HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ hvactoday.comMAY 2021 How Cloud-Based ComfortMaxx™ Helps Customers Understand System Health Service Management Systems and the Cloud: Be Sure to Do Your Due Diligence Social Media Marketing is About Relationship Building ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: CLOUD-BASED ServiceMAY 2021 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 5 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC TODAY TM SERVICE MANAGEMENT: Service Management Systems: Be Sure to Do Your Due Diligence Is it time to upgrade your company’s service management system? Should you consider cloud technology? Here are some tips on what to look for. SERVICE MANAGEMENT: How ComfortMaxx™ Helps Customers Understand HVAC System Health Testing, measuring, and scoring HVAC system performance using cloud-based technology shows customers what is hap- pening in their homes. MARKETING: Marketing System Performance is about Building Relationships Contractor Daniel Squires shares his experience using social media to market his High-Performance HVAC Contracting™ company. 16 14 9 DEPARTMENTS MAY 2021 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Products .............................................................5 Contractor Spotlight: Where Are They Today? .........................6 Member Update ...............................................................................19 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................20 Ad Index ................................................................................................21 One More Thing ................................................................................22HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY4 May 2021 some challenges such as data gravity (ncilink. com/DataGravity), security, compliance with regulations, cost management, and the need for organizational change. For example, if you are moving from an older business management system to a newer cloud- based approach, you must think about protecting your legacy data and transferring it smoothly to the new system. That means you need a plan, and you may need some outside help. THE HELP YOU MAY NEED Cloud-based systems provided by vendors like FieldEdge and others offer that help. They can provide the ability to order, setup, and implement business and service management systems in less time and with fewer headaches than in the past. IN THIS ISSUE With that in mind, in this issue, we focus on cloud technologies that can benefit your business. For example, take a look at David Richard- son’s article on the ComfortMaxx™ data collec- tions system for High-Performance contracting companies (ncilink.com/CM-DR). Also, read our story from FieldEdge on how to find and implement a service management system that uses cloud tech (ncilink.com/Fieldedge). And though not directly related to the cloud, Daniel Squires of Vincent’s Heating and Plumb- ing shows how he successfully uses social media to market his high-performance contracting ser- vices (ncilink.com/SM-VHP). Does your company soar on the wings of the cloud? If not, maybe it’s time to think about how taking advantage of the cloud can bene- fit your company and further your success as you travel along the path to High-Performance HVAC Contracting. I f there is one lesson learned from 2020, it was the importance of having solid Internet con- nections and cloud computing ability. Cloud Computing? This is the short name for web-en- abled computing services and it has taken flight. Cloud technology certainly existed prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic — but it became front and center for everything from managing our chil- dren’s educations to ordering food, and collecting technical data on consumer HVAC systems. For those of us in the HVAC Industry, this isn’t something we talk about every day. But it is a key part of our lives, both personally and profession- ally. You see, our world turns based on data, its retrieval, storage, and use. CONSUMER VS. PROFESSIONAL CLOUD The consumer cloud universe includes services like DropBox ™ , iCloud ™ , Google Cloud ™ , One- Drive™, and others. These virtual hard drives are accessible anywhere, any time, and from any place. HVAC contractors can also access their man- agement data in a similar way. Depending on what platform you use to manage your compa- ny, you and your field operatives have access to customer history, equipment lists, and service history. You can also retrieve lead tracking, sys- tem testing, and measurement data, and so much more — all from any computing device. Cloud-based systems help you streamline work- flows, both in the office and the field. Some say they can even help enforce best practices, which is important in the world of High-Performance HVAC Contracting™. CLOUD CONSIDERATIONS Cloud computing also provides speed, agili- ty, and cost savings — but to realize its full value, especially in the HVAC trades, requires solving Is Your Company Soaring on the Wings of the Internet Cloud? TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink.com/ContactMe.HVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 5 report that shows customers what is really happening with their HVAC system -- including their ductwork. ComfortMaxx enables us to do a comparison of their system before we work on it and after we are done. The numbers don’t lie. We use ComfortMaxx as a diagnostics and verification tool as well as for lead generation and sales. In a way, this software is also a cus- tomer retention tool. Once a client goes through our process, then sees the re- port, they trust we know what we are doing. They almost always come back to us for more projects. I strongly recommend that High-Per- formance Contractors give it a try. You need to be trained and certified by NCI, but after that, it is an inexpensive way to set your competition back on its heels. I’ve even used it to help industry friends solve problems. I always tell them to con- sider using it themselves, to get the train- ing, and I also tell them to call me if they have any questions. I absolutely love this software and consider it