Service Company Spotlight: Meet Chris Warren

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Meet Chris Warren, VP of Joe Warren and Sons

From purchasing his first service vehicle in 1991 with one tech on staff to running a fleet of 60 vehicles with 50+ field service technicians, Joe Warren’s success in building Joe Warren & Son’s (JWS) is rooted in doing things the right way for customers.

Fast forward 32 years, and Joe’s three sons, Garrett, Chris and Joseph are right alongside him to carry through this vision. Headquartered in a 31,000-square-foot facility and training center, JWS serves the greater New England area where Chris Warren currently serves as Vice President, responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the company and ensuring that JWS is meeting both customer needs and company goals. In total, the staff of 100+ operates under the steady leadership of Joe, who maintains the same unwavering focus on communication and service that he founded the company on more than three decades ago.

Chris Warren, VP of JWS

“I have memories early on when my father would come down to the beach, drop us off and then have to go back uptown to Boston to run service calls multiple times per day,” recalls Chris. “Over the summer, that’s just what it was.” Back then, if Joe did make it to the beach, he might often be found reading a thick service tech manual. According to Chris, this still holds true today.

Joe founded the business in his Roslindale, MA, basement and slowly yet steadily grew his customer base by knocking on doors, dropping off business cards and maintaining focus on excellent customer service. From there, the company continued to expand well beyond those cellar walls into new office locations and with employees outside of the family. But no matter how much the company has grown, at the heart of every interaction is the need to answer customers honestly and with transparency.

Chris learned this at a young age, having started working for JWS during high school and continuing through college. He would ride along with the technicians and gained valuable exposure to different aspects of the business from carrying tools to helping improve the company’s first website. Getting involved in the website project, coupled with a year-long stint operating his own the landscaping company, was one of the key moments that cemented Chris’s decision to join the family business after graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Early on in his career, Chris was fortunate enough to work directly alongside his father for many years in a small office and quickly picked up on how he interacted with clients, vendors and employees. “It really was communication,” explains Chris. “He would always listen, digest the information and take a reasonable approach.”

When asked about his experience working alongside Joe, Chris further explains, “We’re just blessed…we really do love each other and respect each other. I couldn’t ask for anything more because he’s been very open-minded and supportive. He has allowed me the ability to do certain things or try certain things…and grow within the business. We both know and recognize we have different and unique skill sets, which I think complement each other really well.”

Joe Warren, President of JWS

Continuing to lead by example, Joe is a phenomenal role model for all his employees. While he has transitioned from being a full-time tech, he’s still the first one to the office in the early morning hours each day and remains involved in the day-to-day operations. He is the guiding force in upholding the three pillars of his company’s success: Communication, Accountability and Respect.

This strong family work ethic and company culture also breeds loyal employees. “One of the things that makes me smile, as it does my parents and family, is when other employees recommend and refer their family members and friends to work here.”

As the labor force dynamic changes, Chris explains that these employee referrals are more important than ever in a small industry where people are sharing their experiences online and through word of mouth. Even so, JWS also uses traditional recruitment methods to find place talent, whether it’s tapping into surrounding trade schools and high schools or partnering with search firms.

He admits they continue to re-evaluate their recruitment strategies and how to best leverage channels like social media, video advertising and their own online presence for people who are seeking out employment opportunities.

When reviewing candidates, the team relies on the same standards of excellence as the company uses to conduct business with customers: Communication, Accountability and Respect. Does a candidate demonstrate attention to detail, are they punctual, do they take pride in their work, how do they communicate? The little things can make the biggest impact as employees are extensions of the company in the field, so these soft skills are often just as important as the technical/administrative skills.

Chris says that if a potential technician candidate exhibits the desire to work with their hands and has baseline technical competence, the company can teach the rest through on-the-job training and professional development. In fact, JWS recently hired its first HR manager charged with developing a more structured training program and streamlined career pathing for advancement and growth opportunities.

When it comes to giving advice to new technicians, Chris says be open-minded, be realistic and be ready to invest in yourself, “You’ve got to be willing to put in the time and effort and sweat equity to gain that knowledge and experience, he emphasizes. “Go all in if you’re going to be in the industry, go all in.”

In 5-10 years, Chris says customer service excellence will continue to be the foundation from which all other company goals are achieved. “If we’re not providing the service that we know we can and should provide, then customers will seek solutions elsewhere. We need to stay laser focused on what got us to this point, continuing to deliver best-in-class service.”

To learn more about Joe Warren & Sons, visit https://www.joewarren.com/.