In this third installment of a four-part series on The News’ 2002 market survey, we examine service vehicle usage, service assignments, and purchasing procedures.
Paul Ridilla has been around the block a few times. Repeating the words that he “has been in the business for 63-1/2 years,” Ridilla drew on a lifetime of experience during his ISH North America seminar about the importance of recruiting, motivating, and retaining employees.
Dan DeSalvo spoke at the annual meeting of The Unified Group about “How to Handle Difficult People.” DeSalvo said the keys to handling difficult people start with turning difficult situations into positive outcomes and creating strategies for resolving conflicts.
James Leichter, whose moniker is Mr. HVAC, talked about doubling service profits during his seminar at the recent ISH North America trade show. He summed up his philosophy quite simply, stating, “Service is where you want to optimize your profits.”
Joe Lstiburek doesn’t pull any punches. He doesn’t shy away from blunt remarks about the topic of mold and indoor air quality (IAQ). Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.E., is a principal with Building Sciences Corp., a Boston consulting firm. He was also a featured speaker at the annual meeting of The Unified Group.
Stanley Sklar is a member of the Construction Law Group of Chicago-based Bell, Boyd & Lloyd. He is a nationally recognized construction law attorney, and he had some interesting insights about construction contracts for seminar attendees at the recent ISH North America trade show.
When facing a residential oil-fired furnace that is acting up, you want to get the situation under control as quickly as possible. A problem during the heating season will bring a call from an anxious and possibly agitated customer. The following are some of the most common issues that a service contractor addresses when troubleshooting an oil furnace, along with the possible cures.
To get consistent, reliable operation from a commercial oil-fired boiler, it must be monitored and serviced on a regular basis. The best boiler will turn into a hunk of metal or become a dangerous vessel if it doesn’t get the attention it needs. Two boiler experts provided their ideas on the frequency and requirements for servicing commercial boilers.
Six hundred of the Trane Company’s elite Comfort Specialist dealers recently gathered in San Francisco at the downtown Hilton hotel to attend the manufacturer’s fourth national dealer conference.
As announced in a recent article in The News, the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) was considering a formal adoption of the certification offered by North American Technician Excellence (NATE). Now, NEMI will be able to provide its members with a service certification by offering the NATE exam.