< PreviousHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY10 May 2021 options on how to correct your prob- lem. Sometimes the cure is easy. Other times, more tests are neces- sary and hard work is needed to treat the problem. HVAC SYSTEM VITAL SIGNS AND REPORTING You can follow a similar approach to HVAC system testing, diagnostics, and re- pairs. However, you need the right test results and tools. Consider this; in the High-Performance HVAC Industry, we follow the same measurement principles as physicians. Unfortunately, we don’t consider ourselves on the same level. If you think about it, High-Performance HVAC contractors are thermal therapists. We find the source of comfort prob- lems and prescribe solutions from test results. The rou- tine physical is a maintenance call. Emergency service calls are like when you’re sick. You know something is wrong and you need a cure. The measurements you use to re- veal those hidden conditions affect- ing customers’ HVAC system’s health are static pressure, airflow, and tem- perature. These are HVAC system vi- tal signs. They serve the same role as blood pressure, weight, and tempera- ture for a physician. LOST IN TRANSLATION Your measurements alone are confusing and don’t tie to anything your customers understand. We of- ten forget this because we use the language each day. Consider how you would respond if your physician talked with you using the following statements. “Your elevated systolic and diastolic pressure readings show you’re at stage three hy- pertension. There is also the possibility of atherosclerosis. Your BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 is also a major contributor to your condition. What would you like to do?” What non-medical person would understand what that means? How can you make an educated decision from all the technical jargon? Why couldn’t the physician tell you your problems are high blood pres- sure, hardening of the arteries, and needing to lose some weight? Then they could show you medical refer- ences that back up what they told you. Seems like common sense, right? Unfortunately, in the HVAC Indus- try, we do this to our poor unsuspect- ing customers. They have no clue what we’re saying. Then we ask them if they under- stood what we said, and they answer yes because they don’t want to look foolish. The customer will fall back on the one thing they under- stand when deciding: Price. They decide based on the low- est price, and we wonder why. If your customers don’t know what you’re saying about their system, they can’t make an educated decision. HOW COMFORTMAXX TIES IN ComfortMaxx is an HVAC System translation tool. It in- terprets the three HVAC sys- tem vital signs you consistent- ly gather on maintenance or service calls. It’s the missing link for translat- ing technical measurements to sim- plified visuals. Think of ComfortMaxx as the three-dimensional heart model your physician uses to show you its in- ner workings. You gather the measurements, and the software creates a translation re- port for the customer. Once the report is published on a tab- let or printed, your customer can look at it and tell you what is wrong with their system. It’s that simple. They may also tell you what they would like done. Isn’t that a unique approach? You gain third-party credibility be- SERVICE MANAGEMENTHVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 11 cause the software creates the system health report in an easy-to-under- stand format. Your customer gains an under- standing of their system that exceeds your competition. They now know how to make an informed decision because they understand what your measurements mean. There are three levels of reporting from which to choose. If you only want to look at static pressure and airflow vi- tal signs, a ComfortMaxx Air™ (ncil- ink.com/CMAir) report is perfect. However, if you want to add tem- perature, you’ll need to use a Com- fortMaxx Pulse™ (ncilink.com/ CMPulse) report. It depends on the level of testing you want to provide. You can also provide customers with data-based assurance that the chang- es and upgrades made to their system deliver what you promised. You can do this using ComfortMaxx Verify™ (ncilink.com/CMVerify). It adds airflow and temperatures from the supply registers and return grilles to create a total system performance score. HOW COMFORTMAXX WORKS If you’re new to ComfortMaxx, it is a cloud-based software. You’ll need a tablet or laptop and an internet con- nection to use it. The testing process in ComfortMaxx follows a four-step approach to help you keep your customers’ information organized and easy to find in a secure cloud location. These four steps are: 1.Customer 2. Location 3. System 4. Test. Your inputs begin with your custom- er. ComfortMaxx organizes custom- er accounts as you do in other areas of your business. This includes details such as the customer’s name, address, and contact information. Once you create a customer, you cre- ate a location (or multiple locations) for them. You probably have custom- ers with multiple properties such as their home, office rental property, or vacation