I Am Very Glad I Got Into Home Performance

Posted on:

May 18, 2016

In central NY, we just came from a very mild winter, and so far a cold spring. Fuel prices are very low. All reasons why we are not getting many calls for replacement furnaces, and certainly no calls for air conditioning, I got up this morning in mid May to the thermometer outside reading 31 degrees. If my business were like the old days in which we did just heating and air conditioning, I would be in some real trouble. The nature of the heating/cooling business is that in extreme weather you never have enough techs, and in the mild weather you have way too many.

Home Performance allows you to schedule Energy Audits year round. When you have a seat at the kitchen table, you have the ability to create urgency, and keep a very steady workflow. This is much less seasonal than the standard HVAC business. With our Home Performance offerings, we can focus on comfort issues, as well as energy use concerns. People generally want an uncomfortable home fixed when they realize they have a choice. By looking at the home with a holistic approach, you can do so much more for the customer. Our average tickets are 2 to 4 times more than the days of just putting in furnaces, and air conditioners. At the same time, we are creating happier customers.

Coming from an HVAC background it has been a relatively painless process transitioning into Home Performance work. We have been able to hire carpenters, insulators, along with window and door specialist. This process has been easier than hiring HVAC technicians. They are much easier to find. It is all hard work but we truly feel that being in Home Performance is getting us one-step closer to having that customer for life. We always have and always will strive to have our customers for life. In my opinion, that is the long-term goal in this business.

We specialize in retro fitting existing homes and try to avoid new construction. There are millions of existing homes in need of our services, and we want to be the one that gets these calls. When you go into someone’s home as a contractor understanding HVAC and you add the holistic approach of Home Performance to your toolbox you can truly be unstoppable. Your customers will be happier, more comfortable, and best of all more energy efficient. Everyone wins including the environment. It truly is a great feeling.

Over the years, I have noticed more and more that this is becoming the accepted way of doing business. Some areas of the country have caught on to doing this sooner than others have. My business is in Upstate NY where almost all major HVAC contractors have started doing Home Performance; one by one, almost all have joined in. One thing is for sure IT WILL CHANGE! I would highly recommend, and encourage all HVAC contractors to take a hard look into doing this and embracing the change. From my experience, you will be glad you did it, and never look back.

Author
Recent Posts

Hal Smith

Owner & CEO at Halco

Hal Smith is the owner and CEO of Halco. He started the business in 1984, and over the many years that Halco has existed, Hal has proven to be an innovator and visionary. He has been a constant and primary force in Halco's development into a leading company focused on providing full energy solutions for residential and commercial clients.

Halco is a highly accredited, national award-winning contractor that provides high-quality solutions to their customers. They have divisions that offer high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, plumbing and electrical solutions, home energy assessments, insulation and air-sealing, clean renewable energy systems and so much more! Halco is dedicated to quality work, sustainability, innovation, and providing extraordinary service to their clients.