< Previous20 MAY 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Full contest details can be found here: ncilink.com/HPPADetails . The entry deadline is June 1, 2020 . So please take advantage of this oppor- tunity and enter your project. If interested in participating, please click here (ncil- ink.com/projectawards ) and fill out a brief survey. Once done, we will reach out to you so you can take the next step. We look forward to seeing some amazing entries. If you have any ques- tions, please contact Mike Weil at mikew@ncihvac.com. NCI Offers Distance Learning During these trying times of social iso- lation, NCI has been hard at work to cre- ate a whole new Distance Learning pro- gram. You can now send your team for training without them having to leave the house! NCI offers several types of classes in this program, all of which count toward NATE continuing education credits. The two types of classes NCI offers are Self-directed and Live-online. Self-directed class. This is current- ly our exclusive Airflow Testing & Di- agnostics Online. It has approximately eight hours of comprehensive training available to you 24/7/365. Check out the Airflow Testing and Diagnostics course, for example, by clicking ncilink.com/SelfDirected. Live, Online classes are broken into two half-day sections. For example, our Residential Air-side Online, Commer- cial Air-side Online, and CO Recertifi- cation classes each consist of two four- hour blocks of training with 10-minute breaks every hour. Important Note: To participate in NCI Online recertification classes, you must al- ready be NCI certified. As a member, you qualify for a discount on this training, and you can apply NCI Bucks, or earn them. Furthermore, NCI now offers its new Explore HVAC Field Performance (ncilink.com/HVACFieldPerfOnline) class in the Live, Online category as well. For more information on exactly what Distance Learning Courses are available to you, just call the NCI Customer Care Help Line at 800-633-7058. Your May PowerPack Is Here! Membership has its privileges. One of the great things about your PowerPack is that each one includes items curated just for members to help you as you grow your High-Performance HVAC business. Some of the tools in- cluded each month may not be normally accessi- ble with your member- ship subscription pack- age. However, you will be able to access these tools through this PowerPack portal during the current month. So, without further ado, let’s drill down and see what’s included in the May 2020 PowerPack, which focuses on preparing for the cooling season: ▲ How To Perform a ComfortMaxx™ Quick Test (Webinar) ▲ NCI Generic Cooling Capacity Table (Download) ▲ Performance Tune-Up Postcard (Download) ▲ ComfortMaxx Field Data Collection Report for Residential Split System (Download) ▲ The Curse of Hot Weather (Article). Be sure to share your May PowerPack with your entire team! So get started today: Go to http://ncilink.com/PwrPak to download. If you have any questions, or if you are unable to access any of the tools in this program, please contact your Customer Care team at 800-633-7058. HIGH-PERFORMANCE PROJECT AWARD Have You Entered Your Project Yet? NCI MEMBER UPDATE We are still accepting entries for our inaugural recognition program for High-Performance project excellence. We call this our High-Performance HVAC Project Award . The idea is to recognize contractors who do it all – test, mea- sure, diagnose, and resolve residential customer comfort and efficiency issues using the Performance-Based Contract- ing™ methods taught by NCI. Read the High-Performance HVAC Today Editor-in-Chief’s February Today’s Word editorial for more details. Go to ncilink.com/0220TodaysWord.MAY 2020 21HVACTODAY.COM HVAC SMART MART Advertiser Index HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC TODAY TM AD INDEX To Subscribe to High-Performance HVAC Today: ONLINE: Visit HVACToday.com/subscribe for a FREE digital subscription. PRINT: 1 year/$72; single copy $7. Canada: 1 year/$92; single copy $9. Payable in advance with U.S. funds. Prepaid subscriptions may be sent to: High-Performance HVAC Today, PO Box 147, Avon Lake, OH 44012. Phone: 440-949-1850; toll free 800-633-7058; Fax: 440-949-1851, or visit HVACToday.com/subscribe to order online. Publisher Dominick Guarino Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Mike Weil Art Director Connie Conklin Online Development Director Brian Roseman Circulation Manager Andrea Begany- Garsed Editorial Assistant Marge Smith Email us at contactus@hvactoday.com with your comments and questions. Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc. | www.arzelzoning.com ....................................................... 8 Baker Distributing Company | www.BakerDist.com ........................................................... 12 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ....................................................................................... 