Alabama Contractor, Spring 2015 by Blue Water Publishers, LLC

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Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

www.alabamaphcc.org • Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015

Associated Plumbing - Heating - Cooling Contractors of Alabama

ALABAMA

Contractor

The APHCC of Alabama is dedicated to the promotion, advancement, education and training of the industry, for the protection of our environment, and the health, safety, and comfort of society.

SPRING 2015

Table of Contents 6 8 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 19 20

APHCC of Alabama Officers PRESIDENT: Mike Scanlon Scanlon Plumbing Services 263 Mendel Parkway Montgomery, AL 36117 331-279-8989 VICE PRESIDENT: Michael Dean Dean Plumbing Company 3100 Leeman Ferry Road Huntsville, AL 35801 256-883-6130

Advertiser Directory Alabama 811 13 American Apt Owners Assoc 9 Bradford White 23 BrassCraft 2 FastEst, Inc. 13 Kolbi Pipe Marker Co. 13

Liberty Pumps Rockford Separators Service Roundtable T&S Brass Taco

APHCC of Alabama Board Brad Hinton Brad Hinton Companies 2069 Cherry Ave Hueytown, AL 35023 205-491-7394

Charlie Conklin Sentry Plumbing, Heating & Air 2490 Rocky Ridge Road Birmingham, AL 35243 205-979-9864

Paula Quarles Banks Quarles Plumbing, Heating, Cooling 2501 17th Street Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 205-758-2627

Jay Wiggins Wiggins Facilities Services PO Box 1507 Montgomery, AL 36102 334-235-8889

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Phil Smitherman AUX Mechanical Inc. 5925 Johns Road Bessemer, AL 35023 205-428-8416

James Cole Cole Sewer & Drain Services 4530 Plummer Court Montgomery, AL 36106 334-279-8919

Fred Williamson Williamson Plumbing 560 Glade Park Loop Montgomery, AL 36109

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Bob Mosca PO Box 36972 Birmingham, AL 35236 205-985-9488

Nick Tatum Conrad Watson Air Conditioning, Inc. 4100 County Road 5 Monroeville, AL 36460 251-282-7741

SECRETARY-TREASURER: Rick Thomason PHC 1634A Montgomery Highway, Suite 162 Hoover, AL 35216 205-822-0597

www.alabamaphcc.org

From the Desk of APHCC President, Mike Scanlon Targets For Learning: PHCC of Alabama Apprentice Program How to Get Ahead - Gerry Kennedy, PHCC National EVP All Politics is Local - Mark Riso, PHCC National, Director of Government Affairs Fifteen Productivity Tips from Successful Busy People How to Resolve Workplace Conflicts Thank You to Our Advertisers Business Friendly Customer Service PHCC of Alabama HVAC Continuing Education Internet Course Application PHCC of Alabama Backflow Control Internet Certification Course Application PHCC Apprenticeship Application

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

Barry Lee Birmingham Noland Company 500 35th Street North Birmingham, AL 35222 205-323-6322

24 14, 15 3 9 6, 7

Senior Editor: Bob Mosca PO Box 36972 Birmingham, AL 35236 (205) 985-9488 alphcc@gmail.com

Alabama Contractor is the official magazine of the Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Alabama and is published four times annually. APHCC of Alabama does not necessarily endorse any of the companies advertising in this publication or the views of its writers. Alabama Contractor is designed and published by Blue Water Publishers, LLC. Articles and information published in this magazine may not be reproduced without written consent of the APHCC of Alabama or Blue Water Publishers, LLC. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for claims made by advertisers and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by contributing authors. For more information on advertising, contact Jim Aitkins, Blue Water Publishers, LLC, 22727 - 161st Avenue SE, Monroe, WA 98272 360-805-6474 / fax: 360-805-6475 jima@bluewaterpublishers.com

www.alabamaphcc.org • Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015

From the Desk of APHCC President, Mike Scanlon

ome feel that issues facing our association today are new and different. I came across a very old 1967 issue of Alabama Contractor the other day and discovered the following column written by Glenn Slayton that reaffirms the old adage: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I chose to use his words in my letter to you because ‘I couldn’t have said it better myself’!

belong. For example, how many times have you said to yourself, “I’m too busy. Let someone else do it”?

