How do I get certified to work on Kitchenaid stand mixers?

[nolazach]

I am literally the only person right now in the New Orleans area that works on these.  I'm having a hard time getting my name out.  I have three competitors that know I fix these refer them to me.  My goal is to have a guy who is full time Mixer repair.  I know being the only guy in a metro area of nearly a million people I should be able to get a ton of these to repair.   One baker had seven that needed repair.

 

  I'm self taught on them, but they are really easy to work on, parts are cheap and I enjoy keeping such a well built machine going.   I do not want to become a Whirlpool factory servicer at this time, and I know that the Whirlpool guys don't touch them.   Just seems like there is a huge untapped market. 

 

   

[Patricio]

Where does one self teach on these excellent machines.  I have had mine for over ten years with out a hitch.

[nolazach]

I bought one broken and then took it apart after watching youtube videos.  Then I talked to a baker down the street and she had almost every variety so I took hers apart too.  The Commercial ones are the easiest of them all, the motor and the gears are all one unit, so any issue at all you just replace the entire assembly.

 

    The ones with the two black circles on the side are the hardest to work on, (unless they just need new motor brushes) only because you have to hammer out a pin to take them apart. 

 

   Youtube has tons of videos.  So few people fix these and they are very common and the worm gears and the pinions do wear down. 

[Patricio]

Parts source?

[nolazach]

amazon  or seervall

[Mark Allen]

Sounds like you are pretty well certified to me.  Most people arent ever going to ask to see your certifications as long as you present yourself professionally, act like a professional, stand by your work and honor your warranty like a professional, price your work like a professional and not like some guy who does it for a hobby, dont give your time away and dont do the work if its not making you money.  You can have a repair hobby after you retire if you just want something to do to stay busy.

Here in Seattle there are several big restaurant servicing companies that make that market a really tough nut to crack for a one man part time operation like me,  so do your best and never let them know you arent "certified"

Always strive to do better tomorrow while doing your best today and it will all work out.