Comfort Supply's Blog by Clay Blevins

We are happy to announce today that Temp Control LLC is opening a new plumbing division that will round out the company's existing HVAC and electrical departments.

The plumbing division opened for service this month and will expand to include water heater replacement and residential plumbing installation next month.

When complete, the division will offer routine maintenance, water and sewer line repairs, faucet repairs and replacement, frozen pipe repairs, water main and sewer line repairs, faucet repairs and replacement, frozen pipe repairs, water main and sewer main replacements and water softener and tankless water heater installations.

The Nashville-based dealer of Ruud equipment has been planning its expansion into plumbing for the last four months.

From left to right: Nate Holton, Ryan Fathera, Reneé Wise, Eloy Saban, Chris Moses, and Kurt Aurand.

Below is some great information from Temp Control LLC, a Ruud Top Contractor, on winterizing your home for winter. With the snowfall this morning, winter may be on your mind!

WINTERIZE YOUR HEATING SYSTEM TO SAVE MONEY THIS WINTER

There is no denying that winter energy bills can be a shock. One way to absorb that shock is to contribute to your utility provider’s “winter fund” throughout the year. Another way – requiring no yearlong commitment – is to winterize your home and heating system.

Temp Control LLC, a Nashville-based dealer of Ruud HVAC equipment, suggested a few easy tips to help you winterize your heating system and reduce your energy needs this winter.

The simplest way to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system is to change your air filter every 30 days. “Your furnace works harder to push heat through a dirty filter,” Eloy Saban, owner of Temp Control LLC, said. “A dirty filter uses more energy, circulates allergens and can even cause a fire.”

Temp Control LLC’s crews tell their customers to buy filters in bulk and change them every month when they pay their utility bills. “That way they won’t forget. It becomes part of their routine,” Saban said.

Schedule an annual heating checkup by a qualified technician. Coil cleanings on heat pumps and combustion chamber cleanings on gas furnaces can reduce your utility bills. Through the In-Home Energy Evaluation Program, the Tennessee Valley Authority offers rebates and financing on these types of energy improvements.

Sometimes maintenance reveals hidden safety concerns. Rusted or cracked heat exchangers can release carbon monoxide into your home. “Ask your service technician if your heat exchanger shows signs of rust or cracks, and if so repair immediately,” Saban warned. “At the bare minimum keep carbon monoxide detectors in your home.”

If possible, invest in a programmable thermostat. “If saving money is your main objective, a programmable thermostat makes a lot of sense,” Saban added that by programming the temperature of your home down during work and night hours you can cut down on your energy bill and extend the life of your HVAC system. “You don’t have to compromise on comfort to stay warm this winter. Little adjustments can have a big impact on the life and efficiency of your heating system.”

About Temp Control LLC: Family owned and operated in the heart of Music City. Temp Control LLC is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau, a Ruud Top Contractor, and a member of TVA’s Quality Contractor Network. Temp Control LLC uses green operating practices. Find them on the web at www.tempcontrolac.com or call 615-837-4449.

Check out my Forty Under 40 article published in the Dec. 17, 2010 edition of the Nashville Business Journal.

NBJ's "Forty Under 40" recognizes business leaders under the age of 40 who've made an impact in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee business communities. I was lucky to be able to represent Comfort Supply in 2010.

Let me know what you think of the article.

Hey everyone, join us this morning (Wednesday, December 22) at all Comfort Supply locations for our holiday breakfast. We have biscuits and gravy, coffee and juice, etc. The breakfast is from 7 to 10 a.m.

See you there.

UPDATED: Check out the photos from the Nashville branch's breakfast, posted on our Facebook page.

The latest iteration of rankings by U.S. News & World Reports puts HVAC technicians on the list of "The 50 Best Careers of 2011." The Dec. 6 article explains that HVAC technicians are new to the list this year "largely because of [the field's] high expected job growth."

According to the experts and economists, our industry should expect to "increase by 86,600 jobs, or 28 percent, between 2008 and 2018."

In layman's terms: Business will be booming.

Read the full article here.

Happy (early) weekend everyone!

It case you missed this great article about Total HVAC and our Green Contractor Program, check it out here. The article was published on the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration NEWS Web site in October. If you would like to get involved in the program, learn more on our Web site.

