Communication Melts the Ice Between Contractor, Customers

March 1, 2010
Fry Heating/Coolng/Plumbing keeps customers warm during the hard winters in Sylvania, OH. They also keep customers confident that they'll always provide service, in any season. That's a double blessing for homeowners in uncertain economic times.

Fry Heating/Coolng/Plumbing keeps customers warm during the hard winters in Sylvania, OH. They also keep customers confident that they'll always provide service, in any season. That's a double blessing for homeowners in uncertain economic times.

“We knew it was going to be too cold to be without a furnace,” says homeowner Wendy McClurg. She and her husband Marshall weren't sure what to expect from a 20-year system. The furnace had already outlived its expected life by three years, and its track record in recent years included a number of expensive repairs.

Comfort Advisor Paul Carr stopped by to discuss their options. After some serious discussion, they settled on a York® 98% AFUE modulating gas furnace.

“Before Paul explained them to us, we weren't familiar with modulating gas furnaces,” Wendy says. “But after his explanation, we felt this was the way to go — installing a furnace that would provide consistent comfort and efficiency.”

Carr regularly explains modulating gas technology to prospective customers. “Most people don't know what kind of furnace they have, so it's not surprising that they don't know anything about modulating gas technology,” he says.

“I use paper and pencil, creating sketches to illustrate the swing of heat in a home, which could be as much as four degrees, depending on how long a furnace stays off before it comes back on,” Carr says. “A modulating furnace is going to modulate and keep the temperature in a home within ½ degree of the thermostat set-point. The furnace is going to be on longer, heat your home more evenly and make the homeowner more comfortable.”

“Our focus is customer comfort, demonstrating the difference between standard equipment and higher efficiency equipment that promotes greater comfort,” says Fry CEO Tom Fry.

All discussions involve a home audit.

“We spend 1½ to two hours with a homeowner, asking questions about their lifestyle, how long they're planning to be in the house, whether they have hot or cold spots in the home, and whether or not anyone in the home suffers from respiratory problems or allergies,” Fry explains.

“We try to get the entire scope of what they really need in a system, and provide them with the information that will help them make an educated purchasing decision,” he says. fryheating.com

About the Author

Terry McIver | Content Director - CB

A career publishing professional, Terence 'Terry' McIver has served three diverse industry publications in varying degrees of responsibility since 1987, and worked in marketing communications for a major U.S. corporation.He joined the staff of Contracting Business magazine in April 2005.

As director of content for Contracting Business, he produces daily content and feature articles for CB's 38,000 print subscribers and many more Internet visitors. He has written hundreds, if not two or three, pieces of news, features and contractor profile articles for CB's audience of quality HVACR contractors. He can also be found covering HVACR industry events or visiting with manufacturers and contractors. He also has significant experience in trade show planning.