Espresso Machine Repair Training?

[moabsdailygrind]

Hi, I am new to this forum. We own a drive-thru coffee shop in a small resort town in SE Utah. We recently had some problems with our machine. My husband is very mechanical, so he tried to fix it himself, but no luck. Finally, we broke down and had to call a technician. The nearest one is 3 hours away.

After this experience (and the big bill that came with it, not to mention the cost of traveling), my husband decided that he would like to get training in espresso machine repair (or in all coffee-related machines). However, we have not been able to find any information on training. Does anyone know where we might be able to find this out? I was told that there is a 3-day training held in major cities, which would be perfect, but we couldn't find out anything else about it. I found a program being offered by a community college in California, but it was 16 weeks long. There is no way my husband could get away for that long with our kids and business, plus he already has a degree in mechanical engineering. Please share any information that you have. Would appreciate it if he could go for a quick training somewhere close, like Denver, Salt Lake City, or Las Vegas.

Also, I know that all of these technicians have service repair manuals for the major brands of espresso machines. I went online and ordered one from Bunn and Nuova Simonelli, but I haven't been able to find any for any of the other brands. I am especially interested in Rancilio, because that is what we have.

Thanks for any help! Our closest competitor told me that he counted 46 espresso machines in our little town, so there is definitely a need for a local technician.

 

[CafeBlue]

Most machine manufacturers offer service technician training. If you distribute their equipment, it is even sometimes no-charge training. A few even offer on-line training and on-line service manuals and tech sheets. Bunn has almost every manual available in pdf format. They also offer comprehensive training programs, and have a significant service network.
A good service tech can do well with a small shop and a van doing all on-site business, but keep in mind you will need liability insurance. If you venture into it as a business, there is value in becoming factory authorized service for several major brands.