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| Barb Checket-Hanks
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How do HVAC contractors fit into this economy, and how might they actually benefit from it? Yes, benefit. I’m an optimist by nature, although that drives some people (like my husband) slightly nuts. He’s a pessimist by nature. I admit that I want to see the good in things.
Lately I’ve noticed a lot more interest in information that hearkens back to the Great Depression. For instance, there’s an older lady whose videos are going around, because she remembers the type of cooking her mother did to keep body and soul together for her family when both food and money were scarce.
Their tight budgets mean they are spending more time at home … and noticing their indoor environments more.
Today more than ever, consumers are looking for values and bargains. True bargains include getting more value than you might reasonably have paid for otherwise. These have a high factor of luck, and require a high degree of perseverance to find them. True bargains are like truffles. You’ve got to hunt for them. Value is a necessary component of the true bargain. Without value, it’s not really a bargain.
Today’s consumers are also learning that some purchases are more necessary than others. Appeal to consumers’ practical interests and you have a good chance of getting a portion of their dwindling discretionary dollars. What are you up against these days? Entertainment — not as much a competitor as it was. Clothes — again, not so much. Your biggest competitors these days are probably housing, medical expenses, and utilities, and your product has a direct impact on two or possibly all three of these categories.
But first, this needs to be brought to their attention.
PRACTICAL ATTITUDES
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Maybe I’m being too much of an optimist again, but I can see consumers becoming more practical these days. Few things are more practical than installing a new heating-cooling system that saves money and works better than the old one. It offers new bragging rights they can share with family and coworkers.
Maybe it’s not time for them to get a new system. How about restoring the performance of the old one? HVAC system performance restoration is a new and growing trend, designed to offer consumers something in between plain maintenance (which might not be enough) and system replacement (which might be too much).
HVAC restoration, as defined in our March 2 issue, is designed to bring systems back to a level where they can be maintained afterwards. It’s not an “as-new” promise. If done properly, however, it has a very good chance of improving reliability, comfort, and efficiency — all very practical concerns for today’s consumers.
According to recent news reports, consumers are still spending money. However, the places where they choose to spend are changing. They are looking for ways to reduce their consumption. They are looking for smart investments close to home.
