
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To me, it says that there's some instability taking place somewhere.
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And I don't know if it's the company or the industry itself.
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It could be a combination, but that just tells me that something is going on when there's uh just some instability and constant, you know, relocation or switching around of people.
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Because not everybody who's left left the company.
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Sometimes they just take a technician from your particular area and may put them somewhere else uh based on their skill set.
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Gotcha.
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So I know a lot of times that happens as well, but yeah, just the the constant turnovers is really is not good for us.
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And even when the t the tenants see the same person there and they know that that's what that person does and they they're working on, you know, it I just think it gives them a a bit of more of a reassurance that things are being handled properly around there.
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So Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Well, and uh elevators seem to be one of those things that, you know, some people have some anxiety around it, right?
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So so just knowing that, hey, I can trust this person and they've got it covered probably helps ease that that anxiety.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Yeah, yeah.
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You mentioned that it's it's often difficult to get an issue resolved because of this, you know, the changing out the people.
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Have there been like specific issues that you feel like maybe went on too long or or actually got painful in that time?
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Yeah, so without speaking specific to any any buildings, there have been cases where, say, for instance, a property had a uh modernization project completed and there were some discrepancies or it wasn't clear maybe even in the contract about when the building starts for that.
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For example, the one that comes to mind it was a project that actually went over the time that it should have in terms of the modernization being completed, which you know you would automatically think it would probably trigger the warranty period, all that stuff to be extended.
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Well, that was an issue with the particular project where it went over the period, and I'm not talking about like a couple of months, it was over a year that it actually went beyond, which means that it affected the dates uh when the uh final project was turned over to us and when the billing kicks in and all of that.
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So it screwed all of that up because it wasn't on schedule.
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And because of the constant turnover, the individuals who were handling it didn't realize like, no, this project has been a year over.
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The clock should not have started ticking until this thing was complete.
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Sure.
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Not four.
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So that's uh yeah, it sounds like some certainly some pain and some some conversations to be had there.
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Um thank you.
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So you and I, you know, in that first conversation, we talked a good bit about the the next generation, kind of training up people to do the work.
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We talked specifically about mentorship, and uh you said that you believe mentorship is becoming one of the industry's biggest needs.
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Why would you say mentoring is so important in a profession like elevator service?
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Well, I think first and foremost, it comes from a personal perspective because I I am a mentor, have served as a mentor for many years, so I know the importance of it.
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So I kind of always look at situations from a similar lens in that without mentorship, you know, there is no succession.
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And that's my you know personal belief.
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Because again, as we spoke on earlier, you can't pass down information if that communication is not taking place.
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So I think it's very important for people to partake, and it doesn't have to be anything formal, but definitely to partake in being a mentor and sharing information because a lot of the folks who've been around and in the industry for an extended period of time, they're now getting to the point where they're considering retirement, and there's a lot of uh knowledge that's walking out the door with a lot of these folks and it's not being passed on.
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So, for instance, we talked earlier about how a technician who's on a property consistently or for a long period of time, things become more and more clear to him where you could give him a certain incident and he could troubleshoot, you know, immediately know what the issue is likely going to be.
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Well, that is lost in itself if you bring a new technician in, now they've got to spend another, I don't know, another year learning something that it took someone else, you know, maybe even a few years to learn, but they could pass that information along and you could save a lot of time with troubleshooting just by the mentorship and the sharing of information.
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Hey there, listeners, it's Matt, and I would love to know what you want to hear more of on the podcast.
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If you have a topic in mind or a guest you'd like to hear from, head over to elevatorcareers.net and drop a suggestion in the box, or you can email podcast at elevatorcareers.net.
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The link will also be in the description below.
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Thank you so much for being part of this conversation.
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Now, back to the show.
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Yeah, no, it's that's well said.
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I mean, obviously mentoring takes an investment in time.
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It takes kind of kind of a slowing down and a willingness to teach, and uh almost seems like in today's franticness, it's like we sometimes forget that no, it really takes takes time, you know, it takes that investment.
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And you mentioned, you know, your your desire and your involvement in mentoring.
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What does a a great mentor look like?
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I think a great mentor is somebody, first of all, who cares, who listens, who knows when to speak, um, somebody who can actually identify uh good traits in an individual and hone in on those and and help that person, you know, reach their their highest potential.
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And also a great mentor, when I say listen, I mean because it is it's a two-way thing to be honest with you.
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Because a lot of times what I find in us older people is that we tend to think that we know it all.
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Um but there there are things that you can actually learn from the generation that's coming up behind us.
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Yeah, and so that's why I say you have to have a listening ear, you have to be able to know when to be quiet and to listen because you'll learn a lot from them as well.
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And a lot of times there's a disconnect, and and that could be related to technology where things have moved along farther, and so the younger generation are more likely to adapt to that.
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So they can teach you some things about uh technology and where things are today, and you can kind of find a medium for the two to meet for you to be able to do that.
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I like the way you said that because you're right, it you know, the mentor knows the protege, whatever maybe doesn't know, but but to your point, they just know different things.
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Exactly.
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I was thinking of my 18-year-old son, you know, we were playing pickleball the other day, and he got after me for something, and I'm like, what are you talking about?
