ALWAYS ON TIME…OR YOU DON’T PAY A DIME! Patrick Goodness
As both a homeowner and the owner of a small property management firm, life has had its share of surprises…both good and bad.
When my business runs like a well-oiled machine, and my kids are doing well in school… that’s an incredibly good surprise. Receiving a call that the boiler in my 20 unit property has shut down on the coldest day in January…literally minutes after I discovered that the furnace in my home had taken it’s last breath…now that’s the kind of surprise that would rattle anyone’s nerves.
But, it is just this type of surprise that everyone has to handle from time to time. And that’s where my story takes a not so pleasant turn. It was October, about two years ago when I made the upgrade from an old, outdated boiler to a brand new high efficiency boiler with an equally high price tag attached. It was a moment of pure pride when the technicians removed my weathered prehistoric clunker of a boiler and descended the stairs with my brand new boiler, still ensconced in its protective box. When the box was removed, there she was…in all her glory. My troubles were over, I thought to myself. No more late night, double time service calls. No more waiting for out of stock parts for an obsolete boiler. This boiler was my ticket to maintenance freedom! And with winter on the way…my tenants would have “worry free” heat all winter long.
Everything seemed perfect for the first full year, until my new boiler started acting up. At first it was just a few loud rattles & knocks reported by tenants, followed by occasional reports of inconsistent temperatures, until one morning just a few days after her one-year birthday she just gave up on me altogether. A bit disheartened, I called my sales rep, only to find that he was no longer with the company. Instead I was transferred to another new sales rep, who never returned my calls, and gave me no choice but to call a sales manager. It was then I realized
the seriousness of my errors in making this purchase. The sales manager finally returned my call…more than 4 hours later, with an annoying peppy voice that was about to deliver nothing but disappointment.
“I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news”, he reported. “Good news first. Your boiler was covered under a comprehensive parts and labor warranty,” he said. I breathed a sigh of relief. “The bad news is that your warranty term expired four days ago,” he said shyly. I could now purchase a pricey service plan, or could pay for repairs as needed. Either way, I hung up the phone discouraged and without any recourse for the necessary repairs.
The sad truth is that many HVAC companies offer watered down warranties that are virtually worthless after one year. If you have the unfortunate luck of doing business with one of these companies, you’ll soon discover that the only service you’ll receive is of the “lip” variety. There are however a few companies that take seriously their commitment to dependability and service. My story has a happy ending because of one such company.
American Comfort’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, a Chicago-area HVAC sales and service provider, headquartered out of Elk Grove Village appeared on my radar after several friends and colleagues offered eager commendations and glowing reviews of their business with\ American Comfort. American Comfort offers sales and service of furnaces, boilers, central air conditioning and air filtration/ purification equipment with a One-Hour Guarantee.
I was in utter disbelief. Here it was the coldest day of the winter, and despite the fact that American Comfort’s phone must having been ringing off the hook with other emergency service calls, the service tech arrived a mere 30 minutes after I placed my call. And best of all, when he finished repairing my boiler, he diagnosed and serviced my home furnace in record time. They also gave me a 2-year parts and labor warranty
on both the boiler and the furnace… and they put it in writing!
What I soon discovered about American Comfort resonated with my referrals, and caused me to speculate about what makes American Comfort so special. What sets American Comfort apart I would learn, is what sets every exceptional company apart from its competitors. In the end, it boils (no pun intended) down to three simple factors: Experience, Support and Service.
EXPERIENCE:
In an industry where the average employee measures experience in weeks and months, American Comfort stands tall with an average of 15 years of experience per employee. From the very first call, it became apparent that the professionals at American Comfort’s One Hour
Heating & Air Conditioning are at the top of their game. They quickly addressed me by name, and took the time to ask about my needs and expectations. I felt less like I was talking to a sales person, than I was talking to a trusted business advisor. As I would later learn, the entire staff at American Comfort is comprised of highly respected industry professionals that have been hand picked because of their experience, dedication and their willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that their customers receive the very best.
Whether you’re looking to purchase new HVAC equipment, or hoping to find a qualified repair technician, American Comfort is unparalleled in the Chicago market. When you come across a company with this level of experience, you can feel confident that the equipment and services they offer are second to none. In fact, the complete line of HVAC equipment offered and installed by American Comfort comes with the highest recommendations by independent research groups and major corporate users.
SUPPORT:
The number one rule of doing long-term business is to make your customers feel important. The American Comfort team takes this concept
one step further. With American Comfort, you’ll feel important… because quite simply, you are important. As a locally owned and operated company, American Comfort is quick to respond with personal, hands on support,
One of American Comfort’s distinctive yellow vans. replacing excuses and “quick fixes” with real answers and timetested solutions. And since no one can predict when you may need some assistance, American Comfort makes sure that their support personnel are available to give you the support you need. There’s only one problem with doing business with American Comfort. You’ll come to expect this same level of support and service from all of your vendors!
SERVICE:
Sooner or later even the best quality equipment will need to be serviced. Like me, this is the moment of truth when every client comes to realize the value of affordable, quality service. American Comfort has developed a program called “Total Customer Satisfaction”, which speaks volumes about their belief in offering exceptional client service. In addition to the standard manufacturer warranties, American Comfort guarantees their equipment against defects, unreliability and poor quality, and will replace them if necessary. In essence, every purchase made from American Comfort comes with a “double guarantee.”
No one can afford to have inoperable heating and cooling equipment. The simple truth is that any time your equipment fails…you lose time and money. I’ve never been able to understand how service companies think it’s reasonable for clients to take a day off from work, only to wait around all day to have their furnace repaired.
Who can afford to wait around all day waiting for a service technician to show up? American Comfort understands this and offers One Hour Service to get you back up and running in no time. If they’re not on time, your service call and repairs are FREE. That’s right. If they’re not on time, THEY PAY! Their logo says it all…American Comfort One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning…Always on Time or You Don’t Pay a Dime.
Every now and again, each of us has had the good fortune of finding the right company at the right time; a team of consummate professionals
that you can trust. American Comfort has been and continues to be just that sort of company for me and for thousands of savvy Chicago-area home owners and property managers.
