The last article in this series discussed different survey options that you might employ to collect results. While it’s important that you choose one, it’s also important that you realize each possesses pros and cons. If you have your technicians distribute surveys, some techs may attempt to lobby homeowners for better scores.

In the first column in this series, “Customers and True-Blue Customers” (Jan. 17), we identified that the most important number that matters is the number of repeat customers you’ve established. In this column, we’re going to take a lesson from elementary school and apply it to retaining customers.

The HVAC business is relatively simple. Your company’s objective is to find customers, solve their problems, and serve them in a capacity in which they will use you again in the future. Herein lies the question and the challenge: How well are you doing at retaining your customers?

Everyone learns in different ways, and researchers have categorized the variety of learning styles into three main categories: listening learners; seeing learners; touch and experience learners. There are huge advantages to knowing how each member of your team learns so you can provide training that matches their style.

Money for nothing doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. It can be a reality even for a hard-working, honest contractor. What’s the magic money for nothing secret? It just involves making a few simple tweaks to something you do every day, maybe multiple times a day, without even thinking about it.

In the final installment of this series, the spotlight shifts to those on the sales frontlines - salespeople and sales managers. In many companies, the sales manager is also a salesperson, so all of these strategies may help you avoid becoming the next HVAC layoff victim.

The first installment of this series featured ways for office workers to recession-proof their jobs. The second installment showed technicians how to avoid becoming the next HVAC layoff victim. Now, it’s time to go inside the service department to focus on the individual that manages the flow of service revenue - the service manager.

In the first installment of this series, we looked at ways that office workers in a contracting company can protect their jobs in tough times. Now, it’s time to focus on the individuals in the trucks and in the home - the technicians.

In these recessionary times, layoffs seem to be an unfortunately common occurrence. Just listen to the headlines; layoffs are popping up throughout the country. But how do you make sure that your job isn’t the next one on the chopping block? What steps can you take to protect your job and avoid becoming a layoff victim? Here are a few ideas.

This is the first of a five-part series explaining how to handle a recession. This first installment helps you recession-proof your company - providing an emergency action plan for your business. Future installments will focus on specific jobs including: dispatchers, accountants, technicians, service managers, and salespeople.