As a business owner or facilities manager, you’re juggling a wide variety of priorities every day. Even if you are a jack of all trades, you may not be a master of all of them, including your HVAC system. When you need an HVAC service provider, how do you find a vendor you can trust to handle maintenance and emergency repair quickly, efficiently, accurately and with minimal contact?

Going with the company your neighbor uses or the one with the most years in business will not guarantee the results you need. Instead, differentiate the HVAC industry leaders by the tools these companies use to maximize efficiency, ensure accuracy and improve customer service.

Mobile Technology

The most efficient service providers use wireless hand held devices that support the work order process. Use of the latest communication technology is not only easier for the provider, but results in quicker response times and more reliable service for you.

• Quick electronic access to your customer file and service history ensures that technicians have accurate, up-to-date information about your system, even in areas with no cell phone reception. Having this information at their fingertips saves time by streamlining the troubleshooting process and by eliminating time-consuming calls to the office.
• Technicians have immediate access to parts inventory and availability, eliminating wasted trips and getting your equipment up and running again in less time.
• Your service provider’s office staff don’t need to spend time on the phone giving information to technicians, so they are available to take your calls, give information and schedule appointments faster.

GPS Systems Installed on Trucks

When your provider uses GPS on all fleet vehicles, they save time and money, resulting in faster and more cost-effective service for you.

• Technicians get to you sooner when they use the fastest, most efficient routes all day long.
• Your provider saves money on fuel costs, insurance rates and traffic citations (since vehicle speed is monitored). They also make more money by completing additional calls each day. Lower expenses and increased revenue for your provider translate to lower cost service for you.
• When you have an emergency situation, the provider can easily send the closest vehicle, resulting in quicker response times and less downtime for your system.

Uniforms and Badges

The benefits of using service providers who wear uniforms and identification badges are not just cosmetic. Uniforms mean better safety, security, and more consistent service.

• Uniforms allow you to easily identify who is in your building and accessing secure areas.
• ID badges with recent photographs provide proof of the technician’s identity.
• Flame-retardant and high-visibility work wear are safer for workers. They prevent accidents, resulting in better response times and lower costs for you.
• Uniforms have also been shown to improve morale and loyalty by making employees feel like part of a family, which mean your favorite technicians will be around to service your equipment for years to come.

MSCA Star Certification and Background Checks

Since New York has no licensing requirements for HVAC contractors, how can you tell which companies have the most qualified and trustworthy technicians? Look for providers who do background checks on all employees, and who have respected industry certifications, such as MSCA Star Certification.

• Background checks provide assurance that no one with a criminal background will have access to sensitive areas of your building and costly equipment.
• MSCA Star Certification provides verification that all technicians have completed a rigorous education program, passed a certification exam, and have at least three years of hands-on experience. (All Arista technicians are MSCA Star Certified.)
• To obtain MSCA Star Certification, technicians must agree to a code of ethics that governs their behavior in the workplace, so you can expect respectful and trustworthy service.

Well-Stocked Trucks

When a provider’s trucks are consistently stocked with everything they need, unnecessary trips to the warehouse are eliminated, and your equipment is up and running again sooner. When vetting a new provider, asking questions about the equipment they carry can assure you that the provider is well prepared. Here are just a few of the tools HVAC technicians should have:

• Leak detectors make technicians aware of the presence of harmful and dangerous gases and radiation and help them to pinpoint the sources of leaks of these substances.
• Anemometers measure airflow speed, which is important to the exchange of air throughout an HVAC system.
• Vacuum pumps and gauges are used to evacuate air conditioning lines of any damaging moisture and air that may be present.
• Charging scales replenish the gases in cooling systems after repairs are made and leaks are sealed.

Servicechannel.com

ServiceChannel is a system used by enterprise organizations to streamline management of all facilities service and to communicate with service providers. If your company uses Servicechannel, you’ll maximize your investment and your efficiency by selecting an HVAC service provider that also participates in this service.

• Your provider can obtain and react to service information more quickly and fix problems faster, without phone calls.
• You can more easily analyze data on contractor performance, which can lead to improved service levels and reduced costs.
• Selecting a longtime Servicechannel participant like Arista (as opposed to requiring a new provider to learn an unfamiliar system), means less hand-holding on your part and ensures that you can fully utilize of all of the efficiency benefits that Servicechannel has to offer.

Is your vendor missing some tools in his toolkit? If you’re thinking about switching service providers and want to learn more about transitioning download our white paper, Contract Confidence: Transitioning to a New HVAC Service Provider today!