Q&A – Why Didn’t You Notice it Last Time? – Short #210

In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Edward's question about how to deal with customers who ask, “Why didn't you notice it last time?”

There isn't an easy answer to that question. The truth is that air conditioning and home health and comfort issues are complicated, and it's entirely possible that an issue simply went unnoticed (or the symptoms simply weren't apparent yet). The HVAC industry doesn't have a standard slate of tests that can give a comprehensive view of everything that's wrong with a system all at once. It's similar to how a doctor can offer a second opinion that differs from the first doctor you saw.

You have to determine whether the customer wants to place blame or solve the problem when they ask, “Why didn't you notice it last time?” Sometimes, we need to dig deeper to find the root of the problem. We can offer advanced diagnostics and be honest about what that will entail (including pricing), though it's natural for customers to be apprehensive about being sold options. However, we don't want to avoid pursuing solutions either.

There are ways to talk about previous sloppy or incomplete work without placing blame on another technician. The immediate problem is what requires attention, not the last person who worked on the system. Ask the customer to state their goals and the results they want to see, and you can forge a path ahead.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

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#customer service #diagnostics #hvac #residential hvac #soft skills

Author:

Bryan Orr

Company: HVAC School

Position: Founder

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Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In today’s podcast, Bryan talks with legendary Hydronics author and trainer Dan Holohan about the history of steam heating and some practical applications of old ideas. Recently, Dan has been working on more novels, having published two of them over the past few months.

Steam heating is a “lost art” nowadays; it has become increasingly uncommon and has been disappearing since the Vietnam War. Many people who understood steam heating either retired or died after the Vietnam War. Many elements of steam heating are difficult to understand or surprising. (For example, steam pressure has a surprising relationship with velocity: low-pressure steam moves through piping much more quickly than high-pressure steam.) So, Dan Holohan is on a mission to revive that knowledge and teach the newer generations about the lost art.

There are many older steam heating systems still operating today, especially in the older large buildings in New York. Dan learned a lot about steam heating when working on these old systems and optimizing them. Most of the time, he optimized those systems by removing unnecessary accessories, not by adding components like steam traps.

Many old boilers used coal as a heat source. Nowadays, many old boilers have been fitted with conversion oil burners with thermostats, but they are still piped for coal. Some systems now have multiple risers or massive vents on the main riser to prevent the thermostats from getting too hot too early and satisfying the thermostat too early. We call that master venting, which reduces pressure and allows steam to move very quickly and efficiently.

Dan also discusses:

The 2-PSI standard
Transportation metaphors for BTUs in steam
Harmful renovations for old boilers
Replacement vs. restoration mindsets
Gaps in steam boiler education
Monopolizing the market if you HAVE the education
Boiler piping and venting
Two-pipe vs one-pipe steam

Find out more about Dan and hydronic heating at HeatingHelp.com.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.