Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/140471
SERVICE & SET-UP Never Read the Directions Until You Have A Problem! BY GEORGE PORTER (This is a true story but the names and places have been changed to protect the guilty.) 2. You might be an installer if: You believe that factories don't own a framing square. There are so many things that just go against 3. You might be an installer if: You bethe grain of installers when it comes to reading lieve duct tape makes a great first aid kit. directions. First of all reading directions is a 4. You might be an installer if: You sign of weakness! It means you don't know think factories use old beer cans to make how to do something and somebody who thinks the frames of homes these days. they are smarter than you is telling you what to 5. You might be an installer if: You do. What self-respecting don't have time to setup guy would want to be read the directions. As I said at the seen by others, blatantly This last one brings us proving he just couldn't back to the topic at hand. beginning, this is a figure it out by himself, by Allow me to tell the sad holding, and reading an intale of one such good, true story and it struction manual! Reading well meaning, fellow. As the manual means you have I said at the beginning, been defeated; you were not this is a true story and it happens to lots of good enough; your pride happens to lots of folks I has taken a near fatal blow; know. It comes from not folks I know. It hang you head in shame! reading directions. UnYour American ingenuity fortunately the embarcomes from not has failed you; you have rassment for the been diminished in the eyes individual involved is not reading directions. of your peers; pray your that he didn't read them children never find out. right up front, but that he As a nation of truly resourceful people we had to in the end. have many fine qualities but reading directions Some of you may know that I have partnered is definitely not one of them. A comedian with The Manufactured Housing Institute in named Jeff Foxworthy has made a huge living DC to offer an on-line installation training using one liners starting with "You might be a course. It is with some pride that I can say I am Red Neck if…." I have considered using this associated with this fine national organization line but with a slight twist. It would be "You and it is a tribute to MHI's kindness and benevmight be an installer if…." I have come up with olence that they associate with me. The course several that seem to work: has been out there for many years and has gen1. You might be an installer if: You are erated the interest and commitment of fourteen willing to do this job at a loss because the states so far. In the past I have given in-pernext ones look real good. son courses and can answer questions and ask JULY 2013 14 THE JOURNAL questions if I see puzzled expressions on a bunch of faces in the class about something. You can't do that on-line so your directions have to be as complete and easy to follow as you can make them. In fact I spent a very large amount of the time putting them together. I actually changed some procedures in the course so the directions would be simpler. It had to be very user friendly because I was not going to be there to personally guide the students along the path to completion. The student takes this course at home by themself and they have to be able to figure it out all by themself. They of course have a toll free number they can call if they have trouble and they can certainly call me at any time so they are not exactly "on their own" here. This fellow was in a state that used only this course for licensing so it was pretty important that he get this right. In fact this State had their own state test that candidates have to pass after they finish the on-line course. You have to pay every time you take this state test so you want to "get 'er done" the first time and not pay again if you can help it. When this gentleman called me he said he had taken the test twice and failed it both times, if he failed it again the state would not let him take it again for a year! He was a truly concerned sole! If he failed it this time he would lose his business opportunity and not be able to own his own installer company for a year! So I asked him what his score on the state test was. There is a print out from the testing agency that will tell you your score and what type questions you missed if you didn't pass. He said he got every part with very few errors except for the state law part, in that category