Latest / The Home Service Heartbeat Podcast / Stop Settling for Good Enough: Raising the Standard in HVAC | Alex Ivey of Ivey AC & Refrigeration

Transcript

Stop Settling for Good Enough: Raising the Standard in HVAC | Alex Ivey of Ivey AC & Refrigeration · The Home Service Heartbeat Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everyone, and welcome to this episode of the Home Service Heartbeat Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm Jill Cressera.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Today I am very excited to be joined by Alex Ivy from Ivy's Air Conditioning and Refrigeration in Moss Point, Mississippi.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: At Ivy's, they are a family-owned business.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they're Gulf Coast Strong and they fix it all.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Alex, thank you so much for joining us today.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're thrilled to have you on the show.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Hey Joe.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um I've had a great day, man.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, excited to be on the show.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for being here and taking uh this time during the holiday season.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Alex, why don't we just start by sharing how you got started in the service industry and what led you to your role as a leadership at uh Ivy's air conditioning and refrigeration.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um I had went into a uh work at a shipyard, and uh those early mornings just wasn't for me after high school, man.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: It was just tough.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: The um I had a family uh friend at the time that was in HPAC, and he was able to get me a job at the company he was working at, and it seemed to work out for a little while, and uh I went to school for it.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: So that's how it started.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then but but yeah, a lot of people just get a job.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Why did you start uh Ivy's uh air conditioning refrigeration?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: What what was the what was the burning desire to uh jump into that jump in and get a business started uh for the community?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think I want to bring a level and standards that the community don't see every day all the time.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So you wanted to bring something like the higher quality or is it just the is it more service or the quality?
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: What would you I I I I feel like the standards are low.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like um I feel like as a technician that you could do things that a homeowner wouldn't understand.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like it's important to think of the homeowner and your client.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I think.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: So at Ivy's, would you say that when it comes to air conditioning, that uh people are more important or air conditioning system is more important?
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: What would you say there?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: People is the most important thing.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's all about people.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it doesn't matter what kind of it doesn't matter what the problem is.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: If someone doesn't enjoy being around you, they don't like you.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's all about people.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because without people, would we really need air conditioning if they're if it wasn't for people?
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a kind of I know it's kind of an obvious question, but uh, what do you think about that?
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us about the balance you see in the industry of uh, you know, that that people are more important, I believe that, but there's a lot of service people in the trades, they don't they don't see that part.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't my job isn't to talk to people, my job is to fix air conditioning.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And it's um what would you say to a person like that if they were to bring that up and say, yeah, it's not important, just get the get the thing fixed and that'll that'll show them like type of a thing.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: What would you say to that?
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: You're probably in the wrong industry.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: Why would you join the service industry?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: We like to take care of people, you know.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like we I I personally get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I can easily fix something that someone else struggles with.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I like I like I like to be able to bring that level of happiness very easily to a lot of people.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about this.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: I know I know being an air conditioning and refrigeration expert is hard enough to achieve that.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Then uh the business is different than the refrigeration air conditioning, would you agree?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: They're both complicated though, aren't they, Alex?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: So uh the question is this as you learned refrigeration and air conditioning and said, you know, I think I got this now.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm gonna start a business.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: What challenges did you have when in your heart you're like, I want to make sure we bring a higher quality service and make sure that there's a standard we set so the people of Moss Point uh can count on you uh for all that.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: But what's the challenge though, from going from this is what you want to do to the things that get in the way of that?
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: What would you like your customer to know about the difficulty of running a service business that they may not know about?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: It is very, very complex.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of times it feels like you kind of go in crisis to crisis.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that sounds extreme, but it is a lot of times.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: You got somebody that just got out of a hospital that's sick, you got somebody that's really elderly, you got a lot of people that need stuff done for them, and you got to prioritize it.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's a very difficult thing to do.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: You got to order parts, you gotta follow up with people, and I think people would be surprised how many interactions and calls and uh things happen behind the scenes to make it actually function right.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: I I do agree with that.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think there's uh I think from the outside a business looks really simple because a good business does make it look simple, but behind the scene, uh there's a lot of uh paddling under the water.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't you agree with that, Alex?
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that's a real smooth way of saying it.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, good.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, kind of uh tell us about the service experience.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like if I did hire Ivies to come out to my house, tell us what would we expect to see and get, and uh what what's the process that you expect technicians to follow to be able to, you know, make sure you do take care of your clients.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: So what do you have there for us?
