A Different Kind of HVAC Contractor – And the Book He Wrote
Trish Holder Interviews Joe Gorman, Contractor and Author of From Contractor to Consumer
By Trish Holder
Not long ago I ran across a book on the internet entitled, “From Contractor to Consumer: The Truth about Heating, Air Conditioning, and Home Comfort Systems”. HVAC nerd that I am, I had to investigate. After all, this was pretty out of the ordinary for a HVAC contractor to write a book – much less one that is actually geared toward educating consumers. Frankly, I think a lot of them would like to keep us stupid. So, I asked Joe to send me a copy of his book and he did. I was so impressed with this easy-to-read little book (and Joe’s initiative to write it) that I decided to interview this rare contractor who happens to agree with me that what a homeowner doesn’t know about their HVAC system really can hurt.
Trish: Joe, what drove you to write this book?
Joe: Plain and simple, I was sick and tired of watching customers go blank in the face because they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, which put me in the same bowl as everyone else. Because of this lack of understanding, the only decision for them to make was one based on price. So I wrote the book to educate clients before--and after--I spoke with them regarding a new system.
Trish: Tell the truth – just how easy is it for a consumer to be “taken in” by bad a HVAC contractor or be led down the wrong path?
Joe: It’s extremely easy, but preventable. A lot of contractors have the mindset that they have to be cheap to get the job. So they talk a big game, give a low price, and then cannot deliver. One of the keys to getting what you pay for is to get everything in writing, and then make sure you get what was promised when the job is done.
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