Why San Antonio HVAC technicians burn out at big corporations — and where to work instead

If you work in the AC industry, you’ll know there are a lot of changes happening in the market here in San Antonio. Out-of-town corporations are coming in to buy up small, local businesses and convert them into profit centers — without job applicants and customers realizing it.
In the first half of this two-part series, we talked about what this sales-over-service mentality means for homeowners in our community. Now, we’re diving into how these corporate takeovers are negatively impacting hardworking technicians like you.

1. You’re expected to be an aggressive salesperson

After some of the corporate buyouts, technicians are roped into meetings every morning where management rallies everyone together and hands out revenue targets for the day. Say you have four calls on the calendar and they decide you’re responsible for bringing in an exorbitant amount of profit that day.
Well, what if you show up and realize it’s just a simple repair? Or a senior citizen opens the door happy to have your help — but some of the companies are expecting you to try and manipulate that service call into a major sales opportunity?
You’ll end up in awkward situations like this day in and day out. And, if you’re passionate about fixing things and providing great service, you may not be comfortable with the aggressive sales tactics.

2. You don’t have the opportunity to develop technical skills

If you aspire to gain skills and develop a career, you’ll miss out on critical mechanical training that teaches you to diagnose issues faster and solve them more effectively. Instead, prepare to sit through three times as many sales training sessions.
Many times, you are trained to sell, not fix.

3. You’re micromanaged, even out in the field

In a corporate takeover, the new AC company’s approach many times shifts away from the style of the previous company had for so many years. It will be all about production and profit — not helping people. In addition to those morning rallies, technicians are typically required to call management after every visit and explain why they were or weren’t successful in hitting those sales goals for the day.
Imagine working under that microscope, having to explain every action you take — and knowing what you’d consider a success may very well be looked upon as a failure by your employer.
Plus, this micromanagement style means you spend more time talking on the phone, or driving back and forth between the office and the job site to attend meetings, when you’d rather be solving problems and helping homeowners.

4. You’re pressured and embarrassed if you don’t meet daily revenue goals

If you don’t manage to turn a $49 tune-up into a $400 ticket, you’ll be chewed up and spit back out during the next company meeting. At AC companies managed by some of these big corporations, employees are expected to produce and drive up profits.
We’ve heard technicians tell us they’ve been pressured to put in overtime in the blistering heat after failing to hit unrealistic sales targets.

5. You end up experiencing burnout and exhaustion

It can be a brutal work environment, and even humiliating at times. And it can’t last forever. We’ve actually brought on several new technicians in the past couple of months simply because they didn’t want to carry on with that high-pressure, sales-oriented workplace.

Time for a career change? Join the team that’s been serving San Antonio since 1978

At Tiger Services, we believe in a more sustainable business model. Of course, we want our company to stay profitable — but it’s important that everyone on our team has a healthy work-life balance, too. As a family-owned business, we know how important it is to make time for family and other priorities outside of work.
If your passion is to serve others, working for a locally-owned, client-focused AC service provider might be the right choice. Contact us to learn more about employment opportunities with Tiger Services