A restaurant owner called me after one of his staff dropped a headset in the sink. When I told him replacements run $899, he said: "I need to educate these kids on how much they cost." This post does exactly that.

14 years in the field teaches you things no certification ever could. From a McDonald's group that challenged us to beat a 10-hour install — and we did it in 3.5 — to keeping the right parts on the shelf so a client never waits days for a repair, here's what I've actually learned about this industry and what separates good installers from great ones.