April 30, 2024

Pason Field Technicians go through a rigorous training program to quickly learn about the various Pason products, installation procedures, and troubleshooting skills that are required for the job. They are dedicated Pasonites who view customer service as a top priority, ensuring their skills are sharp and ready for any challenge that comes their way.

As part of the continuing education of our Field Technicians, we host regular Advanced Training Sessions for techs to learn and fine-tune their skills. Field Technicians from across the US and Canada travel to our head office in Calgary, Alberta, for hands-on training in both a classroom environment and practical application in the training room. They often learn new ways of diagnosing and troubleshooting certain issues.

“The idea to do a Level 3 - Advanced Training Class, started a year and a half ago,” said Scott, Lead Trainer. “The original thought was for newer Pason Field Technicians, who had been in the field for 12 to 18 months, to attend the Advanced Class. It was up to the Regional Managers (RM) to decide who could attend the classes due to scheduling and availability. Some RMs recognized there was an opportunity for more seasoned Field Techs to attend and gain some additional knowledge. With each class, we have noticed a great benefit of bringing in senior Field Techs along with those who have only been with the company for a year or so.”

Six Field Technicians attended a session, some of whom are trainers in the field, in February. While learning new things, sharpening their skills, and asking any questions they could, they gained a better understanding on various topics. The three-day class is mostly focused on five to six main topics of learning:

• Rig Diagnostics
• Advanced Fluke Meter Knowledge
• Troubleshooting with Pason Live
• Gas Analyzer
• AutoDriller Encoder

Aaron from Field Tier 2 (FT2) has been assisting with these classes from the beginning. He or another member of the FT2 team will lead the Rig Diagnostics portion of the class. In the February session, we also utilized the experience that other Field Technicians had to help lead the discussion in the Rig Diagnostics and Fluke Meter sessions.

Scott indicated that one of the main factors contributing to the overall success of the training program is the high degree of hands-on learning.

“You can introduce a concept to teach, but you have to allow someone the opportunity to do it themselves and then practice it again and again,” he said. “Very seldom do people learn just by listening to someone talk about a PowerPoint slide. You must give the Field Technicians the opportunity to see it with their eyes, handle it with their hands, and hopefully be given the opportunity to practise it at least three times.”

And that’s exactly what Scott is doing through this Advanced Field Training. These Field Technicians have access to our state-of-the-art training room, allowing them to simulate real-life situations and get an in-depth look at equipment.

The week was packed with learning, and at the end of the training, Field Techs in attendance were tasked with what Scott called a Fun Fluke Meter Challenge, where they had to solve a problem using the skills they learned.

Field Techs not only refreshed and improved their skillsets, but other Pason departments made presentations, so our field staff could learn the ins and outs of different parts of the organization, including Knowledge Base, Help Desk, Research & Development (R&D), and more.

For the Field Techs in attendance, seeing and meeting these people who work behind the scenes – whom they may not meet face-to-face in any other environment – was one of the highlights of the entire session.

“I’ve been (at Pason) for a while, and I’ve developed relationships with many people,” said Joe, FSST, Commuter.

Colin, who is an FST in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, agrees. However, drawing those “light-bulb moments” was most beneficial to him while refreshing his skills.

“There was a time over this past week that something just really clicked,” he said, adding he also learned more information on Splunk, how Field Tier 2 came about and its history, among other things.

What was especially significant for Colin was the in-person learning.

“Just reading an email on how to do something like we’ve learned at this training wouldn’t work,” he said. “Flip the switch, unplug it, pull it apart, feel it, do things, and have the coaching and instruction behind it – That’s truly beneficial.”

Josh, an FSST in Odessa, Texas, also attended the training. It was his first time in Canada! Besides taking in a new experience in a new country (and the way Canadian money looks!), Josh said he really enjoyed seeing how the corporate side of Pason works, especially the Help Desk.

“I never knew before seeing it that Help Desk was all in one spot,” Josh said. “Just seeing the office itself was a great experience.” Following this week, Josh mentioned that he’s looking forward to relaying all the information he learned to his coworkers.

“From there, we can give an overall better experience for the customer,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are a customer-based company, so we want the customer to be happy.”

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