“When many say of governmental affairs, ‘What does it matter?’, the future may be shaky.” So said Benjamin Franklin. His advice to his countrymen in the 18th Century is equally true today. It is not confined to government. Associations often have the same problem – too many ”satisfied” members who are content to let the other fellow do the work and call the tune.

What all this amounts to, in essence, is getting more out of your association by: 1. Using its services to the best advantage.

Indifference and apathy undermine effectiveness no matter where their blight appears. Glossed over by complacency, like dry rot under an attractive veneer, they eat their way in the organization structure. So it weakens gradually, with hardly anyone aware. But the signs can be detected by those in a position to read them.

4. Answering letters, questionnaires and requests for information.

Appointing officers can get their clues when lining up talent for committees. Chairmen are alerted by attendance and participation at meetings. Staff has an index in the ration of returns to announcements, letters and bulletins. But members have the best diagnosing equipment of all: ability to analyze their own reactions and attitudes to the groups to which they

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

Unfortunately, not everything can be delegated. No matter how many willing assistants you have, there is always a residue labeled “Do It Yourself.” It is on this crucial element that so-called “working” members find opportunities for growth and service.

2. Participating in various programs and projects and keeping informed about them. 3. Promptly reading association reports and publications.

5. Attending conventions and taking part in discussions. 6. Encouraging qualified prospects to apply for membership. Enterprise in America hasn’t gotten to where it is today through passive acceptance and letting the other guy do it. Your association also owes its position and stability to a long line of doers. What you do for it today determines how useful it will be to your tomorrow.

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The Program The APHCC “Targets for Learning” curriculum is of the highest quality and is exclusive to the plumbing and HVAC industry. This apprentice training program is the first training program for the plumbing-heating-cooling industry available to participants via the Internet. The program is a four-year course as mandated by Department of Labor standards. The 48-week instruction consists of three hours per week classroom (accessing Internet at contractor’s place of business) plus on-the-job training by employer. The student has seven days to complete the three hours per week classroom work. Today, the cost of training an apprentice in the plumbing and HVAC industry is over $3000.00 per person. The total yearly cost per apprentice utilizing the APHCC of Alabama’s Apprentice Program is $1,500 (for PHCC members). Don’t turn your back on training! The better trained your employees are, the more skilled they become. Observe your work force and select the most eager and willing to learn the trade -- then enroll them in our Apprentice Training Program. 8

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

You are only one step away from getting

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WE KNOW

PLUMBING.

Whether bidding on future projects or providing solutions for an urgent plumbing issue today, it’s critical to know you have the right resources in place. That’s why T&S offers a vast selection of high-quality products that are easy to install and built to perform for years to come. And with a full assortment of in-stock items ready for same-day shipping, it’s no wonder contractors everywhere rely on T&S when it matters most.

Visit tsbrass.com and learn more about how we’re partnering with contractors just like you. T&S plumbing products represented in Alabama by: Williams & Associates, Inc. - 205-833-6666 TSB_0592 2015 PHCC Pubs.indd 1

www.alabamaphcc.org • Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015 9 12/18/14 10:41 AM

By Gerry Kennedy Executive Vice President PHCC National Association

our market is changing. Regulations are changing. Your workforce is changing. And, technology is really changing. How do you keep up?

•

Pumping up efforts within the industry to help rebuild the workforce we need to continue to provide safe and efficient plumbing and HVACR services for our country. PHCC and the PHCC Educational Foundation have formed a special task force to address ways to attract and train the qualified workers needed by our industry. PHCC also is working with the HVACR Workforce Development Foundation to develop projects, programs, and partnerships that support the recruitment and training of the next generation of skilled workers.

