At Usherwood, we have a unique focus on training and onboarding new employees. It’s all a part of our commitment to investing in employees so they can grow in the field and represent Usherwood with pride. Usherwood Corporate Field Service Trainer Mike Riordan had a lot to say about his trainees over the years. When asked about some highlights in his years of being a corporate trainer, he told the story of one of his pupils who went above and beyond expectations: Mike Struble.
“I was the service manager when we were looking for a technician in the Elmira area. I was told by a few people when we were recruiting that we had to find this man, Mike Struble. They said, 'He’s a workhorse. He’ll do anything, he’ll try anything, and he’s one of the hardest workers that we know',” Riordan said.
After inviting Struble to lunch, Riordan and Lou Usherwood quickly learned about Struble’s aspirations and desire to grow in the IT industry. They made the decision to hire him because they could see his dedication, which would make him an excellent team member.
“We want people who are willing to do the hard work. Who are willing to step up and do the job,” said Riordan.
After Riordan brought him on, Struble went from feeling stagnant in his old position to exceeding his own goals by a mile in his new role as a service technician.
“Struble is probably one of the highest-mileage drivers that we have in the company,” Riordan said. “He’s willing to go anywhere we need him to go. In addition to that, he’s always training and adding to his skillset.”
With a hunger to learn new things and serve clients, Struble has brought his talents to Buffalo, Albany, and even out-of-state to Vermont.
“After I hired him, I asked him what his goals were, and he said, ‘Mike, I want to be you. I want to take your job’,” Riordan said. To Riordan, this demonstrated Struble’s willingness to step up and do the job. Because of this, Riordan hasn’t been surprised at Struble’s continued success.
Mike Struble has become one of only 12 professionals in the United States to have achieved a Master Level for the Canon ATSP Certification. This certification is designed for technicians to learn how to standardize troubleshooting approaches, improve margins and productivity, and deliver exceptional customer service. Struble is now a Senior Service Technician at Usherwood and puts this certification to good use.
“To know that he’s made it to Master Tech doesn’t surprise me at all, because that’s Mike Struble,” Riordan said.