Welcome back Closet Family. Let’s talk install training.

Some would say I’m an expert in this field, and some would say I’ve made too many mistakes. But our mistakes are what help us grow. So, let’s talk about a big mistake that people didn’t even know they were making, as well as a training program that helped correct it and made installation easier in the field, which affected the bottom line in a positive manner. 

As most of you know, I’ve been installing closets for over 45 years, and in my 45 years, I’ve seen just about everything you can imagine. This includes vans getting stuck under subterranean parking lots, installers showing up at the wrong house but still installing closets, closets being installed in the wrong color even though the plans were clearly marked, and even products forgotten back at the shop and then again on the go-back. Just about every mistake you can imagine, I’ve been involved in it. I did it, or I took the call from somebody doing it. 

So, how do we avoid these mistakes? How do we help without condemning?

In recent years, I’ve seen multiple service companies, not just in the closet business, but also in the cabinet business, HVAC business, and almost every service business committing to morning meetings like it's law. Maybe it should be. 

Just this morning I was picking up some mirrored doors in Mesa, Arizona, and at noon the rolling white board from the 7:15 a.m. morning meeting was still in the shop. It had a meeting subject, assigned host, opening event, and the past problems to be spoken about. It also had a running tab of the past problems along with solutions rewritten over and over again, sharpening those solutions, so it doesn’t happen again. Of course, we all know that this kind of meeting improves profitability and lowers frustration levels. Nobody likes making mistakes, especially the same mistake repeatedly. 

So, let’s get to the story.

Some years back, we started to find a quicker solution for building drawer boxes. The supplier I was working for deciding to make an initiative about it and make sure that all our locations started doing it in the same way. They started sending me out to visit with installers all over the country. It was a simple operation. We had created a jig to align the drawer runners on the drawer boxes. This was no miracle, but it certainly saved a ton of time. So, we got the jigs made in bulk, and I started traveling. It was a lot of fun showing everyone a quicker way, and eventually it became a competition. 

Visiting shops, I got to see a lot of different methods to solve the same problem. We renewed and renewed the jigs until we got the process down to about a minute a box. When the whole process started, we were actually taking about 4 to 5 minutes per box to attach the runners. 

When I look back on it, it’s funny because today we just use 32mm systems to attach our drawer runners. Hopefully, you’re using your CNC machine to drill for the runners on the drawer boxes prior to them being assembled, or if you’re up to date, you’re trying out metal boxes — some of you may already have implemented them. This training saved hundreds of hours per location. And it proves that training, whether it is sales, manufacturing or installation is essential to the growth of your business. And hopefully growth equates to better income.

Eric Marshall is the co-founder of the Closet Training Institute, closettraininginstitute.com.