How are mechanics going to organize?
- Thread starter The Turk
- Start date
My take -
For starters you "uncertify" unknown people until standards of work are in place and members are "actually" certified. Guys like you, Pat, Josh, Mark are without a doubt qualified to be on the master certifying "committee" as opposed to the panel of 30 unknowns. You 4 represent the northeast, southeast and midwest. You need someone west coast (Donnie?) and mid country. Anything concerning the "organization" that would affect All the members going forward can be sent out for a vote or opinion.
Next in addition to yourselves, you recruit certified "founding" members around the country by state. This gives you a certifier in each state. While "assembling" the organization there's no charge to become a certified member provided you achieve whatever standards of work the committee puts into play.
Once there is an actual organization then at that point certain membership dues can be assessed to remain a member and reap any benefits ABIA can secure.
Agreed, except I don't think you can "uncertify" anyone. From the general public's perspective, it's the same as being in the phone book. There's a ton of guys claiming they are certified just like there are numerous guys in the phone book, and those guys are going to continue to claim to be certified. Just because they say they are certified, or are listed in the book doesn't mean they know what they are doing. What needs to happen is to establish an organization with the credibility to do real certifying. Once that is in place, then we can start to question someone else's certification, because at this point, on paper, most of us are no more "certified" than all of the hacks out there.
So I think the first step is to lay out a set of guidlines for what it means to be certified. (This is already done for a basic installer, right?). Then we need to establish guidlines for higher levels of certification, sort of like the BCA's instructor program. By memory, I think there were recognized instructors, certified instructors and master certified instructors. Don't quote me on that exactly, but I think that's along the lines of what we need. The master certified mechanics are the ones doing the teaching/certifying of everyone else. We need to gain the endorsement of some of the major names in the business (Simonis, Diamond, Brunswick, BCA, etc.) and be recognized as qualified by the people who matter. Only then do we have the credibility to say our certification means anything more than these guys you're saying we should "uncertify"
The only thing ABIA has going for it at the moment is a website. It's nothing to remove what's published - or - reclassify people as "business confirmed" until they meet whatever certification standards are developed. Then you can move them to the certified list. Kind of like the way user names are "colored" in the mechanics directory if you get my drift. No reason there can't be different categories.
As for the general public - I seriously doubt the public at large has a clue about the ABIA. Revamping it now the organization can then grow and eventually be marketed with credibility in the mainstream. Right now they have nothing to offer other then a handful of names that may or may not actually be qualified to do table work.
Just offering opinions Josh. I'd like to see a mechanics organization succeed but think brother Black is going about it the wrong way. You guys have the opportunity to get this on track.
My take...
1. The organization MUST BE a non-profit.
2. The organization MUST OPERATE with complete transparency.
3. The organization needs to maintain a healthy non-adversarial relationship with:
*Billiard Equipment Mechanics
*Billiard Equipment Manufacturers
*Billiard Equipment Retailers
*Other Billiard Industry organizations, i.e. BCA
4. The mission statement should include:
1. The organization MUST BE a non-profit.
2. The organization MUST OPERATE with complete transparency.
3. The organization needs to maintain a healthy non-adversarial relationship with:
*Billiard Equipment Mechanics
*Billiard Equipment Manufacturers
*Billiard Equipment Retailers
*Other Billiard Industry organizations, i.e. BCA
4. The mission statement should include:
*To protect the consumer by creating a certification process to identify and promote "best practices" and to offer information and instruction to billiard technicians relating to ongoing improvements in our trade.
*To offer technical advice to equipment manufacturers that will result in a better quality product.
*To promote pool table ownership and the game of billiards as a whole.
5. Any and all actions by the organization MUST be made with the mission statement in mind, and NOT for the financial benefit of any one member.*To offer technical advice to equipment manufacturers that will result in a better quality product.
*To promote pool table ownership and the game of billiards as a whole.
Well said. I shall vote for you as president of the ABIA.
I'll pm my address so you can send a $99 check. :grin:
That is a great post!
Sound great ! I do have one question about the [non adversarial part] How do we gain protection and compliance for and with mechanics? I am not being sarcastic I am asking a question I hope gets some creative legit responses. These companies have us by the twins. Any ideas?
Dartman I will send you $99 if you can get some of these companies to pay for some installs in a timely fashion.
Not sure I understand your protection/compliance question. If you mean protection from the HOA (hacks of america) that's not going to happen. If you mean protection from manufacturers I don't see that as an issue. Maybe you can clarify your question.
If you look at where ABIA "could" be then IMO it should be an independent organization of and for billiard installers with an added obligation to faciliate continuing learning for members and to educate the public on the expected benefit from demanding table work by an ABIA certified member.
And for the record the $99 comment was a joke. :wink:
For the Mechanics BY the Mechanics.....
The chosen ones that do the qualification tests and certifications should be setup as a committee that can handle responses within their specified regions. Obviously the East coast/NorthEast is well represented, so now to get more involvement from the other regions from qualified people to help keep the standards maintained and implement some form of followup sporadically to verify work is being continued to the standards being established.
Set the standard and keep raising the bar to keep pushing for more improvement from those that get certified, or to have something recognized along the same principles as colleges as far as certification- Associates,BAC,MBA, PHD (My favorite PoolHall Degree lol), but more in relation to what we do. Whether someone is an assembler, an installer, Mechanic,etc. Most of our customers won't know the difference for a while, but after a minute on the internet it would become clear on whether or not they have someone near them that would be recognized as being fully capable of doing the job they require.
And not just the Craigslist turn and burn guys that seem to be their main option.
Just my .02
And more group involvement like we had at SBE this spring, or at Alsip- good motivation and seemed to bring the various parts of the country closer together as a whole, and great opportunity to share knowledge to pass on...
By protection I was referring to companies that hire installers. It is an issue. Once or twice a year I get stiffed or delayed monies. I am always owed large amounts of money without getting an up front deposit or a contract. In many states that is against the law. Companies that hold or delay your money constantly leverage that money or lack of contract against you. I receive broken tables all of the time. when I charge what is a necessary fee to pay the bills and time for a return trip I am denied And repeatedly hear how they will get someone else. These companies hand us, the mechanic more and more quality control issues all of the time. Costs on my end should not increase so they can save money. I get paid for what I do. If you add a step my fee goes up. companies should be required to honor a contract and draw up a financial agreement as the law states. These companies skate around nexus laws and rarely check to see if a company has insurance let alone a quality installer. If a process were in place to check and make certain companies were compliant and deposits and monies were guaranteed in writing we could be better protected from hacks. I pool in the driveway and my name is on the truck. I install the table and my name is on it. It must be done right! I should be properly compensated to repair what is damaged. I police myself and my own mechanics to make sure the job is correct. These companies should have to do the same. This is my constant experience as an installer.
I know you were joking so was I!
I know this is work that pays the bills but when you're getting screwed (especially without a contract) it may be better to let them get someone else.