Working hard this summer?

John R. Hall

I know it is a misnomer to believe that Wallies are relaxing by the pool or playing a lot of golf this time of year. Wet heat professionals keep busy all year 'round. But it begs the question -- since "heat" is the operative word in your business and it is "hot" outside now, what kind of things do you do to keep a busy schedule?

Just curious!

Boilerpro_3

Things are a too quiet right now

Most summers lately have been very busy with boiler work now that my business has grown. Winter is my quiet time typically. All sorts of work just hanging there, but being delayed. Also, some new homes are not coming through due to rising material costs... some are skipping wetheat and going for cheaper all in one forced air, some are just not building. Alot of people are doing "the wait until the fall" thing with money tighter, which means many won't get the work done until next year because when they want to do the work this fall, nobody has the time to do it. It's pretty frustrating right now! May need to go into Chicago and help out some fellow Wallies that are buried with work.
Boilerpro

joel_19

things are heating up!

With the weather getting hotter we are very busy with A/C. overall though it is slower than last year. We don't have any big new houses scheduled for the summer with lots of radiant, which is pretty disapointing. I wish more people would call for A/C in the winter, they never learn. They wait untill now and then get mad when we can't help them untill August.

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Dave Yates (PAH)

well......

snowmelt systems, radiant systems, steam boilers, dual use water heaters, air conditioning, water conditioning, plumbing, etc....

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Mark Eatherton1

We've never been this busy...

this early in the year.

Don't know WHAT we're going to do if it gets even busier this fall as it historically does...

ME

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Don Walsh

Fighting the slow times

When the heating business "takes a nap" like it currently is around our area, I create business by direct mail.

Each summer, I pick a product that I want to feature and then negotiate a good quantity purchase arrangement with a wholesaler. I then send 100 letters per week to my existing customer base, and 100 a week to specific zip codes in this area (reduces travel time). The results have been very good for the last 4 seasons.

This year, I am offering water heater replacements and have been getting on average three a day.
Last year I offered replacement dishwashers, did 86 in two months.
The year before that, I offered new toilets (the 17" ADA variety) targeted the elderly among the client base. We did better than 4 a day on average.
I found it was mandatory to accept plastic cards for this impulse business, but it has been well worth the cost involved.
Needless to say, each sale was a further opportunity to promote additional work while on site (new faucet, hose bibb in the garage, replacement of the thermostat with a big numbers digital, etc.) And you would be surprised at just how many staple up radiant jobs we have picked up, just by talking about "hard to heat" rooms of the house. Just pick a product, push hard in specific areas at a time, and don't try to do too many things at once. It works for me, and keeps the cash flowing in lean times.
One other thing, "STICKERS" get big bold color ones and place them on everything, water heater, furnace/boiler, garbage grinder, water softener, and on the main plumbing stacks where they are highly visible. It is all just communication folks, the work is there, just go get it!
Grumpy

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George_10

Grumpy

Do you offer cleaning and treatment of existing hydronic systems. Maybe an additional source of revenue and fewer problems come heating time (due to fouled systems and corrosion).

Don Walsh

cleaning and treatment

George, virtually all of my hydronics customers are under a maintenance contract (92.4%) So they are on a regular schedule, but I don't do treatment as of yet. I really don't have enough expertise in the field. I'll have to spend some time with you in Rhode Island this November if you are going to be present. I can see where doing proper treatment would "raise the bar" so to speak on providing total service to my customers. We'll talk.


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John R. Hall

> George, virtually all of my hydronics customers

> are under a maintenance contract (92.4%) So they

> are on a regular schedule, but I don't do

> treatment as of yet. I really don't have enough

> expertise in the field. I'll have to spend some

> time with you in Rhode Island this November if

> you are going to be present. I can see where

> doing proper treatment would "raise the bar" so

> to speak on providing total service to my

> customers. We'll talk.

>

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> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 300&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Professional"_/A_

John R. Hall

Maintenance agreements

I was hoping that someone would mention the importance of maintenance agreements -- best thing for the slow times. Frankly I don't know why every contractor doesn't have a maintenance agreement program. It locks in your customer!

George_10

Grumpy

Send an address to me via my e-mail and I will send you a complete package of our product literature, but also our printed lit for helping the contractor with the customer.

We designed these for exactly what we have been discussing.

Weezbo

its like 80 outside today!

however , if you think winter and keep after it you will be fully employed:)

Jeff Lawrence_24

In Georgia

Summer is the busy season.

Air Conditioning is what made the South liveable. Monday, I got home aboput 8 PM and Tuesday, it was about 7:15. Tonight? I hope it's by 6PM.

Am I tired? Yes. But i enjoy what I do. That's what counts.

Jeff

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Troy_3

Maintenance agreements

I have been asked for years for a maintenance agreement from customers that we install wonderful systems for. I haven't yet found any good info on how to set up a plan that benefits the customer while not killing me. I would appreciate any advice or samples. The customers are asking so I know there is a revenue potential.

John R. Hall

Troy

E-mail me (johnhall@achrnews.com) and I'll put you in touch with a guy whose company has several THOUSAND maintenance agreements. Not only makes good business sense -- raises professionalism of the trade.