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Well, I I apparently did not understand some of the etiquette on the court.
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And uh, you know, he's played tennis, he's you know, a lot better at those sports than I am.
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And so I had to pause, I kind of had to humble myself for just a minute and like, what are we talking about here, right?
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Right, right.
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He's like, Dad, you don't do that.
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I'm like, oh, okay.
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Right.
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Yeah, you can learn a lot from him.
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I was um it that reminds me, not to go off course here, but I have a grandson who's 17 years old.
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Yeah.
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So, you know, occasionally my team at work, we will do team bonding type things.
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So we all went off to play pickleball as one of our team building events, right?
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So my grandson has my we share locations because he he lives with me.
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So we're at the pickleball place one day and he shows up and he's like, I saw you were here on, you know.
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So he comes and he just kind of takes over because he and his friends, you know, this is a place that they frequent as well.
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Sure.
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So he comes in and he just kind of takes over from me playing with the rest of my team, and I mean, he's killing it.
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Right.
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And I'm like, you're just a show-off dude.
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So I mean, I get way when you when you talk about how they they know a lot more than us in some areas.
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So we don't know everything.
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So well, and I think that's an important part of being a mentor, is is yeah, being humble enough to learn the things that you maybe don't know, and then knowing when to impart what you do.
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Exactly.
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Because it's not uh to your point, it's not a one-way street, and it's not like the person being mentored is always receptive, right?
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There are times when it's like, no, let me let me try this and then then I'll listen to you, or maybe I won't.
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Right.
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You're absolutely right, because there's one young man that I mentor, and I don't care what advice I give him, he's gonna do the opposite.
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And so I used to get frustrated, but I say, you know, each person has to do things their way.
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You know, not everybody listens and does what you recommend.
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They they may say, okay, well, you tried it that way.
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Let me try something different.
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So it used to frustrate me when he would do the opposite, but now I'm like, okay, whatever.
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Well, yeah.
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I mean, I I guess we all I'll speak for myself.
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I I often learn by doing the wrong thing first and landing on my face and then realizing I need to tie my shoe less.
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When exactly.
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So uh no, that's great.
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Um, you had said that that experience is in danger of being lost.
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If veteran technicians retire without passing that along, what does the industry lose?
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Well, again, you lose a lot of time because now the folks coming in have to make that up somehow and they have to figure those things out on their own versus having the information passed down.
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You know, I um there a story comes to mind.
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I I remember I had a supervisor once who was not very nice to me, by the way, but it taught me a lot, and I respected her because of the fact that she was uh definitely uh open, honest, and truthful with me, where I was asking for some help on something, and she clearly said to me, Hey, I've got mine, you've got to get yours.
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So I knew going in, and I said to her, Well, I'm glad you know that you were honest in how you told me that.
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I said, But just know this, you're gonna have to allot me the time that it's gonna take to know what you already know and could pass on to me.
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That's why it comes to mind is because you're losing time trying to make up, figure things out that someone else who's been there and can tell you, you know, hey, here are the pitfalls, or here's something you need to be on the lookout for.
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But yeah, so it definitely takes time.
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It takes a lot of time, and and it's not like you can uh you know, you get one one mechanic retiring with 50 years of experience.
00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:59.279
You can't just hire 50 new people and think in that one year they're gonna catch up, right?
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.079
Because it's not gonna more you put into it, right?
00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:02.720
It it builds.
00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:02.960
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:06.160
And even the mentee, so to speak, is not the same.
00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:12.160
You may have somebody who is more vigorous and more nosy, who's you know, takes initiative more.
00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:16.160
So there's no guarantee in how long it's gonna take to learn something.
00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.279
Yeah, very true.
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:17.920
Very true.
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:24.880
You know, we uh we talked about, you know, just the education uh and even kind of the decline of hands-on learning.
00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:30.400
And uh, you know, do you think we're producing fewer people who maybe enjoy figuring things out?
00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:33.680
Or or what is the, I don't know, what's the contrast in your mind?
00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:39.359
Well, I don't want to get political, but I will say this that I think our schools could do a better job.
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:48.960
I think we're so structured in some ways that we don't do justice to the pupil or the student because we we want everybody to learn the same way and it's not gonna happen that way.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:54.160
So a lot of times you've got to meet a student where they are, and a good teacher knows that.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:00.400
Good teacher knows that not everybody's gonna be on the same path at the same time or at the same rate.
00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:14.240
But good teachers recognize that and if I think back to some of the best teachers that I ever had were the ones who took the time to be hands-on, take a little bit more time with me or you know, with my peers and figure it out.
00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:26.960
But now a lot of that stuff is so structured that it's difficult for teachers to really teach and to hone in on you know the skill set that they recognize in kids and be able to pull that out of them.
00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:27.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:27.680
Yeah.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:32.559
What do you think previous generations had that that maybe today's generation doesn't have as much?
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:35.440
Uh well, definitely technology.
00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:41.519
Um, but um, I think there was more hands-on experience.
00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:53.839
We they didn't have any more time than what we have today, but I think they made better use of the time and again just kind of spent more time with the individual and learning them and helping them along.
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.200
And there were more programs.
