Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge and thank all the FAA persons that contributed to the online eulogies for Bill O’Brien. You can be sure the magazine will get these to Bill’s family.
I recall participating in the development of a maintenance training course that included developing the classroom manual. In the book technicians were drawn in their various work environments. We happened to put baseball/golf-type caps on their heads. Boy, did we hear about that from many of our clients. To them, this was an uninformed, demeaning depiction of the aviation maintenance technician.
This brings me to the subject of this week’s blog. How important is dress to the aviation technician? I know it is important at certain levels of management despite what business you are in, unless you work for an Apple or Google. The latter are always neat but casual whereas the former most often require suits and ties.
I would opine that it is important, if only for the image it impresses. Having no other information to guide me, I am more apt to do business with a shop that is neat and well-organized than one that has tools scattered indiscriminately about and whose personnel are wearing oil-soaked, torn uniforms with two-week-old dirt encrusted everywhere. My reasoning, while possibly flawed, is that the neatly attired maintenance person in the orderly shop is well organized in his knowledge and skills, takes pride in himself and his appearance, and takes the time to see that he continues to impress in this manner. That provides greater confidence in the work that will be done. If he is neat in his appearance he will most likely be neat with his work, etc.
I know that ultimately it is not the clothes that make the man, but don’t you think it sure helps the maintenance person get off to the right start being properly and neatly attired? Isn’t it important to create a favorable first impression, not forgetting one’s own self-esteem?
What are your thoughts on this issue? I have heard there have been several discussions on various media regarding this issue. Do you have an opinion?
We have extended the Readers in Action Contest to Jan. 5. Send your photos to [email protected] and good luck.