I was visiting with an HVAC contractor recently who had moved his business from a small shop in the city to his home in a beautiful rural setting.

He took a gamble that the move would be better for him, cutting down his overhead and allowing him to enjoy the serenity of a peaceful world around him. Not bad at all.

What impresses me is that here is a guy who represents a true craftsman of the HVAC trade. He takes his time with every replacement job, sizing the system correctly to the home and taking the time to explain the many options available to the homeowner.

He feels that because of his reduced costs, he can afford to work a little longer on each home rather than feel pressured to complete a job within a certain time frame. I think to myself, wouldn’t that be an ideal world for any HVAC contractor - to be able to treat every job as if it were the only one on the schedule?

It is naïve of me to think that such a thing would be possible, and I am sure there are those who still look down on the contractor who runs the business out of his or her home because he or she puts the brick-and-mortar guys at a disadvantage when it comes to pricing a job (theoretically).

But wouldn’t it be nice if each one of your employees went to a customer’s home and treated them as if they were the only customer they had all day?

Try that on for size and see what happens.