Unwritten Rule!

[lowtemp]

This week i did a startup on a new Lennox Tclass unit. I placed my company sticker on the unit when i was done. We installed this unit for General Contractor and do not do service work for retail store unit is installed at. Yesterday i went back to do startup on heating side of unit(gas pipiing wasnt complete on first visit)and found my sticker had been torn off unit! Another company's sticker was now on unit. I consider it an unwritten rule not to remove competitors stickers. I have added my sticker to units but never remove or place my lable over existing ones.Maybe its just me but i call this 'trade etiquette'sp?

[cde72]

It is helpful to know who installed the equipment, but the idea of putting the serving companies sticker below the installers stickers seems a little wierd, kinda like lets cover the air handler with stickers... I would have probably wrote "Installed by: blah blah blah on 09-16-2004" in sharpie on a conspicous place, this is unless your company also services the unit...

[lowtemp]

funny u should mention Sharpie. I did write startup date on unit and it was scratched out as well. The company that put its name on unit is well known in my area as major hackers!

[hi-tork]

:D We take other stickers off, and take a big black permanent marker(tell householder before)and write our name and phone# on the front of the air handler and they all love it...No sticker can cover it, unless they use several... :D

[rubobornot]

Clear PVC pipe primer will remove any thing written with a black marking pen on a painted metal surface.

[hi-tork]

Originally posted by rubobornot
Clear PVC pipe primer will remove any thing written with a black marking pen on a painted metal surface.

Good to know, in case we misspell our name and need to start over...

[Milk man]

I take stickers off. The people call me. They are now my customers. I see a lot of stickers of companies that have gone out of business also.

Anybody carry competor's stickers to put on machines you don't want to service anymore?

[2hot2coolme]

I don't use stickers anymore, I give my customers refrigerator magnets, letter openers with my business card locked in, and pens. they don't seem to call anyone else. But i do have to say, when i would do an installation i would tear off the faded looking stickers by replacing whatever metalwork it was on. :D

[Milk man]

Customer's come and go. The equipment is in the house 1- to 20 years. I believe in stickers.

[Roscoe]

Commercial roof units stickers are a waste resi we put em on

I love the sharpies and leave notes for the next tech who ever it is, even though sometime it's for a hack company, but maybe their service guy is a regular guy, I am leaving it for him and his safety not for their company's benefit

[condenseddave]

I leave them on, always.


Of course, very neatly below their sticker, I write the words "sicks duck".:D:D:D:D

[bmf]

[i]

Anybody carry competor's stickers to put on machines you don't want to service anymore?
[/B]

haha :D

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by pjs
Commercial roof units stickers are a waste resi we put em on



Yeah, I never really understood the purpose of that. 95% of my commercial experience required the use of a 28' ladder to get anywhere near those stupid (er, beloved) service stickers.

[2hot2coolme]

Originally posted by lynn rodenmayer
Customer's come and go. The equipment is in the house 1- to 20 years. I believe in stickers.

True, i guess the difference between you and me is that i'm in business for myself, do the service work and the installation, so i deal with a loyal band of customers. I was the same way as you when i worked for a Company.

[i_got_ideas]

We cover other company's stickers EVERY time we can. We also have thermostats with our company info printed right on the battery door.

[TB]

most stickers, including ours were also note pads where we could log the type of call, date ect. so the next serviceman new what had been done and how recently. It helped to know the history, esp. if there was a reaccuring problem.


and yes, I considered it poor ettiquet to tear off the compettitors sticker. If the HO liked them, it just makes you look bad, like you couldnt stand on your own merit, and knew it. Besides, they could allways look up the other CO. in the phone book again, and if we are really there to serve the customer, that includes giving them the choice to be someone elces.

[Edited by TB on 09-18-2004 at 03:43 AM]

[otto]

http://ww2.imagewiz.net/images/Otto/128277_jy10^002.jpg
I take them off and put them on the inside door of my truck. Kinda like a trophy wall. I used to have 100's of them from many years in the residential game. I kept them all in a drawer. I was going to do a bartop with them but it would have been more like a wall. Chicago is great for finding really old ones, too. Had some metal-stamped company logos with the old phone numbers like BR549.

