In the Air - HRAI Industry News

A little bit of background: We are on the left coast -- greater Vancouver, and our primary focus for the last 20-odd years has been replacing gas, and every so often oil, furnaces with cold climate heat pumps.  

Many of our leads come from the different types of advertising that we do but, having been at this for so long, we get almost as many referrals as we do cold calls.  

This particular day, the telephone conversation went something like this…..” 

Hi….I was given your number from a co-worker at the fire hall where I work in Vancouver. You folks installed a heat pump for him a few years back and he was extremely happy with the system so I was wondering if you guys would come out as far as Squamish” 

“Squamish?” I said…..”hmmmm….” I’d be happy to swing by if you can pick me up at the airport” 

There was a long pause. “At the airport?!?” “I don’t understand….at the airport in Vancouver?!?” 

I chuckled, “no, no, at the local airport in Squamish” 

Another long pause. “Umm, I don’t think we have an airport here?!?”  

I said ”Sure you do, the Squamish Regional Airport. It’s just outside of town, down by the water” 

Now he’s completely dumbfounded, “I don’t think I understand--Why would I pick you up there?!?” 

“Because I’m going to fly up in my plane” 

“You have a PLANE!?!?” “What kind?!?” 

“Well…..it’s little….and it’s a home built….. but the weather is supposed to be awesome on Saturday, so I’d be happy to fly up and give you a quote” 

So, Saturday comes, and I make the twenty-minute flight up to Squamish, that by car would be almost two hours, and the customer is absolutely delighted to see the airplane. We spend probably as much time going over the plane as we do going over the quote when we actually get to the house.  

By this time, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that he’s going to have us install his new system.  

That was actually the second time that I used the airplane to transport myself to a small airport and have a potential customer pick me up, and yes, he bought from us as well.  

So, yes indeed, airplanes do sell heat pumps!