Lennox NAS

[94blowncobra]

I had heard they dont pay you guys any drive time what so ever anymore.

Can someone confirm this?

[hvacpope]

Lennox NAS hires mostly fresh out of school techs, pays them as little as they can, give them the truck and cell phone and let them loose, they are a dime and nickle type of company, the manager acts as dispatcher, accountant,estimator and pretty much anything else, the manager gets pay base salary plus quarterly bonus, if he pays you very little and make you work like a rented mule he gets all the $$$$ in bonuses. some times they hire a seasoned tech (elite tech) and besides the daily workload they make him babysit the rest of the crew.

[Tech Rob]

That's too bad, because Lennox makes some of the nicest rooftop package units around. You would think they'd want their name to be represented by the best.

[hvacpope]

Rob,

Lennox NAS is part of Lennox Inc but it isn't, its a cross breed between a corporation and a franchise, they believe anyone that owns a pair of channels locks and a can of wd-40 qualifies to be an hvac tech, they dont bother to train them either, is a trial and error operation.
they bid national accounts contracts very low and make money providing substandard services. Lennox NAS, Benner,MetroTech all the same garbage, let see how long they last with such high turnout and on the job accidents rates.

[94blowncobra]

Rob,

Lennox NAS is part of Lennox Inc but it isn't, its a cross breed between a corporation and a franchise, they believe anyone that owns a pair of channels locks and a can of wd-40 qualifies to be an hvac tech, they dont bother to train them either, is a trial and error operation.
they bid national accounts contracts very low and make money providing substandard services. Lennox NAS, Benner,MetroTech all the same garbage, let see how long they last with such high turnout and on the job accidents rates.

Yea it used to be Industrial Building Services here in FL, now their Lennox NAS. Well that sucks to hear. I like working on Lennox units. Cant believe they suck like that?!

Damn there isn't hardley any decent companies to work for anymore!

[hvacpope]

I hear some branches are better than others although their business model stays the same, but again if you need a job go for it.

[GMcKay]

Lennox NAS hires mostly fresh out of school techs, pays them as little as they can, give them the truck and cell phone and let them loose, they are a dime and nickle type of company, the manager acts as dispatcher, accountant,estimator and pretty much anything else, the manager gets pay base salary plus quarterly bonus, if he pays you very little and make you work like a rented mule he gets all the $$$$ in bonuses. some times they hire a seasoned tech (elite tech) and besides the daily workload they make him babysit the rest of the crew.

Was browsing through the forums and came across this thread from a while back.

I worked for a local HVAC company/ Service Experts. I couldn't believe how spot on this post was to how I felt and was treated as a "seasoned (elite) tech". My thought were more like an Amish plow horse rather than an rented mule. Was the #2 after just a month because of my experience, 2nd to a 13yr long employee who also was very knowledgable (Elite!). Company was a family run, top-notch, area-known and requested company until Service Experts. GM quit and started his own, new GM was a service manager for Sears. Didn't know his @zz from his elbow. Once S.E. took complete control, even customers noticed the difference. Prices too high, service was falling off because of unexperienced techs and poor training. Wow, bad memories. Was a good company to work for until Service Experts came in and completely took over. 'nuff said.

[jdilks]

I would beg to differ with the pope. NAS is owned by Lennox. Just the same as Armstrong, Heat Craft, Service Experts and the others. At NAS we are the manufactures rep. on the commercial side. We provide warranty and startup / commissioning services to some pretty big commercial retail giants. It sounds like Pope worked for a poorly managed branch, my apologizes if this is the case. We do pay all but the 1st and last 30 minutes of your travel time for the day. We are one of the largest retail National Service companies in the country and we continue to grow as most companies are struggling.
At NAS we want to retain & grow the right technicians. Training is always offered via a learning website with topics from basic electricity to calculating air flow to MS Office or at other venues and we even have our own training center in South Florida. Of course we don't work on too many chillers or refrigeration so hiring a "Top Dog Chiller Tech" is not something we would need in our work force. For the most part we service 5 - 50 ton rooftop package units and we do it better than anyone else in the country.
I have been with NAS since 1999. I started as a service technician in SoFlo and transferred to GA and then NC. As I have proven myself in the field I was asked / offered a position as a branch manager and after proving myself for several years in that capacity I have accepted a position as a district manager covering 2 states. We do require technicians to be responsible and accountable for the work they perform and can honestly say the company will always do the right thing in regards to the technician & the customer or I wouldn't have been here as long as I have.
Sorry to ramble on and I hope some of this made sense, but I had to jump in and defend the company that has treated my family & I so good for the past 12 years from one person that may have not had the best experience. And Pope I was not by any means trying to do anything other than state my experience here. Again I apologize if the experience you personally had or know about was as poor as you have described.
I am not on here that often but if I can answer any other questions let me know.
One more thing, with over 60 branches, 200+ techs (most of them NATE certified) on the road, I'm sure there are plenty of answers you could get from them. Find your local branch and ask the manger if you can speak with some techs. They will answer anything you need to know.