00:19:55.279 --> 00:20:05.279
I mean, I remember when I was in high school, I mean, we had trades and things that were classes that we could take um to see if we had any interests.
00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:10.559
And I think you and I had this discussion where I mentioned before about myself as a kid.
00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.079
I would I would break things purposely.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:22.960
And when I say break it, I take a screwdriver whatever and take it apart because I wanted to see, I was curious to see how it worked.
00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:35.759
But you know, after a couple of times of doing that, and your parents start saying, Hey, why are you tearing up your toys or whatever, not realizing, hey, this is a natural skill that I have and I'm curious.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:52.559
And so sometimes we cut we cut things short for people that there's a natural inclination to, you know, to do certain things or to be in a certain field, but we get that cut short, you know, or we may get scolded uh because it's looked at as being wrong.
00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:58.799
But again, a good teacher would recognize automatically, like, hey, let me just sit back and let's see how this goes.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:20:59.519
For sure.
00:20:59.680 --> 00:20:59.920
Yeah.
00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:05.440
It's like we have to be better at providing opportunities for people to learn, okay, what is underneath that?
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:07.279
What is it that that makes this work?
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.039
And if we need to create those environments, then that's where we need to go.
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.160
Absolutely.
00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:17.839
But again, it kind of goes against the structure of how everybody's expected to learn the same way.
00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:23.119
So, you know, the likelihood we we've got to reconsider how we teach.
00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:23.920
Yeah.
00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:25.279
Yep, totally agree.
00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:26.000
Yeah, thank you.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.000
And obviously, AI is upon us, right?
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.920
It's kind of changing every industry.
00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:36.559
Um, and you mentioned when we talked before that uh AI can be incredibly helpful, but it can't fix an elevator, for example.
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.160
Not yet, anyways.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:38.559
Yeah.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:39.920
We're not there yet.
00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:40.640
Yeah.
00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:46.000
Where do you see AI helping and and where do you think people are expecting too much from it?
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.680
Um I think there are ways to help, but again, it's gonna take time.
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:59.759
Because, like, you know, we've we've gone through and talked about uh some of the troubleshooting things, scenarios that could be uh given to a technician, for instance.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.720
instance.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:10.640
I would suppose that a lot of that information could probably be shared, you know, like, hey, if it's if an elevator's doing this, chances are it could be this.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:18.400
But again, you still got that time element where you've got to dive into it and read or whatever that's going to take time.
00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:26.960
Whereas if you've got someone who's working with you hands-on and learning that experience, you know, in real time, it's a little different.
00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:27.759
Yep.
00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:28.799
Absolutely.
00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.799
So Bernard, I got just a couple questions for you before we wrap up and the second to last question.
00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:43.839
If you were sitting down with a CEO of an elevator company, what would you tell them about rebuilding long-term customer relationships?
00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:51.680
Well I would say first and foremost that you've got to appreciate the team that you have in place.
00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:57.599
You know, again, the turnover at a lot of these companies is at an all-time high.
00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:15.119
So I think definitely you've got to have employees that are dedicated and dedication for the employee comes from knowing that the employer cares and is willing to uh put in the the time, the money, the effort that it's going to take to keep them on board long term.
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:29.759
The second thing I would stress to them is that there's a need for them to partner somehow with private industry and or the educational system in order to funnel new people into that industry.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.000
And definitely you want to have people who have an interest in what you're doing.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:41.519
So you've got to partner with these educational systems and probably start out fairly early rather than later.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:53.519
And what I mean by that rather than going to the high schools maybe is that are now to start with elementary or middle school and allow, you know, to see if if kids have this interest.
00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:54.079
Yeah.
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.039
No, I love that.
00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:58.319
And what comes to mind is the old saying you know it takes a village, right?
00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:06.319
It in other words, it's not the company's you know responsibility or the or just the parents' responsibility or even just the schools.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.279
It's all of us, right?
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:12.400
Everyone want to create the kind of country kind of culture.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.920
We want the the education system to serve what it needs to.
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.240
We've all got a part to play in that.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:19.519
Absolutely.
00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:20.079
Yep.
00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:20.559
Yep.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.440
That's awesome.
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:33.599
So last question for you for younger technicians or building engineers or even parents listening today, what's your advice for developing the kind of craftsmanship and curiosity that creates long, meaningful careers?
00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:44.799
Well first and foremost again I think you've got to allow kids to be uh creative and explore um and I know a lot of parents mean well they want to keep us in a box.
00:24:45.440 --> 00:25:03.359
I think I think you allow children to be children, allow them to um to explore certain likes and dislikes um and then encourage them to uh to be a part of different organizations or something that's going to push them into whatever it is they have an interest in.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.440
I think that's the the first thing.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:13.599
And then again just being able to recognize um certain things and hone in on it rather than criticize it.
00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:20.799
A lot of times we want people to do what we want them to do rather than to tap into their natural born gifts.
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:21.200
Right.
00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:26.400
I always say we all have gifts and talents so we definitely need to tap into them.
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:40.160
Yeah no I I love the way you say that when what comes to mind for me is that you know each person is their own unique individual and and we don't know whether we're parents or or mentors or whatever we don't know what kind of gifts they have.
