“Honestly, I think what they teach correlates with what I see in the field. We have many “AHA!” moments when solving individual customer system issues. Without training, I think the company will die. Training is our lifeblood. I’m appreciative of the services and what NCI offers.”
But training goes beyond technical expertise. It also helps Meacham and his team overcome the competitive hurdles they face in their marketplace. He says that 95% of his competitors do not provide high-performance services.
“We find almost no test ports installed on equipment, ducts, or flue pipes in homes we have not serviced before,” Meacham says.
Most customers have no idea what a combustion analyzer is. They had never heard of duct pressure. Nobody’s checking this stuff.”
He adds that Service 1st Pros is also one of the most expensive HVAC companies in their area. Overcoming the price question is 100% their biggest challenge.
Meacham says he looks at this issue in this way. His team goes on three daily calls, which totals 15 weekly calls. Of those 15 calls, two customers see value in the High-Performance HVAC™ approach and spend dollars to achieve ultimate comfort. Six are nervous about the money and will choose a more middle-of-the-road option, which he says is usually an air upgrade.
“The rest of them won’t do anything,” he says. “I don’t pretend that spending all this money on training brings in more dollars with every customer. But it brings in two or three high-value projects a week if my guys run the call properly. In that light, we see a difference that usually leads to referrals.
“For me, that is the most significant value in a system approach and being partnered with NCI. Also, on the installation side, we see far fewer warranty claims because our techs are trained to look for proper airflow, and they make sure customer systems are dialed in correctly. That is huge.
“I believe in the NCI training. It is worth the investment.”
High Performance from the Start
Six years ago, Meacham started Service 1st Pros with his team testing, measuring, and doing High-Performance HVAC work. And it was not easy.
“I’ve invested heavily with NCI and other organizations that provide technical and customer service/sales training and coaching. I learned that without accountability, the system’s performance commitment will waver, and that causes trouble,” he explains.
“To do this work requires developing internal processes and procedures and sticking to them. In the beginning, I was too lenient, and I let my techs get away with murder. It created a cancerous culture, and the only fix was to clean house and start over. That was a hard lesson.
“I had to rebuild a few years ago, and that’s when I decided no one would dictate or work against what I wanted to do here.
“Today, most of my techs love this approach. They soak up their training and use what they learn daily.
“Frankly, if I want to continue growing the company, I need people who are of the same mind, who are young and hungry to learn. I need people who embrace doing things my way, the way NCI teaches. And that means backing off hiring technicians from other HVAC contracting companies.”
Other Lessons Learned
Josh Meacham will tell you that his most significant takeaways from starting his own company and focusing on the high-performance culture is to first understand your market – from what type of competitors you have to how you price your services.
“Know your pricing and stick to it. That is how to sustain and grow your business,” he says.
The other lesson is one of leadership. Meacham reiterates, “Culture is King, and You Get What You Tolerate.”
“As a leader, if you don’t enforce the rules, things WILL go sideways. You need core values as well as systems and processes. You must continuously ensure that your team follows those systems and processes. People can’t improve unless the unsaid is spoken.”
For these and many other reasons, the team at High-Performance HVAC Today chose Service 1st Pros as our July Contractor Spotlight. Congratulations to Josh Meacham and his entire team.
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