A few years ago, I conducted a survey of technicians in
our industry to learn more about their use of technology. The
survey revealed that, even at that time, most technicians were
carrying smart phones, complete with cameras and Internet
access. By now, I am sure a vast majority of techs have smart
phones with substantially better Internet access and data
capabilities.
And that opens up all sorts of possibilities. If a technician
who is working on a broken piece of equipment can simply
scan a QR code with his or her smart phone to call up a video
showing how to perform a procedure, how much faster could
our customers get back to pumping fuel?
We can thank the payment security folks for much of the
recent increase in accessible technology. The advent of secure
payment keypads, requiring technicians to connect to the
Internet in the forecourt, drove service managers to equip their
technicians with hotspots or Internet-ready phones.
It is time for us to utilize the technology that is already in
the techs’ hands to take training to the next level—making
content available at the point of need (and only when needed).
Some manufacturers are beginning to do just that by
building smart phone apps that will guide a technician
through a service call. The app asks the technician
questions and, based on the answers, then presents the next
troubleshooting steps. Given the complexity of most modern
fueling systems, it may take some time for this innovation to be
widely adopted and perfected, but its potential is limitless.
2. Quality
Another change is in the production quality of today’s
online training.
I used to think that training presented with a polished
look and feel was always more effective than down-and-dirty, low-production-quality training. The OCD in me still
struggles with shaky, handheld videos and misspelled words on
PowerPoint slides. However, I’ve learned that most technicians
just want to know how to do something; they don’t really care
if the presentation is an Oscar-worthy production or whether
their 9th-grade English teacher would approve of the grammar.
A prime example of the less-is-more approach is Khan
Academy ( www.khanacademy.org). CBS’s 60 Minutes
featured this innovative grassroots company back in 2013. It all
started with a guy who wanted to help his niece with her math
homework. By using basic drawings and sketches delivered
via You Tube, Sal Khan started a revolution in simple online
“NOW, TRAINING
DEVELOPERS HAVE
REALIZED THE
ADVANTAGES OF
LEARNING WHAT YOU
WANT, WHERE YOU
WANT IT AND WHEN
YOU WANT IT.”
A few years ago, I conducted a survey of technicians in
our industry to learn more about their use of technology. The
survey revealed that, even at that time, most technicians were
carrying smart phones, complete with cameras and Internet
access. By now, I am sure a vast majority of techs have smart
phones with substantially better Internet access and data
capabilities.
And that opens up all sorts of possibilities. If a technician
who is working on a broken piece of equipment can simply
scan a QR code with his or her smart phone to call up a video
showing how to perform a procedure, how much faster could
our customers get back to pumping fuel?
We can thank the payment security folks for much of the
recent increase in accessible technology. The advent of secure
payment keypads, requiring technicians to connect to the
Internet in the forecourt, drove service managers to equip their
technicians with hotspots or Internet-ready phones.
It is time for us to utilize the technology that is already in
the techs’ hands to take training to the next level—making
content available at the point of need (and only when needed).
Some manufacturers are beginning to do just that by
building smart phone apps that will guide a technician
through a service call. The app asks the technician
questions and, based on the answers, then presents the next
troubleshooting steps. Given the complexity of most modern
fueling systems, it may take some time for this innovation to be
widely adopted and perfected, but its potential is limitless.
2. Quality
Another change is in the production quality of today’s
online training.
I used to think that training presented with a polished
look and feel was always more effective than down-and-dirty, low-production-quality training. The OCD in me still
struggles with shaky, handheld videos and misspelled words on
PowerPoint slides. However, I’ve learned that most technicians
just want to know how to do something; they don’t really care
if the presentation is an Oscar-worthy production or whether
their 9th-grade English teacher would approve of the grammar.
A prime example of the less-is-more approach is Khan
Academy ( www.khanacademy.org). CBS’s 60 Minutes
featured this innovative grassroots company back in 2013. It all
started with a guy who wanted to help his niece with her math
homework. By using basic drawings and sketches delivered
via You Tube, Sal Khan started a revolution in simple online
“NOW, TRAINING
DEVELOPERS HAVE
REALIZED THE
ADVANTAGES OF
LEARNING WHAT YOU
WANT, WHERE YOU
WANT IT AND WHEN
YOU WANT IT.”
www.ptcoupling.com Made in the U. S. A.
Serving you with the
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Fax: 800-828-2649
nt. Phone: 580-237-4033
A few years ago, I conducted a survey of technicians in
our industry to learn more about their use of technology. The
survey revealed that, even at that time, most technicians were
carrying smart phones, complete with cameras and Internet
access. By now, I am sure a vast majority of techs have smart
phones with substantially better Internet access and data
capabilities.
And that opens up all sorts of possibilities. If a technician
who is working on a broken piece of equipment can simply
scan a QR code with his or her smart phone to call up a video
showing how to perform a procedure, how much faster could
our customers get back to pumping fuel?
We can thank the payment security folks for much of the
recent increase in accessible technology. The advent of secure
payment keypads, requiring technicians to connect to the
Internet in the forecourt, drove service managers to equip their
technicians with hotspots or Internet-ready phones.
It is time for us to utilize the technology that is already in
the techs’ hands to take training to the next level—making
content available at the point of need (and only when needed).
Some manufacturers are beginning to do just that by
building smart phone apps that will guide a technician
through a service call. The app asks the technician
questions and, based on the answers, then presents the next
troubleshooting steps. Given the complexity of most modern
fueling systems, it may take some time for this innovation to be
widely adopted and perfected, but its potential is limitless.
2. Quality
Another change is in the production quality of today’s
online training.
I used to think that training presented with a polished
look and feel was always more effective than down-and-dirty, low-production-quality training. The OCD in me still
struggles with shaky, handheld videos and misspelled words on
PowerPoint slides. However, I’ve learned that most technicians
just want to know how to do something; they don’t really care
if the presentation is an Oscar-worthy production or whether
their 9th-grade English teacher would approve of the grammar.
A prime example of the less-is-more approach is Khan
Academy ( www.khanacademy.org). CBS’s 60 Minutes
featured this innovative grassroots company back in 2013. It all
started with a guy who wanted to help his niece with her math
homework. By using basic drawings and sketches delivered
via You Tube, Sal Khan started a revolution in simple online
“NOW, TRAINING
DEVELOPERS HAVE
REALIZED THE
ADVANTAGES OF
LEARNING WHAT YOU
WANT, WHERE YOU
WANT IT AND WHEN
YOU WANT IT.”