one of the best benefits of NCI membership. To learn more about ComfortMaxx go to ncilink.com/CMaxx . -- Will Horner, Canco ClimateCare, New- market, Ontario, Canada. ComfortMaxx™ Brings the Invisible to Light! Do you want to streamline your testing and diagnostic processes? What about simultaneously generating more sales leads and more sales closings? Then you should consider using National Comfort Institute’s (NCI) ComfortMaxx™ cloud- based software. Here at Canco ClimateCare, we jumped onto the ComfortMaxx software five or six years ago. I immediately saw the value in it. Simply stated, ComfortMaxx is an easy way to show customers what they can’t see. The software provides a cloud-based space to record our system testing mea- surements. It also does all the calcula- tions and creates a consumer-friendly HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT6 May 2021HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT By Mike Weil Past Spotlights: Then and Now Changes and Challenges Overcome E ach month, National Comfort Institute (NCI) shines a spot- light on contractor members who lead the way in imple- menting High-Performance HVAC Contracting™. This tradition began in 2011, and the stories appeared in NCI’s monthly member email newsletter. Over the years, these stories of perse- verance, culture-changing challenges, and continuous improvements that go well beyond HVAC Industry standards brought to light the success (and yes, failures) of more than 60 companies. Since those early days, the sto- ries migrated from the newsletter to the pages of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine. This month, we reached out to some of our past “spotlight contrac- tors” to see where they are today. Be- cause space is limited here, we can only tell the stories of three such contracting firms. In the future, we plan to revisit others who’ve made the choice and investment to join the Path of High Performance. PIPPIN BROTHERS In 2015, Pippin Brothers, Inc. of Lawton, OK was “spotlighted” in NCI’s Peak Performance email news- letter. Mark Pippin explained in that story that he’d been “blazing the trail” to performance-based service since attending a talk by Dominick Guarino, in 2000. Long story short, that initial meeting led Pippin to join NCI sometime after- ward. He was one of the earliest mem- bers of NCI. At the time of the 2015 pro- file, his focus was on getting his team trained in the testing, measuring, and selling of HVAC system renovations. Back then, Pippin told us that NCI’s performance-based contracting program changed the way his company did business, and over the subse- quent years, they’ve continued to learn, evolve, and hone their skills. Fast forward to 2020, and the world is on standby as the most significant healthcare crisis since 1917 sweeps the country. Not surprisingly, the pan- demic touched Pippin Brothers. “Though COVID did impact our business overall, it was not the main reason my air conditioning division suffered in 2020,” he explains. “Over the years, we struggled with our tech- nicians about doing performance testing on every system they en- countered in the field. Some of them downright refused to do it. So in the Spring of 2020, I decided to push the restart button. “I started over from scratch. I re- duced the size of the air condition- ing division from two salespeople and four installation crews to just one sales person and two install crews. So my air conditioning business shrunk a little since 2015.” Pippin adds that today, his smaller field technical team consists of young- er people who have great dispositions and are hungry to learn. “We put them all through NCI per- formance training. And we did a lot of our own training too. I did all of this because I know it’s the right thing to do. Even though I make high demands on my tech teams to measure and test on every call, I don’t put a time limit on each job. For me, it’s not about the number of jobs. It’s about quality. It’s about doing what’s right for custom- ers. Sure, I don’t want techs tied up all day on just one job. I want them to do the work right the first time, and that is what High-Performance Contract- ing is all about.” By the way, Pippin adds that the plumbing division never lost a beat last year and continues growing to this day. ALL PRO PLUMBING, HEATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING In January 2017, All Pro Plumb- ing, Heating, and Air Conditioning of Ontario, California, was the Con- tractor Spotlight in NCI’s member news- letter. The story fo- cused on how their HVAC division refo- cused its mission on a high-performance approach because, Mark Pippin Mike GreanyMay 2021 7HVACTODAY.COM as Service Manager Mike Greany said back then, ‘service performance is the future of the HVAC Industry.” Back then, All Pro had 60 employ- ees and achieved gross revenues of around $10 million. The HVAC divi- sion was responsible for nearly 2.5 million of that revenue. At the time, the company was a relatively new NCI member, but that membership, ac- cording to Greany had already paid off in many ways. He said that not only did the High-Performance training his team received put them light years ahead of their competition, but he also said that networking with other mem- bers of the organization was priceless. Today, Greany says the company is “so much farther along than we were in 2017. We did take a short step back- ward in March 2020 with COVID, fall- ing off the Performance Path and re- sorting to selling boxes. “However, we did get back onto plan and increased our air upgrade busi- ness on the service side. Now we are shooting for generating revenues of $20,000 per month in air upgrades for 2021,” he says. Since 2017, Greany says the most significant obstacle they still face con- tinues to be the culture of change, es- pecially in their sales division. Last year, the company changed from fielding “selling technicians” to using comfort consultants, which he says led from a mindset of this is how we’ve always done it to a more con- sultative approach. He says, “We made the most prog- ress by including our office staff, man- agement team, and all our techs in NCI training courses. We