Appliance Technician Responsibilities

If we have a closer look at our daily routine, we will notice that we use a wide range of appliances to help in speeding up our work. We cannot imagine our lives without the use of a washer, refrigerator, or a microwave. If it stops functioning, we have to call the technician and ensure that the appliance technician responsibilities are carried out effectively by them. Appliance technician is a professional expert who installs, repairs, or maintains different kind of home appliances.

Key Responsibilities of an Appliance Technician

Appliance technicians generally conduct site visits to install or repair the appliances. Smaller appliances are generally repaired in the shops. In general, their responsibilities are installing, repairing, checking, and connecting the appliances, guiding the customers on the how to use those appliances and prepare the bills and collect the subsequent payment. Let us look in detail the key responsibilities that need to be handled by an appliance technician:

1. To identify the root cause of the damage of the appliance and give a rough cost estimate to the customer
2. After getting the customer's approval, they try to repair the defective parts like damaged wirings, switches, circuit boards, belts, motors, heating elements, etc.
3. If a particular part or a component of a system is beyond repair, they replace it with a new part after consulting the customer
4. They dismantle and disassemble appliances, so that other minor repairs can be detected
5. They visually conduct inspections to detect if there is any leakage, different kind of noise, or if there is any unusual vibration. They also check if there are any loose connections which are resulting in the failure of the operation. If there are some difficult problems, they refer to the troubleshooting manuals and try to resolve them
6. They tighten, clean, lubricate, and align the parts as per the requirements with the help of different kind of tools like wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, files, soldering guns, etc.

Additionally, they are also responsible for the preparation and collection of the bills. They guide the customers on how to use a particular appliance after its installation is done. If the appliance they are repairing falls under the warranty period, they make sure that they get paid for their service from the manufacturer of the appliance. After repairing or replacing the equipment, they test it again to ensure its proper functioning. They also provide maintenance services after the appliance has been repaired. They maintain the records related to the repairs done and make sure that high quality service is provided to the customers keeping in compliance with the standard rules and regulations.

Essential Skills

An appliance technician should have at least some of the following essential skills:

1. Should have technical aptitude and should be updated with latest developments in the related field
2. Should have a good manual dexterity, as they need to handle different kinds of tools and deal with the repairing of various minute components simultaneously
3. Should be detail oriented and be able to accurately identify the problems associated with it
4. Should be able to maintain accurate records of the repairs, number of working hours, and the invoices generated for the repairs
5. Should be customer oriented and have excellent communication skills to be able to explain complexities to the customers who have little or no knowledge about the technical specifications

Educational Requirements

Most of the employers prefer to give on the job training. However, some may prefer to hire those technicians who have completed a high school or post secondary technical or vocational course in repairing of appliances or have relevant education in electrical or electronics field.

Work Hours

Appliance technicians mostly work on a call basis. Some may work in service center shops. Most of the jobs available are full time, but some work in shifts in the evenings or on weekends. Most of them are self employed.

Salary Details

The salary varies from one individual to other depending on the skills, academic background, and experience in the relevant field. It normally falls in the range of $25,000 to $40,000.

Career Prospects

The career prospects are really good for those aspiring to become technicians, as there is a dearth of highly skilled technician. Those with additional training in appliance repairing will definitely have better chances.

Thus, if you are serious about taking up this career, make sure you carry out the appliance technician responsibilities effectively to ensure success.