You Are What You Wear – Are You A Professional Technician?

The Front Desk
I went to the doctor’s office the other day and it was quite an experience.  First of all, I walked into the front desk to sign in, but they did not have a sigh in sheet.  I stood at the window waiting to let them know that I was there, as I waited 15 minutes listening to the two women on the other side of the counter discuss their problems at home.  I remember a little bit of the conversation, but it would not be appropriate to post it to this blog.  Finally, I got her attention, but she spent a few more minutes venting before looking at me.  As she looked at me, I waited for her to ask, may I help you…but she gave me the look, you know, the “do you need something or not” look.  I proceeded to tell her that I was there for an appointment, but she rolled her eyes and said… sign it.  I replied, where do I sign in at.  As she huffed,  she looked for the sign in sheet, but she must have not been able to find it because she flipped a medical transcript over and said sign here.

The Joke
After waiting over an hour, as with many doctor’s office, I heard my name on the intercom to come to the back.  I was not sure where to go, which I must have made a mistake, as I walked in to a room with people, which appeared to be farmers and ranchers, laughing and making jokes while looking at x-rays hanging up.  I quickly turned around and went from room to room until I found a nurse.  Finally, she directed me to the room that I was supposed to be in.

The Doc
I wait another half hour for the doctor to come in.  However, I was quite surprised when he walked in.  I thought something must be wrong and I wondered if I was in the right place.  He walked in stuck out his hand and said, “hi, I’m the doc.”  I realized that he was one of they guys in the room that was laughing, as he had on overalls and he was the one laughing the hardest about the x-ray.

The Diagnosis
He proceeded to look at me with comforting word like, what in the ****.   This really made me nervous as I did not know if something was extremely wrong with me or not.  After he was done, I asked, is there something wrong?  He replied, “nah, I think you’ll be alright.

Professionalism
Of course, this story is made up, as we don’t normally see doctors wearing overalls and using profanity when talking to us.  However, the front desk may not be too exaggerated from some of the places that I’ve been. lol This story does not portray a professional business.  You would expect the doctor to be well dressed and to treat you in a professional manner.  The auto industry is not really any different.  Sure the look is different, you don’t expect to see the technicians wearing suites, but it does look good if they are all wearing company shirts.  I don’t know what it is, but a technician in shorts and a tank top just don’t look as professional as a technician wearing a company uniform.

Which Auto Body Shop Would You Choose?
People expect to be treated with respect and with professionalism where ever they are.  I am not claiming that all of the shops out there provide excellent customer service, but I think most people would rather do business with the shops that do treat their customers well and portray a professional image.  Think about it, which shops grow and which shops stay small.  Most shops that grow and become very successful are the businesses that treat their customers in a professional manner.

The Lesson
Many Collision Repair programs require that you wear uniforms to help teach professionalism.  You become a professional by practicing.  Therefore, dress the part and work on your personal and communication skills while learning the technical skills.  Start thinking about how you treat and talk to other people.  Be aware that profanity may offend some of the customers.  The use of profanity, how you dress, the nude photo’s on your toolbox, etc. may give the shop that you work an unprofessional image when customers are there.  Try to avoid these habits and the time to start is now.  Start while you are in school so you will have the skills you need to be a professional technician when you have completed the program.  After acquiring these personal skills and the technical skills, most employers will be glad to have you on their team.