Jason Spangle jumped from a career as an elementary school teacher in Mio, Michigan, to the owner and president of Esch’s Septic Service. But the entrepreneur says his experience as a teacher adds value to his company.
“As a business owner I have plenty of opportunities to teach, beginning with the customer,” he says. “I could sit down with a customer and use words like ‘septage’ and ‘effluent’ and see that blank look on their faces. As a teacher, I see them as students who really want to understand what’s going on in the industry as it relates to them. By explaining these concepts in understandable language, the knowledge really gets through.”
Spangle realizes he can’t be everywhere at once, so he also helps his technician team to become patient teachers who can educate customers in the field.
“When we open the lid of the septic tank after we pumped it six months ago and the customer wonders why the tank looks full again, there’s an opportunity to explain how a septic system works,” Spangle says. “Instead of pumping and running, we like to take the time to explain that the tank is at the correct operating level — this is where the effluent goes and this is what we’re pumping. It puts the customer at ease.”
Teaching is also part of promoting professional development. Spangle is vice president of the Michigan Septic Tank Association and enjoys making presentations to other professionals. The association hosts a three-day event each February in addition to two other meetings, which provides waste haulers with opportunities to earn continuing education credits. Contractors must complete 30 hours of continuing education every five years to renew their licenses.
“I’m a frequent speaker and I’ve headed sessions ranging from how to establish an appropriate pricing structure for services to the effective use of social media as a business promotion tool,” he says. “One of my favorite presentations was ‘Pumper Stories,’ in which I described some tough situations in which pumpers have found themselves — and then explained how they solved them.”
Spangle notes that the benefits of customer education may not be immediately apparent, but the effort is worth it. When teaching takes hold, it’s obvious.
“Years later, some of my customers call me and they can clearly explain the problems with their septic system in detail, just as we explained it to them,” he says.
Read more about Esch's Septic Service in the October issue of Pumper.
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