Meet Aaron Ridill, Wayne Perry’s maintenance operations manager. Beyond his warm smile, charisma, and infectious energy, what instantly strikes you about Aaron is his inspiring dedication to servicing customers. Tending to customer needs has been a chief focus throughout his career.
Aaron started in the industry while pursuing studies at San Diego State University. “I love working outdoors and have always enjoyed fixing things. Troubleshooting and maintaining fueling equipment was the perfect match for me.” Work as a maintenance technician requires many diverse skills, including knowledge of various manufacturers’ systems and equipment and the technical skills to make repairs. Techs also need to engage with customers and be able to work long hours. “In many companies, repair techs need to be available 24/7. You could work a full day on your regular shift, then have to double down to handle an emergency whenever those calls come in.”
Remaining cool under pressure is a given. Aaron admits to having a sense of uneasiness some days. “Gasoline is highly combustible. You need to be cautious when working on pumps, lines, and tanks.” Other less obvious risks are chemical exposure, electrical hazards, and working around heavy machinery and equipment. In addition, techs have to be comfortable working in confined spaces like underground storage tanks and pump vaults. “The work isn’t for everyone. You always have to be aware of your surroundings.”
During his days in the field, Aaron has experienced many different situations. “I once watched a car fully engulfed in flames pull into a station. Driving into a gas station is the last thing you should do when your car is on fire,” he quipped. He’s also seen scammers in the midst of a heist. “One person was distracting the cashier while the other attached a skimmer to the station’s card reader. We train our techs to recognize these devices and have them check for them on service calls. To the untrained eye, they’re sparsely detectable, but we know what to look for.”
Hands-On Experience Shapes Team Management Approach
Aaron joined Wayne Perry as a service technician in 2005. Drawing on his years of experience at Chevron and other companies, he assisted in shaping the company’s customer-centric, team environment. At Chevron, for instance, he appreciated the company’s performance-oriented culture and robust safety programs and worked to build a similar orientation within his team.
“Working in the field gave me years of exposure to what repair techs face every day. That experience has helped us implement employee-friendly programs that give us the edge in hiring talent and keeping our team over the long haul. Our family-like work environment filters down from the top and has given us an enviable leadership position in retaining our techs.”
Current Mission at Wayne Perry
Though he spends less time in the field these days, Aaron still travels to meet with his team and clients. “I travel to our Sacramento dispatch facility twice monthly to conduct audits on our response times and review what is happening at our customer sites.” He also meets with customers to discuss their needs for preventive maintenance, new equipment, and other maintenance initiatives.
Aaron’s focus is threefold:
- Apply a customer-centric approach – Give each customer personalized attention in tailoring products, services, and experiences to meet their needs and provide proactive support and continuous improvement.
- Provide continuous learning opportunities – Provide ongoing technical and safety assurance training to team members. As part of this initiative, he creates a collaborative work environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to perform at the highest level.
- Create a culture of continuous improvement – Explore the newest technologies, systems, and best practices for service delivery and foster an environment where everyone is encouraged to actively seek opportunities for growth while delivering top-notch service to customers.
Despite his professional responsibilities, Aaron makes time for his family and the recreational pursuits he enjoys, including motocross and coaching his son’s football team. He holds certifications in CC Vapor Recovery, Installation and Repair, and multiple levels of Wayne and Gilbarco Veeder-Root training.
