In 2022, we are going All In on customer service. This starts with leadership, whether it’s an associate in our leasing offices, service teams working on the property or behind the scenes at the Central Support Office. Partner and director of service training Paul Leber understands the supply chain is hard to plan for in the current market. This is where being proactive and thinking long-term paid off.
Back in November, Paul checked the refrigerant price on Wilmar and ordered a six-month supply for each property for $301.99 a jug. To put this into perspective, one jug is 25 pounds and can refill three to five A/C units. Looking at the price of refrigerant now, it’s wildly different – a jug is priced at $499 on Wilmar.
“We knew (the price) was probably going to double,” Paul said. “So, we figured out what we needed for our properties in 2021 and invested the same amount of money to stock up for this year.”
Paul went to CEO Bob Lloyd for approval to invest in refrigerant supply. He explained the forecast, supply chain issues and how a shortage of refrigerant could impact our properties and our residents.
“Paul came to me with this strategy. It was very smart on his part,” Bob said. “This is how we accomplish great things. Everyone in the organization is aligned with our objectives.”
This refrigerant will be used to service our residents’ heating and cooling systems. Paul’s proactive thinking saved The Connor Group more than $14,000 on the specific R10A refrigerant. That’s an ownership mentality all associates, especially partners, should have.
“We have to be relentless to take care of our residents,” Paul said. “It’s important to stay up to date with the availability and pricing of supplies.”
On top of ordering refrigerant, Paul keeps track of the most up-to-date EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations. He says, “We can’t teach new regulations unless we are following it ourselves.”
Paul has a specific RI (responsible individual) in each market to stay up to date with our refrigerant usage. An EPA log is submitted to Paul from each RI. This helps keep accurate records.
Way to go All In, drive cost savings and excellent customer service!