Nate Question

hvac tech · Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 5

I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
money?

Archived from group: alt>hvac

hvac tech · Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 5

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:

>On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>
>>I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>money?
>
>If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.

I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
90k this year.

hvac tech · Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 5

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:59:17 -0600, "Noon-Air"
wrote:

>yes

Thanks for your detailed, elaborate and informative response.

Noon-Air · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 363

wrote in message @4ax.com...
> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
> money?

yes

hvac tech · Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 5

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:31 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
wrote:

>>
>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>> 90k this year.
>
>uh-huh....

Oh it's very possible to make 90k this year considering our spiff
program.

.p.jm · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 527

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:31 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
wrote:

>
>"hvac tech" wrote in message
>@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>>
>>>On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>>
>>>>I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>>>plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>>>really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>>>money?

It depends on how much your employer values education,
credentials, and quality.

I personally found by experience that acquiring 5 Statewide
Master Contractor licenses, on my own, in HVAC, Refrigeration, and
Electrical, were only valued by employers to the extent that they
thought I should 'sign them over to the company' for free, and get no
extra money for them.

In particular, I got fired from Johnson Controls because I had
my Master Electrician license, the guy whose license the entire branch
had worked under quit, and when I refused to hand mine over to them
for $ 0.00, they got pissed. They later got SEVERELY fined for doing
unlicensed electrical work. Go figure.

They ( and several other companies ) also thought that my
being an 'Invited Guest Lecturer', on advanced technical topics, for
ASHRAE ( Annual Meeting in Boston ), ARI ( Industry invitation-only
$$$ / seat seminar in Chicago), and RSES, were not influential in
payroll discussions.

I now bill $ 75 - $ 200 / hour ( in advance, 10 hour minimum
preliminary billing to scope out the project, 20 hour minimum block
billing after that, always ' in advance' and 'payment due upon receipt
of invoice via email' ) to sit here at home, typing programming
instructions into a computer when I get around to it.

My clients are well pleased with my work ( they keep coming
back for more ), and consider my rate a discount bargain compared to
other people they have dealt with. I 'work' when I please, and 'who
don't like it can send me an email, I'll get back to you sometime'.

It may be accident reconstruction forensics today ( ever see
those little animated car crash re-enactments kinds of things on TV ?
You may have seen my work. It's been used in million dollar court
cases. It's based on the physics of the crash, not just some video
-game animation fantasy ), or something else tomorrow. Recently, if
you're looking to buy Real Estate in Georgia, my program on the
back-end server may be filling your website inquiry. Whatever. It's
all the same to me. Data in, data out. I have no expenses, and I
work when I feel like it, and I'll send you the product you paid in
advance for when I say it's ready for me to send to you.

>>>If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.

Very true. Employers don't care what you can prove, they care
how cheap you will work.

>>
>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>> 90k this year.
>
>uh-huh....

--
Click here every day to feed an animal that needs you today !!!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Paul ( pjm @ pobox . com ) - remove spaces to email me
'Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.'
'With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.'
HVAC/R program for Palm PDA's
Free demo now available online http://pmilligan.net/palm/

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

hvac tech wrote:
> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
> money?

Sure.. Mostly if you plan on working for others the rest of your life.
Education is good for you.. But do keep in mind that part time college
is cheaper and completion will give you many more options plus income in
the long haul. Statistics show that todays workers face up to 3 career
changes in the workers productive years. A college education is more
rounded for everything and accepts reeducation much better and easier.
NATE is oriented towards a single goal or Job market. College education
also has many scholarships and loans to carry you through. Even Military
reserve will p0ay for it. I solidly suggest that you go to your nearest
College or High school councilor and seek advice.. They will in fact
test you for your best talents and point you toward a method of
Education plus how to pay for it. All you have to lose is time..

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

hvac tech wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:59:17 -0600, "Noon-Air"
> wrote:
>
>
>> yes
>
> Thanks for your detailed, elaborate and informative response.

Geez, your long winded! Wink

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

hvac tech wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>
>>> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>> money?
>> If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.
>
> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
> 90k this year.

A decent Engineer makes $120K upwards, and doesn't break a sweat doing it.

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

ftwhd wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:31 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
> wrote:
>
>> "hvac tech" wrote in message
>> @4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>>>> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>>>> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>>>> money?
>>>> If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.
>>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>>> 90k this year.
>> uh-huh....
>
> Sounds like he wants more OT.

Just gives his old lady more money to bugger off with when she divorces
him for never being home and missing all the Kids activities.