9 Dwyer Instruments, Inc. | www.dwyer-inst.com .................................................................. 23 Goodman Manufacturing | www.GoodmanMfg.com ......................................................... 2 Lazco Corp. | www.LazcoCorp.com ............................................................................................ 18 Online-Access, Inc. | www.hvacwebsites.com ....................................................................... 5 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com .......................................................................... 17 The New Flat Rate | www.TheNewFlatRate.com ................................................................ 21 To Your Success | ToYourSuccess.com ...................................................................................... 21 TSI Incorporated | www.TSI.com ................................................................................................ 15 United Refrigeration Inc. | www.uri.com ................................................................................. 1922 MAY 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY VIRTUAL SALES CALLS “No contact” estimates are being advertised all around us from many industries including HVAC. Have you implemented a “Virtual Sales Call” approach? The technology is pretty simple, with free and low-cost applications like Zoom, Skype, and GoToMeeting. What’s most import- ant is having a script and written processes for how to conduct your virtual sales calls, along with the “Low Contact” visits needed to take measurements, and test, and assess system op- erating conditions. Your customer can certainly send images from their smart device, giving you a peek at their equipment, possibly even the ductwork - if it’s easily accessible. But in truth, there is nothing like actually being in the space. Also, it may be difficult or even dangerous to send your customer into an attic or crawl space. And remember, a sales call without static pres- sures and temperature testing could easily miss key issues with the customer’s existing system. LOW CONTACT SERVICE CALLS AND REMOTE MONITORING You’ll want to have processes in place to mini- mize customer contact during service calls. This includes initial virtual diagnostics with video- conferencing, and making sure that during the service call the customer not be in the same room as your technician. It’s important to relay to your customers the importance of not skipping their scheduled main- tenance as well. By putting off a fairly quick and painless maintenance visit, they could actually cause a much more expensive and “higher con- tact” emergency repair call. The “New Normal” may also be an opportuni- ty to make remote monitoring part of your offer- ings. By remotely monitoring key performance measurements you are able to see potential breakdown issues and/or performance degrada- tion without in-person visits. O ur world as we know it may never be the same. All of our lives have changed sig- nificantly in 2020. We hear the phrase, ”The New Normal” a lot these days. But what does that really mean, and how does it impact our industry, and most importantly, your business? As we continue to navigate these uncertain wa- ters, and look to the future, we must prepare for a “no longer business as usual” environment. HVAC companies that are proactive will present customers with new approaches and services that are respon- sive to where we are today. Even after stay-at-home orders are lifted, there will be a lot of uncertainty about letting outsiders into our homes for many months ahead. The key is to communicate your safety protocols, and how your employees are well-trained to help ensure customer safety. You need consistent messaging regarding the im- portance about caring for your customers’ and em- ployees’ safety. This consistency should be on your website, in your direct marketing, and in all your customer interactions. PPE: THE NEW NORM We need to rethink the way we interface with our customers. Even as shelter-in-place rules begin to loosen and the economy opens up again, as a soci- ety, we all will have to recalibrate how we interact with each other. For HVAC service and replacement compa- nies this means making PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) a part of how we do business. You’ll want to make sure your field people are trained on proper use of PPE, and you keep your trucks stocked with masks, gloves, and various cleaning products. This is key to reassuring your customers that you won’t introduce potential contaminants into their home. Once in the home, your employee should explain what he or she will be doing, and how they will help ensure any surfaces they touch are cleaned and sanitized. Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at domg@ncihvac.com ONE MORE THING... By Dominick Guarino Doing Business In The New Normal Next >