“I get a legit adrenaline rush out of figuring out what the problem is, getting it fixed, and seeing that equipment come back to life,” he said. “People are miserable, they’re sweating, you show up … you see the relief on their face when that air conditioner fires back up. It’s really rewarding and fulfilling.”

Mayer got started in HVAC as a teenager, helping a family friend in the business.

“I did a fair amount of side work and found it kind of interesting,” he said.

Then his youth pastor, who’d once been in the field himself, added his recommendation, and Mayer was sold on a career in the skilled trades.

After high school, Mayer started a job doing sheet metal work for new construction, then switched companies and made the jump to the service side.

“Through that interview, they asked did I know about Frederick Community College, and I signed up immediately,” he recalled. “That was early 2007. I graduated after what was a four-year program crammed into two years and then started out doing maintenance.”

Currently, Mayer works at Hagerstown Heating & Cooling LLC in western Maryland. He’s been there since 2014.

“I do service, repairs … I help other guys when they get stuck,” he said. “I do an occasional install when things get backed up, and I provide tech support.”

John Poyle, owner of Hagerstown, has known Mayer for 10 years.

“Since he joined my company, he has evolved into a technician that the industry is trying to duplicate,” Poyle said. “He has exceptional communication skills that usually aren’t found in the trades … and is able to break [technical issues] down so that a customer doesn’t feel intimidated. He is very trustworthy, and views the company’s best interest as his best interest.”

For his part, Mayer appreciates that he can trust his boss to deliver on what he promises.

“After 14 years in the trade, I have had experiences where my superiors were promising at one level and delivering at a lower level,” he said. “I know what John expects, so if I make a promise to a customer, I’m confident that it’s in line with what the owner wants.”

That trust goes a long way with a customer because good service really comes down to good communication.

“What I have found is that upset customers happen far more frequently from poor communication or lack of communication than from technical issues,” he said. “If there’s an issue and if that customer has been properly communicated with ahead of time, it sets the stage to make it go much more smoothly to resolve.”

Mayer plans to stay in the trade and advance to a role that’s split between field and supervisory work.

“I do love what I do; it is genuinely enjoyable for me,” he said. “And I want to help other folks get to the next level, just as others at the company did for me when I was starting out.”

To nominate an HVACR technician for Tech of the Month, click here, or email mariataylor@achrnews.com.

Publication date: 8/13/2018

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