home. To accommodate this type of organization, ComfortMaxx matches locations up with the custom- er instead of separately. By the way, the office can gather most of this information and input it HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY12 May 2021 into ComfortMaxx when they set up the appointment. That way, your field techs only have to look for the customer and address in the ComfortMaxx app and proceed directly to the next step. That step is inputting the system(s) installed at that location. This includes items like the system’s name, installa- tion location, area it serves, and equip- ment details. Once that information is input, all that’s left is for you to test. You only enter the first three steps — customer, location, and system —once. When you perform a test on a sys- tem, you choose the test type to per- form and begin taking the measure- ments to record into the software. Once done, ComfortMaxx generates a report you can use to help customers understand their HVAC system’s over- all health. HOW COMFORTMAXX TRANSLATES TECHNICAL DATA For ComfortMaxx to generate a re- port, you must gather and input the correct data, or the software can’t translate correctly. Incorrect infor- mation equals confusing or inaccu- rate translations. Once you enter your static pressure, airflow, and temperature measure- ments, ComfortMaxx compares these measurements to manufacturer speci- fications and NCI static pressure bud- gets. Your customer can see how their system ranks compared to where it should perform. The areas that need the most work show up in “danger” areas on the re- port as colored graphs and charts. Now the fun begins. Hand your cus- tomer the ComfortMaxx report (print or digital) and ask if they see anything that looks concerning. Let your cus- tomer identify the problems while you remain silent. This is where the magic happens. They will see the red on the graphs and charts and tell you, “It looks like I have a problem here.” That’s your cue to ask them, “What should we do?” and let them do the rest. They will connect the dots on why a particular room is uncomfortable or they’ve had ongoing equipment problems. Remember, your customers need information that relates to something they already understand to make a SERVICE MANAGEMENTHVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 13 connection. ComfortMaxx makes that connection. Without the connection, you are stuck trying to convince on price alone. Results are easy to under- stand and make ‘pain’ visible, relat- able, and memorable. NEXT STEPS You might wonder what you should do next? Here are a few questions to consider as you get started. ● What do I need to have in place be- fore I use ComfortMaxx? ● Who will use ComfortMaxx and how will we apply it? ● Do we know how to take all the measurements? ● Do we have and understand the test instruments necessary to measure static pressure and temperature? ● Do we have the right technology to use ComfortMaxx? ● Can we explain the test results, as a physician would? If you discover there are missing pieces, consider reading the PATH to Performance (ncilink.com/PATH1) series in High-Performance HVAC Today. This series offers a pattern to follow. Then use the ComfortMaxx software as your reporting and translation tool. It can provide a map to follow for di- agnostics and resulting repairs needed to cure problems. Sometimes we aren’t aware we have health issues and need help. Often, HVAC systems are the same way. Since the average HVAC system only operates at 57% of its laborato- ry-rated capacity, there are many sick HVAC systems. They need your help to cure them so they can operate like they’re supposed to. Use ComfortMaxx as the tool to as- sist you as a thermal therapist. David Richardson serves the HVAC industry as a curriculum developer and trainer at National Comfort Insti- tute, Inc. (NCI). If you’re an HVAC contractor or technician interested in learning more about ComfortMaxx cloud- based software, contact David at ncilink. com/ContactMe or call him at 800-633-7058. NCI’s website, www.nationalcomfortinsti- tute.com , is full of free technical articles and downloads to help you improve your profes- sionalism and strengthen your company.HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY 14 May 2021 By Metz Bissell SERVICE MANAGEMENT I t’s no secret that having a good Field Service Management (FSM) system is key to keeping your business organized and increasing your business’s growth potential. You want your FSM solution to make it easier to manage your daily operations, especially when things get busy. If you’re not currently using FSM software or if your current setup isn’t cutting it, now is the time to consider upgrading to something more ef- ficient. The key is to do your research or due-dil- igence beforehand and understand the con- siderations you need to take. It’s going to be a significant change but think of it as a change for the better. WHY DO I NEED A FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION? Among the many benefits of a solid FSM sys- tem is that you’ll start to notice improvements across the