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well help me imagine if I was a client what I would what it would be like to hire somebody at Ivies to come into my home.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of people give a lot of fluff, you know.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very I want to make it clear, like that's the kind of standard I want.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it's it's uh it's a challenge, but I like challenges, so that's what I'm here to do.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because I mean, honestly, you're not just um you're not you nobody ever even when you have employees over there, um, they're not they're not a finished product when you get employees.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, how important is the development of your team and the people on it to to work with your team on uh trying trying to achieve what you just said there?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: It seems like everyone wants to achieve uh achieve this like the standard.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: The code is first class work, but you never hear people say world class work.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and it seems like I just see low standards.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: I want to try to increase the standard in every way that I can, in every way that makes it more efficient, makes it a little bit more personable.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is is there like a keynote story that you can tell us about?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: You you got an air conditioning refrigeration, you start your own business, probably got your own truck, get started with a truck.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh maybe you put a sign on it, uh, now you got a nice logo there and stuff like that.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: It all is part of a growth experience.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: But tell us a little bit about a story of a legacy customer that you worked with.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: You can you can either mention a name or not mention it.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, maybe you can mention a name and say, hey, you're on the podcast.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you know, I want you to tell me about a story that you're like, hey, you know what?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: I I think I think it's working.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like I think everything you're building there, it sounds like an amazing business from my point of view.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: I would definitely wouldn't want to hire IVs for my family for sure if I if I was uh working with you.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: But tell us about uh a story that maybe somebody came back to you and said, Hey, Alex, can I just tell you something?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: What I I think you really are, your people are doing a great job, and and you've done a great job with your people.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh can you tell me a story about maybe something somebody was going through and uh you helped them get through the other end of it, and they gave you some feedback that was positive enough to give you the energy you need to keep growing this thing?
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: When I was working with someone else, it was going to be a partnership, and it was a very difficult time because I was getting lied to and deceived.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: The very first person that ever came up to me and said that they'd be my customer, I still have today, and is a very good friend of mine, and I think very highly uh being able to do that.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's I could go over countless different times at his personal house, at his businesses, but I can tell you his name is Tony, and I don't want to have to speak for Tony because Tony can speak for it, but I promise you Tony would only say that he he would tell you that he's my first customer and he's still my customer today almost 12 years later.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Does he say why he's so why is he remaining so loyal?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Alex?
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: Honesty.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, I he you know, the the reality is there's levels to honesty.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people claim honesty.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Joe, he's sitting here, you're talking to me, and I know there's a certain level of honesty here.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: I just offer a level of honesty that's most people are not willing to offer.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: Honesty sounds easy, but honestly, it's one of the hardest things to do because everybody's got uh things that trans in the public life, everybody's things look good, but behind the scenes, there's things that are not usually as good.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I think that's part of it.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like when you're in the air conditioning business or the refrigeration business, um you know unfortunately, there's the good part of it with the work you perform and the quality standards you do, but there is a negative part where you have to tell people the problem with the current system, right?
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a lot of technicians and owners of companies, now I don't want to make the customer feel bad.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: So they they leave that out.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: They don't uh tell them the problem with the system or the problem the way uh the past uh company or somebody put put the depth work in wrong.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: How do you feel about that by them not saying that?
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think it's the hardest value to live up to.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's like a it's a high aspiration to say I'm honest, but honest, but it but it's one of the hardest things to do.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: You could say it.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Lip service is saying you're honest, real service is being honest, even when you know it's not going to be popular, but you're still willing to say, you know what, I'm not here to win a popularity contest.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm here to make sure my customer gets the right truth.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: And and that is uh difficult um to have enough courage to do that for some people.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: How do you manifest that courage?
