CMX 2004 - Plumbing & HVAC
CMX 2004 - Plumbing & HVAC
CMX 2004 - Plumbing & HVAC
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Hot Seat<br />
Know your<br />
customer<br />
Acommon complaint from contractors<br />
in competitive bidding situations<br />
is that another contractor<br />
will take a job away by offering a lower<br />
price, without explaining to the customer<br />
that he is also offering inferior<br />
equipment.<br />
And at the other end, there are many<br />
customers who rightly complain that<br />
the contractor didn’t provide what they<br />
expected. This holds true on everything<br />
from the smallest residential job to the<br />
largest commercial project.<br />
For example, the customer is assured<br />
by one contractor that the furnace that<br />
they are suggesting is just as good as the<br />
furnace that another contractor recommended,<br />
but at a reduced price. Based<br />
on the information that everything is<br />
equal except the price, the customer<br />
accepts the lower estimate.<br />
But the old adage that one gets what<br />
they pay for applies. The customer will<br />
likely experience a noticeable difference<br />
in comfort and energy costs.<br />
The same holds true in large commercial<br />
projects, where the manufacturer/wholesaler/contractor<br />
has low-balled<br />
the bid to get the job, and then ‘cheapens’<br />
the mechanical/<strong>HVAC</strong>R component<br />
to avoid loosing money. It is difficult for<br />
the building manager to get changes<br />
after the installation is complete.<br />
But this is why it is so important to<br />
know the customer. Some contractors<br />
think they have to offer the absolute<br />
minimum price to get a job. But price<br />
isn’t the major factor for many customers,<br />
particularly where they are also<br />
the end user.<br />
It’s a sad reality today that many<br />
commercial buildings are built with the<br />
lowest possible capital cost in <strong>HVAC</strong><br />
systems because it is the tenant, not the<br />
building owner, that pays operating<br />
costs. The same applies on the residential<br />
side where once a tract home is sold,<br />
the builder is no longer concerned<br />
about the heating and air conditioning<br />
system. And, with brand new equipment,<br />
it usually takes a long time for the<br />
building/home owner to realize that<br />
there is something better available. (Or,<br />
let’s face it, even where the customer<br />
knows better, who wants to replace a<br />
brand new system?)<br />
But most customers have expectations<br />
when it comes to their <strong>HVAC</strong>/<br />
mechanical systems. They know what<br />
they want in terms of comfort, efficiency<br />
and longevity and if it will cost more<br />
to meet those expectations, they are<br />
willing to pay. But they rely on the contractor<br />
– the expert – to supply the right<br />
system.<br />
Even where the customer is overly<br />
price conscious, it is important that the<br />
contractor doesn’t install a system that<br />
he isn’t comfortable with. Regardless of<br />
the ‘great deal’ for the home/building<br />
owner, if the system doesn’t work well<br />
the customer will still complain to<br />
friends and business associates about<br />
their ‘lousy heating system.’ They won’t<br />
bother to mention that they beat the<br />
contractor down on price.<br />
It is important to give options. The<br />
‘good, better, best’ selling philosophy<br />
has been around for some time. It’s an<br />
established fact that few home or building<br />
owners will go with the lowest-cost<br />
alternative when presented with a number<br />
of options, along with a good explanation<br />
of the pros and cons of each.<br />
As a general rule of thumb, the higher<br />
the capital cost on equipment, the<br />
lower the operating cost. If the contractor<br />
can show the customer that the<br />
higher cost/higher efficiency equipment<br />
will actually prove less expensive in the<br />
long run, the sale can become relatively<br />
easy. Ever increasing energy costs mean<br />
that the payback will actually be shorter<br />
than with an estimate based on today’s<br />
rates.<br />
And with technology constantly<br />
changing, it is important to take advantage<br />
of the seminars and information<br />
provided by manufacturers to keep up<br />
to date. The customer looks to the contractor<br />
for expert advice.<br />
I don’t want to preach, but knowing<br />
the products, offering options, and<br />
sizing up the customer are all key<br />
elements in sales success.<br />
Incorporating<br />
<strong>Plumbing</strong> Piping<br />
and Heating magazine<br />
and <strong>HVAC</strong>/Refrigeration<br />
magazine<br />
March/April <strong>2004</strong><br />
Volume 14, Number 2<br />
ISSN 1499-5271<br />
Editor<br />
Simon Blake<br />
(416) 614-5820<br />
sblake@nytek.ca<br />
Executive Editor/President<br />
Ronald H. (Ron) Shuker<br />
(416) 614-5816<br />
rshuker@nytek.ca<br />
Contributors<br />
Roy Collver<br />
John Carr<br />
Ron Coleman<br />
Warren Law<br />
Publisher<br />
Bill Begin<br />
(416) 614-5819<br />
bbegin@nytek.ca<br />
National Sales Manager<br />
Jim Gillen<br />
(416) 614-5817<br />
jgillen@nytek.ca<br />
Design and Production<br />
Tim Norton<br />
production@nytek.ca<br />
Circulation Manager<br />
Pat Glionna<br />
Corporate Services<br />
Anthony Evangelista<br />
PLUMBING & <strong>HVAC</strong> PRODUCT NEWS Magazine is<br />
published six times annually by Nytek Publishing<br />
Inc. and is written for individuals who purchase/specify/approve<br />
the selection of plumbing, piping, hot<br />
water heating, fire protection, warm air heating, air<br />
conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, controls and<br />
related systems and products throughout Canada.<br />
It's Time for a Change!<br />
Go with what works.<br />
ATOFINA's Forane 408A and 409A were<br />
designed and tested to make R-502 and<br />
R-12 retrofiting easier. They eliminate oil<br />
changes, save energy and are good for<br />
the environment.<br />
Head Office<br />
Nytek Publishing Inc.<br />
451 Attwell Drive, Toronto,<br />
Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4<br />
Tel: (416) 242-8088<br />
Fax (416) 242-8085<br />
POSTMASTER: Send all address changes and circulation<br />
inquiries to: <strong>Plumbing</strong> & <strong>HVAC</strong> Product News<br />
magazine, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada<br />
M9W 5C4. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product<br />
Agreement No. 400076296. Postage paid at<br />
Winnipeg, MB. Annual Subscription: $34.00 plus<br />
$2.38 GST, single copy $5.00 plus $0.35 GST in<br />
Canada; United States $40.00 U.S. One year subscription<br />
in U.S.: $40.00 US, One year subscription<br />
foreign: $65.00 U.S.<br />
Copyright <strong>2004</strong>. The contents of this magazine<br />
may not be reproduced in any manner without the<br />
prior written permission of the Publisher.<br />
FORANE ®<br />
We're there for you.<br />
Circle Number 106 for More Information<br />
With ATOFINA products<br />
you get the performance<br />
and after-market<br />
support you need.<br />
1-800-567-5726 • www.atofinacanada.com<br />
AF2003-01<br />
We acknowledge the financial support of the<br />
Government of Canada through the Canada<br />
Magazine Fund toward our editorial costs<br />
A member of:<br />
Canadian Institute of <strong>Plumbing</strong> & Heating<br />
Canadian Circulation Audit Board<br />
Mechanical Contractors Assoc. of Canada<br />
Ontario <strong>Plumbing</strong> Inspectors Association<br />
Hydronics Marketing Group<br />
American Society of Heating Refrigerating &<br />
Air Conditioning Engineers<br />
Heating Refrigeration Air Conditioning<br />
Institute of Canada<br />
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society of Canada