•

Keeping members updated on the latest technologies and standards. Most recently, PHCC’s Vice President of Technical and Code Services Chuck White has been representing the contractor side on a U.S. Dept. of Energy working group to negotiate proposed energy efficiency standards for the Final Furnace, Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Rule. And, PHCC just released a comprehensive resource – The Game Changer – developed exclusively for our members to provide them with everything they need to know to prepare for the new water heater regulations going into effect April 16, 2015.

•

Expanding our member discount programs with Chrysler, saving members even more on Ram trucks and ProMaster® vans. We’ve also continued our alliance with Market Hardware, which gives you great access to free sample social media tips and marketing resources.

PHCC—National Association is here to help. In fact, we’re continually adapting to your changing needs to provide the right tools and resources and connections you need to stay a step ahead of your competition. To help you succeed, PHCC is: •

•

Making lots of progress on promoting the value of PHCC and the importance of hiring professional contractors. As part of our brand awareness project, we’ve been spreading the message about how PHCC members are the “Best People” who follow the “Best Practices.” There are many resources and templates available to help you promote your business. Just check out the “Samples & Templates” section of www.phccweb.org. Diversifying – and increasing – our communications so we can reach you in the most effective ways. Recently we’ve expanded our communications to include regular member benefit updates, a membership video series, more social media outreach, mobile apps, member resource mailings and targeted email alerts. These efforts have produced some positive results, including an 8 percent increase in visitors to the PHCC website over the past year! Serving as the voice of our contractor members on numerous legislative and regulatory issues impacting their businesses. These include workforce development, healthcare reform, the future of refrigerants, and the lead paint rule. In fact, we left a huge mark on Capitol Hill this year at the PHCC Legislative Conference.

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

Every day, our goal is to develop ways to make it easier for you to tackle the inevitable changes in our industry and move your business forward. For more information on PHCC’s programs and opportunities, visit www.phccweb.org or call (800) 5337694.

National Congressional Approval Ratings Mean Little Work with Your Respective Member(s) of Congress – and Forget the Polls.

14% “All politics is local” 21% 11% 20% 23% 19% After all…

By Mark Riso Director of Government Relations PHCC National Association

former Speaker of the U.S. House Tip O’Neill

ven though you are reading this after the November 2014 Congressional elections, the application of its message will always ring true in national and state lawmaking. Let’s start off this way… Some of us are nerdy – policy wonks who tap into national political ratings and stats daily (it’s a curse). That said, Gallup* reported recently that the congressional approval rating continues to hover around 14 percent - five points higher than the historical low of 9 percent found in November 2013. Gallup also reported that low congressional approval ratings before midterm elections are linked to higher seat turnover, especially for members of the president’s party (simple stuff). For example, congressional job approval in October was 21 percent in 2010, and 23 percent in 1994, two years when the president’s party lost a large number of seats. However, in other years when the approval of Congress was in the 20 percent range, seat loss was not as extreme. This suggests that although low congressional approval is related to seat loss for the president’s party, it is not a perfect predictor of what will happen in elections. Other factors also come into play, such as low presidential job approval and whether the president’s party is the majority party in Congress. Gallup continues to report that Democrats are slightly more likely to approve of Congress. In October 2014, Democrats gave Congress a 19 percent approval rating, while Republicans and Independents awarded just an 11 percent approval rating. In the 2014 midterm elections, all 435 House seats and 36 Senate seats are up for election. While Americans vote only for the member of Congress in their own district and, if applicable this year, a senator or senators from their own state, the dismal approval rating could signal high congressional seat turnover, based on history. That will likely fall disproportionately on Democrats because voters often turn their frustrations on members of the president’s political party.

