Are You A Web ‘ E?

It seems that every day I hear the word ‘Web” in some fashion, and I guess it has become as popular as one’s favorite food. When I first heard the word ‘website,” I just shook my head and said I never heard of it unless it was a place where spiders congregated. However, I certainly am now very well acquainted with the term.

I have also learned there are people from the ages of 7 to 70 using a computer these day, and they spend countless hours searching different websites for subjects that pique their particular interest (Web surfing as it’s properly called).

In our industry, I have often found myself referring tradesmen to particular websites, simply because they can find more data on their particular subject of interest. This information, of course, is more than I could ever store in my own metal file cabinet.

Some of the highlights that I discovered are that you can buy almost anything online that we in our own trades would need. However, there is a negative side of online buying, which is the possibility of product misuse, authenticity, date code, warranty and, most of all, where is it coming from?

For example, a member of my family recently had the desire to get a particular DVD and found it online. The price was right, so I was told, and the order was placed. To make a long story short, it turns out the item came from China and was in fact a knock-off that never performed as expected.

However, there are many positives for our trade in being a Web ‘ E. I often find it a very useful and helpful tool in solving technical issues.

Many of you are operating your business with a reduced workforce and find it difficult to get a stock order placed, since the only hours you have are late nights or the weekend. Well, my hats off to those suppliers who have stepped up and now offer ordering online 24/7 through their websites.

A majority of suppliers’ customers use the Internet to place their orders, and suppliers have added some great features to their sites, such as customer price quote options, heat loss programs and product links.

In talking with some company owners and technicians, I learned that many in the industry are now carrying these non-digestible things called Blackberries. Why, because it’s a phone and allows access to the Internet to help solve job site problems in the field.

You may also say you don’t have time to attend those much needed training programs. Well, now many companies are starting to adopt the concept of online training.