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I could lower your initial investment by a minimum of $400 if you were okay with me bringing in a couple of total strangers who were subcontractors or trainees, that may or may not be criminals, may or may not be high on drugs, and may or may not know what they’re doing, but why compromise on the installers and get an inferior installation to save $400 when you’re already spending this kind of money?

Quality control inspection.
My lead installer has a final checklist to complete that certifies that your new system is operating per the manufacturer’s specifications. He’ll sign off on it and file that checklist with your permanent file in my office.

After the installation is complete and the installers have left, I’ll send out my quality control inspector. The quality control inspector’s job is to complete a second final checklist, which we compare to my lead installer’s; and to find something wrong, or something that could be improved, on every job. This is your assurance that you are getting the highest quality installation possible.

Despite the fact that my installers are perfectionists who know their work will be inspected, everyone overlooks things from time to time, and everyone makes mistakes.

It costs about $100 for this additional person to do a final inspection. We could pretend that my installers are perfect and never make a mistake or get in a hurry, but why would we want to short change your installation when you’re already spending this kind of money?

Additional Possibilities
I feel that the above-mentioned procedures should be considered part of the minimum standards for a high quality installation.

Depending on the construction in your area, and your personal preferences, there are a number of other things you could incorporate as well:

• Hanging cradle for horizontal attic installations
• Plenum dampers or zoning
• Spray foam insulation on the outside of ductwork
• Built-in surge protection.

The ‘Nail Down’
After you’ve gone over all these points, ask, “Is there anything that I’ve gone over with you on how I do my installations that seems like overkill, or unnecessary in order to ensure that you’re getting a proper installation?”
Naturally, they’ll say no, it all sounds essential.

When you add up the cost of the steps that they agreed were necessary and vital to ensure a proper installation, they begin to understand that they’re not paying you a premium price for a luxury installation, and that they’re not overpaying by buying from you. They may, in fact, be saving thousands of dollars by buying from you.

Quantifying Quality:

Charlie Greer was named the Tom McCart HVAC Consultant of the Year by Contracting Business magazine and The Service Roundtable. He’s the creator of “Slacker’s Guide to HVAC Sales on Audio CD,” and “Tec Daddy’s Service Technician Survival School on DVD.” For more info, call 1-800-963-HVAC (4822) or go to www.hvacprofitboosters.com. E-mail Charlie at charlie@charliegreer.com.