hvac technician

plumbing technician

hvac installer

sales specialist

drain technician

BELL BROS. PLUMBING, HEATING & AIR

This business started off decent enough but there were so many underlying factors that made me not want to work there anymore. First off, I started working the warehouse there for a few weeks until they moved me over into the HVAC technician position for training. It seems fine, but what I didn't know was the managers there already hate me for apparently existing. They didn't tell me what I was doing wrong at all the entire time, so I didn't know how to improve. Worse, they didn't have the guts to say anything to me face-to-face; they had to get their subordinates to say it to me instead. And they never told me I was at risk of getting fired until it was too late to change it.

There was no clear communication between the higher ups and the trainees so we didn't know what we did wrong or what we needed to improve upon to fix our issues. Management doesn't even bother to talk to us, like we were not worth even talking to or telling the time of day. They wouldn't even stop to say hello for long before they just walked off. The friendly attitude they display towards their people and customers are all just facade- they are solely in it for money and their techs don't give much thought to treating their customers, or employees for that matter, well.

I was working there for a few months until one day, one of the assistant instructors walked me off into a room and told me I'm laid off one morning. Didn't even give me a good reason for it - said I wasn't "confident" enough, even though I had passed all their tests, roleplay questions and such and such with hard practice each day. They even said my service was one of the best in the class and they still laid me off.

It wasn't until one of the managing instructors sat me down in private and explained that the managers didn't like me from day one, when I first started in the warehouse. This is what I find nonsensical because, how am I supposed to improve that? If you hate me from day one of working and don't bother to dig deeper into why or help me change that for the better, how am I supposed to change or improve to benefit the company? The answer is, I can't, and that is completely unfair to all the employees, especially me since I didn't even see it coming.

They didn't even give me a chance on the job before laying me off.

This is my first experience working in the HVAC/R field. When I first started with this company, I thought of it being the first and only company I’d need to be employed with up until retirement. I was told that I’d be working in my own area, within 30-50mi of my home, but it was not the case. For my first year and a half I was commuting to Sacramento everyday. I was told there was plenty of chance for advancement. I’ve been here there years and have been told that this was no longer the case. The area, or zone, that I work in is nothing but service technicians with me being the only maintenance technician in that zone. The up side is that the zone I now mostly work in is the 30mi area I was first promised. This company doesnt reward technical skill, it rewards sales. The company has become supremely focused on telling technicians to sell, sell, sell wether it be service parts, new systems, ductwork, insulation and windows. How much you sell is how they decided they want to move you forward and him much they will pay you an hour. You can look at this as I’m not a fantastic sales man because I’m a technician. I tell people, who pay for our services, what is wrong with either side of their HVAC system and that it is up to them what they would like to move forward with after I’ve given them all of their options. That is how I feel this company started off but this no longer seems the case. Let me be clear, this company is NOT a bad company and IS honest to each client. What I do want to be clear about is that this company is no longer a good fit for me give their choice on how to advance, when to advance and who they advance. Being mostly a maintenance technician, I should not be getting calls from a service technician asking me how to diagnose, install/repair. This company does offer in-depth training for this field wether it’s diagnostic, repair and/or sales.

Good training for a new HVAC installer but, I wouldn't stay longer than a year. However, if you end up on duct crew, dont expect to move to equipment install team anytime soon. After 3 years, I still dont know how to install a condenser.  Ive asked repeatedly to move up as well. They screw over the installers every chance they get. Significantly underpaid, the salesmen make triple or more what the install team does. 

They pay you through what is called "Task pay," essentially every task you preform is worth a certain amount to them. The leads will divide up the payout at the end of the day. However a lot of leads will screw you out of money while they barely did anything the whole job. How you're paid, is and will be abused by job leads. 

Management doesn't care, they want to push numbers and will work you as much as you let them. If you use your personal vehicle, which you'll have to unless you're a lead, you have to drive 50+ miles to even get mileage reimbursement. This company isn't worth your time longer than a year, get your foot in the door and then dip. 

Management lacks leadership. It's good if your are just starting out in the hvac career with no training, no experience, cause they will teach you the basics. It's mostly just washing out units, nothing really technical. But they will push you to sell monthly memberships and if you don't keep a certain percentage then your truck revenue that you earn you don't get. Some people bribe the dispatchers to get the good calls, (i.e. the older units that are broken down and need to be replaced). The hourly wage is laughable at best. Mcdonalds make more hourly. The pushbyou to sell. THIS IS A SALES JOB. They say when you're new you have to earn your stripes. But the way to earn your stripes is to sell. But you can't sell when everything you go to is brand new. MEBERSHIPS MEMBERSHIPS MEMBERSHIPS

Fairness is crucial in maintaining team cohesion, yet toxic managers often display blatant favoritism. Some employees get the easiest jobs or better schedules, while others are routinely overburdened or assigned the most challenging tasks with little support. ’s common for toxic management to demand perfection under unreasonable conditions. Whether it’s setting impossible deadlines, failing to provide adequate tools or resources, or expecting flawless installations in adverse weather, these expectations.

They have a good training program for people who are new to the field. In summer the hours are long. I always had access to a more experienced technician if I found something new or needed to be walked through a problem. Most service managers are great with a wealth of knowledge. Pay is a bit lower than other outfits, but work is consistent. 

After dedicating over a year of my life to Bell—often working long hours, staying late, and going the extra mile without complaint—I find myself disappointed. I’ve always taken pride in my work and believed in contributing to the team, but unfortunately, that effort has gone largely unrecognized. The managers are really distant. Not a lot of support provided. The installations are smooth, but there was a lot of other things that prevent you from staying here long-term.

The installation team is very smooth. Very well run. Jobs are reviewed beforehand to catch any problems in advance. The issue is training & career path. These are largely lacking. Their training program has been shortened to 4 weeks. I wished it was longer so I could actually retain the skills. Feels like I was sent into a lead role too quickly.

I excelled at the job itself, winning awards for my performance every month I was eligible to. I actually enjoyed doing the actual work in the call center. The issues in the office were with a couple of long time employees that bring their personal biases and personal relationships into the work environment causing unnecessary stress in employees that are just trying to do their job well. Overall the office environment is pretty toxic.

as a plumber, I had total responsibility for my installations. Complete ownership. It’s a shame that the leadership of Bell Brothers do not feel the same way. That is why their culture has really slipped. The bell Brothers training program is not much more than writing on a page now. I got hired here with really high hopes only to be let down. Don’t get me wrong. The pay and benefits are great. Culture is terrible.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Hvac technician 101 salaries reported	$87,921 per year
Plumbing technician 66 salaries reported	$29.84 per hour
Hvac installer 33 salaries reported	$22.01 per hour
Sales specialist 72 salaries reported	$221,875 per year
Drain technician 74 salaries reported	$22.28 per hour

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