What is it like to be a Field Service Leader with a team of foodservice equipment engineers? This article focuses on the career of Leroy Fearon who works for Unox UK Ltd.

Life as the leader of a team of food service equipment field engineers

Background

Did you always like to know how things worked? Can you give an example?
No, I can’t say I was one of those kids who always wanted to know how things worked. I was more interested in being around older people and learning from how they did things. For example, I’m a self-trained barber. If you think about it, every time you get a haircut, you’re technically having a lesson. I had a bit more exposure to this because my uncle had a barbershop, and I loved spending time there as a child, getting advice and hearing life stories. Growing up with my mum and three sisters, the barbershop environment was a place where I could learn so much.
Why did you decide to study Electronics Engineering rather than a different type of engineering?
I fell into engineering by accident as a teenager. I originally wanted to be a probation officer and had applied to do my A-levels in English, Maths, and Sociology. Honestly, I didn’t know why I chose those subjects. Then, I think a careers advisor suggested I pursue another career first, gain some life experience; and then become a probation officer when I’m much older.
On the day of enrolment, I had no idea what career I should pursue in the meantime. I remember seeing a sign pointing to Engineering, so I followed it (I really don’t know why). I ended up having a good chat with the lecturers about all the options, and they showed me the kinds of jobs that were possible. In contrast, doing A-levels felt a little aimless to me.
I eventually majored in electronics because it’s based on logic, which I think complements the way my brain works.

Inspirations

Who are the people who have inspired you?
My biggest inspiration is my grandma, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 101. She was a hardworking woman who didn’t retire until she was in her eighties. Aside from my grandma, I have many inspirations—too many to list. I’m fortunate to say that most of my managers have been very inspiring, which is something I look for when choosing a company to work for. Being inspired by the people above me means I can continue to learn and grow.

Working and studying

You were the Shift Manager at McDonald’s whilst you were studying. What soft skills did you take from your time at McDonald’s?
Working at McDonald’s is where I realised my passion for service—not just customer service, but service in general. I have a strong sense of service to my family, community, and the industry I work in.

Field Service from Engineer to Leader

If someone is considering career choices at the moment, why would you recommend field service engineering?
There are three main reasons.

1. Travel and Personal Growth

You get to travel, meet, and speak with people you might never have encountered otherwise. This exposure can significantly contribute to your personal growth.

2. Earning Potential

As a field service engineer, you can earn very good money, especially when you factor in emergency callouts and overtime. In many cases, this means partners don’t need to work to contribute to household bills.

3. Flexibility

Start times, lunch breaks, and finish times are flexible; accommodating people at various stages of their life, including managing childcare and hobbies before and after work.

Key skills for a Field Service Engineer

Apart from a strong technical background, what are the three most important skills to have?
I don’t believe this role is for everyone. I have often come across and even worked with people who don’t have the core competencies to be successful in field service engineering. Interestingly, I don’t believe a strong technical background is an important factor at all. Instead, the three most important skills to have as a field service engineer are as follows.

Critical Thinking

Field service engineers often encounter unexpected problems that require quick and effective solutions. Critical thinking allows you to analyse a situation, evaluate various options, and implement the most effective solution. This skill helps in diagnosing complex issues, making quick decisions under pressure, and ensuring minimal downtime for the customer. In this role, nothing can be assumed; every issue must be thoroughly investigated and proven to ensure accurate and reliable resolutions.

An Innate Sense of Service

Having a genuine desire to help and serve others is crucial. This means being patient, attentive, and empathetic to the customer’s needs. An innate sense of service drives you to go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction, building trust and long-lasting relationships with clients.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is essential for a field service engineer. You need to explain technical issues and solutions clearly to customers who may not have a technical background. Good communication also involves active listening, understanding customer concerns, and providing reassurance. Additionally, strong communication skills are important for collaborating with your team and reporting issues accurately to management.

Leading a team of Field Service Engineers

You moved into management and team leadership. What is your advice to other engineers who are becoming team leaders?
My advice to engineers becoming team leaders is to remember that your primary role is to improve the working conditions of your team. While they technically report to you, you are also working for them. Your priority should be to create an environment where they can thrive and perform at their best.
I have found leading by example to be particularly effective in this industry. Engineers typically respond better to leaders who demonstrate the work ethic, attitude, and behaviours expected of them. Show your team what excellence looks like through your actions. It’s also important to continue your own personal development. Stay updated with the latest industry trends, technologies, and management techniques. Your growth will inspire your team and ensure you remain an effective leader.
Lastly, no matter your level of expertise, remain humble and approachable. Be open to learning from your team and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and collaboration. By focusing on these aspects, you can create a positive and productive environment where your team can excel.