00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:51.599
And so we we have to be open to what what are their gifts what other curiosities and talents and then do everything we can to nurture and build those absolutely awesome.
00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.599
Renard this has been wonderful.
00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:58.960
I appreciate you you being with me today and and wish you the best as you continue in your in your work.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:00.880
Likewise thank you.
00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:19.519
Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast sponsored by the Allred Group a leader in elevator industry recruiting please visit our YouTube channel at elevator careers or check us out online at elevatorcareers.net please like and subscribe and until next time stay safe
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.680
From a customer's perspective, I don't know what messages does that send to you?
00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.879
To me, it says that there's some instability taking place somewhere.
00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:16.239
And I don't know if it's the company or the industry itself, but something that's going on when there's a constant relocation or switching around of people.
00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:18.960
The constant turnovers really is not good for us.
00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:24.320
Well, it's hard to build a relationship and have to keep starting over and over and over.
00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:30.239
Hello, and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:32.399
I am your host, Matt Allred.
00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:34.640
Does your workforce need a lift?
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:40.079
At the Allred Group, we are committed to connecting your company with top talent that matches your need.
00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:45.439
Give us a call at 404-890-0445.
00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:52.880
Today's guest is Bernard Lee, a longtime property manager who has spent more than 30 years working with elevator service companies.
00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:59.840
He's seen the value of having technicians who know a building inside and out, and he's also seen what happens when that continuity disappears.
00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:10.000
In this conversation, we discuss trends he's seen in elevator service over the years, why technician turnover matters so much to customers, and how mentorship can strengthen the industry as a whole.
00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:11.599
Bernard, welcome to the show.
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:13.200
Hey, thanks for having me, Matt.
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You bet.
00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.359
No, it's uh it's great to have you here.
00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:22.239
I appreciate your willingness, and uh, I've enjoyed every conversation we've had, and I'm sure this is going to be another really, really good one.
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And uh I'm I'm really intrigued, you know, the the first time we met, you had mentioned having some issues with the elevator service.
00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:37.280
And so I want to talk to you more about that because I mean you've been managing properties in and around the Atlanta area for 33 years, is that right?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And um you you mentioned to me that that there's been a change.
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And so I'm curious, what's the biggest change you've seen in elevator service industry over those three decades?
00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:50.400
Well, probably the technology.
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:56.239
You think back when elevators first got started, they probably didn't have a lot of the stuff that we have today.
00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:06.000
Uh the technology is the first thing that comes to mind, of course, uh, like the elevator destination and also tying in elevators with other components of the building.
00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.719
So that's definitely something that has changed over time.
00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:13.360
Also, the other thing that comes to mind is the um architectural design.
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:21.680
You know, nowadays when you're designing a building, you pretty much have a little bit more involvement from that aspect and designing the elevator, et cetera.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:25.919
It's not just a square box or rectangle box anymore.
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So put a lot more into it.
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Yeah, yeah.
00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:29.360
Yeah.
00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.520
So as far as the the elevator service, when when did you notice a change in that?
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Because that's what that was the piece that you kind of brought up in that first conversation.
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Yeah.
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Um I don't know, maybe a few years now, um, where it started to be more and more noticeable.
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Um, I guess the changes in technicians at the buildings.
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Yeah.
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Um, just seeing the turnover, you know, that some of the companies are having.
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And that's when it kind of became evident to me that something's going on.
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Aaron Powell Yeah.
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I mean, you mentioned having four or five different technicians just in a matter of a few short years.
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.479
How does that constant turnover affect you as a property manager?
00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:27.120
Well, to me, it just kind of bothers the fact that you've got somebody here who knows the building, who gets comfortable with the equipment, and you know, just having the assurance that the person who's there is knowledgeable and little things that are kind of isolated to our building, you kind of lose that as you're you're constantly changing.
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What do you feel in terms of cost?
00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:32.719
Does it cost you time, trust, problem solving?
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Is there downtime?
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What have you noticed there?
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Um what I think in some cases it could be.
00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:50.319
Uh again, because if you if you've got somebody there who knows the equipment, who's been working on it for a while, they're more likely to kind of correct things quicker than someone else coming in having to having to learn it.
00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:57.680
Not to say that that person isn't skilled, but they just may not be familiar with the quirks that we, you know, may experience or or have at our building.
00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:58.879
No, absolutely.
00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:06.159
I mean, you you told me about one of the other properties you'd worked at where the same technician really took care for, what did you say, 20 years or or almost 20 years?
00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:10.639
Yeah, this guy had been in place since the building was completed.
00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:13.599
And he was there until he retired.
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:21.279
And of course, he worked on other high-rises around us as well, but he knew that equipment extremely well.
00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:29.199
So him and the other technicians that were working in our area, they were very familiar with the product and very comfortable working on it.
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Yeah, yeah.
00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:30.319
Yeah.
00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:35.040
What what would you say made that relationship so valuable to you as the property manager?
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:40.319
It was just a trusting relationship and the fact that he'd been there for so long, he knew the equipment.
00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:46.240
I never had any doubts or worries about if something was not going to be done correctly or timely.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.639
You know, by him being there, it was assured to be taken care of pretty quickly.