However, the reason there will not be a large turnover in Congress (aside from 52 current Members of Congress who resigned, lost in their primary or who are retiring or have passed away) for the upcoming elections is due to the current divided party control of Congress (says Mark Riso). In contrast to most past elections, Gallup reports that those unhappy with Congress cannot as clearly direct their frustrations at one party because currently, there is divided party control of Congress. The pollster states: “This unstable line of responsibility may be why voters are not as motivated to show up at the polls this year as in past elections, when frustration with Congress was high.” OK…bored yet? Well, throw away all those concepts and stats and forget about any attempt to measure lawmaking productivity with a percentage. Here’s how to measure the productivity of your lawmaker(s). Ask yourself today – right now: If I wanted to speak or at least engage with my lawmakers (national and state), can I? Have I spent the time needed to build a relationship with my lawmakers so that I can measure their productivity on what impacts my communities? It is true that at the national and state levels, lawmakers need to be measured on respective voting records; however, lawmakers perform many functions in their respective state that cannot be seen by merely reading a voting record and or reviewing stats. For all of those policy wonks out there: Continue to keep your eyes on the political polls to get an idea of public opinion. But, remember to keep in mind there are many other factors involved in the political process.

% *Gallup, Inc., is an American research-based, global performance-management consulting company. The company became famous for its public opinion polls, which were conducted in the United States and other countries. Gallup works with major businesses and organizations around the world.

www.alabamaphcc.org • Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015

PRODUCTIVITY

TIPS Successful from

Busy People

t any moment in a given day, we have push notifications, text messages, email alerts, phone calls, tweets, and even real humans vying for our attention. Not only are we busy in the present, but also our minds are often consumed with the future and all of the decisions we have to make. If your to-do list is anything like mine, it’s more likely to grow longer than disappear. The key to reducing exhaustion and frustration is to spend the time you do have productively. Before I share some tips that will help, let’s first look at some of the things that get in the way of our productivity: LACK OF BOUNDARIES Most people aren’t great at establishing strong boundaries around their time, and they’re even worse at observing them. It’s important, when you’ve scheduled time to do something, that you actually do it. Resisting answering phone calls, checking social media, or agreeing to have coffee when a friend stops by can be difficult, but also worthwhile. DISTRACTIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS Distractions happen for one of two main reasons: Either we fail to limit our exposure to them or they are an indication that we need a break. Learn to notice the difference, enforce those boundaries we just mentioned, and allow time to rest and rejuvenate when necessary. DOING IT ALL YOURSELF We have many responsibilities and multiple roles in life and work. One of the biggest drains on productivity is that we take on more than we are capable of accomplishing or skilled to perform.

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

April is National Safe Digging Month

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www.alabamaphcc.org • Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015

It can be hard to relinquish control, but doing so gives us the opportunity to work on what matters most and uses our best talents while allowing someone else to handle the rest. In addition to delegating, what sorts of things can you automate or, at the very least, create a streamlined process to handle? Set yourself up for success by creating and sticking to your boundaries, minimizing distractions, and getting over the idea that you’re the only one who can do what must be done. I like the way John C. Maxwell puts it, which pretty much summarizes it for me: “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best.” If you apply just these three principles, without adding in any of the tips listed below, you will see a definite increase in your productivity. Helping leaders who build better things If you want even more productivity, though, here are fifteen suggestions to consider: 1. Set goals and establish a clear vision for the future and revisit year after year. 2. Don’t keep a to-do list in your head. Write it down. Leave space in your head for thinking and ideas. 3. Begin. Just do a tiny bit. Even writing down your ideas helps. Once you start, momentum shifts from putting something off or thinking about the fact you should start.

4. Don’t expect to be productive if you never take timeout to recharge. Open the window. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. Look up. Look around. Notice the world going by. 5. Get a new perspective. Read a different trade business magazine or article. Go to an unusual conference. Talk to someone from an unrelated profession about what they are doing. Gather ideas from outside your field. 6. Use train time, bus time or queuing time for thinking or unwinding, rather than using it for yet another ten minutes of information overload. You’ll feel less frantic if you take these opportunities for time-out as they’re offered. 7. Switch off your Smartphone an hour earlier than usual tonight. If you never switch your phone off, buy an alarm clock first then try pressing the off button. Sleep more. 8. Draw a line. Work emails can invade your mealtimes, weekends and holidays. Move away from your workspace, get some exercise, read a book or have a conversation to shift your energy and focus. You’ll be amazed at how ready you are to get started again.