Just respond to this post if you have any questions.

Back by popular demand, our Pick-A-Trip program began November 1 and will run through April 30, 2011.

Increase your Ruud equipment purchases by $15,000 or more over the same time period last year and win a vacation. It's that easy.

Are you a relatively small operation? This program is great for smaller contractors because even the lowest investment level earns your some fantastic trips. Spend four days aboard a Carnival or Norwegian cruise ship. Or, take your dream sports vacation, complete with two tickets to the NFL, MLB, MBA, NHL or NASCAR event of your choice.

Check out our Web site for the complete list of prize packages, and ask your Comfort Supply sales rep to explain the program's rules.

It's getting cold and dark outside, what better time to plan your summer 2011 vacation. Bahamas anyone?

The pace of business slows for HVAC contractors during the milder months of the fall, and in moderate climates like Middle Tennessee’s this can make for a couple of seemingly long months.

By offering service contracts, HVAC contractor customers can keep business coming in during the slower times of the year. If a customer has set up a service contract, they can schedule routine maintenance during the slow fall months and keep their crews busy.

Usually service contracts include priority treatment for customers and a discount for the homeowner when a repair needs to be done.

The homeowner benefits from having a clean, energy efficient HVAC system, and the contractor benefits from the steady income.

The best way to sell a service contract is to be honest – tell the homeowner that preventative maintenance cuts down on repair costs and can reduce their utility bills. Mention to them the full cost of repairs for a list of HVAC replacement parts if they were not covered by a service contract when the repairs needed to be done.

It is next to impossible to find someone whose life has not been somehow impacted by cancer. The Minnie Pearl Foundation, a non-profit headquartered in Nashville, aims to educate all adults on cancer prevention and serve as a resource for education, treatment and support. The work that they do there is truly inspiring. You can find more about the foundation here: www.minniepearl.org

Please help us to support the important work that they do:

Car Wash to Benefit the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation

Saturday, October 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hughes Supply Incorporated
1460 Ashland City Rd
Clarksville, TN
(931) 645-2539

100% of the proceeds from our car wash will be donated to the Minnie Pearl Foundation. Please come out and show your support in Clarksville this Saturday.

Ruud offers discounts of at least 25% on Protection Plus ESAs on systems installed during 2010. Visit https://www.protectionplusonline.com/ or call 877-276-4294 for details.

From Oct. 1 through the end of the year, contractors who buy selected Ruud systems will receive an instant rebate of up to $250. See your local Comfort Supply store for details.

More often than not, when a tech answers a service call, it will be a woman on the other side of the door. It is likely that the woman of the house will be responsible for household decisions and so you need to be prepared. Want to ensure that you’ll never hear from that customer again? Here are some tips for making women uncomfortable in their own homes.

DON’T identify yourself right away. I mean, the name of the company is on the truck, right? You’ve got a clipboard, what else do you need?

Of course handing her a business card and introducing yourself will put everyone at ease and let her know who will be in her house… but that’s not your problem, right?

DON’T be respectful. You’re the professional. She’s just a customer. She needs you way more than the other way around. Talk down to her. Let her know who’s really in charge and you’ll never have to come back there again.

Making eye contact, being polite and showing concern for the problem will only lead to repeat business and referrals. Who wants that?

DO use the hard sell. There is nothing quite like intimidation, double talk and pushing a customer to buy something that they don’t think they really need

And there’s nothing like it for killing repeat business, referrals and your professional reputation.

DO be dismissive of her input. She made the call to get you out here. Her job is done. Now step aside and let a professional tell her what the problem is.

She’s been living with this problem and her insights will make it easier to diagnose. Listening and asking questions will increase your understanding and make the fix go more quickly. But if you wanted an easy job, you wouldn’t have gotten into the HVAC business.

DON’T finish the job quickly and move on. Nothing will make her more uncomfortable than you sitting in your truck in front of her house waiting on your next service call. Hey, everyone needs a break.

Hanging around after the job is done will undermine her confidence in the work you did. Is he really done? Is there something wrong? Why is he still here? Having a stranger in your home creates stress. Having a stranger hanging out in front of your house can turn stress into anxiety.

DO burn your bridges. What do you care if you never see this person again? You’ve got your check and another service call to get to.

