Even homeowners can access these capabilities. The entire Internet of Things phenomenon continues to change the HVAC Industry. As contractors, it certainly behooves you to stay abreast of this technology and find ways to take advantage of the opportunities it provides.

HVAC As a Service

This sounds goofy, right? Of course, most residential HVAC contractors offer service to their customers. This is something different.
HVAC as a Service is a different approach to selling and installing HVAC equipment. With normal HVAC services, the homeowner purchases and owns the equipment, which the HVAC business installs and maintains.

With HVACaaS (HVAC As a Service), the HVAC business maintains ownership of the equipment and the homeowner pays a monthly subscription for the business to service and maintain it — largely through connected devices and the cloud.

This approach has been working in the manufacturing community for years and is only beginning to work its way into the residential HVAC arena. It can be a win-win: HVAC businesses get more predictable revenue streams and customers experience the satisfaction and cost savings of maintenance and efficient service.

Workforce Issues

The HVAC Industry continues to suffer, along with most other industries, from labor shortages that impact a company’s ability to handle the increase in consumer demand. In an article by Dr. Charles Allgood of Chemours Company, the current U.S. HVAC workforce is only a third of what it needs to be to meet demand, “threatening operations of businesses of all sizes.

“This, combined with new technologies, including A2L refrigerants that require special safe handling considerations, means companies must place an even higher priority on training.”

He adds that “The crews in the field today need to be proficient in working with HFCs, HFOs, A2Ls, and possibly even older legacy refrigerants that are “hanging on” in some applications.”

Read this article by David Holt of National Comfort Institute that discusses the important role of training.

Competition and Marketing Moves

Competition inside and outside the HVAC Industry is nothing new. Yet contractors generally don’t make good use of marketing communications to explain what makes their company unique to potential customers.

Sure, most contractors make use of the avenues provided by digital communications – social media, email, digital video, and texting. But most of the time these efforts are used for initial contact and not used enough for setting appointments, generating future business, and keeping their brands top-of-mind.

Marketing veteran Kristen McCormick, of Hatch (a web-based marketing organization for targeting leads, prospects, or existing customers), says that consumers today prefer digital communications over the phone. And that’s not just for initial contact, but also for appointment confirmations and bill pay.

Don’t Sit by the Sidelines

She adds that the U.S. HVAC Industry should continue growing through 2026, which means that competition will also continue growing. Contractors should take every opportunity to optimize sales AND marketing strategies to keep their competitive advantages. Such efforts should be their top priorities.

Her advice: “Invest at least seven to 10% of your revenue into sales and marketing strategies and tools like online advertising, SEO, listings, lead aggregators, CRMs/FSMs (Customer Relationship Management/Field Service Management), as well as sales training and business coaching.

“Invest is the word here. When done right, none of the money you spend on marketing is wasted. In fact, the average cost per lead for HVAC marketing on Google is $62 — and with jobs earning you thousands of dollars, the ROI is undeniable.”

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