The way HVAC technicians are trained plays an integral role in not only the way they execute their services but, more importantly, how they communicate and engage with their customers.
If you’ve called HVAC companies in the past, you may have noticed some differences in the way they interact with you and the way they do their work. While it might not seem such an important detail at the time, it might have affected you nonetheless.
Some Problems You May Have Encountered With AC Companies
Not all New Orleans AC repair companies are equal. How a company trains its technicians to interact with customers will say a lot about the company’s values. You can usually pick out which companies are still new in the industry or do not focus their training techniques on the customer every time you work with any of their employees.
Have you had any of these experiences in the past and have they left you feeling like this?
- Poor Communication with Customers
Feel like no one is listening or understands you
“How could they have fixed it if they didn’t even know what the problem was?” - Disrespect for Customer’s Home and Space
Afraid something in your home will break or get dirty.
“Glad my air conditioner is fixed, but now I need to schedule carpet cleaners.” - Inconsistent, Impersonal Customer Service
Feel time is being wasted, feel unappreciated and like you are just a number.
“She placed me on hold twice and then hung up. I won’t be calling them again.” - Non-transparent and Unclear Quoting
Confused about cost of project, do not understand quotes.
“There are so many numbers on this quote. What’s my cost? Maybe another company can explain it better.”
What You Want From Your HVAC Technician
Companies that value years of experience in the field and focus on customer-centered training will demonstrate specific characteristics that you can recognize in your HVAC technicians.
Good Communication
When customers require immediate services, they often panic on the phone or show some level of urgency. HVAC technicians with customer-focused training should know how to properly address the needs of these customers. They learn the right way to calm customers down and continue the conversation in a more collected manner. Customers should walk away feeling heard and totally understood.
Respect
Good HVAC techs will present themselves professionally and recognize their customers’ privacy and personal spaces. When entering a home or any dwelling, these HVAC technicians treat the customer’s property like their own. They will wear shoe coverings to protect floors, knock on interior and exterior doors before entering the house or any room, and clean up after the job is complete.
Consistent, Personal Customer Service
The ultimate goal for HVAC technicians with customer-focused training is for their customers to be happy, content, and well taken care of throughout their entire experience. This depends on providing consistent and personalized service to their customers. Customers appreciate a company and technicians that listen to them, are there when they need them, answer their questions, fix their problems, let and them know they are important, without adding glitches along the way.
Clear Quotes, Transparency
Being transparent and clear when providing quotes to the customer is very important. Every project should have a budget available to its customers. HVAC installation and repair services are often multilayered, and quotes can involve details and options.
These options and details should be offered in the spirit of helping the customer. The actual cost of the work being done should not be hard to find on the quote. If the quote includes options, a clear and transparent company will present ready-made solutions for its customers. Customers deserve to understand how much they need to spend to make the right decisions.
This All Boils Down to Training
The differences in how companies handle these issues come down to one simple reason: training. How each HVAC technician is trained directly affects how they serve their customers — including you.
To give you a better idea, here are some training methods HVAC companies should instill in their technicians and how each is affected by a customer-centric value system.
Setting Goals
HVAC companies train their air conditioner and heating technicians with a certain goal in mind. While some companies want to instill “win first” or maintain profit goals, a customer-focused goal gives the HVAC tech freedom to focus on perfecting technical service skills. After all, most customer requests for technicians will rely on their expertise as HVAC technicians. Profit-based goals tend to require technicians to learn sales information and processes, taking their attention from the other aspects of their job.
Reaching Out to Customers
Some companies have technicians reaching out to prospects (people who might eventually need their services, for example, repairs to their heating and cooling system or other HVAC equipment, to install a new duct system, or to replace an HVAC system). These calls are meant to inform people about new or existing service. But underlying motivations can reveal the company’s goals.
You often hear technicians with profit-centric training are required to make ‘cold calls’ and have ‘quotas’ to meet. Customers are often put-off by how pushy and intrusive this method is. Technicians are trained by customer-centric companies to be more aware of what customers need and how to present information when it is relevant.
Selling to Customers
Every company needs to sell its products and services. Some firms are more aggressive than others. In a profit-centric model, technicians are often trained to remain with customers and participate in the sales process either until a salesman arrives or until customers have agreed to replace their HVAC units. Customer-centric models allow technicians to focus on the technical aspects of the job. Once the problem has been identified and a new unit is recommended, if there are no other technical questions, the technician can let a customer service representative attend to the customer’s needs.
Offering Finance Options
Because of the high costs associated with AC and Heating repair and HVAC replacement, financing options are often used in connection with HVAC services.
Unfortunately, financing can be used to take advantage of customers. Some companies will ask customers to fill out their financing application before determining their needs or quoting a job. This is a serious red flag. Often this means they may be planning to offer you the most expensive service or product your credit makes you eligible for. What you want is for them to offer you the credit to afford the product or service that you need!
HELP!! HVAC Company Always Puts Customers First
Want to find an HVAC company you can trust? Training at HELP!! Air Conditioning and Heating Company is based on one principle, We ALWAYS Put Our Customers First.
Our certain goal in mind is you, our customer. Our underlying motivation is to meet your needs.
We treat every customer like family and make sure our HVAC techs are trained to consider what the customer wants first. Their job is you, not selling. This means you can count on your HELP!! HVAC technician to complete your project professionally and thoroughly, always with your best interests in mind. That means your needs, above any bottom line.
Some companies sell products and services—we HELP!! you, fix your problems, make your life easier with the services and products we sell. That’s why we offer our Fixed Right or It’s Free Guarantee!
Call us at (504) 733-5888 to request our services today! We’re more than happy to help you in any way we can.