board. You’ll see your business become leaner and more organized – taking on more jobs, automat- ing service agreements, managing employees better, decreasing the likelihood of human error, and increasing profitability. ON-PREMISES VS. CLOUD-BASED These days, you’ll see a lot of talk about on-premises vs. cloud-based solutions. On-prem- ises FSM systems were more common in the past. Today we see many more cloud providers. More FSM solutions are moving to cloud-based services because of increased convenience and security for users. Going to the cloud enables you to use any computer or mobile device to access the software. Cloud computing offers many perks for you to consider, including: ● No installation or maintenance costs ● Automatic updates pushed by the software provider to you ● Access to various app integrations ● Accessible anywhere at any time, even in off- line mode ● Encrypted data to protect against hackers ● Information Technology support team. This type of support group can access your system and help with any issues you may en- counter. When you do things using pen and paper or with an on-premises solution, you can lose valuable information if paperwork is accidentally thrown away or your computer crashes. Cloud technology protects against both disasters. Service Management Systems: Be Sure to Do Your Due Diligence Cloud-based service management systems provide field technicians access to data on any device: mobile, laptop, or computers back in the office. To the left: mobile app interface.HVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 15 GOING MOBILE WITH FSM The great thing about most FSM solutions is that they provide mobile apps your technicians can use when they are on the go. Apps provide the perfect way to ensure that employees in the office and the field are constant- ly communicating with one another. Think of the mobile app as a con- densed version of the software with features and functionality technicians need to complete jobs. With the mo- bile app, technicians should create work orders and invoices, provide good-better-best options, view cus- tomer and/or work order histories, track their time, provide job status up- dates, and collect payments. TRANSFERRING LEGACY DATA When you decide to upgrade your FSM system, the biggest issue to keep top of mind is data migration, espe- cially if you’re moving from one solu- tion to another. To prepare for the mi- gration process, make sure you clean up your data and create a full backup, just in case. Software providers usually have an in-house data team that helps you manage the entire mi- gration process. Your data consul- tant should work with you to get everything ready and in a good place before the mi- gration process be- gins. These experts should ensure that all of your infor- mation is set up to be migrated se- curely and successfully. BE PATIENT AND ASK QUESTIONS! When you first begin using the new FSM system, it may be a little over- whelming, and that is normal. Be sure to ask any questions you have. This process is called onboarding, and most vendors have support teams to help you out. Onboarding is the perfect time to ask questions and learn how to make the best use of this new tool. Some software providers even provide training programs that you can take advantage of for you and your employees. In the end, if you do your due dil- igence upfront and take advantage of the training your vendor offers, you will end up in a far better position than where you started. It’s going to be a continuous learn- ing process. Still, you want to come out on the other side feeling ready to start using your new, upgraded soft- ware, improving your team’s produc- tivity, and ultimately, driving more dollars to your bottom line. Metz Bizzell is the Strategic Partnerships Manager at FieldEdge, a field-service management software provider in the mechanical contractor space. FieldEdge has 40+ years of experi- ence in HVAC and provides software solutions that allow contractors to go paperless, streamline operations, and increase profitability. To learn more about FieldEdge, visit NCI’s Partner page at ncilink.com/partners and take advantage of our TIPP partnership. Or visit their website at www.fieldedge.com. Cloud-based applications, such as ComfortMaxx™, help techs to be more productive, plus gathers data and stores it where technicans as well as office personnel can access it any time, anywhere. High-Performance measurment data can be stored in the cloud for quick access for analysis, lead genera- tion, and more.HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY16 MAY 2021 Marketing Performance is About Relationship Building By Daniel Squires MARKETING VHP Facebook page focuses on the community, which helps build relationships and leads to future business. A t Vincent’s Heating & Plumbing (VHP), it’s no secret that one of our advantag- es to navigating the digital marketing gauntlet is using a third-party vendor whose expertise is just what we need. In our case, it happens to be our sister company, Online Access. Anytime you work with a third-party partner, you have a ready-made “network,” if you will, of other users who provide their experiences on what expectations and goals to set for your online social presence. I’d love to say that we hand it over to Online Access to do all the work. However, even with constant content creation and posting, it doesn’t mean anything to our local audience without a personal touch. At VHP, we pride ourselves on being very in- volved with several local organizations, charities, and sports programs. We see the most significant interaction and suc- cess on our Facebook page, for example, when we involve these other local groups and businesses in contests, or even other cross-promotion efforts, for their causes and events. