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A challenge arose when a zone damper was needed on the second floor, but the placement of the damper was very difficult and required cutting through a concrete-block wall that was mined with water pipes. "We tried to work around placing that damper, but during a recent hot snap the homeowners called and said they were having comfort problems on that floor," Hickmann says. "I knew it was because we were lacking that damper. I told them, 'We can fix it, but we’ll have to cut a hole in your wall.' They agreed, and we had a technician at their house that same day at 7 p.m. We were able to get the damper into the zone and button it all back up that evening.

"This is an example of our no compromise policy," he adds. "When we give homeowners a price to provide them with comfort, that's the price. If we find out later that we have to go back and cut into the wall to make our system perform properly and make the customer happy, that's what we’re going to do."

The Mentors and the Commitment
White, who spent 28 years of his career in multi-family and conventional property management, says his background has given him a "streetwise" knowledge of what to expect out of an HVAC system. He came away from this job impressed by Comfort Matters.

"Corey Hickmann and his team are extremely thorough and professional," he says. "When they tell you they're going to do something, they do exactly what they say they're going to do. If there are any problems, they go out of their way to make things right. They were conscientious and responsive."

In addition to NCI, Comfort Matters has a two other notable mentors and partners that have helped them come a long way in a short time. The first is the Service Roundtable's Retail Contractors Coalition, the source of all the company's branded equipment.

The second is consultant Drew Cameron of HVAC Sellutions. Hickmann says Cameron is helping the company create, refine, and perfect the Comfort Matter Experience.

"We've been working with Drew on trying to encompass the entire atmosphere of Comfort Matters, from the first customer contact until our follow-up after we install the system," Hickmann says. "We've revamped our entire sales presentation. There are multiple surveys we do throughout the process: on our home advisers, our installation crew, and so on. Combined with the private branding of the equipment, we're making a mark for ourselves. In fact, we don't talk about equipment at all with customers anymore. We talk about whole house comfort, efficiency, service, and our commitment to providing customers with the environment they want."

Given that commitment, this first Quality Home Comfort Award for Comfort Matters won't be the company's last.

PRODUCTS KEY TO SUCCESS

• Private label Comfort Matters 95% variable speed gas furnace
• Private label Comfort Matters 16-SEER two-stage heat pump
• Trane CleanEffects air cleaner
• Private label Comfort Matters by-pass humidifier
• Honeywell zoning system with Prestige thermostat and Portable Comfort Control