will make far better progress by discussing and talking about performance in all con- versations in the shop. “We collect data on every system we touch and really began using the AirMaxx™ lite app. As an industry, we need to find better ways to share this information with consumers to help educate them on what is going on with the comfort systems.” ENERGY SAVERS In the March 2017 newsletter, our contractor spotlight was on Energy Savers of Georgia, Inc., Columbus, GA. The profile high- lighted how, from the very beginning, this company was found- ed to be different, to be committed to of- fering first-class cus- tomer care at af- fordable prices. The company came into being during the height of the American Energy Crisis in 1977 and focused on helping cus- tomers save energy. They dove into converting air conditioning systems from six to 10 SEER (top-of-the-line back then). From the beginning, Energy Sav- ers focused on residential change-outs – service was the proverbial neces- sary evil. However, that attitude didn’t last. By putting much of their manage- ment energy into training, they created a team of professionals who provided top-notch service and could prove they were delivering what they promised. This stemmed from their affiliation with NCI. It’s what led the company to refocus culturally so they could deliv- er high-performance HVAC systems to their customers. This mission has not changed. Ac- cording to Company President Bill Bell, their growth and sustainability today are the direct result of their dedication to continual training across the board. “Over the years,” he says, “our High-Performance approach to HVAC contracting has enabled us to tru- ly benefit by being able to prove the The Roman God Janus looks simultaneously backward and forward in time. We do the same with this Spotlight retrospective that takes a then-and-now look at contractors who’ve adapt- ed High-Performance HVAC Contracting into their companies. Bill BellHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY8 May 2021 CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT quality of our installations.” He adds this is very helpful when their local utility, Georgia Power, of- fers consumer incentives because his team can prove to the utilities the level of energy efficiency delivered, which helps consumers get substan- tial rebates. The biggest issue they’ve faced over the years is the time it takes to test, measure, and diagnose systems. “We found that in some cases, it would slow down the process of provid- ing estimates to customers. We also had to warn customers that a whole house test/estimate would keep them several hours, and sometimes they were expect- ing an estimate in 15 minutes. “However, once they saw the pro- cess unfold, it would typically rein- force the client’s mind that we are the contractor they want to use,” Bell says. ADVICE FOR HIGH- PERFORMANCE CONTRACTORS All three contractors agree that con- tinuous training is paramount to suc- cess. Pippin says you need to have a cheerleader – either yourself or some- one who understands what perfor- mance is all about and how that fits with your goals. “To be successful, you need to stay on top of it,” he says. “Otherwise, your High-Performance HVAC culture will fade away.” Bill Bell adds it’s essential to work the process continuously. “Look for op- portunities to offer the best solution. Don’t just change the box,” he says. “Use what you learn, focus on it, and make it the normal approach,” Mike Greany concludes. “Continue to edu- cate yourself, your team, and customers on what it is like to live in a comfortable home — the difference between deliv- ered capacity and normal findings. “And you must know your costs. This hit me hard initially, but it was an investment I was not willing to give up. Today we brag about the growth and revenue the HVAC division has achieved and push to meet our future goals and expectations.” We’ve all heard that everything changes except for death and taxes. High-Performance contracting is all about changes and challenges. But ac- cording to these contractors, it is more than worth it. HVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 9 How ComfortMaxx™ Helps Customers Understand HVAC System Health By David Richardson SERVICE MANAGEMENT T he typical installed HVAC system only operates at 57% of its laboratory-rated capacity. That means there is an epidemic of sick HVAC systems. They have ailments hindering them from operat- ing at their full potential. The unfortunate part is most homeowners do not know the condition of their HVAC system. They have no idea if it is healthy or sick. What if there was a simple way for you to help custom- ers visually understand their HVAC system’s health? Fortunately, there is, and if you’re an NCI member, you already have access to this tool. Its name is ComfortMaxx™ (ncilink. com/CMaxx). Let’s look at what this cloud- based software does and how it can help you show HVAC system health to your customers. A FAMILIAR SCENARIO It’s an all-too-familiar scene. You go to your physician because you’re sick or getting a routine physical. Their office staff takes baseline mea- surements and compares them to accepted rang- es for your age and build. They do this every sin- gle time, regardless of the reason for your visit. Occasionally, they discover additional conditions you were unaware of from their test results. Good physicians have a talent for how they explain these results to you. They often use di- agrams and models to explain technical infor- mation. Have you ever seen a three-dimension- al model of a human heart or lung sitting on the exam room countertop? Physicians use these as tools to translate complicated topics and show us what they mean. During a typical physician’s visit, you either have pain and suspect why it’s happening, or you have pain but have no idea why. Now you need to figure out what is going on. Depending on the scenario, you want answers and solutions. Cost often becomes secondary at this point. You are sick, and you want a cure. Your doctor uses a step-by-step process to involve you in the cure. They don’t sell you anything. They report their findings and offer Next >