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Do you give your people enough support?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: So if they do something like that and it does have some blowback um from people because delivering delivering sometimes hard news uh to your clients about the way things are with their system, um, it can be difficult, you know.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us just tell us about how you develop, uh how do you impart that onto your people a little bit more?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me more about that.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I understand that people have extenuating circumstances.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: I empathize with people.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not I don't um I don't look down, I don't look up, I look at someone that's just like there's an internal being that's thinking and trying to do that thing, whatever they're trying to do.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they're going through a difficult situation, and I try to be easy with it.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: I try to be understanding when I'm talking to people.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: When you get when I look at it like this, I look at it like we're literally at practice right now.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: And when I get there and I have to tell some bad news, it's like game day.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, what's all this practice for when when it's time for you to be in the game and play, and then you you you don't even show up.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: So you don't show up for yourself.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: And when you don't show up, because see, that's what I think.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like it's not about it's not about whether you should say it or not.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know you should say what you're thinking, but people don't have the the the I don't know, maybe standard to do it.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is you know, especially especially in a place like the sound.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry to interrupt you.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead, but go ahead.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'll finish.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'll come back.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: I got something I want to say.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: I look in those moments, that's like an obstacle in my way.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: It builds up anxiety, and as soon as I see it, I go right after it and go and get it off my plate.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's I just assume I I I you know, if it's a direct guy, you're like if you you're, you know, I come up and I'm I get in a good rapport with you, and you're and I'm like, hey, this is how this guy likes to be dealt with.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: I want to communicate in the effective way, pop the most effective way possible.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think really that's authenticity, right?
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's really the to me, that's the key currency of a great service provider.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: If somebody just doesn't just do what you want them to do, they're gonna say, hey, listen, we have a standard, whatever we do is gonna be done this way.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: We could we can we can do all kinds of stuff with our friendship and stuff like that, and go out to different restaurants and stuff like that.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: But when it comes to this, uh we're gonna get it right.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: I'll tell you what, I'll give you a good example of it right now.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: Happened yesterday.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: Went over to a man's house, wasn't there.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_01: I went and when I went to his house, he said all my all my pants are put up or whatever.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: And when I went outside in his yard, he had a a ginormous pig in a tiny little uh cage.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: The bowl was flipped over and everything else.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: What would you have done?
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: He wasn't there.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: How would you have handled it?
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'll tell you what I did, but I'm I'm curious how would you have handled it?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I would have definitely definitely done the right thing, even even when nobody's looking.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's the that's the thing that I would do.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: I know I know what you I get it.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: I see what you're doing.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because I'm like, you know what?
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh here's what here's what I assume, Alex.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: In today's world, I assume that I'm being filmed at all times.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: I look at it, I look at it like even if I think like some hey, uh, nobody can see this, I'm like, my phone's listening to me.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like I assume that whatever I do will be uh on Twitter or whatever if I if I do it, if I do it something that's uh not up to my standards.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: It it is hard.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of the hardest things is that integrity, they call it integrity.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really I happen probably it's one of the most you're you have one of the most thoughtful responses to that question that I've actually heard because a lot of people just gloss over it and they say a talking point.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm I'm glad you're giving a very thoughtful answer, which I think um I can see why your employees and customers do uh find Alex Ivey to be somebody that's desirable to have in their home for sure.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: I would I would invite you to my home, Alex, if you were close by, but uh I'm not.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: But I definitely would I guess I can see a day where I'll be in Mississippi with your team or something like that, hanging out.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're cut from I think we're cut from the same cloth, if that makes any sense to you there.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Make sense?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: Makes sense to me, man.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, let's go on.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go on something a little bit uh wow, that was deep subject.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go on to this one.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: How about this?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: When you're looking for new employees, um top talent, tell us what kind of qualities you look for.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think I could kind of guess, uh, we take a guess at it based on what you've already said here.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um let's just say honesty, that's in the checkbox.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: And and you can probably tell when you feel like I I ask them questions, I ask them questions like what you know, what would you do when you see if you're at the supply house and you just watch someone just take something and put it in their pocket and walk out?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and and I and I make them write out responses and then I test different uh because there's social skills and then you got technical skills, and there's a you know, you like you want to make sure everything matches, man.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: No, you know, I would do, you know, because here's what I find.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh even with my real close friends, or actually any friend, I always tell people, I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you put that in your pocket and walk out.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: I would say, you know, I would probably go in the parking lot, say, can I talk to you about something?
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: What I saw what you did there, and uh, I wouldn't be listening I consider everybody my friend in this business.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're you're in the same trade I'm in.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you think that was the right thing to do.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh now you got two choices.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: One choice to put it back and I won't say anything, or another choice to keep it, and then I'll just have to tell the people who are my friends over there too, because I buy from this place and I care about them just like I care about you.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: So what should we?
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'd say the my you know, the famous words to my book, Alex.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: What are those?
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm gonna test you.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: What's the famous words?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: My the name of my book, Alex?
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: You're gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna fail the test right now.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's what should we do?
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'll give you the it's an open book test.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's called What Should We Do?
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: Go get that book out of the closet, Alex.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like I was told.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: I promise you.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Get it out of the closet and go back and read it.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's called What Should We Do?
