May 2009 – John Swanson, president of Bildon Parts and Service Inc., made his TV debut early this year in “Foodservice Careers-A Solid Choice,” a video he made as a way to educate the younger generation about opportunities in the foodservice industry. Visit the You Tube web site and search for Foodservice Equipment & Supplies’, and you will find John Swanson and Tina Reese in a worthwhile video about the many benefits of the foodservice industry.
Although Swanson chuckles when asked about the project, the fact that he dove into the web-video and social networking world shows he’s not at all afraid of technology. Rather, Swanson uses new technology not only as an educational tool for others, but also as a way to stay abreast of changes and competition in the field, which in part, makes him a true leader in the E&S industry.
“The foodservice industry is quite a bit behind,” Swanson says in referring to the pace at which the industry has adopted not just internet technology, but also smart kitchen technology. “In the back rooms of restaurants you would think people could access the internet at any time, but that’s unfortunately not the case.” And, he adds, “I think it’s going to be a few more years before the smart kitchen becomes a reality.”
Enter youtube.com. The video, produced at Schoolcraft Community College in Livonia, Mich., includes interviews of service agents and other industry members about their work in foodservice, and was created with the idea in mind that as foodservice equipment becomes more complex and “smart kitchen” technology finally takes off, operators will require more help servicing their facilities. That said, Swanson and Reese sought to tap into a vast labor pool consisting of high school, technical high school and college students, as well as recent graduates, to recruit more service agents in the field. In addition to demonstrating Swanson’s dedication to CFESA and the industry, the You Tube video also proves that Swanson can “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk,” when it comes to the topic of recruiting the younger generation.
Visit www.bildoninc.com and you’ll find a clean, easy-to-navigate web site with an extensive online parts catalog and a tutorial for helping newcomers navigate the site. “We try to provide education to end-users via our web site with the online parts and service catalog that customers can access 24-7 to purchase parts, read service bulletins and find other information,” Swanson says. “We’re really trying to promote what we do and who we are. There are a lot of other CFESA-certified companies that have to meet the same standards, so it really makes it more difficult to distinguish yourself. It does help, though, that there are so many tools of technology out there to help.”
“We do all of our troubleshooting here through an in-house technician who works in the service department and takes calls,” Swanson says. “As equipment gets so sophisticated, more people have been having a hard time programming the computerized control panel and operating the equipment. If you don’t have a good handle on them, they’re difficult to use and often you need someone to talk you through it. Sometimes, it seems that technology is going faster than the rest of us.”
In many ways, Bildon Parts and Service has grown significantly over the years, too. After breaking into the business at age 16 washing floors and trucks, Swanson went out on the road as a service tech and at age 35, ran the parts and service departments. After his dad passed around 1995, Swanson and Bill’s son Gary Galbraith purchased equal parts of Bildon, and both currently manage the company.
So, what’s the No. 1 trick to keeping his business going for so many years? “The most important trait in this business is honesty and consistency of service,” Swanson says. “I seek to portray first and foremost that we back up what we say we’re going to do, and that our customers get what they pay for.”
One way Swanson says he establishes trust with end-users is by providing them with basic technical tips over the phone. In the case of minor problems, Swanson’s team will often work with the customer over the phone to make minor repairs before sending out an agent. “There’s nothing worse than us sending people out there and charging them 90 bucks to plug in a piece of equipment,” Swanson says. “It doesn’t work for us or the customer to do those kinds of things.” It also helps Bildon save on costs for gas.
Swanson doesn’t just take care of his end-user customers, he also seeks to connect with other E&S industry members. “If a manufacturer or dealer or sales rep has a problem, they can call us and know we will take care of them,” he says. “That’s the way I would like the industry to perceive us.”
In talking about the future, Swanson points out a couple goals he has as the current president of CFESA. One, he says, is to better educate end-users and all industry players on the importance of proper start-up installation in order to prevent repeated service calls. This includes better training during the installation process, or working with manufacturers and dealers to train the operator during this step in the process. “That’s a place we can really support the industry, by training the end-user how to operate a piece of equipment when it’s first installed, which causes less problems with the equipment over time,” he says.
Swanson also seeks to build upon CFESA’s membership as president. “There has been a lot of consolidation in the industry,” he says. “Service companies are buying service companies, and some companies are being bought out by manufacturers. According to our bylaws, this excludes them from being voting CFESA members because we are an association of independent businesses.”
But Swanson says this has been a serious problem. “They’re talented people and we lose them. Maybe we need to do some tweaking of the bylaws, or at least talk about it. It’s a sign of the times for sure. As an association, we need to figure out a way to deal with the quandary and also keep these productive members.”
Still, while the industry’s current roster of players continues to undergo a transformation, Swanson’s willingness to embrace the technology of the day will allow him to help propel his company and the industry to a brighter tomorrow.