Slightly different “technical” article this month. I hoped to share some information that I’ve learned over the years during interactions with contractors, as well as factory representatives and engineers. I’m hoping this explanation will eliminate some frustrations and help communicate five things that will make any challenge that needs factory involvement much easier.
- When an issue comes up that clearly needs outside involvement, shift into coach mode. It’s not an enviable position to be the one delivering bad news to your customer, but setting the expectation immediately is perhaps the most important thing that can be done. It’s a true skill to convey that even though complicated issues are not the norm, you’ve dealt with things like this before and know there is a process to work through. If you can effectively communicate that not only the issue at hand will be resolved and you’re going through all possibilities to eliminate future issues, you will be starting out ahead.
- Involve technical support early in an issue, while you are still on the job site. Jump in the van, turn on the A/C, and find a spot where you can speak freely while not in an attic or standing on a rooftop. The more you describe things with some patience, the more helpful the path forward will be. Even if you know something is well within the limits of the specifications (ie: the air handler is installed two floors below the condenser), it could be valuable information to communicate up front. I’ve found the best process to be able to have a conversation is outlining the job, the steps that have been taken, and then make a list of what the next steps will be (before leaving the job).
- Precise measurements are very helpful and “pressures are fine” won’t be enough information to refer to. Duct work challenges, power abnormalities, condensers installed a long distance from the air handler all make the job results differ from the laboratory conditions equipment is tested under. We’ve all seen wild pictures of air handlers on rooftops, condensers installed in tighter spaces than the boxes they came in and so have these factories. Most of the first steps are just to eliminate the obvious causes, so don’t be offended because early steps are almost always checking the fundamentals. Think of a doctor’s office and how they work through even the most basic steps every time, even if they seem unrelated or very basic. Even if they know the arm is broken, an X-ray is still performed.
- Phones have a very important role on every job site. Taking pictures and videos of installs or issues is the best description anyone could ask for. Involving your support team when an issue is discovered is so helpful I can’t express it enough. If issues are only brought up after a repair is made and the technician is off the job site, then it’s an uphill battle from there. Nobody wants to have to make a return trip for a picture, to check a single voltage reading, or anything that could have been handled earlier. If you can be prepared to send a video while on site, you will be ahead of the game.
- Having a commissioning sheet is the single best way to solve any future problems. If you would consider making it a practice to fully complete a form (all manufacturers have some version of it), you would be starting out miles ahead if anything ever comes up. If a commission sheet is available for each install it’s a fantastic baseline should anything ever happen on that site again.
We all do understand this is a high-volume and very fast-paced business. Problems always seem to occur at the most inopportune time and really disrupt the schedule. When a more serious and unexpected issue arises, I hope these suggestions help minimize any downtime.