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: And it does have a lot in there about this part, this part of it, honestly, because I think the reason why some people aren't good at heating air conditioning and plumbing is because they are willingly gaslighting themselves into thinking they're doing good, but they say it's good enough.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: And dude, it's not good enough.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's either when you're when you're in air conditioning or refrigeration, it's either you got it or it's not done.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, if you're saying to yourself, yeah, I think we got that one, that means you don't got it at all, right, Alex?
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel the same way as I do about that?
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: Kind of no in between, is it?
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's either there or not.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, all the rest of it, excuses are only good for the people who make them, man.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's uh people tell me about tell me about the qualities you look for when you hire your people so everybody knows the kind of person they're gonna have in their home over at Ivy's air conditioning and refrigeration.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: I want to vet people to make sure they're a solid character, you know.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like I want to make sure that all those people are background check.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I know that seems like such a small thing, but people don't do it.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: And if you ask them, they don't care.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and it I look at it like this.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: Every little piece of this is like a brushstroke on a portrait.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm trying, and I'm looking at every little brushstroke as an artist, and I'm trying to create this perfect experience for this client.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna see a portrait because they're just a viewer.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: But all these little brushstrokes I'm trying to create along the way is the perfection I'm trying to create.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm trying to create a uh perfect experience for the workers.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: I want them to feel like uh they're valued.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: I want people that trustworthy, dependable, show up every day and they want to learn, man.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: Most people don't even want to learn nowadays, they don't even want to show up on time.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's honestly, you know, I don't know why it seems like it's uh so taboo to say it.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's very disappointing as the labor force that is out there.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: There's 110,000 people that's short in this industry, and it's like the more people that we're short, the higher the prices are gonna go.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: We'll eventually get we'll get we'll get the people we need, but it'll be, you know, like I don't know where you know what the rate is there, but it I mean it'll be sky high by the time we get the people we need.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you look at this industry as a whole, uh and even all the service companies in either Mississippi or anywhere, uh, what's the responsibility for us leaders to develop?
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, right, because nobody is there's zero people, even if they work somewhere else, we're gonna be like all those, all those things are gonna be there.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: Some people some people need to be taught those values, or you know, somebody enters your life that you know makes an impact and makes those values uh something you have to live.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: And they're willing to kind of correct the mistakes and learn from those mistakes.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: How important is it?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh what's what's our role as leaders to make sure that we build those people instead of wait for them to show up there, Alex?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: Building a team is probably one of the most important skill sets you can have as a business owner.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: The reality is a lot of people think they're the best at everything, and it's very ego-driven.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the fact is you were probably the best technician at your company, and you thought you were the best business owner too.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: And those are completely different skills, and it's it's difficult to run a company, and I think a lot of people would be surprised how difficult it is.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's really easy, I think.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like you were talking about a simplified version.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you got the way people think about it is that they got this one call and they're gonna handle this one thing.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: And but when you got a hundred calls a day and you gotta handle 200 things, it becomes very difficult.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: I want people that can handle a little bit of stress, not because I'll uh I want it to be stressful, but because the reality is I'd be lying to you if I said that the HVAC industry isn't a stressful industry.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: Very much so.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us about the balance between the efficiency of running a business like that in southern Mississippi and the connection with the people.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: So there's like a time you spend with people and time you spend with machines.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: And again, we're going back to that people versus the system kind of a thing, but how do you balance that?
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: You know, because the efficiency is the part where, hey, this does need to make money uh in order to serve the community and be there for long term.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yet the same token is that there is a connection to uh the people in our community uh to do that instead.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: How do you uh what do you what's your strategy to make sure or your teachings to the guys or your thoughts on um the balance between spending all the time with the machine versus like uh hey, spend some time with the customer too.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us about how you instruct people there.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: Machine don't pay you no money.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: Spend the time with your customer.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I mean, it it seems it, you know.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, think of the reality is let's say I go to your house, I'm working on your unit.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: You may be like the kind of guy that's like, hey man, look, I'm gonna be inside, holler at me when it's done.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: I got it, whatever.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: Some people may need more time, some people may just be more curious about the process.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Process.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Some people, you know, and for those people, spend more time with 'em.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, just and you know, and I hate like I feel I feel I feel like it's just just be a normal human being.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like, you know, someone's asking you questions.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, just just be a normal human being that they just want to know.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if only if only there was such a thing as a normal human being any today in today's world.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: Just want to be just just be polite.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Just I would hire them for sure.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you could find a normal one, that'd be great, great thought.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: I would definitely hire him as soon as possible.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I I think uh it's really easy.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: And they say it like this it's the golden rule.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: I just treat people the way I want to be treated.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's great advice.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, uh it's uh timeless.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's something that would be my my my great grandfather told me, my god, every one of my parents told me, and my grandparents told me that.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: And it's always true.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Also, they told me if you can't do it right the first time, where are you gonna find time to do it the second time, right?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh the same thing you believe in, I think I believe with the quality as well.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're on the same page there.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: How about this?