[hvacpope]

I'm glad it works for you!! everything I said about NAS is true! the hvacls training is a joke almost as funny as being "NATE" certify, that kind of stuff may fly well with joe sixpack at wallyworlds.
I admire you for defending your employer.

[timebuilder]

I would beg to differ with the pope. NAS is owned by Lennox. Just the same as Armstrong, Heat Craft, Service Experts and the others. At NAS we are the manufactures rep. on the commercial side. We provide warranty and startup / commissioning services to some pretty big commercial retail giants. It sounds like Pope worked for a poorly managed branch, my apologizes if this is the case. We do pay all but the 1st and last 30 minutes of your travel time for the day. We are one of the largest retail National Service companies in the country and we continue to grow as most companies are struggling.
At NAS we want to retain & grow the right technicians. Training is always offered via a learning website with topics from basic electricity to calculating air flow to MS Office or at other venues and we even have our own training center in South Florida. Of course we don't work on too many chillers or refrigeration so hiring a "Top Dog Chiller Tech" is not something we would need in our work force. For the most part we service 5 - 50 ton rooftop package units and we do it better than anyone else in the country.
I have been with NAS since 1999. I started as a service technician in SoFlo and transferred to GA and then NC. As I have proven myself in the field I was asked / offered a position as a branch manager and after proving myself for several years in that capacity I have accepted a position as a district manager covering 2 states. We do require technicians to be responsible and accountable for the work they perform and can honestly say the company will always do the right thing in regards to the technician & the customer or I wouldn't have been here as long as I have.
Sorry to ramble on and I hope some of this made sense, but I had to jump in and defend the company that has treated my family & I so good for the past 12 years from one person that may have not had the best experience. And Pope I was not by any means trying to do anything other than state my experience here. Again I apologize if the experience you personally had or know about was as poor as you have described.
I am not on here that often but if I can answer any other questions let me know.
One more thing, with over 60 branches, 200+ techs (most of them NATE certified) on the road, I'm sure there are plenty of answers you could get from them. Find your local branch and ask the manger if you can speak with some techs. They will answer anything you need to know.

While it's good to hear something positive from someone about NAS, I have to tell you that you are in the minority in my experience. I bump into these clueless kids all the time, and I can tell, you, if you are willing to lead the clueless, you have more patience than I would have.

From what I know of NATE, that qualifies a tech to know which end of the screwdriver to use. I'm not sure I would promote that cert to anyone outside of the public.

In short, I can't say that it's a business model I'd expect to have a long lasting existence. I'm glad you have a good job, but man, I don't expect it to last real long. What the heck can you sell to a store that just had all the units replaced? Nothing, so you peddle the Co to another store, and so on. Pretty soon, with managers intermingling at different corporates and stores, you find that the golden goose has croaked its last.

The guys I talk to said they were much better off with Tradewinds and Benner.

Good luck with that.

[Deb Estep]

