In Parts 1 and 2 of this series on the “Young Guns of HVAC,” The NEWS looked at reasons why some of the up-and-coming stars of the trade have been attracted to the business and why they stay. But is the future bright for other young people coming into the trade?
The best techs combine good mechanical skills with good
people skills. It isn’t always easy to find these kinds of people, which is
probably why contractors have been known for doing some pretty creative things
to acquire the best talent - like stealing them from their competitors.
Step aside McDonalds, slow down Subway, don’t close that deal yet Century 21; there’s a new franchisor on the block and it has moved past everyone to claim top spot on the Franchise Times’ annual “Fast 55” list of fastest growing franchises.
Steve
Coscia said there is definitely a correlation between customer retention and
proactive customer service behavior. The speaker at the National Association of
Oil Heat Service Managers’ (NAOHSM) annual meeting in Hershey, Pa., had a
decades-old study to back up his statement.
This is the second of a three-part series examining young
HVAC contractors and managers. Part one, “Young Contractors Take Aim at HVAC
Future,” is the cover story in this issue.
There are many more competitors out there for career-minded
young people and the HVAC trade needs to replenish and refresh with a youthful
face - or face some serious challenges. With that in mind, The
NEWS set out to find some of the bright young guns of HVAC and ask
what makes the trade so special to them.
Keeping business expenses to manageable levels can be very trying, for financial and time-saving reasons. That’s why HVAC contractors try and find the most cost-effective and time-efficient operations to streamline their businesses and increase bottom-line profitability.
If
you choose to ignore your customers because you are ball-and-chained to a chain
of command process, or if you simply choose to not deviate from your daily
routines, you will probably be richly rewarded with fewer customers and
declining profits.
It’s not unusual to see strategic alliances between HVAC equipment manufacturers and HVAC contractor groups. In keeping with this important trend, HVAC manufacturer Nordyne recently announced its partnership with Nexstar™ Inc., a membership organization of HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors.
It’s been seven years since Trane and Home Depot announced
their agreement featuring Home Depot as a sales lead generator for local Trane
dealers. One company that has reported a positive relationship has been Burgess
Heating & Air Inc., Safety Harbor, Fla.