Words from the Chair

"Off-topic"

By Gary Stigall
KFMB-TV Engineer
SBE Chapter 36 Chairman

If you think that the business of broadcast engineering these days is all about digital encoding schemes, FCC regs, and Windows NT network management, you might be disappointed about all the discussion surrounding customer service and education scholarships.

"Off-topic," one person wrote Bob Vaillancourt regarding his Customer Service series. He apparently disagrees with Bob's repeated premise that 50% of your work is maintaining the equipment and 50% is maintaining the people who use the equipment.

In fact, the reader has a point. Many companies—I daresay most—don't write into a maintenance technician's job description that he serve the needs of the equipment user in a prompt, courteous, respectful manner. I've seen engineers get away for years with grouchy attitudes, blaming the users for failures, ignoring requests for help, spending what little time in conversation they have with ops railing about how they should perform their jobs differently.

I believe you can teach such old dogs new tricks. Management would do well to send these people to customer service seminars. Money spent reducing repeat visits, reducing downtime, and improving the image of the department through such seminars is money well spent.

Even independent contractors sometimes get away with bad behavior. Customers tolerate these Neanderthals because they perceive that they have no choice or are too busy to hire someone new.

My assumption, when Bob and I conceived of the Customer Service series, was that most readers are already highly skilled technicians, cognizant of likely equipment failure modes and capable of quick repairs and clean installations. Where most of us could use help is in what the medical trade calls "bedside manner," what families call "patience," and what the retail and manufacturing sectors call "customer service."

Perhaps you're still skeptical. I've heard it expressed, "There's very little difference between bending over backward and bending over forward." Yes, there will always be a problem equipment user who refuses to read the manual, demanding your time to make normal user adjustments--say, tuning in a satellite.

First, let me say that perhaps tuning in a satellite is over the head of someone whose normal job is to press the record button on a tape deck at the right time. Recognizing when a satellite dish positioner may be off the arc does take some skill. When we took the job of receiving ENG microwave shots from news personnel and gave it to operating technicians, the quality and quantity of shots went through the roof.

That said, if someone is especially demanding of your time, let me offer this one bit of advice: First, make sure he is completely trained. If not, spend a few minutes with him. Demand his full attention for the lesson. Watch as he performs all the necessary steps you describe. Called back again? Repeat these steps as if helping a child to tie his shoes for the first times. It does no good to do the job for him. You can't get complete attention? Promise to be available when he has a few minutes. The line between being a respected co-worker and a doormat is indeed a thin one.

Bob is painstakingly covering all this in his own words on his own time, and doing a great job. And he couldn't be more "on-topic."

Scholarships

At first consideration, the concept of scholarships for potential broadcast engineers may seem a bit "off-topic" as well. After all, unless you're a licensed Professional Engineer, you probably got your knowledge through a combination of vocational education, military training, and self-study. I daresay the most valuable skills, like computer network management and electronic troubleshooting, may not even be available at most universities. Why should we support an education system which doesn't even cover our needs?

Then there's the less direct argument that to promote the addition of engineers to the labor market is to invite lower wage rates. Currently, no broadcast owners support the chapter in pursuit of a more plentiful labor pool.

Right on both counts!

I'm promoting education and scholarships because it's the right thing to do. I believe engineers would get a well-rounded education. Two highly effective techs in our shop have Masters of Education degrees—one in music!

But seriously folks, what about computer programming or IT systems management? You can't argue that an understanding of calculus and physics aren't relevant. If you aspire to leverage your knowledge to make more money, I'd advise taking accounting and management. Want to write technical books? You could do worse than literature and journalism.

As a novice tech, I was given a lift by those farther up the learning curve. Let's just say I believe in passing on some of our good fortune to the next generation of broadcast engineers.

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©1999 Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 36 San Diego. For more information, to become a member or a sponsor, or to make suggestions or comments, e-mail sbe36@broadcast.net. Write to P.O. Box 710702, San Diego, California 92171-0702.

Edited by Gary Stigall. Posted 2-Apr-99.