You can’t see it, you can’t touch it – but you can feel it when it’s not working.
“Nobody wants their air conditioner broken, especially when it’s hot outside. That’s probably the worst thing ever,” partner and executive senior regional service trainer Rob Murray said.
To ensure our residents feel comfortable in their homes during these hot summer months, our service teams are working around the clock to keep the cold air flowing in all 18 markets.
“That’s our main focus: getting caught up on ACs,” partner and executive senior regional service trainer Paul Leber said. “I don’t think we have a market that I haven’t heard from this week.”
“I’m getting calls any time of the day. Never turn my phone off. Always on call,” adds Rob.
“I’m getting calls from all over, said partner and senior lead tech Tad Hunter. “Don’t be afraid to reach out.”
Here are the top 5 tips – from Rob, Paul and Tad.
- Always check the airflow first. This means checking that vents and doors are open and that the filter is clean.
- Make sure to correct & update inventory. “There’s nothing worse than going to an AC on a weekend in the evening and not having the part, so you’re not able to fix it,” according to Tad.
- Repair leaks. Our techs change Shrader valves and install new caps to prevent leaks.
Here’s proof that our systems and processes save us money and improve customer service. “In the industry, there’s a habit of what’s called charge and go. It’s where you add just enough refrigerant to get it working and cold, and then they’ll go on to the next work order,” Paul said. “We really drive home repairing leaks. Then, you don’t have to go back and recharge it later down the road. It saves us time, increases customer service and reduces the cost of refrigerant.”
4. When you don’t know what to do, use your resources. “You’re going to hit a problem; you have no idea what to do. You’re going to run through a couple of scenarios. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people,” Tad said.
5. Be specific in your work order. “When we take work orders, be as specific as possible. The tech is going to be troubleshooting the problem before we ever get to the apartment. It helps us identify what parts to bring to the work order and increases our productivity by not having to go back to the shop,” Paul said.
Our techs do an amazing job, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Tad learned the hard way to double-check before you turn something on.
About 9 years ago, when he was a newer tech, he and partner and lead tech Jon Coontz thought they fixed the AC for a resident, but she said it still wasn’t working. “We thought she was crazy. Turns out we just sucked at our jobs,” Tad joked.
That’s when he called Rob in – first thing in the morning.
“I thought I had drained the system of all the freon. I did not. So I clicked to the vacuum pump to make sure and it sucked it out and blew it all over the top of Rob Murray’s shirt.”
Not only did it ruin his shirt, it also left welts on his chest!
“Very fortunately, Rob couldn’t reach me across the AC unit because he was going to kill me,” Tad said.
That’s why the right fix is key to knock out work orders on time and keep those customer service scores at or above standard.
Once the AC is working again, our residents show gratitude to our techs.
“Everybody’s always super relieved when you come and fix their air conditioner, especially when it’s hot outside. You’re the savior. The superhero for sure,” Rob said.
And it’s not just ACs. Our techs feel appreciated after any repair.
“People say they’re thankful when we fix anything, really. It’s a key part of the business for sure,” Rob said. “We deal with the customers first, so happy customers means the properties are going to succeed, so it’s super important.”