A Rant... "Training seminars" = sales pitch!!!

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hockeyoligist2

Senior Member
My boss signs me up for "Training seminars" at least once a month. Had one yesterday on IR cameras. It was supposed to be on the use of our camera and software according to what the boss read. Two hour drive each way, had to get up at four AM, sat in an over crowded room for four hours. Just to listen to a sales pitch! Breakfast was served, continental style...... Yuk

I know... some might say, "getting paid to sit around is great"......

I'm a hyperactive kind of guy, I'd rather dig ditches than sit through sales pitches! Rhyme not intentional! :)

Why do they label the sales pitch as a "training seminar" ? Why not just say we want to show you our latest products, ETC. ? I have only been to one seminar in the past five years that was actually training!

Sorry for the rant, my girlfriend told me she didn't want to hear me b#### about my training when I got home..... So I'm doing it here. :)
 

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
You get what you pay for, you want free training? Expect a sales pitch. You want quality training, it is going to cost you.

Tell your boss you want a IR certification course. If you are doing IR scans you should be certified anyways.
 

hockeyoligist2

Senior Member
You get what you pay for, you want free training? Expect a sales pitch. You want quality training, it is going to cost you.

Tell your boss you want a IR certification course. If you are doing IR scans you should be certified anyways.

I agree, however, my bosses boss, and on up the line are cheapskates. They won't even buy the software that we need! If it ain't free, we don't get it! I even had to go online at home and download the upgrade software, burn it to a CD to install on our laptop! The laptop is blocked, so we can't go online and download it!!!!!!!!

The higher ups want professional results without giving us the tools to give them the results they want.........

Sorry Ranting again.
 

hockeyoligist2

Senior Member
Let's turn this into something more than a rant: what was the seminar advertised as, so the rest of us can avoid it? :)

I hate to mention names, but it was FLIR. I didn't see the actual advertisement, the boss did. According to his description: Training seminar on the use of FLIR cameras and software for owners and users of FLIR IR cameras.

Delete the company name if you need to George.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Is it the economy or is this the status quo for your company. The economy itself is hurting and bosses are looking everywhere to control costs. We were in a "spend spend" economy and now --well you know..
 

hockeyoligist2

Senior Member
PS, They are not the only company's doing the "training" thingy for a sales pitch. I have been to "training" for PLC's, pumps, VFD's, radio remote signals and controls, and ETC. All sales pitches .......No actual info.
 

hockeyoligist2

Senior Member
Is it the economy or is this the status quo for your company. The economy itself is hurting and bosses are looking everywhere to control costs. We were in a "spend spend" economy and now --well you know..

Nah, it's status quo for my company. Non-profit, sewer company.They spend millions on public relations then give the maintenance shop nickels and dimes. When something fails due to no money in the budget, they go ballistic and spend money on useless things to "correct" the problem.
 

S'mise

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
You get what you pay for, you want free training? Expect a sales pitch. You want quality training, it is going to cost you.

Tell your boss you want a IR certification course. If you are doing IR scans you should be certified anyways.

The certification can be a scam too. Send in $25 a year and you will be on our certification list (and send you free news leters and a sticker)
 
My boss signs me up for "Training seminars" at least once a month. Had one yesterday on IR cameras. It was supposed to be on the use of our camera and software according to what the boss read. Two hour drive each way, had to get up at four AM, sat in an over crowded room for four hours. Just to listen to a sales pitch! Breakfast was served, continental style...... Yuk

I know... some might say, "getting paid to sit around is great"......

I'm a hyperactive kind of guy, I'd rather dig ditches than sit through sales pitches! Rhyme not intentional! :)

Why do they label the sales pitch as a "training seminar" ? Why not just say we want to show you our latest products, ETC. ? I have only been to one seminar in the past five years that was actually training!

Sorry for the rant, my girlfriend told me she didn't want to hear me b#### about my training when I got home..... So I'm doing it here. :)

Rant well taken.

On the other hand; this should be expected. Nothing, I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing is free. I would expect nothing else from a Company giving a training on their equipment. What is a warning sign to me when they put down the competitors product.

My rant is with the dishonest pushing of the top-end product by THAT particular company for applications where an alternative device for 1/10 of the cost would be more than adequate for the job.:mad: When I pushed them to the wall they could offer NO reasonable explanation why do I need the top-end product for simple electrical maintenance a nd troubleshooting work. They IR 'certification' is a joke, just suck more money.
 

S'mise

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
I think you are confusing a certificate with a certification.

http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/level1.asp

In the Electrical field both hold little merit. (In my book)

Some certifications seem to come with some strings attached. I was "certified" as a "fiberoptic tech" and after a year they started asking for a yearly fee to remain a certified Tech... bla bla bla..... What a scam.

Oh, BTW I'm not a member of the Fraternal order of police officers either.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
The origin of the the word seminar is derived from the Latin word seminarium, meaning "seed plot".

While I believe was intended to describe an educational event of short duration, it has long been abused as a means of promoting products to a selected audience that a particular is used by, I have attended many both good and bad, but many are used as a sales marketing tool, and that will eventually give the word a bad name.

I don't see a problem with some marketing at one, as long as the main course is based upon instructive and educational about the subject of the equipment for sale, and is non brand biased when doing so.

But when there free you can expect anything.
 
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