April Fools, What To Look For In A HVAC Company
March 30, 2018
“We can clean your ducts for $49!”
“Mrs. Johnson, your house could burn down any second! This wiring is bad. You need us to fix it NOW!”
“Yes, I have a license to do this work.”
“Your HVAC equipment is 8 years old. You better start thinking about getting a new system.”
Do any of the above statements sound familiar? If they do, then watch out! Knowing what is too good to be true, doesn’t take a lot of work on a homeowner’s part. You don’t need to know the ins and outs of every piece of equipment in your home to know if you are playing the fool.
If you are going to have someone do work in your house, you need to make sure that the company is licensed, bonded and insured. This information is easy to find out. First off, the only construction contractors that are licensed in Indiana are plumbers. You can read our blog post here to see Indiana’s requirements for the HVAC, plumbing and electrical trades. Some companies will display their license number on their website. You can also ask a company for their license number and check out if it belongs to them and is current. If you want to check if a company has license, you can go here (halfway down the page you can click links for each trade).
For those deals that seem like such a bargain, you need to have a little background information. First off, we are running a business. We know that everyone wants the best deal possible, but you also need to remember that as a business, we need to make money in order to survive. Let’s use the $49 air duct cleaning special as an example. Do you really think that a company can send a person to your house and do hours of work for $49? The easy answer is no, they cannot. A company has to pay the person, by the hour, to be at your house. They have to pay for the vehicle they are driving. They have to pay for the fuel to get to your house. They have to pay for the equipment used to clean those ducts. On top of that, there are everyday business expenses like uniforms, rent, utilities (and more) that have to be paid. A $49 duct cleaning will not even cover the technician’s salary for the hours they are at your house, let alone everything else. SO, if it seems too good to be true, it is. There are hidden or surprise costs coming your way with that type of deal.
Now, keep in mind what we laid out for you in the last paragraph about expenses that need to be covered on a job. Now knowing that, add in to the equation that most companies in our trades (HVAC, plumbing and electrical) pay their technicians peanuts. Why do they do this? Because that technician that comes to your house is just like you- they have a mortgage or rent that needs to be paid, kids at home, car payments and all of the everyday expenses that life throws your way. If they make very little then they have to find ways to make more money in order to support their families. The way they do this is by up selling you, telling you that you need work done or need to have something replaced when you don’t or scaring you into a service. Godby doesn’t believe in these tactics. We pay our Team Members wages where they don’t have to rely on high pressure sales and scare tactics to survive. Instead, our Team Members can concentrate on doing the job they were called there to do.
At Godby Heating Plumbing Electrical, we believe in an experience where everyone wins- our customers, our Team Members and the company. We believe in providing valuable information to our customers, so they are able to make informed decisions. Check out our blog here. Get information like “How Long Should a New AC Unit Last” or “The 10 Things Plumbers Wish You Were Privy To.” Don’t be fooled in April or any other time of year. Know the facts and remember, for all of your heating/cooling, plumbing and electrical needs, “It’s Gotta be Godby!”
Need HVAC Service?
Contact the experts at Godby Heating Plumbing Electrical.
Call us at 317-471-8700!