Tips for Young Plumbers

The following are some suggestions that I would like to pass on to the next generation of tradesmen. I hope that other plumbers who, like myself, specialize in repairs and small to medium-size renovations will recognize the value of adopting some of these strategies.

Let me begin by saying that whether you are an employee or an employer it is very important to remember that the moment you enter a customer's home you immediately begin to sell your knowledge and expertise. In order to make a good first impression and gain the confidence of the client, here are some useful strategies to assist you. Jerry.

• Dress professionally, wear a work uniform.
  
  
• Use a dropcloth or tarp to protect the work area.
  
  
• Present an organized display of tools and equipment.
  
  
• Wear rubber boots in rain or snow; take them off inside.
  
  
• Be on time; notify customers if you're going to be late.
  
  
• Read and learn the National Plumbing Code.
  
  
• Get experienced advice when you encounter difficult jobs.
  
  
• Listen to your customer's opinion about the job to be done.
  
  
• Communicate diplomatically and honestly with your clients.
  
  
• Don't try reverse psychology to sell a job; it's dishonest.
  
  
• Clean up your work area after you finish the work.
  
  
• Insist on using top-quality products.
  
  
• Never allow a difference of opinion to become an argument.
  
  
• Never, never touch anything that doesn't belong to you.
  
  
• Give the customer full value for the cost of the work done.
  
  
• Be ready to explain the way in which you did the installation.
  
  
• Always remember that plumbing is mostly common sense.
  
  
• Always remember that hydronic heating is a science.
  
  
• Always take pride that you're providing an essential service.
  
  
• Before you fix something, diagnose why it failed; then fix it so it won't fail again.You will be rewarded many times over.

Some Thoughts on Apprentices, Mentors, and Training New Plumbers in Canada

Here is a letter I wrote on July 25, 2006 to Simon Blake, editor of a magazine called Plumbing & HVAC. It was published in the Sept/Oct 2006 edition.

Dear sir,

I have been reading your publication for a number of years and generally find it informative regarding new developments in the construction industry. Today I am writing about a problem which is plaguing the trades and will attempt to offer a solution.

I became a plumbing apprentice in 1966 when I worked on the future Expo 67 site. I eventually graduated to journeyman plumber, specializing in repairs and small renovations in the plumbing and heating fields.

I was trained to be a talented serviceman by a host of amazing tradesmen. During my apprenticeship, I was very fortunate to work with some of the best plumbers in the business. I owe my success to these special people.

The decades when I was growing up were much different than today's world. In those days, young people generally had respect for older persons. The expression "you have to pay your dues if you want to succeed" really meant something. In contrast, today's teenagers seem to believe that they have access to more then enough information to make something of themselves.

The construction industry has a dearth of apprentices who are properly prepared to replace an aging population of tradesmen. For the most part, I believe that the problem lies in attitude i.e. spending a year in a tradeschool, somehow readies someone for the real world of repairs and renovations.

I am a hands-on person. Thank goodness that tradeschool attendance was only an option and not mandatory when I entered the field. Otherwise I surely would have languished there. I studied in the bathrooms, furnace rooms and crawl spaces and learned how to deal with problems that my plumbers ( teachers ) dealt with, then and there. The mentor system worked for me and I am certain, it is the only system that works.

Forty years ago, plumbers salaries and consequently, contractor's hourly rates were quite reasonable and customers would not flinch when they opened their doors to let a plumber and his helper, into the house. Today that is not the case and because the apprentice and plumber's salaries are so high, even contractors often cannot justify sending an apprentice on a job, in order to learn a technique, especially if a set price has been agreed on between the company and the client.

What if governments would partially contribute to a tradeperson's salary, so that he/she could be a hands-on assistant? Call it a Mentor Subsidy, allow a special tax break, do whatever has to be done so that young construction workers get a chance to sharpen their skills in the shadow of an experienced and older person. I believe that there is a wealth of semi-retired and even retired plumbers, some of whom were forced to end their careers prematurely due to injury, who would jump at the opportunity to put their coveralls back on and share their knowledge with a younger person.

Would you allow physicians to probe your body if you knew that their skills were honed strictly by working on cadavers? Would you trust car mechanics to take apart your engine if you were aware that the diploma they hung on their office wall came from one of those colleges where they mail you a questionnaire and you mail back the answers?

Today's home-owner has as much access to how-to information as anyone else. It doesn't take long for a homeowner to recognize an amateur at work. The apprentices churned out by tradeschools in most jurisdictions are not adequately prepared. They are thrown on jobs and expected to pick up experience as they go along. Unfortunately, they also pick up many bad habits.

I had to end my career prematurely. I had to turn my back on a trade which I had learned to love. I am fortunate to be able to pass on some of my knowledge to plumbers who come into the plumbing and heating supply company where I now work as a counter-person. But I also meet cash-customers, some of whom own multiple properties or homeowners, trying to do their own repairs and renovations.

When I attempt to convince these people to call a professional, their lament is consistently the same and their requests are identical; "I've been burned by amateurs" and "do you know a good plumber?" The outside world is catching on to the severe problem plaguing our industry. The time to do something positive is now. Is anyone listening?

Sincerely,
Jerry Boroff ( former owner of Plomberie Budget in Montreal )

If you have any thoughts on this letter or the tips I've suggested I would like to hear from you. Please e-mail me at jerry@virtualplumber.ca