00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:51.120
Yeah.
00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.399
Well, it sounds like he was taking a lot of pride in the work he was doing.
00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:54.560
Yeah.
00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:55.920
He was And that's the other part.
00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:56.240
Yeah.
00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:56.560
Yeah.
00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:02.480
A lot of the um preventive maintenance stuff we knew was being done because he was there on site taking care of it.
00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:11.120
Uh just had a great working relationship with the with the team that we had in place, myself and the engineers, you know, the entire property management team.
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:15.040
So yeah, all of that, it was just a great working relationship for us all.
00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:15.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:16.000
Yeah.
00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:20.480
What would you say that technician knew about your building that a new person just couldn't?
00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:30.959
Uh well, I'm not an elevator technician, so but I would imagine, again, there are certain little things that would happen that he'd automatically know, you know, what the solution was.
00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:31.600
True.
00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:42.959
So yeah, but just because of the amount of time that he'd been there, you could probably tell him certain things and immediately the troubleshooting for it, he would automatically know what it was or what how to respond to it.
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:47.920
Yeah, I'm I'm sure you you tell him what's going on, and it's like he's whittling it down pretty quick.
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.439
Okay, you know, something was acting a little screwy a week ago, and okay, this is it.
00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:16.399
And I think in some cases, uh certain things would happen, and I would automatically know because just in conversation with him, because he'd always come back, report to us what the issue was, and after a while, you know, they'd say certain things, and I could tell him up front, like, hey, they're saying it's doing this, so it's probably this, because you know, we've worked with him enough to know what the corrective action is going to be or needs to be.
00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:16.800
Yeah.
00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:22.639
You mentioned that he would he would check in every time and and kind of report back, and obviously that strengthen that relationship.
00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:30.879
Do you do you find that still happens or is is that going away or it does sometimes, but each technician is different.
00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:44.800
You know, I think what happens with us is a lot of times we build relationships with these folks that we work with on a consistent basis, and they start to learn how you know how you like to be informed or kept in the loop on things.
00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:48.560
And I've had that with the technicians who've been with me long term.
00:06:49.040 --> 00:07:01.519
I like to know I want to follow up, and I also want to follow up with the customer a lot of times just to you know give them some reassurance, especially when there's somebody who's not comfortable, you know, with elevators or who may have had a bad experience at some point.
00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:08.480
So, you know, I try to be that person who's um who communicates well with our tenants and our customers.
00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:09.040
Sure.
00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:13.839
Well, I mean, if you yeah, if you're not getting this the service that you need on one hand, right?
00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.079
You just got the tenants and customers pounding away at you.
00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:18.160
You're left alone there.
00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:22.959
So you really need that that support to make sure you can can handle both sides and that everybody's happy.
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:26.399
Yeah, so true.
00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:26.959
So true.
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:31.759
And you you mentioned to me that it's not just the technicians that you've seen some churn in the last few years.
00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:38.160
You you mentioned account managers, supervisors, even even mod crews that change out you know, multiple times.
00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:43.759
My question is what you know, from a customer's perspective, I don't know, what messages does that send to you?
00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.439
To me, it says that there's some instability taking place somewhere.
00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:51.759
And I don't know if it's the company or the industry itself.
00:07:51.920 --> 00:08:01.839
It could be a combination, but that just tells me that something is going on when there's uh just some instability and constant, you know, relocation or switching around of people.
00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.319
Because not everybody who's left left the company.
00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:10.720
Sometimes they just take a technician from your particular area and may put them somewhere else uh based on their skill set.
00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:11.279
Gotcha.
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:17.680
So I know a lot of times that happens as well, but yeah, just the the constant turnovers is really is not good for us.
00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:31.519
And even when the t the tenants see the same person there and they know that that's what that person does and they they're working on, you know, it I just think it gives them a a bit of more of a reassurance that things are being handled properly around there.
00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:32.799
So Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:37.600
Well, and uh elevators seem to be one of those things that, you know, some people have some anxiety around it, right?
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:44.960
So so just knowing that, hey, I can trust this person and they've got it covered probably helps ease that that anxiety.
00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:46.399
Yeah, absolutely.
00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:47.360
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:53.840
You mentioned that it's it's often difficult to get an issue resolved because of this, you know, the changing out the people.
00:08:54.080 --> 00:09:00.559
Have there been like specific issues that you feel like maybe went on too long or or actually got painful in that time?
00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:19.759
Yeah, so without speaking specific to any any buildings, there have been cases where, say, for instance, a property had a uh modernization project completed and there were some discrepancies or it wasn't clear maybe even in the contract about when the building starts for that.
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:34.720
For example, the one that comes to mind it was a project that actually went over the time that it should have in terms of the modernization being completed, which you know you would automatically think it would probably trigger the warranty period, all that stuff to be extended.
00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:56.159
Well, that was an issue with the particular project where it went over the period, and I'm not talking about like a couple of months, it was over a year that it actually went beyond, which means that it affected the dates uh when the uh final project was turned over to us and when the billing kicks in and all of that.
00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:59.519
So it screwed all of that up because it wasn't on schedule.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:08.240
And because of the constant turnover, the individuals who were handling it didn't realize like, no, this project has been a year over.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.200
The clock should not have started ticking until this thing was complete.