Cleaning up your mess, explaining to her what you did, demonstrating that the work is complete and thanking her for calling you? That’s for people looking for repeat business. You’re company is big enough already, right?

I received this message from the Heating Airconditioning Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI)

HARDI has created and launched a new website for the entire HVAC industry focused exclusively on securing an extension of the $1,500 25c residential tax credits before they expire at the end of this year. Below is the press release issued this evening about www.savehvacjobs.com . The website provides an easy-to-use tool for sending letters to your elected officials urging an extension of the tax credits, and HVAC companies are invited to show their support for extension by adding their company name or logo to the page. Soon you'll also be able to add testimonials of how the tax credits have helped your business employ or keep employed HVAC professionals. HARDI distributors are urged and encouraged to do the following as soon as possible to help lead the effort in getting these tax credits extended:

1. Go to www.savehvacjobs.com and use the simple tool to send letters to your representatives
2. Forward the website to your entire company so every employee is sending letters too
3. Forward the website to all contractor customers encouraging them to sign on and send letters
4. Forward the website to all vendors encouraging them to sign on and send letters
5. Promote and link to the website on your own company websites
6. Set weekly reminders to employees, customers, and vendors to send more letters
   

Industry-wide and national grassroots pressure will be the only way our industry has a chance of getting these tax credits extended before they expire. Use, promote, and re-use, and re-promote the website until we've gotten our extension!

For Immediate Release:
September 9, 2010
Contact: Talbot Gee
(614) 345-4328
tgee@hardinet.org

HARDI Launches Industry-Wide, National Effort to Extend $1,500 Tax Credits

Columbus, OH- Heating, Airconditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) launched today a new website, www.savehvacjobs.com. The new site is for the entire HVAC industry to use to promote and facilitate an nation-wide grassroots movement to extend the expiring 25c, $1,500 residential tax credits for the installation of high efficiency HVAC systems. From this new website, HVAC contractors, distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, and service providers can quickly and easily personalize a pre-drafted letter or compose their own letter to their federal legislators urging the immediate extension of these important tax credits before they expire at the end of 2010.

HVAC businesses can also send their company name or logo to join@savehvacjobs.com to show their support for 25c extension. “Our goal is to have a page with so many HVAC company names and logos on it that the page appears to scroll forever,” said HARDI’s Executive Vice President & COO, Donald Frendberg. “The idea started with Riley Sales, a distributor member outside Philadelphia, PA, who had created an online petition for their employees and contractor customers to sign and send to their representatives calling for a tax credit extension. It was such a fantastic idea that we asked if we should do something similar on a national level.”

HARDI is encouraging all of its over 400 U.S. distributor member companies to show their support on the site and more importantly to urge all of their thousands contractor customers to use the site several times a week until their representatives get these tax credits extended. “We know from many testimonials which we’ll start to post on this new website soon that many HVAC distributor jobs were in fact saved or created by the sales boost this tax credit provided,” stated HARDI Vice President, Talbot Gee. “We can only imagine the positive employment impact the tax credits have had on the tens of thousands of professional contractors out there, and of course the manufacturers of the qualifying equipment. We hope this provides the industry with a central portal for companies of all types to come together and speak as one massive and loud unified voice until we get these tax credits extended.”

HARDI has repeatedly expressed serious concerns of a regression in 2011 of the modest recovery experienced so far in 2010 if the $1,500 tax credits are not extended before they expire this December. “New units still aren’t flying off the shelf like we hoped despite the heat and the tax credits this year, but the mix of high-efficiency units being installed is keeping a lot of HVAC businesses going these days,” said Gee. “I don’t want to think about a 2011 without the benefit of these tax credits so we’re urging every HVAC business to do everything they can in the next three months to help us get these tax credits extended.”

The Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) represents more than 400 wholesale companies, more than 300 manufacturing associates and nearly 140 manufacturer representatives. HARDI members represent an estimated 85 percent of the dollar value of the HVACR products sold through distribution. # # #

Blevins Inc. and Comfort Supply recently sponsored the Blevins East Nashville Tomato 5K in support of the Tomato Arts Festival, the Margaret Maddox YWCA and Y-Cap. Blevins has called East Nashville home for nearly 40 years and we've seen this event grow from a small gathering supporting the local arts community into a major event.

