While combining facility services under one contractor is not always the best approach, some combined services are as a natural fit as a burger and fries. It makes perfect sense to put a commercial HVAC service contract and a refrigeration service contract under the same contractor’s roof and can actually provide for a more efficient operation, reduce your costs and your stress level.
As a restaurant or grocery store owner or manager, you know the importance of keeping equipment up and running and getting repairs taken care of without missing a beat. While it’s an inconvenience for your refrigerator to break down at home, it’s something much more when it happens at your business. Your reputation and livelihood depend on the smooth operation of your business and you cannot afford a breach of service.
Let’s take a look at problems that could be solved by putting a commercial HVAC service contract and a refrigerator service contract in the hands of a single contractor.
Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong
If you don’t have a commercial HVAC service contract and a refrigeration service contract with a reliable contractor you have the ingredients for a kitchen calamity that could result in a loss of customers or even close you down. When there’s a HVAC or refrigeration problem at your food service establishment, time is of the essence.
You cannot afford for your air conditioning system to go on the fritz especially when it’s hot times, summer in the city. Diners who find themselves dripping over dinner (and it’s not the red peppers or the curry, but a failing air conditioning system) are not likely to return soon. Neither will patrons who have to keep their coat on because the heat is malfunctioning. They will go to the cozy restaurant around the corner.
You don’t need the worry of your refrigeration equipment breaking down on the day the city health inspector is slated to come for an inspection. You don’t want to disappoint the 20 six-year-olds who have showed up for an ice cream sundae party by doling out melting tubs of goo. It will be a rocky road explaining the soupy sorbet to their parents.
(Don’t have a refrigeration service contract yet? Find out more: Refrigeration Preventive Maintenance Contracts: How to Find the Right One for Your Food Service Operation.)
Wouldn’t it be nice to have one contractor to take care of all your grocery store HVAC needs and ensuring your refrigeration is keeping your fruits and vegetables fresh and visually appealing?
Signing up with one vendor for a commercial HVAC service contract and refrigeration service contract is one way of buying peace of mind. With all the multitasking you have to do while managing your food service business, you need to have a responsive contractor a phone call away that can take care of all your HVAC, refrigeration and kitchen equipment needs. If you have multiple locations, all the more reason to combine your commercial HVAC service contract with a refrigeration service contract to curtail the logistic nightmare of handling HVAC and refrigeration needs at different sites.
8 benefits of one stop shopping for a commercial HVAC service contract and a refrigeration service contract
1. One call to make
As a business owner, you’re very busy. Wouldn’t it be a time-saver to make just one phone call to manage all your air conditioning, heating, refrigeration or equipment needs? By having service contracts with one provider, you will develop a relationship with every link in the chain, including the dispatcher, who handles calls and the account manager, who will become familiar with your business, its employees and your equipment. You will get to know the technicians who service your equipment.
2. Enhanced communication
By having a single vendor for your commercial HVAC service contract and refrigeration service
contract, you won’t have to try and keep track of every minute detail of equipment service, which is particularly tricky if you operate a chain of restaurants, markets or grocery stores. By inking a commercial HVAC service contract and refrigeration service contract with a single company, you will receive emails confirming service appointments and detailed follow-ups explaining the work done at each location.
3. An account manager devoted to your business
You will no longer have to fret about who did what, where and when. You can eliminate that stress because your account manager will record those details.
4. Paperwork reduction
Do you ever feel like your drowning under a sea of paperwork? By using one contractor you will cut down on the number of invoices received. You will also reduce the amount of paperwork associated with work orders and proposals.
5. A coordinated effort
Not everyone realizes that the various system components of your operation are interrelated. A contractor who provides both HVAC and refrigeration services will be able to determine if your less-than-optimal refrigeration is linked to a variety of problems related to your HVAC system.
6. A business colleague
An established relationship with one service provider for a commercial HVAC service contract and refrigeration service contractor will play an important role in your business’ success. The vendor that provides you with HVAC, refrigeration and kitchen equipment services has a vested interest in seeing to it that all your varied needs are addressed and your business operates smoothly.
7. Equipment replacement schedule
A reputable contractor supplying HVAC, refrigeration and kitchen equipment service will keep detailed records of the types of repairs your systems are experiencing and the frequency of those repairs. Wouldn’t be an awful financial blow to have to replace several major pieces of equipment all at once? A professional service company can help you plan for equipment replacements before it gets to the point of a complete unfixable breakdown. This proactive approach will allow you to shop around for the best price rather than be at the mercy of an emergency purchase.
8. Prompt response time in emergency
A rapid response time is at the utmost importance. Owners of restaurants, larger grocery stores, mom & pop markets and convenience stores know all too well that any equipment or system failure is always an emergency. When your deli case goes on the fritz a couple of hours before the lunch crowd will arrive, it’s not just the loss sales you worry about, it’s also a concern whether your reputation might have taken a hit. If your specialty market’s catered lunch does not go off as planned because of equipment issues, you can say good-bye to being hired for other events.
Knowing that you have one number to call in the face of an emergency and that you have developed a trusting relationship with the service provider will give you confidence that your emergency needs will be given a top priority. This will take a huge weight off your mind.
HVAC service contract pricing
Whether you are the owner of a grocery store chain or a small corner deli, naturally you are going to be concerned about HVAC service pricing. If you look at the whole picture, you will see that having a commercial HVAC service contract and refrigeration service contract can actually save you money. Preventative maintenance is the key to preventing costly repairs, increasing the efficiency of your equipment, which saves on energy bills, and extending the life of your equipment. Remember any down time because of equipment failure will result in a loss in revenues and possibly a loss of customers.
Related articles:
HVAC Service Contract Pricing Guide
HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contracts: How to Find The Right One For Your HVAC Infrastructure
Here at Arista, we have a highly skilled staff that can service all your HVAC, refrigeration and kitchen equipment needs. We have the expertise to address the requirements of a wide range of clients ranging from small convenience stores to the refrigeration needs of restaurant groups or the grocery store HVAC needs for large chains. Feel free to reach out to us at any time for advice or information.
Do you have older HVAC or commercial refrigeration equipment? Due to EPA regulatory changes, R22 refrigerant (the standard used to power AC and commercial refrigeration systems for decades) will be phased out come January 2020. Get informed about how this change impacts you with this information bulletin, R22 Refrigerant Phase Out: Do You Need to Replace Your AC?