00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:11.519
Sure.
00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:12.480
Not four.
00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:18.559
So that's uh yeah, it sounds like some certainly some pain and some some conversations to be had there.
00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:21.039
Um thank you.
00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:27.679
So you and I, you know, in that first conversation, we talked a good bit about the the next generation, kind of training up people to do the work.
00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:35.039
We talked specifically about mentorship, and uh you said that you believe mentorship is becoming one of the industry's biggest needs.
00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:39.759
Why would you say mentoring is so important in a profession like elevator service?
00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:49.679
Well, I think first and foremost, it comes from a personal perspective because I I am a mentor, have served as a mentor for many years, so I know the importance of it.
00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:58.080
So I kind of always look at situations from a similar lens in that without mentorship, you know, there is no succession.
00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:00.080
And that's my you know personal belief.
00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:07.600
Because again, as we spoke on earlier, you can't pass down information if that communication is not taking place.
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:33.039
So I think it's very important for people to partake, and it doesn't have to be anything formal, but definitely to partake in being a mentor and sharing information because a lot of the folks who've been around and in the industry for an extended period of time, they're now getting to the point where they're considering retirement, and there's a lot of uh knowledge that's walking out the door with a lot of these folks and it's not being passed on.
00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:49.440
So, for instance, we talked earlier about how a technician who's on a property consistently or for a long period of time, things become more and more clear to him where you could give him a certain incident and he could troubleshoot, you know, immediately know what the issue is likely going to be.
00:11:49.600 --> 00:12:09.600
Well, that is lost in itself if you bring a new technician in, now they've got to spend another, I don't know, another year learning something that it took someone else, you know, maybe even a few years to learn, but they could pass that information along and you could save a lot of time with troubleshooting just by the mentorship and the sharing of information.
00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:14.879
Hey there, listeners, it's Matt, and I would love to know what you want to hear more of on the podcast.
00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:25.840
If you have a topic in mind or a guest you'd like to hear from, head over to elevatorcareers.net and drop a suggestion in the box, or you can email podcast at elevatorcareers.net.
00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:27.919
The link will also be in the description below.
00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.559
Thank you so much for being part of this conversation.
00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:32.399
Now, back to the show.
00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:34.720
Yeah, no, it's that's well said.
00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:37.440
I mean, obviously mentoring takes an investment in time.
00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:50.559
It takes kind of kind of a slowing down and a willingness to teach, and uh almost seems like in today's franticness, it's like we sometimes forget that no, it really takes takes time, you know, it takes that investment.
00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:55.039
And you mentioned, you know, your your desire and your involvement in mentoring.
00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:57.840
What does a a great mentor look like?
00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:16.320
I think a great mentor is somebody, first of all, who cares, who listens, who knows when to speak, um, somebody who can actually identify uh good traits in an individual and hone in on those and and help that person, you know, reach their their highest potential.
00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:22.159
And also a great mentor, when I say listen, I mean because it is it's a two-way thing to be honest with you.
00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:30.159
Because a lot of times what I find in us older people is that we tend to think that we know it all.
00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:36.159
Um but there there are things that you can actually learn from the generation that's coming up behind us.
00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:44.240
Yeah, and so that's why I say you have to have a listening ear, you have to be able to know when to be quiet and to listen because you'll learn a lot from them as well.
00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:54.879
And a lot of times there's a disconnect, and and that could be related to technology where things have moved along farther, and so the younger generation are more likely to adapt to that.
00:13:55.039 --> 00:14:04.240
So they can teach you some things about uh technology and where things are today, and you can kind of find a medium for the two to meet for you to be able to do that.
00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:11.519
I like the way you said that because you're right, it you know, the mentor knows the protege, whatever maybe doesn't know, but but to your point, they just know different things.
00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:12.080
Exactly.
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:19.840
I was thinking of my 18-year-old son, you know, we were playing pickleball the other day, and he got after me for something, and I'm like, what are you talking about?
00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.559
Well, I I apparently did not understand some of the etiquette on the court.
00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.600
And uh, you know, he's played tennis, he's you know, a lot better at those sports than I am.
00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:34.480
And so I had to pause, I kind of had to humble myself for just a minute and like, what are we talking about here, right?
00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:35.039
Right, right.
00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.720
He's like, Dad, you don't do that.
00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:39.279
I'm like, oh, okay.
00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:40.240
Right.
00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:42.480
Yeah, you can learn a lot from him.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:48.000
I was um it that reminds me, not to go off course here, but I have a grandson who's 17 years old.
00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:48.320
Yeah.
00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:53.759
So, you know, occasionally my team at work, we will do team bonding type things.
00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:59.440
So we all went off to play pickleball as one of our team building events, right?
00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:03.919
So my grandson has my we share locations because he he lives with me.
00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:10.080
So we're at the pickleball place one day and he shows up and he's like, I saw you were here on, you know.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:16.320
So he comes and he just kind of takes over because he and his friends, you know, this is a place that they frequent as well.
00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:16.879
Sure.
00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:24.080
So he comes in and he just kind of takes over from me playing with the rest of my team, and I mean, he's killing it.
