Training: The smart choice

With 1.7 million households already owning a smart thermostat and further 800,000 in the market to buy one1, it is clear that there are many opportunities for installers to capitalise on the smart home trend and grow their businesses. Here, Scott Young, technical sales specialist at Resideo, explains how investing in training can help installers to stay ahead of the game.

Finding the time to learn about new technologies can be tough, especially for people who are self-employed, as time off the tools means less earning potential. However, the fact that rapid growth of the smart home is driving demand for more sophisticated thermostats means that upskilling in this area is virtually non-negotiable for any engineer who wants to remain competitive within the market.

With more smart thermostats to choose from than ever before - from multi-zoning connected controls to more understated models with built-in automation - choosing the right product for the job can be a task in itself. Not only do engineers need to be able to get to grips with the vast range of products available, but they also need to understand how they can give a customer greater control over their home comfort, so they can fit these technologies with confidence. By brushing up on their smart know-how, engineers can capitalise on the opportunities available in this growing market. Possessing the right knowledge means they can add value for their customers, which can often be the difference between securing a job or not. What’s more, smart heating controls are just the beginning and the first rung on the ladder to fully connected homes, where even more business opportunities are available.

Inevitably, training requires some investment. However, understanding how smart thermostats can give a customer greater control over their heating will allow engineers to fit them with confidence. So, not making time for it now is a false economy as it may lead to missing out on work in the future.

Manufacturers have even developed online training portals so those who wish to learn new skills without losing valuable work hours can do so from the comfort of their homes at their convenience. For example, Resideo offers various online training courses so that installers can learn about Honeywell Home products from the comfort of their own homes. Heating engineers can simply register for free to gain access to the Resideo Installer Toolbox, the online training platform, whenever suits them. The content is split into easily digestible chunks, with users able to track their completion as a percentage, allowing heating engineers to learn at their leisure. Each course covers the product’s features and benefits, specification, installation, commissioning and tips for upgrading from an older model. The evohome online course also has enhanced technical information on issues such as setting up the Remote Gateway, when to consider Automatic Balancing and working with unvented cylinders. Online training is a useful tool to help busy engineers learn new skills at their own pace. However, there is no substitute for a practical, hands-on training course. Engineers can put the theory they learn into practice with the assistance of a highly skilled and experienced trainer on hand to answer any questions. Installing smart heating controls now requires a new set of skills and knowledge that can easily be obtained via professional training. For engineers who invest time in up-skilling, the benefits will soon outweigh the costs of being left behind in a rapidly developing market.
Krzysztof Daniel Matera from Avanea Matera Services Ltd adds explains why he thinks it’s important to attend manufacturer training courses:

“The main thing that motivates me to attend training courses is that if there is a specific problem with a system I have installed, the written instructions alone can’t always help me with how I can fix it.

“It’s reasons like this why it can really pay to attend manufacturers’ training.”

For more information about our training offering go to: https://www.resideoinstallertoolbox.com/courses