This is a
question that is often asked about any trade association and is difficult to
answer if you don’t understand the dynamics of a trade association. Trade associations are exactly what the name says it is. It is a group of similar
businesses that come together to for the purpose of working together to improve
industry conditions for all involved in that group. They exchange information,
they work together on committees for the common good, they develop programs to
benefit their members and ideally, they each contribute something to the
organization to make it better each time a new member joins.
Now lets see what PSA members have accomplished to make their organization the best it can be to meet their needs in managing their business.
Now lets see what PSA members have accomplished to make their organization the best it can be to meet their needs in managing their business.
1.
Communications
A.
PSANews is a
quarterly newspaper that is posted on www.psaworld.com for members of the
service industry in an effort to bring everyone up to date on industry news,
events and happenings in the industry that will have an effect on your
business. PSANews has allowed PSA to be the most proactive voice in the
industry aggressively addressing the inequities that face each of us every day.
We have been at the forefront of higher warranty reimbursement for independent
service and better treatment of servicer by manufacturers and third party
administrators.
B.
PSA Update is
a monthly update and published in Appliance Service News to bring news and
interesting industry articles to readers on a monthly basis. It is also posted
on the PSA web site www.pasworld.com.
C.
PSANet is our
email network that allows PSA members to communicate directly with other
members, provides instant industry news as it happens, and provides instant
technical assistance. provides management assistance when requested and might
even contain a good joke once in while. Many manufacturers also monitor the
network and technical assistance is provided.
D.
PSA-edu is our
email network for educators, industry leaders and manufacturers to communicate
on a national basis to share information to improve and support the training of
new technicians.
E.
PSWPG is our
email network for allowing the Professional Service Women’s Peer Group to
communicate nationally on industry issues that impact the women in our
industry.
2.
Education
A.
Certified Appliance Professional (CAP) program allows technicians to certify their skills as
either a Master Technician or as Certified Technician. The program measures the
technician’s skill level against industry set benchmarks and skill standards
set and maintained by the National Coalition of Electronics Education (NCEE)
Graduate Technician program that measure the skills of graduating technicians
from technical schools attesting to the fact that these graduate technicians
have the skill level to enter the appliance service field as entry level
technicians without field experience. After two years of actual field
experience, graduate technicians can convert their certification to a Master
technician with the recommendation of the employer.
B.
Certified Service Manager (CSM) program allows owners and service managers to certify their
skills as a professional service manager according to national standards
created and maintained by the National Coalition of Electronics Education
(NCEE)
C.
Certified Consumer Specialist (CCS) program designed to test the skills of the
non-technical service center support personnel who are in everyday contact with
consumers
D.
Certified Service Center (CSC) program is designed to identify those service centers who
have taken the time to train and certify their operations as a facility capable
of providing World-Class service to consumers by certifying their technicians
and support personnel to national industry standards.
E.
Curriculum -
The PSA education committee is working with both post secondary schools and
vocational High Schools to improve and update curriculum to keep it current
with the needs of the industry. They are also working to create a model for
Vocational High Schools nationally to attract more technicians into the field
as a career choice and to act as a feeder to post secondary schools that offer
appliance service training and can meet the standards for developing quality
technicians.
F.
SkillsUSA -
PSA is involved on a national level with the SkillsUSA competition held
annually in June where students from vocational schools from all over the
country come together and compete for awards and prizes for their diagnostic
skills. PSA provides our Graduate certification exam free of charge during this
event.
G.
Technical Training - PSA provides technical training at the annual convention and free
certification those attending the convention.
H.
Management Training - PSA provides management training to servicers on how to better manage
their business. Service managers can become certified as Certified Service
Manager (CSM) attesting to the fact that they have had the training and have
met the requirements of service business management in consumer relations, employee
relations, accounting, marketing, productivity and general management
techniques.
I.
Annual Convention - The National All Service Convention (NASC) has become the premier
educational event of the industry with top –notch training in technical skills,
management techniques and free certification for those who attend. It also
provides members with the opportunity to participate in industry roundtable
discussions with manufacturer and third party warranty representatives to
resolve issues that face us all. It also give the vocational instructors an
opportunity to interface with the industry and to update their skills with
up-to-date technical training as well as meeting with other instructors and
industry leaders to provide better support to the educational effort. The
ability to network with servicers from all parts of the country, exchange best
practice ideas, discuss industry problems, get certified and have a great time
in the process is something every servicer should be involved in.
3.
Member Tools
A.
Low cost long distance telephone program allowing you to take advantage low
cost long distance service with no hidden charges or gimmicks to run your cost
up. All you pay is the current low rate plus the mandated taxes.
B.
Low rate Bank Card program allowing members to accept credit cards in payment for the
service that they provide to their customers. All you do is charge it today and
it is in your checking account within 48 hours.
C.
Cost of Doing Business Software - PSA has partnered with a CPA firm to developed a Cost of
Doing Business software program that allows members to accurately find their
cost of doing business and to manage your business by controlling costs and
lets you make knowledgeable business decisions based on facts and not on
guesswork.
D.
CAP Practice Exam that allows technicians to see if they have the skills and are ready to
take the certification exam
E.
Employee Evaluation program allows you to test the skills of a potential new technician.
The program will show you where they are strong technically and the areas where
they will require some help to bring their skills up to industry standards. You
know how everybody can talk a good game but can they deliver? This program
takes the guesswork out of the evaluation process.
F.
The Blue Book
- PSA has a working relationship with the publisher of the Major Appliance
Service Pricing Guide (MASPG) to provide this industry accepted flat rate
pricing guide to its members.
The PSA industry relations committee meets regularly and continues a running dialogue on all industry issues all year long. The certification committee edits and reviews the certification question pool to make sure all questions are pertinent and correct according to the latest skill standards. The communications committee is responsible for the direction and content of our publications and we really need people who are willing to write articles for these publications. These are just a few of the ongoing committees that are staffed by volunteer members.
The PSA Board of Directors volunteer their time, energies and resources and work very hard to oversee the work of the volunteer committees and to promote and work for the good of the association and the service industry as a whole. Each member of the board serves on one or more industry committees meeting with other associations and manufacturers in an effort to resolve industry problems. Each member serves a two-year term and board seats are available to any member who wants to throw his hat into the ring and run in the annual election. All members of PSA are given the right to vote for officers by mail in ballot.
What you have just read is what we now have available to give our members an edge on their competition in any given market place.
The question that we started with is “Why Should Anyone Want to Join PSA?” Just think, if we can develop all of this with the members we have now, what would PSA be like if you and every other servicer who has not joined an association were to Join PSA tomorrow? Associations need you and your expertise to be successful. Are you going to be one of those individuals that sit around and complain about the industry and when you call the trade association the first thing you say is “What are you going to do for me?” or are you going to become part of the team to make things better by giving some of you time and energy to work for a better industry?
PSA is committed to making your business more efficient and profitable. PSA is committed to representing your interest with manufacturers and other users of independent service. PSA is committed to giving each servicer a voice in industry affairs. PSA is the association for service professionals large or small.
You can only get good things when good people make it happen. Are you one of those good people?
You know what they say about people who don’t vote? …”If you don’t vote you can’t complain about what you get.” In our industry, if you don’t participate you can’t complain if you haven’t done anything to make it better.
If you agree, we challenge you to join PSA today and become part of the team to make your industry a better place for all of us in the future