00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:24.320
Right.
00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.480
And I'm like, you're just a show-off dude.
00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:33.440
So I mean, I get way when you when you talk about how they they know a lot more than us in some areas.
00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:34.799
So we don't know everything.
00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:44.320
So well, and I think that's an important part of being a mentor, is is yeah, being humble enough to learn the things that you maybe don't know, and then knowing when to impart what you do.
00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:45.200
Exactly.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:51.600
Because it's not uh to your point, it's not a one-way street, and it's not like the person being mentored is always receptive, right?
00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:56.720
There are times when it's like, no, let me let me try this and then then I'll listen to you, or maybe I won't.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:58.080
Right.
00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:05.039
You're absolutely right, because there's one young man that I mentor, and I don't care what advice I give him, he's gonna do the opposite.
00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:11.679
And so I used to get frustrated, but I say, you know, each person has to do things their way.
00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.120
You know, not everybody listens and does what you recommend.
00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.519
They they may say, okay, well, you tried it that way.
00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:18.639
Let me try something different.
00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.360
So it used to frustrate me when he would do the opposite, but now I'm like, okay, whatever.
00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:24.399
Well, yeah.
00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:27.200
I mean, I I guess we all I'll speak for myself.
00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:32.159
I I often learn by doing the wrong thing first and landing on my face and then realizing I need to tie my shoe less.
00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:33.519
When exactly.
00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:36.080
So uh no, that's great.
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:40.000
Um, you had said that that experience is in danger of being lost.
00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:45.279
If veteran technicians retire without passing that along, what does the industry lose?
00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:57.519
Well, again, you lose a lot of time because now the folks coming in have to make that up somehow and they have to figure those things out on their own versus having the information passed down.
00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:00.559
You know, I um there a story comes to mind.
00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:19.920
I I remember I had a supervisor once who was not very nice to me, by the way, but it taught me a lot, and I respected her because of the fact that she was uh definitely uh open, honest, and truthful with me, where I was asking for some help on something, and she clearly said to me, Hey, I've got mine, you've got to get yours.
00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:26.799
So I knew going in, and I said to her, Well, I'm glad you know that you were honest in how you told me that.
00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:34.799
I said, But just know this, you're gonna have to allot me the time that it's gonna take to know what you already know and could pass on to me.
00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:46.720
That's why it comes to mind is because you're losing time trying to make up, figure things out that someone else who's been there and can tell you, you know, hey, here are the pitfalls, or here's something you need to be on the lookout for.
00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.640
But yeah, so it definitely takes time.
00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:55.279
It takes a lot of time, and and it's not like you can uh you know, you get one one mechanic retiring with 50 years of experience.
00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:59.279
You can't just hire 50 new people and think in that one year they're gonna catch up, right?
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.079
Because it's not gonna more you put into it, right?
00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:02.720
It it builds.
00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:02.960
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:06.160
And even the mentee, so to speak, is not the same.
00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:12.160
You may have somebody who is more vigorous and more nosy, who's you know, takes initiative more.
00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:16.160
So there's no guarantee in how long it's gonna take to learn something.
00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:17.279
Yeah, very true.
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:17.920
Very true.
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:24.880
You know, we uh we talked about, you know, just the education uh and even kind of the decline of hands-on learning.
00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:30.400
And uh, you know, do you think we're producing fewer people who maybe enjoy figuring things out?
00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:33.680
Or or what is the, I don't know, what's the contrast in your mind?
00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:39.359
Well, I don't want to get political, but I will say this that I think our schools could do a better job.
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:48.960
I think we're so structured in some ways that we don't do justice to the pupil or the student because we we want everybody to learn the same way and it's not gonna happen that way.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:54.160
So a lot of times you've got to meet a student where they are, and a good teacher knows that.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:00.400
Good teacher knows that not everybody's gonna be on the same path at the same time or at the same rate.
00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:14.240
But good teachers recognize that and if I think back to some of the best teachers that I ever had were the ones who took the time to be hands-on, take a little bit more time with me or you know, with my peers and figure it out.
00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:26.960
But now a lot of that stuff is so structured that it's difficult for teachers to really teach and to hone in on you know the skill set that they recognize in kids and be able to pull that out of them.
00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:27.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:27.680
Yeah.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:32.559
What do you think previous generations had that that maybe today's generation doesn't have as much?
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:35.440
Uh well, definitely technology.
00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:41.519
Um, but um, I think there was more hands-on experience.
00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:53.839
We they didn't have any more time than what we have today, but I think they made better use of the time and again just kind of spent more time with the individual and learning them and helping them along.
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.200
And there were more programs.
00:19:55.279 --> 00:20:05.279
I mean, I remember when I was in high school, I mean, we had trades and things that were classes that we could take um to see if we had any interests.
00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:10.559
And I think you and I had this discussion where I mentioned before about myself as a kid.
00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.079
I would I would break things purposely.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:22.960
And when I say break it, I take a screwdriver whatever and take it apart because I wanted to see, I was curious to see how it worked.
