How the WorkBC Wage Subsidy program helped Vision Doors grow their team

Craig & Stacey Rands in front of their Vision Doors branded vehicle.

After taking their garage door installation business to the next level with expansive technician training and procedures, Vision Doors in Enderby was ready to grow their team. With WorkBC Centre Vernon providing employer subsidies and support, Stacey and Craig Rands had the help they needed to hire and invest in training.

The Rands have owned Vision Doors for nearly 26 years. In the early days, installation involved just a few steps and technicians had limited interactions with homeowners. Today, technology has allowed for enhanced features and options—and a successful customer experience requires customer engagement and education.

“We really need to get to know our customers and understand their needs so we know what options will be best for them and how they want to use their door system,” says Stacey, highlighting a range of features that go beyond simply automatically opening and closing a garage door. Security cameras, alerts and apps have all become part of the package.

“We know how we want that experience to go with our customers so that no matter which technician provides the service, it’s the same order of procedures and the same standard because they’re following our training manual,” she says.

Procedures involve everything from uploading photos of each installation stage to showing customers how to use their selections, and more. The more customer support early on, the less need for later call-outs and repairs. Training to reach that standard, however, can take three to six months—and that presented both a challenge and an opportunity as the Rands learned about the WorkBC Wage Subsidy program, which reimburses  a portion of wages to help offset the cost of onboarding and training new staff when a gap in skill and/or experience is identified.

“We were ready to grow, we just had to figure out how to afford to train these workers until they were on their way. When we first started with WorkBC, we were at a place where there was a big need to grow our team and resources.”

New technician Slade is recognized by Vision Doors at a company event.

Over a year and a half ago, the program made it possible for Vision Doors to hire a technician with less industry experience, but a great fit in other ways.

“It means you can take a chance on people who haven’t worked in the field before. It’s given us the ability to look at a larger population of people and be more successful.”

A year and a half later, that technician is thriving and was recently recognized at a staff party. He was also sent to specialized sales training in the United States.

“He’s been so well worth the investment. He’s grown a lot,” says Stacey, adding a second team member was also hired because they were able to access the wage subsidy. “It’s absolutely worth the time to go through the paperwork for a small business.

Growing a highly skilled, customer-focused team means their business can evolve with homeowners’ needs and service expectations to stay competitive.

“We’re keeping up with customers’ demands for both the product and the reliable service,” she says. “People are getting to know our name and our brand, and trust it. We’ve been around for a long time and we’re not going anywhere.”

In fact, Vision Doors is expanding beyond the North Okanagan with plans to grow into Kelowna.

“We have big goals. We’re growing as fast as we can hire people and get our vans wrapped.”

Are you an employer interested in learning more about support to help with the cost of onboarding and training new staff? Learn more about the Wage Subsidy program, and get started!

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