Plumbing, Heating & HVAC Services

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. We do both emergency service work, as well as scheduled jobs for remodels and repairs. Most of our work includes plumbing and heating calls but we are also expanding our knowledge to include solar energy applications.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Always find out if a plumbing and heating provider is properly licensed and bonded, and if they have current insurance coverage. Many people offer "cheap rates" but if there is an issue and they don't have insurance coverage, or if the person is not properly licensed in our state, it can be risky to use them.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Often, people know only what they hear on radio or TV ads regarding what products to choose for their plumbing and heating needs. Our inside secret is that we continually train our personnel in the latest products and methods that provide the best plumbing and heating service, while at the same time saving money and valuable energy.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Many times, the calls we get are emergency calls and the homeowner does not have time to gather a lot of information. That is why using skilled labor such as our employees is valuable because we can quickly asess the situation and give the homeowner options for a prompt solution. If the homeowner or business owner has time to gather information, giving us the current make and model of their plumbing or heating equipment helps us to know their situation better.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We partner with the homeowner and the business owner to customize their service. We take time to talk with our customers to know their needs and to present cost and energy saving options that many other companies do not provide.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. We are a people oriented service company. It is always our pleasure to talk to the customer, treat them respectfully and to get to know exactly what their needs and expectations are.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Many times, a customer will ask what the cost will be or what options they have for other products that can save them money. We maintain current training in state of the art plumbing and heating systems, so we can present options of all price and need levels. Many times, our customers tell us that no one else gave them such detailed or complete information.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. We have many favorite stories of serving our customers. Among them is helping someone on a very limited budget find a furnace that kept them warm in the cold weather and still kept their heating bills as low as possible. We also are well trained in many areas. For example, one person who said he was having problems with his furnace and his whole family was sick was actually getting carbon monoxide poisioning and we were able to get him quickly to help and pinpoint the problem that was causing it.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I was raised in a family plumbing and heating business in Kansas City, owned my own successful mechanical contracting business in the Vail, CO area and have worn many hats in the industry. In addition to doing start ups of plumbing and heating divisions for various companies, I have also done complete turnarounds and restructuring of plumbing and heating companies that were struggling and got them back on track.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I was raised in my family's plumbing and heating business and have always worked in the plumbing, heating and mechanical contracting trades either as a business owner, a key manager or as someone hired to restructure a struggling business. I find the work rewarding and challenging and always keep my skills fresh to bring the best to my customers.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. We take pride in all of the work we do, from the smallest service calls, to ones that take time to complete. Recently, we did work for a customer who owns many properties through the area. They were so pleased with the quality of our service that they told us they would have our company do the work for all of their properties. Gaining that type of confidence with our customers is key to our success.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. We are continually upgrading our skills and knowledge with classes, seminars and training. Recently, I attended a solar energy class and a few months ago, completed training on new state of the art heating boilers.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Solar energy applications for home and commerical use is one of the most important developments in our field. We have attended solar heating classes and training so we will be able to discuss those options with our customers. Energy saving equipment is also key for both the home and business. We attend regular classes offered by those in the heating and plumbing trades to know what is the latest and best options for our climate and our customers.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Our projects include emergency service work, which can be completed in a few hours, to scheduled repairs, remodeling and replacement of plumbing or heating systems. The cost varies for each job, and we take time to examine the existing system, prepare a competitive bid and then discuss the results with the homeowner before the work commences.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. We do not have complicated pricing, and all of the work planned for the home or business owner is carefully prepared in a comprehensive bid that breaks down the work to be done and the costs involved. The customer has the ability to request changes or upgrades so that they get exactly what they want in the price range they can afford.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would suggest to begin by working in the field as a service or remodel technician. Being able to work with the public is important, so good communication skills are required. If you work in the day to day operations of the business and find you enjoy it, then pursuing your license and keeping your training fresh is also important.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. We received a bid from another company that was less than the one you provided. How do I know if their bid was complete?
We can assure our customers that any bid or proposal provided to them is the result of careful inspection of the job, taking the time to talk to the customer to know their budget and their needs and working to provide options. We then take the time to review the bid with the customer and allow them to ask questions or request changes so that the end result is a proposal for work to be done that they are confident will be complete and will meet their needs.