Groan! Once again, the master of the bad puns couldn’t resist. Sorry about that!
Here’s what I mean: it’s time to put the brutal winter behind us and make way for a spring season that will mean new business, increased service agreements, new installations, and new ways to walk in step with customers who want higher efficiency solutions and improved comfort.
Part of your plan has to include technician training, especially on R-410A, if you’ve not already done so. Two training events are being held next week that emphasize the importance of training: the HVAC Excellence Educators and Trainers Conference in Las Vegas, NV; and the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society HVACR & Mechanical Instructor Workshop, March 23-25, 2011 at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne, VA.
These events are reserved for trainers, but I use them as examples of the steps the industry is taking to ensure the right methods are put forth and followed by those who will lead in the days ahead.
Chief among the changes you have to embrace is the move to R-410 A. Come on, you know it’s time to get on the R-410A express! It left the station more than a year ago, but you can still grab a seat if you want to stay in business.
In the past few weeks, including the time I spent at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas, I’ve been amazed by the positivity I see among manufacturers and contractors alike. Manufacturers continue to develop new products, and contractors are expanding service to make up for reduced installation work.
To help you manage refrigerants, reclaimers such as USA Refrigerants, Airgas, or ICOR, among others, are improving their outreach to make it easier for contractors to reclaim old refrigerants. New technologies are emerging to help you manage your dispatching. And of course, in the world of commercial refrigeration, alternative systems are making their way into the grocery aisle you might have walked down yesterday.
Be happy, and be glad it’s spring. It’s time to spring into action, make some customers glad you’re they’re contractor, and make some money doing so.