I would beg to differ with the pope. NAS is owned by Lennox. Just the same as Armstrong, Heat Craft, Service Experts and the others. At NAS we are the manufactures rep. on the commercial side. We provide warranty and startup / commissioning services to some pretty big commercial retail giants. It sounds like Pope worked for a poorly managed branch, my apologizes if this is the case. We do pay all but the 1st and last 30 minutes of your travel time for the day. We are one of the largest retail National Service companies in the country and we continue to grow as most companies are struggling.
At NAS we want to retain & grow the right technicians. Training is always offered via a learning website with topics from basic electricity to calculating air flow to MS Office or at other venues and we even have our own training center in South Florida. Of course we don't work on too many chillers or refrigeration so hiring a "Top Dog Chiller Tech" is not something we would need in our work force. For the most part we service 5 - 50 ton rooftop package units and we do it better than anyone else in the country.
I have been with NAS since 1999. I started as a service technician in SoFlo and transferred to GA and then NC. As I have proven myself in the field I was asked / offered a position as a branch manager and after proving myself for several years in that capacity I have accepted a position as a district manager covering 2 states. We do require technicians to be responsible and accountable for the work they perform and can honestly say the company will always do the right thing in regards to the technician & the customer or I wouldn't have been here as long as I have.
Sorry to ramble on and I hope some of this made sense, but I had to jump in and defend the company that has treated my family & I so good for the past 12 years from one person that may have not had the best experience. And Pope I was not by any means trying to do anything other than state my experience here. Again I apologize if the experience you personally had or know about was as poor as you have described.
I am not on here that often but if I can answer any other questions let me know.
One more thing, with over 60 branches, 200+ techs (most of them NATE certified) on the road, I'm sure there are plenty of answers you could get from them. Find your local branch and ask the manger if you can speak with some techs. They will answer anything you need to know.

I know first-hand most of what is posted here re LNAS is true. They are absolutely profit driven, which in & of itself isn’t bad, unless you disregard the human element required to earn profits! I worked for Lennox for almost 9 years in upper management. For 4+ years I was Executive Assistant to Joe G (the ABSOLUTE WORST job I have ever had), I left for 5 months in 2008 then returned as their HR Manager thinking things would be better with a different supervisor. Previous/current LNAS employees who post here know now exactly who I am, and I think you know that I always did my very best for you guys, and for Lennox as a whole. While I too admire poster & LNAS employee Jim Dilks’ dedication to his employer, his situation is truly not the standard. I too was as dedicated an employee as he, however, employee dedication does nor correlate in the least with job security at LNAS. In my experience I’ve witnessed employees just as dedicated as he (and I) terminated for a multitude of reasons! Joanne B and Dawn L come to mind at corporate; and in the field many techs who are offered management positions aren’t trained adequately and find themselves unable to succeed at their new position and unable to return to tech status. My personal experience is this, in LNAS’ growth process the need arose for a more experienced HR person. I understood that; and I dutifully trained my new boss Karen C on the processes at LNAS. I found it disconcerting that she turned a blind eye to my one single recommendation for departmental efficiency: ADDITIONAL STAFF. FYI - The standard HR staff to employee ratio is 1 HR person to 100 employees. I was operating at 1-200 before the Tradewinds & Benner acquisitions and after them, and Karen’s arrival, we were 2 - 450. Yes, mistakes were made as a result of short staffing (even though I was working 8-10 hrs weekly from home to meet deadlines) and I complained insistently about it because it resulted in human errors, and since I did payroll, I was the human making them. You should know that payroll for 200-400 employees weekly is a function where there will ALWAYS be errors because of quantity of records calculated; and not all errors are made by the payroll department, most are made at the branch reporting level. Most companies have policies in place to make good for the employees when payroll errors happen. Lennox chooses not to have such a provision, as a matter of fact they prohibit the branch managers from using their petty cash accounts to pay techs in cases of errors to pay. Karen’s policy on errors became zero tolerance and my first (and only disciplinary action at LNAS) was noted ‘final warning’. That was in in August 2012, in January 2013, I made another and I was asked to resign. I feel as though LNAS set me up to fail and I told them that on my departure, and now I hear they are indeed planning to add to their HR staff. Karen C had the audacity advise me they would not protest an unemployment claim as though it were a gracious gesture on their part, when in fact they could not have protested a claim due to the baseless nature of my termination. I know the email circulated said I moved on to bigger & better things but unfortunately for the sender, by the time the email was sent I had discussed the reason for my departure with most of the staff at corporate, so the senders’ co-workers knew it was dishonest when they read it. As it turns out, I found a job working for a commercial real estate attorney, I started the Monday after leaving Lennox. I think I am going to be very happy there and I am grateful to no longer be a part of the LNAS fiasco.

[emtim]

Glad you made it out .I was out of springfield ,ma .When we were aquired from tradewinds there were 4 techs and a manager. Two were laid off ,two left and manager left in one year. I remember talking to you on phone . Good luck Rick

[90DEGREES]

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