CONCRETE INTERCEPTORS AREN’T ALL THEY’RE CRACKED UP TO BE. 14

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

Contact your local rep: Cain Sales 2630 Steve Dr Atlanta, GA 30340 770.662.0755 770.368.8495 cainsales@mindspring.com www.access2day.com

The final and most important productivity tip:

9. Switch off all pop-up notifications. Control the times you access your applications and choose not to always answer the phone.

15. Value your attention. Know that it’s a precious commodity and be in charge of how you spend it. In other words, “Don’t waste your oil.” Determine whether you are using your skills to their fullest advantage. Are you doing things that would be better done by someone else, even if you had to pay them, and release yourself to thrive fully in your own gifts.

10. Do that one most difficult task early in the day and the rest of your workload will seem like a breeze afterward. 11. Unsubscribe to five emails or lists you don’t want or need today. Do this regularly and you’ll notice your email traffic will go down. 12. Redefine what is urgent. Your major goals trump checking social media. Remember why the task was important and what can be gained from getting it done. If that has changed or diminished, consider moving on to another item or removing from your list all together. 13. Speak to someone in person to sort out some business today. See what extra benefit that brings. Go beyond the surface digital interactions we’ve become so used to settling for. 14. If you’ve had a day full of being distracted, let it go. Some days are like that. Plan to set aside some focused time tomorrow to get on properly with an important task.

“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.” – Denis Waitley Jeff Knight jeffknight.com Facebook: facebook.com/JeffKnightcom Twitter: twitter.com/Knightrous LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/JeffRKnight Copyright© 2015

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Alabama Contractor • Spring 2015

Conflicts!

How to Resolve Workplace By Greg Smith

onflict in the workplace is a painful reality and a key reason for poor productivity and frustration. Do you have people in your workplace that cause problems for everyone else? Do they create additional work for others? One point is clear–conflict does not magically go away and only gets worse when ignored. Certain types of workplace conflict are readily identified. Other forms of conflict may not be so easily detected. Small, irritating events such as negative attitudes occur repeatedly over time and can cause people to strike out at each other. In many cases, conflict occurs at the senior level of the organization. In these situations some kind of intervention is needed. What type of workplace conflict requires intervention? Anything that disrupts the office, impacts on productivity or poses a threat to other employees needs addressing. The degree to which you tolerate a situation before intervention may vary. A manager may not feel it necessary to intervene when a minor

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

exchange of words occurs between employees–unless such an incident becomes a daily occurrence and expands beyond the employees initially involved. However, a situation where one employee threatens another requires immediate action. When handling conflict, some basic guidelines apply. Understand the situation. Few situations are exactly as they seem or as presented to you by others. Before you try to settle the conflict insure you have investigated both sides of the issue. Acknowledge the problem. I remember an exchange between two board members. One member was frustrated with the direction the organization was taking. He told the other, “Just don’t worry about it. It isn’t that important.” Keep in mind what appears to be a small issue to you can be a major issue with another. Acknowledging the frustration and concerns is an important step in resolving the conflict.

Before You Dig.

Associated Plumbing - Heating - Cooling Contractors of Alabama

Be patient and take your time. The old adage, “Haste makes waste,” has more truth in it than we sometimes realize. Take time to evaluate all information. A too-quick decision does more harm than good when it turns out to be the wrong decision and further alienating the individual involved.

ALABAMA

Contractor

THANK YOU!