Starting to lead a team of Field Service Engineers

When you start in a new role with a new team, what are the key things a team leader should do in the first 3 months?
I prefer to focus on long-term success where possible, so my initial efforts will be on forming a structure and foundation to facilitate that. Starting with taking time to get to know each team member individually and gaining a good understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and what motivates them. This approach allows me to effectively build a team that can complement each other, leveraging individual strengths to create a cohesive and high-performing unit.
Next, I typically conduct a SWOT analysis on the team and the company overall. This helps me identify the team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing a clear picture of the current state and areas needing improvement. Depending on the outcome of this analysis I would prioritise accordingly.

Typical week as National Field Service Team Leader UK

What’s your typical week like?
As a service leader, there is no typical week because I must wear many metaphorical hats. I still carry out repairs, especially where there have been ongoing issues. I conduct both engineer technical training and backup support staff training, covering things like parts recognition and first response troubleshooting. My leadership style is mentoring. So, I spend time with each team member, passing on knowledge little and often rather than overwhelming them with too much information at once.
A significant portion of my time is devoted to addressing technical queries from engineers who require assistance while working on our equipment. I also visit our partners and key account clients to maintain and build relationships. Given that we are a growing business, I also spend considerable time on recruitment, ensuring we bring in the best talent to support our expanding operations.
Overall, my role is multifaceted, requiring a blend of hands-on technical work, training, mentoring, and strategic relationship management to support the team and drive the business forward.

How to support your team of engineers in the field

How often are you in contact with your team?
In service, there are various teams within the larger team, but if I focus my answer on field service engineers, I believe you need to tailor your approach to the needs of each individual engineer. Some engineers prefer not to see or hear from you very often, valuing the independence and trust to get on with their work. Others either want or need more regular check-ins, even if it’s just to have a chat. Leading a team of field engineers requires agility and adaptability to ensure all needs are met effectively. It’s about finding the right balance and approach for each team member to support them in their roles. I think this could become the most challenging part of the job, particularly if you are more used to managing an office team that you see every day.
How do you support a team member when their job is difficult, or things have gone wrong?
I believe in creating an environment where learning from mistakes is valued. As most people know, you often learn more when things go wrong, so I am very supportive of my team in such situations. I also believe in the importance of learning from the mistakes of others, so I frequently share my own mistakes with the team, being open about the causes, effects, and lessons learned.
I encourage my team to own up to and share their mistakes with me, as this allows us to overcome challenges together and swiftly understand what went wrong.

Growing a diverse team of field engineers

You are working in an industry where the senior levels are predominantly held by people from a similar background. How do you recruit and build teams without bias (conscious or unconscious)? In particular how do you encourage talented BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) people to join your industry and to aim for senior positions?
I don’t believe in setting quotas or giving people jobs solely to create a diverse team. I strongly believe that the best person for the job should get it. However, it’s essential to create an environment that attracts applicants from diverse backgrounds, genders and ages. If you take an example that we can all recognise in our political system, look at the diverse candidates now applying to be the leader of the Conservative Party since seeing Rishi Sunak become Prime Minister. This shows how powerful pathways can be created by giving the right people opportunities to set examples for others to follow. It also helps develop industry confidence in recruiting people from similar backgrounds.
In the foodservice equipment industry, there is a lot of good work being done in terms of women leading engineering teams. For example, Kirstin Hatherley at Hatherley Commercial Services Ltd., Joanne Hamilton at CSR, and Natalie Hart at Catercall Ltd are all highly inspiring and doing amazing work. However, I feel there is still some way to go for people from minority ethnic groups in particular. While I don’t particularly like taking photos and being on social media, I know it’s important to do so to help encourage others to pursue decision-making positions with high exposure within our industry.

About the author – Leroy Fearon, National Service Team Leader at Unox UK

Leroy Fearon graduated in Electronics and Communication Systems Engineering. He has over twenty years of experience in the commercial catering equipment and hospitality industry; and is passionate about field service management and delivering exceptional customer experiences. His journey has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of industry dynamics and the critical role that well-maintained equipment plays in operational success.
He is currently the field service leader of a talented team at Unox UK Ltd, focusing on innovative solutions and best practices to enhance service efficiency and reliability. Whether through hands-on technical expertise, strategic planning, or team leadership, he is committed to driving continuous improvement and excellence in service delivery.

Further reading

My 3 Reasons I’m a Catering Equipment Service Engineer Now
Life of a Field Service Engineer who loves Italian technology

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