Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth
Last week at the Heavy-Duty Aftermarket Week event in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of dining with Michael Kinney, director of fleet sales for maintenance software provider Noregon Systems. Mike had just written a guest editorial for our December issue in which he talked about the rewards of sponsoring the technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) SuperTech2007 national technician competition, but over dinner he mentioned an odd fact that got me thinking…
As part of their sponsorhip, Noregon gave software packages to the winners of the 12 individual SuperTech skill stations–these were expensive, valuable prize packages, consisting of Noregon’s JPRO (R) Datalink Adaptor, JPRO (R) 6- and 9-pin Y-Cables, JPRO (R) Fleet Portal Software, and JPRO (R) Fleet Diagnostic Software. These packages were given out along with Panasonic Toughbook laptops, so those 12 lucky winners went home with a pretty complete diagnostic package that could revolutionize the way they do their jobs.
But here’s the odd fact that Mike Kinney mentioned last week: since the prizes were awarded last September, only two of those SuperTech technicians have registered their software packages with Noregon. That means that only two out of 12 are actually using their new diagnostic systems.
Are you surprised? I was.
There could be a lot of reasons why ten of those prizes aren’t being used. Maybe the Panasonic/Noregon package is incompatible with a system already in use at the winners’ shops. Maybe the winners are using the Toughbooks at home for personal use. Or maybe they just don’t know or care how useful this package could be
All we know for sure is that 10 of the best technicians in the business have some very sophisticated diagnostic tools that they’re not using. I wonder what their managers think about that? It is a puzzler…
January 31st, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Mark:
Is there a way of getting ahold of the two who have registered their’s to find out how useful it is to them, how much they use it, and how they like it?
January 31st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I’m not surprised. You work your tail off to learn and compete in a tech challenge and then the top prize is geared more to benefit the company not the tech. Not very personal if you ask me. Cash prizes or something special for the tech is the way to go. Giving a diagnostic system is like giving your wife a vacuum cleaner for her birthday. Think about it.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I agree with Bob Young about the vacuum comment. Maybe the shop owners think the package is more for the shop. Unless these guys are doing a lot of side work, they may be more interested in the laptop for personel use. A round trip to Cabo for two would be a better prise. Is the company supplying the prize more interested in show caseing their product, or rewarding the tecks for their hard work?
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
That would not be much of a prise, as has been said. Stay in touch, think about it, if a guy can win that challenge, $6500 worth of equipment to work with is not much, seeing he already has something simiular to work with. Now if he can go sell it, that would be a great thing. He could then take momma somewhere and fire up the love. lol