Training came to the rescue here too. Shelton says one of his outside consultant groups helped with their hiring and firing practices training, ‘without which,’ he says, ‘this would have been a much bigger problem for us.’

That training included testing potential new employees. He says these personality tests help determine what motivates candidates as well as how trainable they are.

Shelton says this process took a long time. ‘We finally achieved the balance of the right people in the right positions just this year,’ he says.

‘Today, 100% of our technicians do static pressure testing as a routine part of our service and maintenance calls.’

High-Performance Winners

‘For us,’ Shelton says, ‘The performance-based approach has dramatically improved our profits. If it wasn’t for the ongoing training we get through NCI and other partners, we would not be successful today.

‘I think it’s safe to say the program we now have in place helps set us apart in the market, increases our profits, and, hopefully, fuels our future growth.

‘Furthermore, I think the real secret to success in the HVAC industry is the amount of training you get. I like to think if a tech works for my company, they get the right ongoing training that makes them valuable employees here at Absolute Comfort or anywhere else they may choose to go.’

‘There is no doubt how proud I am that Absolute Comfort has trained a lot of people, some of whom went on to open their own businesses. This is good for my company, for the tech, for our customers, and ultimately for the entire industry.’

For these and many more reasons, High-Performance HVAC Today magazine has chosen to focus our spotlight on Absolute Comfort Air Conditioning of Houston, TX. Congratulations to Mark Shelton and his entire team.