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU SELL Long ago, we learned that nobody cares about what we sell until they have an emergency. It wasn’t easy to keep people following our compa- ny’s Facebook page when all we posted was equip- ment information and sales promotions. Some people may see success with these posts. However, in our experience, special offers boost- ed on Facebook only brought us low-quality leads who were unable to afford our services or qualify for financing. We found far more success in build- ing quality relationships and mailing lists through local charity contests and community projects. By working with local organizations, we changed everything. For example, we created engaging so- cial media over the holidays by participating in our city’s Christmas Lights project in a local park. Businesses were asked to adopt a city park section, deck it out in lights, and create a massive commu- nity walk-through display. We spent some money on lights and worked with our third-party social media vendor to pro- mote the entire event. We posted pictures of our team putting it together. Our part of the light show included a sign in front of the light display that read, “Merry Christmas - May the Season Bring You Joy and VHP Bring You Comfort.” The park itself saw thousands of visitors over the holiday. Our spot was so well decorated that crowds of people used it as a family photo and video backdrop. They posted those pictures and videos on their social feeds. HVACTODAY.COMMay 2021 17 SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD REFERENCE YOUR EXPERTISE No matter what you are promoting through social media channels, it’s always a great idea to include some- thing about what makes you the ex- pert in your field. For VHP, a lot of our expertise lies in our High-Perfor- mance approach to HVAC contract- ing. Because we measure, test, and diagnose systems in ways like how physicians measure, test, and diag- nose people, we feel it’s always ben- eficial to mention something about that in our posts. Do we do this all the time? No. But you should find ways to promote the skills, training, and certification you and your team hold that sets your company apart from competitors. Your community presence and reg- ular reminders of your HVAC exper- tise will get people’s attention and help to build a solid reputation in your marketplace. COMPANY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY In 2020, like many other contrac- tors, we learned the importance of having a company policy for social media. Last year saw the most divi- sive political climate and social me- dia turmoil regarding both the elec- tion and the pandemic than we ever encountered before. As a business, our page remained politically neutral. In our opinion, it’s not smart business to alienate half of your customer base. To accomplish this, we created com- pany policies regarding online reviews, employee personal posts, and commu- nity discussion groups. We encouraged our technicians not to tag VHP as their place of employment in their profile. Learning from other contractors’ un- fortunate experiences with this issue led us to be proactive with our staff be- cause addressing a problem after a post has gone viral is far more difficult. SOCIAL MEDIA AD CAMPAIGNS When it comes to ad campaigns and boosting on Facebook, we maintain a pretty conservative budget, generally nothing over $200 - $500 per month, depending on the season and promo- tion. In our experience, paid promo- tions work better on posts that have already received organic engagement. This is akin to kindling a flame. Or- ganic posts, once boosted, generally reach farther and don’t cost as much. Most of our expectations and goals with our paid ad or boosted content revolve around building our page au- dience and followers. When we set up paid social media announcements for equipment sales, hiring, or financing, we make sure to pair it with a landing page on our site containing a quick form to better track leads, especially if it’s a hiring post. Remember, if you don’t measure, you’re just guessing. Measuring how your social media posts work is key to understanding how well your messag- ing works so you can continue to cre- ate meaningful campaigns. JOB POSTINGS Job posting on Facebook has come a long way. If we post a job, we often take two different approaches. The first is to create our hiring ad graph- ic and post it, usually