Efficiency needs to be conspicous to sell

Another from the archives, this was printed in Phc News, a trade magazine.

Efficiency needs to be conspicuous to sell.

By Eric Aune, Plumbing & Hydronic Heating Contractor

Selling efficiency can be one of the hardest tasks endeavored by contractors in today’s economy.  Explaining the benefit of installing a ODR (outdoor reset) control on an existing cast iron boiler can be daunting to say the least.  First we as the “expert” have to be aware of our language and terminology when explaining how the device works, being careful not to lose our customer along the way.  I know when I see the “deer in the headlights” look I have to reign it in a little.  Most likely I have forgotten I am no longer in the classroom, talking to my students, but rather the homeowner I am talking to has not reached the same level of boiler-trekkie I boast about to the guys at the will-call desk and everything I am saying has them questioning whether or not it’s content is useful or even has any meaning to them.

Often my first reaction to a question by a potential customer about upgrading their heating or plumbing system would be to start by talking about saving money.  After all, isn’t that why they are asking? The answer: It depends. I have been around this business and in and out of these conversations to know the answer to that question is not as simple as it seems.  If I take from my reason given to the homeowner as to why an ODR control would benefit them the conversation about boiler system upgrades could easily go in the direction of comfort.  I have, on more than one occasion, worked to find a solution for customers who would like to conserve water in their home or business.  Not solely to cut operating cost in every situation but because that is what they felt was a good thing to do for the environment.

Energy plays a huge role in the overall market for selling efficiency. Not the only role, but a large one at that.  Energy prices are rising continuously throughout the country but, the varied costs of heating a home are relative to its geographical location.  That’s to say here in Minnesota, where I reside and operate my business, the heating season can average an astounding seven months long. Compare that to the tepid climate inhabiting the better part of the west coast where spring turns to summer much quicker and tends to stay around a while longer.  This comparison would have most assume that it must be much more expensive to heat a home in Minnesota than Washington State.  The variation in weather patterns, from Minnesota to the west coast, is not the bottom line factor in the cost of heating homes.  Utility costs play a major role here and that may be why the success of high efficiency upgrades and an overall successful push for hybrid heating systems has taken a stronger hold the closer you get to the west coast.

It may be too simple of an explanation; saying higher energy costs account for more upgrades but, there is and always will be the want to keep more of our hard earned cash in hand.  So what does that mean for those of us in areas where energy costs are relatively low?  One answer might be why our customers are talking with us in the first place, your past customers.

Psychology research suggests that people do good deeds as a strategy to attract mates.  Now I’m not suggesting we are running a dating service here but, often times when our customers are happy they will tell someone. With my own business I have drawn on the success of past modular condensing boiler upgrades and used utility bill comparisons to show potential customers the value in upgrading to high efficiency systems.  The same can be done with the benefits of installing a low water usage faucet or replacing old, worn-out water distribution systems and installing PEX as a solution.

Selling our customers on the real value of high efficiency systems and putting that value out there for all to see can be a successful strategy.  Displaying thank you notes or positive customer comments in the office or on our website/blog is a great way to get the word out.  Be conspicuous. After all, I think most will agree that it is great to receive a call from your customer’s neighbor looking to have an estimate drawn up on a similar type job as the Jones’.

Comfort and solutions will always be your best sellers in the high efficiency game.

Eric Aune, Owner of Aune Plumbing, LLC.  Zimmerman, MN

eric@auneplumbing.com

What is it supposed to look like?

Here is an article I wrote a while ago that ran in Phc News, a trade magazine.

What is it supposed to look like?

By Eric Aune, Plumbing & Hydronic Heating Contractor

Today I stood in the door way of a mechanical room for a rather large home somewhere in the northern reaches of a Minneapolis suburb with a look on my face that, I’m sure if the homeowner were there with me, would likely downgrade any amount of credibility I may have had while promptly returning his call for help.  After all, seeing such a menagerie of shiny copper piping assembled in such intricate patterns going in every direction you to might be a little overwhelmed.  Let’s get a little back story first…

Owning your own business has its perks, and depending how much you like to get away on the weekend, one of them being you are on call all the time.  It was Saturday afternoon and a great start to a wonderful July 4^th weekend at the family cabin.  Everything was great, we had already cleaned a fresh catch of walleye from the morning bite and the weather forecast had promised to be superb.   This, of course, is about the time when the cell phone rang.  On the other end of the [dreaded now, because I definitely like spending time with the family at the cabin up north] line was a customer from a past hydronic install with a problem…No domestic hot water and an almost empty glycol static fill tank waiting to pump out the last bit of fluid that remained.  Luckily the property of subject was only a quick 4 hour drive away and the wife completely understood the situation.

Now if you’re paying attention you might have put two and two together, and this is where I own-up to the fact that the mechanical room I was standing in front of was one of mine.  The “menagerie” of piping, all put there with pride by my two hands all the while with shoulders held high and a sense of mastery rivaled by only a few.  At least that was how I felt back then.  Now? Well, the look on my face would have likely told a story all too familiar to many of you.  As I stood there, with jaw gaping and eyes peeled, I thought to myself “Why does everything look so complicated?”

Hydronic heating systems in general are intimidating to look at.  Now I’m not saying when you, the professional, enter a mechanical room that you are intimidated but, put yourself in the shoes of the end user.  The immensely intelligent  Robert Bean [healthyheating.com], says it nicely when said like this: “One of the things people like about a forced air system is that they have a comfort level with what it looks like --- a furnace looks like a furnace, a condenser looks like a condenser...they're in an enclosure so the homeowner doesn't have to look at any of the inner working -- it looks like an appliance.”  Does your latest hydronic creation look like an appliance? The one I stood in front of today could be called an appliance, yeah if NASA had built it, and even then it would probably still have been tucked away in a remote room somewhere only to be accessed by the guy who designed it…because who else would know what the heck was going on?

Currently there are no parts of a hydronic heating system that can’t be purchased in some preassembled configuration.  Aside from the final gas, electric or venting connections you could design/build  your system right out of a box.  As recent as this spring we have witnessed the national unveiling of a complete boiler [electric] system, all piped and ready to go from a major manufacturer.  So why do we insist, as tradesman/women, that everything be assembled piece by piece? John Barba of Taco has a great explanation in a recent blog post (http://jbblog.flopro.taco-hvac.com/) why the math doesn’t work when you try to justify your operating costs and time available when you choose to do it yourself instead of buying it preassembled.  My argument follows the tail end of his, “Why does it have to be so customized? Why do we make everything so complicated? Shouldn’t we be moving toward uniformity?

Do you buy and install preassembled components? Why do you do it? Why not? When will we see the day when uniformity, as a system, is the norm? I know my latest service call had me wishing for it, will your next call have you thinking the same?

Eric Aune, Owner

Aune Plumbing, LLC

Zimmerman, MN  

Painted window ready for install.

Two coats of paint have been applied and now we let dry.  This window will be ready for install when frames have been completed.