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One free, easy call gets your utility Avoid using coercion and intimidation. Emotional outbursts lines marked AND helps protect 811 you Alabama or coercing people may stop the problem temporarily, butfrom do injury and expense. not fool yourself into thinking it is a long-term solution. Odds Safe Digging Is No Accident: are the problem will resurface. At that point not only willAlways you Call 811 Before You Dig. www.al811.com have the initial problem to deal with, but also the angry feelings that have festered below the surface during the interim. American Apartment Owners Association

Focus on the problem, not the individual. Most people have known at least one “problematic individual” during their work experience. Avoid your own pre-conceived attitudes about individuals. Person X may not be the most congenial individual on your staff. This does not mean they do not have a legitimate problem or issue. Focus on identifying and resolving the conflict. If, after careful and thorough analysis, you determine the individual is the problem, then focus on the individual at that point.

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Establish guidelines. Before conducting a formal meeting between individuals, get both parties to agree to a few meeting guidelines. Ask them to express themselves calmly—as unemotionally as possible. Have them agree to attempt to understand each other’s perspective. Tell them if they violate the guidelines the meeting will come to an end.

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Keep the communication open. The ultimate goal in conflict resolution is for both parties to resolve the issue between themselves. Allow both parties to express their viewpoint, but also share your perspective. Attempt to facilitate the meeting and help them pinpoint the real issue causing conflict.

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Act decisively. Once you have taken time to gather information, talked to all the parties involved, and reviewed all the circumstances, make your decision and act. Don’t leave the issue in limbo. Taking too long to make a decision could damage your credibility and their perception of you. They may view you as either too weak, too uncaring, or both, to handle the problem. Not everyone will agree with your decision, but at least they will know where you stand.

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plumbing. Mount the valve under the sink and

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the pump at the water heater. The valve’s unique

connected to any Taco 00. The Plumb n’ Plug thermal disk technology sends cooled water back to Greg Smith’s cutting-edge keynotes, consulting, and training becombines circulator and timer into one easy instalthe water heater so hot water lines remain hot. Our lation, while the SmartPlus actually memorizes the exclusive clean-in-place valve design makes short programs have helped businesses reduce turnover, increase family’s water usage and is ready with instant hot work of keeping the system operating properly, too. is hot sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service. As water every time. The TacoGenie T&S Brass water on your command. Just mount it under Your success starts in our factory. President of Chart Your Course International he has implethe most remote kitchen or bath fixture. Every e-smart, low-lead compliant product we It’s user-activated for ultimate savings and make is built for the job and engineered to deliver w w w. ts bra s s. co m mented professional development programs for hundreds of comfort. superior reliability and easy installation. 800.476.4103 organizations globally. He has authored nine informative books including Fired Up! Leading Your Organizational to Achieve Taco Exceptional Results. For more information, visit ChartCourse. With new national lead-free legislation, com or call (770) 860-9464. there’s been a lot of talk about making the switch. www.alabamaphcc.org www.taco-hvac.com Here’s the truth: T&S was the first• fiAlabama xture, faucetContractor and fitting manufacturer to convert its entire line “Every time you choose a Taco product, you’re doing business with a company that puts people first.” – John Hazen White, Jr. Owner of Taco, Inc.

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• Spring 2015

“Business Friendly” Customer Service O

f the many experiences we all have each day involving customer service, only a few may be memorably pleasant. Some may be okay. Some may even be abrasive. Shouldn’t they all be great? Don’t you think customers would be delighted in being treated one way, to have uniformly excellent service in each encounter? Wouldn’t it be great to always receive “Business Friendly” customer service? Well, why isn’t it that way? Bottom Line: the biggest mistake customer service professionals make is not treating customers in a friendly enough manner. Somehow the cold, aloof, reserved, overly formal method of handling people has come to be considered “businesslike.” But that’s not true. It comes across like frostbite. To the customer it can sound curt, bored, and uncaring. It’s costing companies billions of dollars in lost opportunities! “Business Friendly,” simply put, is the middle ground between being too cold, impersonal, or uncaring, and the other extreme of being too familiar too fast. Want to deliver GREAT Business Friendly Customer Service? It involves the following: 1. Treat every customer as unique; don’t become desensitized. During a typical day you probably handle repetitive questions; the same thing over and over. Toward the end of the day the “lots of calls fatigue” syndrome sets in and your energy level begins to sag. This is when you need to avoid becoming desensitized, to avoid sounding bored and uncaring and unpleasant to customers. Every customer deserves the same uniform excellence, no matter what time of the day they call.