to our wall. This post contains a link to a landing page on our website with a complete job de- scription and application form. The second approach uses that same graphic, but posts it with Facebook’s specific job posting function. The Facebook ad function allows you to build a short custom application form and job description. Facebook then shares this specifical- ly with job boards and targeted people who are job hunting. It’s treated dif- ferently than a standard post. We still prefer sending people to our website’s landing page as part of the process because it’s a much more thorough application. YOUR INVOLVEMENT As a reminder, when hiring or creating any ad content, contrac- tors should focus on using content and images that “sell the destina- tion, not the plane.” As the owner of a High-Performance HVAC contract- ing business, I have also learned that my investment in sharing our compa- ny’s content is paramount. In our experience, if you view the goal of social media as staying connect- ed with and relevant to your custom- ers when they don’t need service, yours will be the name they’ll remember and call when they do. For the team at VHP, this is one of our tools for building and maintaining solid relationships. Daniel Squires is a licensed Michigan Master Plumber, but considers himself an entrepreneur and marketer. Vincent’s Heating and Plumbing , is a family owned business that he and his brother David trans- formed from a mom-and- pop business to a dominent residential heating, cooling, and plumbing company in Port Huron, MI. They did this through innovative marketing and business practices. Contact him at ncilink.com/ContactMe .HVACTODAY.COM NCI UPDATE May 2021 19 Mastery level training – you choose! There will be 18 differ- ent breakout workshops from which to choose! With so many breakouts, we rec- ommend you bring at least three people from your company this year. To make it easier, we’re offering special three- pack bundle discounts! Breakouts include: ● Session One: Airflow Diagnostics and Air Upgrade Workshops ● Session Two: High-Performance Sales Workshops ● Session Three: High-Performance Im- plementation Workshops ● Session Four: High-Performance Soft- ware Workshops ● Session Five: High-Performance Town Workshops ● Session Six: Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Workshops. Summit 2021 also packs in special events, including the very popular Idea Meeting and Awards Banquet . Plus, you can look forward to NCI’s traditional Welcome Reception and Celebration, Partners Reception , and Tradeshow. Bonus Partner Education- al Sessions round the event out. For all the details on the breakout ses- sions and speakers, as well as registration, pricing, and exceptional hotel packages, point your browser to: GoToSummit.com Also watch your email for more details and registration information. Energy Star Recognizes NCI and NBC ENERGY STAR recently recognized Na- tional Comfort Institute (NCI) and National Balancing Council (NBC) as Functional Test- ing Agents in support of their Multi-Family New Construction HVAC Functional Testing Checklist ( ncilink.com/EPA-ES ). What this means is that HVAC contractors who’ve trained and been certified by NCI/ NBC in the following disciplines are quali- fied in the Energy Star program. For NCI, contractors qualify for sections 1-6 of the checklist if they are certified in Refrigerant-side Performance AND any of the following air-side certifications: ❑ Duct System Optimization Specialist ❑ Residential System Performance Specialist ❑ Residential Air Balancer ❑ Commercial System Performance Specialist ❑ Commercial Air Balancer. NBC-certified contractors qualify for sec- tions 1-9 of the checklist if they’ve earned Refrigerant-side Performance AND the Large Commercial Balancing certification. Regardless of Energy Star programs and/ or participation, this is recognition of the NCI and NBC Certifications by both the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. These designations came about thanks to the hard work of NCI’s Utilities Services division ( nciutilityservices.com ). Mark your calendars for August 30 to September 2, plan to stay through Labor Day, and get ready for one of the best Summits yet. Summit’s unique design this year lets you personalize your experience based on your knowledge and comfort level with each topic! This year we decided to do things a little differently. We created a breakout session ap- proach where each topic area will have three options: ● Novice – Choose this level if you’re be- ginning to learn the specific discipline. ● Practitioner – This stage is for attend- ees who have begun practicing these skills and want to take it up a notch – or need a refresher ● Mastery – Choose this option if you’re already proficient in the specific area and are ready for the next level. This new conference design lets you choose sessions based on where you are today on the path to High-Performance Contracting™. You may need a Novice session in some areas, while in others you may be ready for Practitioner or even High-Performance HVAC Summit 2021: This Time It’s Personal!Next >