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Figure 1. The commercial maintenance work order provides a detailed assessment of all maintenance procedures. Click on image to see larger.

To Sell Maintenance, Show Customers the Plan
To win the go-ahead on maintenance, the sales consultant must appeal to the customer’s behavioral needs. Some customers respond better to visual cues and others to written. In response to our more visually-oriented customer, Busby’s has developed a commercial maintenance brochure with captioned pictures of the typical maintenance tasks performed Figure 1). Less than five minutes is needed to convey the company’s commitment to spending the time, thoroughness, documentation, and a written maintenance plan. Emphasized during the presentation are ways for the customer to check their contractor’s performance, the time spent in comparison to the tasks stated and a method for checking the cleanliness of the condenser coil.

The Commercial Maintenance Work Order (Figure 1) illustrates the specific tasks, with blocks to sign off on temperature, pressure, electrical measurements and task completion. When in a competitive situation both with another contractor or the ubiquitous “Do Nothing Corporation,” both pieces successfully differentiate the company from the competition by demonstrating the commitment to professionally performed maintenance.

Documentation Establishes Accountability
Some customers with a little Internet knowledge are quick to criticize, particularly if system failures occur that they believe — based on their online research — should have been caught during maintenance. The completed maintenance work order creates a paper trail, and may even have predicted a component failure. In addition to creating customer confidence that a value is received for the money invested, the work order creates internal accountability that tasks are not being overlooked. Maintenance tends to be repetitive and if systems are considered clean, human nature sometimes causes technicians to cut corners. When customers observe this behavior a maintenance agreement can be lost or other contractor behaviors questioned (such as service department diagnostic results or repair charges).

Documented accountability is a requirement in some businesses, industries with International Standard for Organizations (ISO) standards and healthcare with The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

More Predictable Equipment Failures
When the temperature, pressure and electrical measurements are compared between maintenance visits, component failures can be predicted. Other technological advancements, such as vibration measurements, infrared imaging, oil analysis, and remote monitoring can predict impending system failures. Planned component replacement can be scheduled during off-hours, thus avoiding the disruption and reduced productivity associated with repairs during normal work hours.

Prescription for Peace
A well-defined maintenance program is the first step in extending the life of a commercial customer’s HVAC system. The work must be properly performed and administered through adequate and complete documentation. By predicting component failures and other normally unexpected events, the chaos, disruption, noise, and reduced productivity normally associated with HVAC repairs can be dramatically reduced. Even with the most critical customers, following these steps can retain a customer for life.

Bob Blanchard is a commercial services sales consultant at Busby’s Inc. Heating and Air Conditioning Company, a commercial HVAC contractor based in Augusta GA. Busby’s services include energy performance benchmarking and improvement, planned preventive maintenance programs, and Design/Build contracting. Bob can be reached at 706/722-8855 or by email at bblanchard@busbys.com.