00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:35.759
But you know, after a couple of times of doing that, and your parents start saying, Hey, why are you tearing up your toys or whatever, not realizing, hey, this is a natural skill that I have and I'm curious.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:52.559
And so sometimes we cut we cut things short for people that there's a natural inclination to, you know, to do certain things or to be in a certain field, but we get that cut short, you know, or we may get scolded uh because it's looked at as being wrong.
00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:58.799
But again, a good teacher would recognize automatically, like, hey, let me just sit back and let's see how this goes.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:20:59.519
For sure.
00:20:59.680 --> 00:20:59.920
Yeah.
00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:05.440
It's like we have to be better at providing opportunities for people to learn, okay, what is underneath that?
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:07.279
What is it that that makes this work?
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.039
And if we need to create those environments, then that's where we need to go.
00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.160
Absolutely.
00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:17.839
But again, it kind of goes against the structure of how everybody's expected to learn the same way.
00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:23.119
So, you know, the likelihood we we've got to reconsider how we teach.
00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:23.920
Yeah.
00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:25.279
Yep, totally agree.
00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:26.000
Yeah, thank you.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.000
And obviously, AI is upon us, right?
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.920
It's kind of changing every industry.
00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:36.559
Um, and you mentioned when we talked before that uh AI can be incredibly helpful, but it can't fix an elevator, for example.
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.160
Not yet, anyways.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:38.559
Yeah.
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:39.920
We're not there yet.
00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:40.640
Yeah.
00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:46.000
Where do you see AI helping and and where do you think people are expecting too much from it?
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.680
Um I think there are ways to help, but again, it's gonna take time.
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:59.759
Because, like, you know, we've we've gone through and talked about uh some of the troubleshooting things, scenarios that could be uh given to a technician, for instance.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.720
instance.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:10.640
I would suppose that a lot of that information could probably be shared, you know, like, hey, if it's if an elevator's doing this, chances are it could be this.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:18.400
But again, you still got that time element where you've got to dive into it and read or whatever that's going to take time.
00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:26.960
Whereas if you've got someone who's working with you hands-on and learning that experience, you know, in real time, it's a little different.
00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:27.759
Yep.
00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:28.799
Absolutely.
00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.799
So Bernard, I got just a couple questions for you before we wrap up and the second to last question.
00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:43.839
If you were sitting down with a CEO of an elevator company, what would you tell them about rebuilding long-term customer relationships?
00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:51.680
Well I would say first and foremost that you've got to appreciate the team that you have in place.
00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:57.599
You know, again, the turnover at a lot of these companies is at an all-time high.
00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:15.119
So I think definitely you've got to have employees that are dedicated and dedication for the employee comes from knowing that the employer cares and is willing to uh put in the the time, the money, the effort that it's going to take to keep them on board long term.
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:29.759
The second thing I would stress to them is that there's a need for them to partner somehow with private industry and or the educational system in order to funnel new people into that industry.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.000
And definitely you want to have people who have an interest in what you're doing.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:41.519
So you've got to partner with these educational systems and probably start out fairly early rather than later.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:53.519
And what I mean by that rather than going to the high schools maybe is that are now to start with elementary or middle school and allow, you know, to see if if kids have this interest.
00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:54.079
Yeah.
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.039
No, I love that.
00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:58.319
And what comes to mind is the old saying you know it takes a village, right?
00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:06.319
It in other words, it's not the company's you know responsibility or the or just the parents' responsibility or even just the schools.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.279
It's all of us, right?
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:12.400
Everyone want to create the kind of country kind of culture.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.920
We want the the education system to serve what it needs to.
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.240
We've all got a part to play in that.
00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:19.519
Absolutely.
00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:20.079
Yep.
00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:20.559
Yep.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.440
That's awesome.
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:33.599
So last question for you for younger technicians or building engineers or even parents listening today, what's your advice for developing the kind of craftsmanship and curiosity that creates long, meaningful careers?
00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:44.799
Well first and foremost again I think you've got to allow kids to be uh creative and explore um and I know a lot of parents mean well they want to keep us in a box.
00:24:45.440 --> 00:25:03.359
I think I think you allow children to be children, allow them to um to explore certain likes and dislikes um and then encourage them to uh to be a part of different organizations or something that's going to push them into whatever it is they have an interest in.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.440
I think that's the the first thing.
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:13.599
And then again just being able to recognize um certain things and hone in on it rather than criticize it.
00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:20.799
A lot of times we want people to do what we want them to do rather than to tap into their natural born gifts.
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:21.200
Right.
00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:26.400
I always say we all have gifts and talents so we definitely need to tap into them.
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:40.160
Yeah no I I love the way you say that when what comes to mind for me is that you know each person is their own unique individual and and we don't know whether we're parents or or mentors or whatever we don't know what kind of gifts they have.
00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:51.599
And so we we have to be open to what what are their gifts what other curiosities and talents and then do everything we can to nurture and build those absolutely awesome.
00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.599
Renard this has been wonderful.
00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:58.960
I appreciate you you being with me today and and wish you the best as you continue in your in your work.
00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:00.880
Likewise thank you.
00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:19.519
Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast sponsored by the Allred Group a leader in elevator industry recruiting please visit our YouTube channel at elevator careers or check us out online at elevatorcareers.net please like and subscribe and until next time stay safe
