A Letter from the President
![]() For those that don’t know, I am Mike Tucker, from Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. I am proud to continue my work with our Board for a second year. We continue to strive to keep our association moving forward as a great resource to our member companies and their employees.
We have a great line up of events for this year. It’s not too late to join us next week for HVAC on Tap on March 13th in Silver Spring. This is a fun members social event where you will have the opportunity to network with other business owners and suppliers. Members please come as our guest! In a few weeks, on April 3rd we have a Meet the Inspectors of VA event sponsored by Washington Gas in Springfield that will include a tour of Pipetown, a meal and an opportunity to sit down with inspectors from many of the VA jurisdictions to discuss codes and their interpretations. In the Fall we are working on a Meet the Inspectors of MD event and due to popular demand are having the Heat Exchanger Seminar again this year. Both dates will be announced soon! Make sure to save the date of September 13th for our Annual Golf Tournament! Registration will open soon! I look forward to working with you this year. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, would like to make any suggestions or to inquire how you can help your association. Thank you,
Mike Tucker
AACP, President
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Tweet it, Post it, Share it: Why HVAC Contractors Should Develop Online Social Profiles
By Shawn Whiteley Gone are the days of one-way communication from the contractor to the prospective customer. In today’s digitally native society, social media provides an impactful and engaging platform that enables businesses to interact directly with customers. Through social media engagement HVAC contractors can increase new client referrals, customer loyalty, website traffic, and more. As a contractor, your reputation is an invaluable asset. What
homeowners say about your HVAC business matters, and that’s especially
true when it comes to what customers are saying on social media. Here
are four reasons why you should develop a social media presence to
support customer service. BE WHERE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ISAlmost anyone can create a social media account on one of the many
platforms. The most value comes when you customize your content for to
fit the platform and by doing do, better serve your consumer base. At
American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, our Facebook business
page was created as a digital community for current and potential
customers. Facebook has the power to reach a wider demographic of
homeowners interested in HVAC. Instagram and YouTube pages tell your
business story visually when posting photo and video content that’s
easily digestible. Customize your social channels to provide the best
resources, tools, links, and content to your followers, and prove
yourself as the industry authority for your area. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH RESPONSESOnce your social media channels are established, it’s important to
respond rapidly and relevantly. A study by the Northridge Group found
that 42 percent of people expect a company to respond to social media
requests on the same day. Nowadays, social media is preferred for
product questions and complaints over calling a customer service rep.
Facebook has a messenger feature, which allows you to communicate
directly with potential customers who want to speak with you. Also
respond to any negative reviews on Google because oftentimes there is a
misunderstanding or an unhappy customer who needs recognition. CREATE COMPELLING CONTENT FOR YOUR FOLLOWERSUsing a third–party to create content for your social media platforms
is a good investment if you’re not social media savvy. I have seen
contractors find success on social media when they post generic,
educational and personal testaments using homeowners’ photos (with their
permission, of course.) Mixing up the content with photos, HVAC guides,
contests, relevant news in the industry and internal links to your site
can help you test which types of content have the highest level of
engagement and conversions. SHARE HELPFUL TIPS AND TRICKSSharing DIY tips and tricks with your followers is a great way to engage them with new and easy- to-follow information while positioning your brand as an expert in the space. When there is something a homeowner can’t do, like an annual maintenance check, they’ll call you because you’re the expert who has been educating them along the way through social media. By making the most of your social media channels, and employing these
social media insights, you can expand your business’ digital presence
and help your brand build and maintain customer satisfaction. | About the Author
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Three Ways to Turn a New Customer into a Returning Customer
By Rodney Koop My favorite customer is not the new customer, as strange as that may sound, but I can’t have my favorite customer without first getting a new customer. So, let’s say I have a new customer, they called for service, and our technician did a jam-up job and really impressed them. They were also impressed with our company, and even signed up for a service agreement or maintenance plan. That’s the goal, right? Attract them, book them, impress them, sign them, and keep them. But wait, there’s more. Let me run down the list of my customers and see if you can guess which one is my favorite:
No. 6I already told you that my favorite customer is not the new customer, so No. 1 is out. Let’s start with No. 6: the customer calling for a quote or a bid on new equipment or repair work. This could become a good customer, but what is your closing rate with people calling for quotes? I don’t get very excited about this call. No. 5The caller with desperate needs who may need time to pay. This can be tough. You want to serve people, and you have probably been charitable many times in your career. You ask yourself, “Do I want to just give them some free service today?” or “Do I want to be charitable to my competitors?” There is something to be said about giving work to your competitors. At times, we actually give away more work than we take. Crazy, huh? When it comes to prioritizing work, No. 5 is dead last. You have to remember that the CEO’s job is to protect and maximize profit. You don’t do that by working for those who can’t pay, no matter how desperate they are. Your competitors need work; feed them. No. 4The established, long-term client. We love them. They love us. We will take care of them without question. But remember, they love us. So, if we are busy taking on the highest priority customers, we can simply ask them for a little time, and they are happy to oblige. Are they important? Of course! But there is a bigger fish to fry right now. No. 3The first-time-returning customer is my top-priority customer today. The best use of my time is to serve this customer as wonderfully as, or better than, we did the first time. The reason is quite obvious when you think about it. This customer was impressed, and maybe even amazed the first time they called you. Your company treated them with respect, compassion, and empathy, responded quickly, provided several high-quality options, did excellent work, and made a wonderful impression. There is one way for them to find out the truth: giving you one more chance. This is your last chance to do a second great job. The first impression doesn’t buy you a third. It will buy you a second, but nothing rips apart relationships like heartbreak, and the most heartbreaking thing your company can do is disappoint a previously impressed customer. It’s like getting a second date with the most wonderful girl in school and finding out later she told everyone you had bad breath. Nothing hurts like putting your feelings out there and having them trashed. Was that melodramatic? Yes, I want it to be. I want for you to see that this customer will be a lifelong supporter, will tell everyone how wonderful you are, and will become a No. 4, established, long-term customer if you just pass this test today. This is a goodnight kiss that can take you all the way to going steady. Watch for this customer; listen for the ring of their call. Tell everyone on the team to listen for their voice. And wow them. No. 2The service agreement customer. This customer is important, but I’m going to give you my favorite rule for service agreements: Never sell a service agreement to anyone who can’t be as loyal to you as you are to them. In my market, this means someone has to have two or more HVAC units to qualify for a service agreement, because our agreements promise that we will give preferred treatment. If I have to give preferred treatment to a service agreement customer, I don’t want it to get in the way of wowing that first-time-returning customer. Here’s how this plays out. “Mr. Customer, I’m so sorry your heating is not working. Is it upstairs or downstairs?” Customer says, “Upstairs.” “Mr. Customer, we are going to try our best to get there today, but if we can’t, will someone be home tomorrow?” Now, before you get all excited about me not keeping my promise, wait until you see what this customer says. “Oh, we know you’re busy. We’ll be home Friday. If you can come out then, we’ll get by.” What did they do? They showed loyalty to you, so you can take on those new customers now and get to the service agreement customer on Friday. But you did not know that until you asked. If they had answered, “We really need it today because we are having company tonight,” then what would I say? “Don’t worry, Mr. Customer. I’ll be sure to get someone out there even if I have to come myself.” So, what are the three ways to turn a new customer into a returning customer?
So, know your favorite customer and cater to them. |
Specializing Your Service for Customers with Spring Allergies
By Joe Linsenmeyer Your aim is to keep your customers comfortable in their homes. While a well-tuned HVAC system will successfully monitor and adjust the home’s temperature as needed, there’s more to take into consideration when it comes to indoor air quality (IAQ.) With spring approaching, how can you specialize your service for customers with seasonal allergies? Customers with a severe allergy or asthma concerns may broach the subject on their own, but the majority are likely unaware of the impact that the upkeep of their HVAC systems takes on their seasonal symptoms. Whether or not there’s already an air purifier, dehumidifier or high-quality filters in place, annual maintenance appointments set at the beginning of spring represent a great opportunity to talk IAQ with your customers. Here’s our three-part checklist for servicing a home where allergy and asthma concerns are key:
Tips for businesses in colder climatesWhen the snow melts and warmer temperatures return, spring cleaning will begin. If your customers are booking their annual HVAC maintenance appointments within this timeframe, they’ll like appreciate the reminder that they can dust their registers and return vents before the appointment to get a head start on eliminating allergens. Otherwise, recommending HEPA filters will be key. Customers aren’t likely to understand why their investment in a filter with a higher MERV rating is worth it, so your counsel here will be appreciated. Ask customers about allergy or asthma concerns before the appointment, and bring samples of each filter option to help them understand your recommended approach. Tips for businesses in warmer climatesWithout the major shifts in temperature, it’s easier for your clients’ allergy or asthma symptoms to sneak up on them. You can always consider a seasonal or annual check-in that reminds loyal customers that regular maintenance and cleaning of the HVAC system will prevent the onset of any issues. But the true culprit in these climates is humidity. In warm weather climates, it’s a great idea to recommend a whole-home dehumidifier. Thinking through your customers’ ultimate indoor experience will simply lead to better reviews and more business, so considering seasonal sensitivities and air quality preferences like these will keep you a step ahead. | About the Author
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Why Customers Want to Give You Referrals - and Why They Won'tBy Adams Hudson There’s no better way to gain customers than through your customers’ referrals. A customer’s personal recommendation adds strength to your marketing program that money can’t buy.
Your customer may also respond to the incentives you offer, such as a $25 discount on their new system for each name offered.
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