OT-- AC Repair

NPHuskerFL · March 2015

While we're talking about price point (& @lkapigian you can appreciate this). True story about 12 yrs ago I decided to do sales for a residential HVAC/R (minus the R) contractor (Effing Thief). Techs earned 20% of gross ticket on repairs and 10% on sales of equipment installs. The problem I had is you had to call for every price (no price book) and he constantly changed prices and seem to prey on woman and the elderly. They had a call center that generated calls for sales techs ($10-$35 maintenance). The owner and a good portion of the techs (not techs imho) had no soul or ethics. This is the one and only place I quit with no 2wks and pretty much told him karma will get you (with many adjectives attached). And it has over and over but, he changes the company name etc. It's people like him that hurt the industry in the residential market. I realize this is likely way OT but, as summer quickly approaches it's a PSA that I wanted to put out there.
He had a tech charge $980 (right around there at least) to replace a compressor contactor, dual capacitor and hard start kit (he called it a tune up kit). Don't get me started on his IAQ stuff with biocide treatments for $500.
One dude sold a evaporator pull and clean, microbiocide treatment and UV light for close to $3K. Real piece of work!

lkapigian · March 2015

Chubbs said:

Eggcelsior said:

Home ownership is the best!

Yes it is. It is even better when it is a rental property (that I own) and you have issues with both at the same time.

You can always purchase a home warranty through AHS and have a budget number and only pay a "co pay" they handle pretty much everything with one number to call............Not the best techs and frustrating to deal with but you wont break the bank either---Home Warranties work for some people

NPHuskerFL · March 2015

@lkapigian Nuhuh no you didn't just recommend AHS. Do you hate Chubbs?

Legume · March 2015

Stupid Legume story. First house I owned, it came with a seller-purchased warranty. It had been an ignored rental for 10+ years before that, so you can imagine the shape it was in. We were lucky to get into any house at the time. The oven/stove was an electric slide-in unit that was avocado green. This was early '90s, so it was old. Hated it but couldn't afford to swap it out. Well, one day it died, stopped working completely except for the little indicator light by the dials and the oven light. I was elated, called the warranty company and explained it, had them come out and was eagerly waiting to pick out the color of my new stove.

When the tech got there, it was paperwork first. Deductable, signatures, etc., then he was ready to get to work. He generously put one foot in the kitchen to eyeball the stove, then immediately went outside to the breaker panel and flipped one half of the 240 breaker for the stove (two breakers together, but not attached). He came back inside, turned on the burners and oven to show that it was 'fixed' and said good luck and goodbye. Considering the $75 we lost, the broken dreams of a new stove and the crushing embarrassment of not knowing something so basic, it was an expensive lesson all around.

calracefan · March 2015

NPHuskerFL said:

@calracefan it was a joke. Relax.

No Problem !

lkapigian · March 2015

NPHuskerFL said:

@lkapigian Nuhuh no you didn't just recommend AHS. Do you hate Chubbs?

I Know, I thought that as I was typing --"Did I just recommend AHS?"

lkapigian · March 2015

NPHuskerFL said:

While we're talking about price point (& @lkapigian you can appreciate this). True story about 12 yrs ago I decided to do sales for a residential HVAC/R (minus the R) contractor (Effing Thief). Techs earned 20% of gross ticket on repairs and 10% on sales of equipment installs. The problem I had is you had to call for every price (no price book) and he constantly changed prices and seem to prey on woman and the elderly. They had a call center that generated calls for sales techs ($10-$35 maintenance). The owner and a good portion of the techs (not techs imho) had no soul or ethics. This is the one and only place I quit with no 2wks and pretty much told him karma will get you (with many adjectives attached). And it has over and over but, he changes the company name etc. It's people like him that hurt the industry in the residential market. I realize this is likely way OT but, as summer quickly approaches it's a PSA that I wanted to put out there.
He had a tech charge $980 (right around there at least) to replace a compressor contactor, dual capacitor and hard start kit (he called it a tune up kit). Don't get me started on his IAQ stuff with biocide treatments for $500.
One dude sold a evaporator pull and clean, microbiocide treatment and UV light for close to $3K. Real piece of work!

You do have to watch the vultures---the guys that work the big box store-- we are a flat rate company, but we put it together and it first our "market" all of our guys have the latitude to change pricing as needed ...to lower the price

OT-- AC Repair

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