Dr. Hardcrab · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 88

"hvac tech" wrote in message @4ax.com...
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>
>>>I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>>plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>>really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>>money?
>>
>>If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.
>
> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
> 90k this year.

uh-huh....

Sid · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 25

In article , hvac tech
wrote:

> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:31 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
> wrote:
>
>
> >>
> >> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
> >> 90k this year.
> >
> >uh-huh....
>
> Oh it's very possible to make 90k this year considering our spiff
> program.

They have you on the minimum wage plus commission yet?

Don Ocean · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 169

..p.jm@see_my_sig_for_address.com wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:26:49 -0600, Don Ocean
> wrote:
>
>> hvac tech wrote:
>>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>>>> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>>>> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>>>> money?
>>>> If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.
>>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>>> 90k this year.
>> A decent Engineer makes $120K upwards, and doesn't break a sweat doing it.
>
> What does an indecent sweaty one make ?

Probably small children and cheap whores. ;-p Are you submitting your
resume?

>
>

.p.jm · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 527

On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:26:49 -0600, Don Ocean
wrote:

>hvac tech wrote:
>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:19:35 -0500, ftwhd wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:57:43 -0800, hvac tech wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've been doing residential service for three and a half years now. I
>>>> plan on getting Nate certified in gas and heat pump service. Is there
>>>> really any benefit to being certified? Can I/should I ask for more
>>>> money?
>>> If your not making good money now, taking a test isnt going to help.
>>
>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>> 90k this year.
>
>A decent Engineer makes $120K upwards, and doesn't break a sweat doing it.

What does an indecent sweaty one make ?

--
Click here every day to feed an animal that needs you today !!!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Paul ( pjm @ pobox . com ) - remove spaces to email me
'Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.'
'With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.'
HVAC/R program for Palm PDA's
Free demo now available online http://pmilligan.net/palm/

HVACGod · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

wrote in message @4ax.com...
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:44:31 GMT, "Dr. Hardcrab"
> wrote:
>
>
>>>
>>> I make ok money now, I made 60k last year. Looking to make at least
>>> 90k this year.
>>
>>uh-huh....
>
> Oh it's very possible to make 90k this year considering our spiff
> program.

Must be Service Experts or One Hour - more probably One Hour. Really makes
no difference they were both founded and operated by Jim Abrams, Ron Smith
[of Service America] and Terry Nichols. Of course there are more individuals
involved but those are the key players, so in the end it's irrelevant One
Hour will eventually go the way of either SE or SA - Experts was taken
publlic and sold to Lennox Industries very shortly there after, Service
America was sold to the guy that developed RotoRooter and then liquidated.
If it is One Hour, have you noted how they are buying back their profitable
franchises? Ya know why they are? The SEC requires a corporate net worth
before the company can be offered publicly - ya know what happens after that
takes place? Buy out - what happens after buy out is anyone's guess.
Liquidation - new owners in the form of some company operated like it was
founded in the USSR - much in the fashion of Lennox Industries.

These franchises are operated, founded and developed by venture capitalist -
most know little or nothing about the trades they are franchising - the
smart ones will at least employee people that do. Like in the above example
Smith and arguably Nichols - they load them and their key people up with
promises of inflated stock values and a pretty hefty salary to keep everyone
pulling in the same general direction at least until a public offering has
been established.

They over compensate their technicians, who are actually little more than
lead developers in most cases and out right salesmen in others by over
charging the established customer bases of the existing companies that buy
into the franchise - in the process they not only alienate an otherwise
established and loyal customer base but they also inaccurately reflect the
technicians true market value based on his actual skills which in turn, in
many cases leaves the technician not only poorly skilled, learning little in
the way of the craft while in thier employee but also making the technician
almost unemployable to another orginization outside of their own. Believe me
whan I tell you that NO servcie originization operates the way these people
do - nor would the market support it for any length of time.

I won't even go into the discussion of ethics relevant to a technician being
compensated in anyway by means of a commission or as you refer to it, a
"spiff" program. I fully support NATE, HVACExcellence and RSES - and for
that matter any orginization that helps to elevate the skill level and
education of anyone involved in this industry. Unfortunately however, one
has nothing to do with the other when any of the existing HVAC trade
franchising orginizations are a part of the equation - all bets are off.

Best of luck to you, irrespective of who you are involved with, and I
sincerely hope the scenario I painted to be an inaccurate one - history
however, dictates otherwise.