Why are Thai Technicians so bad at their jobs ?

[easybullet3]

almost ANY technician that has ever come to my condo to fix something has been sub-standard.

they always want to replace a MAIN part of the machinery without bothering to test if the fault is from something else.

and almost every time i refuse their advice and go about fixing it myself (usually to find that my initial hunch was the correct one).

how is it that I, a reguar DIY-minded expat, can know more than LG's Washing machine technicians, Suzuki's Motorbike Mechanics, Honeywells Air-Con service repair man and an electrician that came to do wiring on my condo lights !!

living out here in thailand makes an average person feel super intelligent, Lol

i am just shocked that LG's own service repair people take Wild-Guesses as to what the problem might be (and in the end it was an unrelated small error).

Do big brand name companies not bother to train their Thai Technicians as well as the rest of the world ?

[RidgeRunner]

I have 25 years experience on the ground here in Thailand. Done plenty of renovation work. It's always the same old routine...

Fix it, then tear it out, fix it again, tear it out, then settle for 80% right.

Why?

1. They don't care.

2. They make a sport of ripping off farangs.

3. Lazy.

4. They don't know what they are doing.

5. They admire the corrupt workers that do the least and make the most.

[HooHaa]

obviously you are just far superior to every one in the whole country. enjoy it.

[AlexRRR]

You got it wrong, we are a throw away society, especially in the west if its broke replace with a new one, labour costs dictate this.

The way appliances are made now you basicly need to replace half the god dam workings to fix the issue, and this my friend is the thinking behind your observations.

[easybullet3]

Fix it, then tear it out, fix it again, tear it out, then settle for 80% right.

Why?

1. They don't care.

2. They make a sport of ripping off farangs.

3. Lazy.

4. They don't know what they are doing.

5. They admire the corrupt workers that do the least and make the most.

I do understand the private Technicians doing this, But I am talking about Technicians that work directly for the Brand Name.

Last month the LG guy came to fix my washing machine. (he was wearing an LG Branded Jacket).

He was suggesting I replace the heating fan - 4,000 baht and also the Main Board 3,000 baht. (Total 7,000 Baht).

and in the end I fixed it myself by swapping the High-Heat Limit Thermostat (from searching around on youtube).

i feel like asking LG for my 1,050 Baht service 'call-out' fee back, because of the technicians inability to be useful.

i can remember another guy came to fix my Air-Con. (a few years ago).

he was suggesting everything but the correct thing!

again, I worked out how to fix the problem myself, (which was just tightening a screw inside the wall panel !!)

i honestly agree with you that they are shockingly bad at their jobs.

at the suzuki bike repair centre, they were trying to tell me that my battery (that keeps on draining) was because the battery was old.

but i was telling them i am SURE its being DRAINED by an electrical problem.

I ended up getting their suggested battery... Only to find that this new battery also kept draining !!and finally they checked the electrics and found the ignition was faulty and causing a drain on the battery !!

really:

they are GREAT at the simple repetitive jobs... but once it gets very technical, they are hopeless !

[easybullet3]

obviously you are just far superior to every one in the whole country. enjoy it.

sarcastic and irrelevant comment.

when someone complains at the low level of service or knowledge of people that we are supposed to TRUST with repairs, it does not mean i want to ''gloat' about myself being better.

I am 'ranting' about not being able to find competance!

and I am comparing my AVERAGE untrained technical background with the fact that they work as Technicians who have been presumably trained.

my post is a 'rant'.

[RidgeRunner]

Incompetence across the entire spectrum of businesses here in Thailand. Something to do with their really bad education system, corruption and cronyism. Maybe it's just too hot to think clearly or perform to international standards?

Occasionally I'm pleasantly surprised & do run across a real professional. Sadly, not often though.

Siemens moved their main office a few years ago and didn't update their website with new contact info. A year after they moved they still had the wrong phone and address on their website.

Try telephoning Canon Camera Co and leave a message. Do they return it? No.

Generally, the management is too busy planning on how to rob their employer....

[KittenKong]

It doesnt just apply to technicians. It's common with management and office staff, indeed with any staff doing any job here.

Bad training, no work ethic, laziness, endemic cover-my-ass syndrome: all are common in Thailand.

