A Day in the Life is a new CMConnect feature that highlights different jobs at CMC and illustrates how our combined efforts help CMC function and grow. Kicking off this feature is a day in the life of Ed Epperson, field technician III, who helps single and multifamily residents in Philadelphia save money on their gas and water utilities by assessing their homes and improving home performance.
Although there are many things Ed likes about his job, helping people is the most rewarding part of the job. “Improving customers’ homes by identifying health and safety issues and saving them money on utilities is the most rewarding part of my work,” Epperson said.
Ed is an early riser, typically waking up when the sun rises to start his day. He hates sitting still and would prefer to be working or doing something productive every morning. Each day Ed has a full slate of homes to assess in and around Philadelphia, and at 7:45 a.m. Ed is ready to get into the first home on his schedule. Setting up appointments for him is another full-time job handled by Jasmine Kershaw, customer care representative II. Jasmine is the point person for Ed when he arrives at a residence, confirming they have accepted the appointment and are ready for Ed to do his assessment.
Ed has been with CMC for almost nine years. He was originally a carpenter and contractor working in the Philadelphia area. The 2008 economic downturn and dwindling renovation projects made him reassess his career choice and after bouncing around to a few positions, Ed found a home at CMC. He brings his prior experience to his work with CMC, which allows him to easily assess customers’ homes and provide recommendations that will help them save money.
Once in the home, Ed likes to start in the basement and move up through the house. In Philadelphia, the furnace, water heater and electrical panel are typically situated in the basement. By focusing on the basement first, Ed can check for any gas leaks, carbon monoxide issues, mold and asbestos, which are major health and safety issues for the homeowner.
Once the inspection in the basement is complete, Ed moves up through the home checking for old wiring issues behind switch faceplates, installing kitchen, bathroom sink and shower aerators, if needed, and connecting a new all-digital thermostat in many homes. Following his assessment, he debriefs the homeowner on what services he performed, what additional energy-efficiency steps he recommends and addresses any safety issues he saw in the home.
Ed noted that summertime is a difficult time of year to perform his work as many of his calls are either canceled at the last minute or the residents are not home. Cancellations are frustrating for the field technicians and impact the company’s productivity. CMC’s customer acquisition task force is actively working to reduce cancellations and incentivize homeowners to keep their scheduled assessments.
Ed and all of our CMC field technicians deserve our gratitude for the hard work they perform daily. Going to new areas and into homes helping homeowners save money, champions CMC core value of putting You Before I. Their work is key to the ongoing success of CMC and has helped thousands of homeowners live a more comfortable and affordable life.