I also let the customer know "I removed that offensive sticker from the other company". Usually we are there because they no longer want to use the previous company. If there's history on the sticker I just remove the ad and leave the written portion.

[Edited by otto on 09-18-2004 at 06:04 AM]

[Dowadudda]

Strategy. Simple.

ON RTU's or anything on the roof, is a waste of time.

Unless. It's a factory or some similair facility where they employ maintenance guys. Maintenance guys always get called first to see if the problem can be rectified by them or if they need to call outside help. Now a days, alot of these guys carry cell phones and are encouraged to not neccesarily fix but be the middle guy between the company and it's outside provider of services. You'll find this set up very common in my area. So a sticker on the equipment gives them the chance to right then and there to place the call.

Stickers are great on Walk In Coolers, Ice Machines and anything where the customer has sight of it as they use the machine. They associate when that machine breaks to your company is who they need to get on the phone today. It's very powerfull. As for tearing off of competitors stickers, it's a judgement on spot. But for the most part I usually simply ask if they would mind me attaching a sticker. 99% of the time they say yes. In the process the last guy's sticker comes off.

I have found this way to advertize about the most bang for my buck hands down. I am into it like an art. I just redid my stickers. Weather resistent. Very hard to tear off with out making your tearing my sticker off sloppy. Not too Big. Big stickers are too Obtrusive. You want a size and design that reflects you and your company. Mine are of a bit smaller than a business card and look almost identical to my business card and my rolodex card I usually hand out, and about the same size and design as my magnents. Uniformity. Mine are small but simple. Uniform. Durable. And thats exactly the message I want them to say.

I was on a roll when I got started in my own business. I got busy right away. But I knew that sometimes that's just catching a breeze and it could slow down. And it did. I didn't have a lot of money to advertize in the yellow pages nor do I often have the time to make offical sales calls to solicit for work. Alot of the work I do is middle to heavy commercial type stuff and mostly refrigeration. A simple word of mouth campaign got me going. Anyway I bought these cheap simple stickers. And over the course of six months I tracked repeat work from an intial customer. Overwhelmed me. Stickers work the best. See the plan in business is not neccesarily always hunting for new accounts, rather work I find the best, where I can provide the absolute best service, is when I have customers who rely on me every time it breaks. I get to know there equipment. It makes me more efficient, I get to be the most knowledgeable of any one else about thier facility. I am their service provider. I take my responsibility to a level so many don't try to obtain when doing someones work. And I aint bad looking either. :D

[otto]

http://ww2.imagewiz.net/images/Otto/128280_magnets.jpg

I also like to collect refrigerator magnets

[Stamas]

slap their stickers every where. Service one unit in a townhouse/condo-stick em' all.
I put them on work we've done but try to avoid the pissin' match with stickers.
We have t-stat metallic plates we got from Honeywell. Look good but not too big. I love the HUGE stickers some Bozos are using.
Like Otto, I used to save stickers from jobs that were real boners by others. Stuck them on my tool chest.
Sharpies are great to log in install dates/warranty info. Also great for when your on a roof and see some major hack work with the obligatory sticker. I leave a little note to tell them how great I think their work is. I've also signed a few in case the want to make something of it.

[Senior Tech]

I tried a professional grafitti artist for awhile but the homeowners complained about the smell of the spray paint...

[otto]

Originally posted by Stamas
slap their stickers every where. Service one unit in a townhouse/condo-stick em' all.


We don't put them on equipment we haven't serviced. If it's a crappy job then it may come back to haunt you.

[Edmund Forsthe]

theres this co that would stop by any residential block when they leave every unit outside would have their sticker wheather it was worked on or not. i though that was kind of crappy and lowdown.

[TB]

Dow, I liked what you said

[TB]

otto, them picktures out of focus in case some of them belong to some of us???:D

[otto]

Originally posted by TB
otto, them picktures out of focus in case some of them belong to some of us???:D
I'll never tellhttp://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/lachen/laughing-smiley-011.gif