2. Solve the problem; don’t argue! When a customer is wrong, and sometimes they are, it’s not a good idea to tell them that they are wrong. Don’t argue.

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

By Nancy Friedman The Telephone Doctor

Good “Business Friendly” customer service focuses on solving the problem, not identifying and placing the blame!

3. Show empathy; don’t ignore what they say! Empathy is defined as the ability to share in another’s emotions, thoughts, or feelings. When someone describes a problem or a situation, don’t ignore it! Say something that shows you heard, understand, and share in the matter. Be empathetic. Reach out to involve yourself in the caller’s experience. This indicates that you’re being “Business Friendly.” 4. Smile; don’t be cold! A smile in your voice makes all the difference in the world. Yes, you can hear it! Without the smile in your voice, the listener’s perception is that you aren’t very friendly. It’s like having a friendly expression on your face when you meet someone. Your smile is your friendly facial expression on the telephone.

Simple as it sounds, these four steps will get you started on delivering great Business Friendly customer service. As a customer service professional, make it your goal to reach out and treat every customer with the same warm and caring manner. Your goal is uniform excellence. Make every contact memorably pleasant. To do that, make Telephone Doctor “Business Friendly” your goal.

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor, is a keynote speaker at association, franchise and corporate meetings. She is the author of eight books on customer service and sales, has appeared on Fox News, CNN, Oprah, and dozens of other radio and TV shows. You can talk with Nancy at 314-2911012, email her at nancy@telephonedoctor.com or visit www. nancyfriedman.com.

Spring 2015 • Alabama Contractor • www.alabamaphcc.org

Spring 2015

Introducing The New Heat Pump Water Heater from Bradford White Saving energy and money is always a good idea for your customers. Bradford White’s ENERGY STAR® qualified Aerotherm™ Series Heat Pump Water Heater saves plenty. The AeroTherm uses 62% less energy than a standard 50-gallon electric water heater and saves up to $365.00 per year in energy costs* There’s no loss of performance either. AeroTherm offers a 65 gallon First Hour Rating, the same as standard 50-gallon electric water heater. It’s a smarter way to heat water.

Represented By: Banks & Head Agency Anniston, AL 36201 256.235.9000

Get AeroTherm. Get Satisfied Customers. *Based on DOE test procedures and comparison of 50-gallon standard electric tank water heaters using 4879 kWh per year vs. the AeroTherm heat pump water heater using 1830 kWh per year and national average electricity rate of 12 cents per kWh)

Committed to American Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, and Professional Installation. www.bradfordwhite.com

Away from home? You should have a serious talk

Protecting your basement is now smarter than ever with the new SJ10A SumpJet® from Liberty Pumps. This highly efficient, water-powered back-up pump requires no electricity to operate and features an integrated alarm and optional auto-dialer to call you if the unit has activated. This valuable water-saving feature is especially important if your main sump pump has failed and you’re away from home for an extended period of time.

with your pump.

Call your Cell Phone

Sequentially dials up to 4 different telephone numbers

Call your Plumber

Model ADC-1 auto dialer must be used in conjunction with SumpJet® model SJ10A and is sold separately

Call your Neighbor

Call your Family

800-543-2550

Locally Represented By: Williams & Associates, Inc. 205.833.6666 www.wareps.com

w w w. l i b e r t y p u m p s . c o m

One of Americas fastest growing, privately owned companies.