Perception is Reality

We all know that perception is, in actuality, NOT reality. But it is a BIG part of it (I'm going with the old adage that reality is about 90% perception to most people). The fact is, what people see is often what they believe. While we'd all like to think that Joe Consumer is doing all the due dilligence and background work on a purchase, a product review, etc., the reality is...you get my point.
I say this because now, more than ever, people are bombarded by information in every direction. They get e-mails, text messages, updates on Webinars, phone calls (remember those?!), etc. Determining just WHAT is fact from fiction can often be difficult. After all, I've heard more than a few people tell me that they "read something somewhere, so it must be true." As a Publisher and a journalist, those are scary words indeed.
My point in all this? Simply this - how are you differentiating yourself in the market? If you are an HVACR contractor, what makes you stand out from the crowd? Is it your service? The quality of installation or repair? The direct interaction with the customer? For technicians, how are you distancing yourself from your peers and making yourself more valuable? Are you attending training classes? Seminars? Telling your boss about new products or programs that could attract business?
Making a few small strides in any of these areas could make a big difference in the end - to the customer, your employees or your boss. That's the reality in this day and age.

Install or Service...That is the Question

While at the AHR Expo in Orlando, FL, late last month, I had the opportunity to meet with numerous equipment manufacturers, suppliers, industry organizations and even a technician or two. I always look forward to these meetings because they:
a.) give me the chance to find out what new products are coming on the market;
b.) allow me to seek out potential content contributors for articles, case studies, programs and seminars; and
c.) let me talk frankly about the marketplace, where things are going, and hear firsthand from those in the industry about what excites or concerns them.

The focus on energy efficiency and sustainability continue to be the biggest drivers in the market, and will remain so in the foreseeable future. Companies continue to seek out opportunities to showcase their products and promote them as "green," and are looking for as many ways as they can to present them to end-users in that manner.

But another interesting side note that came up with many folks, from refrigerant manufacturers to equipment wholesalers and associations, was the interest in just what consumers were doing in the residential market. Were they specifying new systems that would require the use of HFCs, or were they continuing to fix their existing systems - and continue using HCFCs in the process? Over and over, I heard this question asked. And interestingly, when I posed it back to others in the trade, many were unsure how to respond. While many seemed to feel that consumers were keeping money in their pocket (and therefore looking to fix their existing systems), no one could say for sure if that was the case...or if they felt that way, they couldn't say how long it would last.

I'm curious to hear from others out there what their take is on this. What are your customers saying? Are they saying anything at all? And how are you presenting new equipment options to them? Send me an e-mail to jiwanski@rses.org and let me know your thoughts. I'm not the only one who wants to know...