We want to thank everyone who participated and look forward to seeing you all again next year.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in the HVAC industry, then you know that there is a lot of competition out there for customers. Successful companies are the ones who build solid relationships with their customers and therefore get, not only repeat business, but also referrals to neighbors and friends.

There is nothing in the world as effective at building your business than having customers recommend you to people they know. Word-of-mouth is king. But there is more to it than just asking your customers to recommend you to their friends. Here are some tips on establishing a word-of-mouth campaign.

Earn it.
First and foremost, you should earn that referral. That means providing stellar service: being on time for appointments, resolving issues quickly and communicating effectively with your customer.

What’s in it for me?
There is an old saying in marketing: A customer who has a good experience may tell one person, but a customer who has a bad one will tell a dozen. You can reverse that axiom by providing incentives to your customers for referrals. Maybe it’s cash, movie tickets or a discount on an upcoming service call. If you give your customers a reason to tell their friends about your business, you’ll see better results.

It’s not just words
To truly implement a word-of-mouth campaign, you’ll need a way to track referrals back to their source. For example, if your business card has a place for your customer to sign his name before passing it along to a friend, you can easily figure out whom to thank for the extra business.

Follow up
No matter what incentive you use to get your customers talking about your business, you can extend that good feeling with a simple follow up. Let your referring customers know you appreciate their efforts – a phone call or a card will give them an extra push to keep the word-of-mouth going.

Comfort Supply received communication from Ruud about a technical issue involving “N” coils with “C” TEV. Ruud has received reports that some of these valves are sticking in the open position and as a result, will be replacing the defective parts in our inventory. For those who have already installed a defective TEV, Ruud has implemented a $300 labor/material allowance for replacing them within the first year. The affected TEVs are any “N-design” indoor R-410A coil with the letter C as the 12^th character in the part number. Example: RCFL-HM4824CC.

We at Comfort Supply apologize for any problems associated with this quality issue and would like to offer these special promotions for our customers to thank you for your continued loyalty.

Also, Comfort Supply will host a free Samsung product training class, 8-11 a.m., August 25th at the Lane Motor Museum, 702 Murfreesboro Pike, in Nashville. Please call Crissy at 244-0920 to reserve your spot.

I wanted to let everyone know about another financing option available for contractors. It’s called the Wells Fargo Home Projects Visa Program. Here is what it takes to qualify:

Your company must:

• Have $1 million in sales.
• Have been in business for at least two years.
• Have experience selling financing solutions.
• Agree to send $100,000 in business to Wells Fargo in the first year.

You can get details by calling 1 (800) 694-0259 and speaking to a representative.

The Nashville Business Journal published a story announcing that Metro has issued 2,100 permits for the rebuilding of homes damaged in the recent flooding. This means more business for contractors, which is great.

However, contractors looking to pick up some new business, should take care not to get overexposed financially.

Take steps to protect yourself and your business when dealing with flood recovery.

HVAC contractors are seeing an up tick in business as homeowners look to repair or replace flood-damaged HVAC units. However, contractors should take special care not to get overexposed financially during this phase of recovery.

We’ve heard from contractors who installed a new HVAC system on the promise of an insurance settlement that never appeared, or they started an installation on a house only to find out it was going to be razed. These are just a couple of examples of how HVAC contractors may not get paid when dealing with flood recovery situations.

Contractors should work on a “payment-on-delivery” basis for the immediate future in order to protect themselves from fraud or misinformation.

Everyone is scrambling to take care of more business during the recovery. As a result, contactors may compromise with a homeowner on payment terms in order to get the job, but it is also easy to get stuck with a bill if there is something wrong with the insurance settlement. Unless you personally know and trust who you are dealing with, your best bet is payment up front.

We also recommend checking with the local code inspectors to see if homes in the area are scheduled for demolition or if the homeowner has had an inspection of the property.

Occasionally a homeowner may find out that it will cost too much to bring an older property up to code or that the damage is too extensive to rebuild. You don’t want to be in the middle of installing a new unit on a house that’s going to be razed in a few weeks.

WKRN, the local ABC affiliate, ran a segment last night on the importance of replacing flood-damaged HVAC units. The reporter interviewed Comfort Supply customer Eloy Saban of Temp Control LLC.

Check it out.