Recently, there has been a great deal of conversation among contractors regarding the new concept of selling HVAC equipment on the internet. While the pros and cons of a consumer buying equipment online and finding a local contractor (or having one “selected” for them) are many, that is not the purpose of this article. The point of my discussion today is that, whether we like it or not, consumers are purchasing HVAC related items online — from thermostats to parts to complete systems. The issue for us as contractors is how we deal with these new developments.
At Welsch Heating & Cooling Co., we have not yet been asked to install a complete system purchased via the internet. However, within a two-week period, we had three inquiries through our website’s “Contact us for Service” page, which brought to our attention that we need to have some policies and procedures in place for handling these circumstances. We have not made all the policies yet, but I want to encourage contractors to be prepared to make decisions regarding how you are going to handle calls such as these. Below are the three inquiries we received — I realize some of these items may have been purchased at a big-box store and not online, but the effect on us is the same.