[AlexRRR]

Incompetence across the entire spectrum of businesses here in Thailand. Something to do with their really bad education system, corruption and cronyism. Maybe it's just too hot to think clearly or perform to international standards?

Occasionally I'm pleasantly surprised & do run across a real professional. Sadly, not often though.

Siemens moved their main office a few years ago and didn't update their website with new contact info. A year after they moved they still had the wrong phone and address on their website.

Try telephoning Canon Camera Co and leave a message. Do they return it? No.

Generally, the management is too busy planning on how to rob their employer....

Come on....Siemens and Canon are not Thai companies, there CO's would be from there home countries, i could say the same about anything run by latino's from my experience.

[kaorop]

To busy fighting turf wars in vocational schools or chasing the hospitality and tourism gals to learn?

Well the big companies go in to those schools and cherry pick the best, they know there is only a small % capable

The decent people are working in house for good money not "low level" out call servicing or running some unfunded side of the road shop.

Some of the guys over 45 that are still working are the ones to find, difficult but not impossible.

[kamalabob2]

I can not speak of LG air conditioning technicians, but I've had American Standard Toilet repairmen, Cotto Faucet Repair technicians, Mr. Ken Ceiling Fan technicians, Siemens HOB repair technicians all come to my home Buriram Province from Bangkok or Khon Kaen. Never any issues with those technicians other than when in the queue they would come to Buriram. I have spoken to more than one water pump shop owner regarding the apprentice program in Thailand. One water pump shop owner expressed concern over how technical school students are taught. He told me he has to test possible interns and only a small percentage pass the test to be interns at his shop. I've seen more than one water pump repairman over the age of 45 come to my home and fix my Hitachi Inverter water pump or Mitsubishi water pump. The lead technician that installed the Franklin Electric Schaefer submersible water pump in the village home of my wife is over 60. I believe it has served me well in my nine years of living full time in rural Buriram Thailand to patronize family owned air conditioning shops, family owned appliance shops and family owned tool and water pump shops. I've never been hesitant to call up the customer service number of a name brand product that had real warranty repair service offered in Thailand. I paid a fair price for Makita Tools and getting authorized free repairs has not been a challenge for me in Buriram. Obtaining a new burner for a Siemens gas HOB did take seven weeks, but the part had to come from out of Thailand and it was free under warranty.

[xen]

I would put it down to a lack of an apprenticeship system in both the trades and the technicians . Most of these guys are only as good as their first boss or the one who told them how to do the job or are self taught , and what they learn in technical schools seems more about gang warfare against the neighbouring technical school.

Most are not too interested in improving their skills because at the end of the month their pay is the same . And if they have any talent they either leave and start their own business or the boss keeps them dumbed down to keep them.

Having said that i have also seen some Thai tradesmen and technicians who have been brilliant but that is not the norm.

[elgordo38]

You got it wrong, we are a throw away society, especially in the west if its broke replace with a new one, labour costs dictate this.

The way appliances are made now you basicly need to replace half the god dam workings to fix the issue, and this my friend is the thinking behind your observations.

Yes we are a throw away society. I have a good used Samsung TV 40" and am trying to sell it for a reasonable price to buy one a 48" at Power Buy because they are having their annual clear out of 2015 models. Nobody wants to buy it. I had one low ball offer that I refused. I in the end cancelled my idea about a new set and will continue with my old TV till it falls apart.

[elgordo38]

Incompetence across the entire spectrum of businesses here in Thailand. Something to do with their really bad education system, corruption and cronyism. Maybe it's just too hot to think clearly or perform to international standards?

Occasionally I'm pleasantly surprised & do run across a real professional. Sadly, not often though.

Siemens moved their main office a few years ago and didn't update their website with new contact info. A year after they moved they still had the wrong phone and address on their website.

Try telephoning Canon Camera Co and leave a message. Do they return it? No.

Generally, the management is too busy planning on how to rob their employer....

Sad but true.

[inzman]

Had an ac guy come with his crew, said my ac was kaput, 30000 for a new one. Wifey called a guy from a referral, had it fixed for 700 baht and has worked great for 2 years. Lazy, crooked, incompetent is the norm here.