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Let's have a little more fun now.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is gonna be some fun, a couple fun questions for you.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Gonna mix this in here for you, Alex.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now I want you to dream a little bit now.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, this is time for Alex Ivey to dream about the future of comfort and the future of this industry.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um what do you see?
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what's the service experience?
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know I know Mississippi uh may not may not get on track as fast as some of the other rests of the country with some of it, but or who knows?
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they'll leave maybe they'll lead the country on it.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you could tell me.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: What do you see there's been significant jumps in Mississippi school districts?
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to know that.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying the education, I'm just saying the adoption of the industry.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, Mississippi's Mississippi.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm a I'm a chair for Mississippi.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: There ain't many of us here.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: I just what do you see for the future of this industry for the service, home, home service or comfort?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: What can we expect from the future?
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: What can we expect for the future of the R this this is what I see.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: I see nothing but things getting more complex, a lack of technicians.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I see um training that's becoming more difficult.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's more needed, and it's getting applied at the same pace that it's been in the years and decades before, I think.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um I feel like you know, a lot of people are underequipped out there to handle like the pressure that we're having to have more higher efficiency equipment.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's like a never-ending thing of like having to continually learn to improve, improve, improve, improve, improve.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's very difficult on a technician because they gotta keep, I mean, as the business owner, you gotta have can uh continuing education, but then as the technician, you gotta have it too.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's like it's it's a lot to deal with, I think.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: So so what so what do you think in the future though?
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think?
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: How is how is what do you see the future of learning?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think that's true.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: The education of this industry because those things are you can't do the future the way we did it in the past.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do you see in the future in terms of how we're gonna do that?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, those those things being problems now, I think that we're gonna have um more mini splits.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think that there's gonna be um more universally compatible equipment.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: And you see stuff like what uh several different brands where they have something like a two to three ton, a four to five ton kind of thing.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: And we're um getting more universal kind of with the equipment.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I think that ductwork in general, because we keep going to energy uh energy efficiency, eventually duct work will just be phased out.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: It'd just be like we're we're losing efficiency there.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: We just got to get it out of there.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: We'll just have to find a better way to run mini splits or something.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: It might who knows?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe maybe that TV on my wall will be an air handler.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I mean, honest honestly, that's like I always say, like, you know, the lighting fixtures above us, uh, it's only a matter of time before that light fixture is an air handler.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and and I I you know what is very few people who think like you and I do, because I'm the same way.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, you know, why are we dragging the air from this room into the attic, bringing it down to the garage, heating and cooling it, and then putting it back up into the room?
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: Why don't we just keep it in the room as opposed to dragging it around like that, right?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, I can I can imagine that some some of the stuff that they'll be I call micro air conditioning and come in heat pumps, where warm and cool air will come from things that are kind of in already in place in the room without having to penetrate structure.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: So you're dragging it through the attic or crawl space or through the bones of the house there.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: Make sense there?
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think of that?
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: Are we on the same page on that, Alex?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it makes sense to me.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I also think that you know, a lot of people think of the vapor uh compression refrigeration cycle is like the only cycle to cool.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: There's other technologies out there that they use to cool with different technologies.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: So I wouldn't be surprised if there was revolutions in that, considering there are our technology side with AI.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like I I could see uh extreme efficiency gains in different technologies uh that may change what we do altogether.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's true.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I mean I just wouldn't bet against it, you know what I mean?
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's one of those things I have always I have a thing where I'm like, you know what, there's so much there's an unending supply of carbon dioxide in the world.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: And we all know that if you release carbon dioxide dioxide from a tank into a it gets cold, the tank gets cold.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I think uh there's things like that that could be more natural refrigerants, uh, as opposed to some of the stuff they're concocting nowadays, which uh are frankly flat flammable and everything else like that.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think uh I think as things I think the things kind of go around in full circle, you'll have something that'll be more uh holistic and natural, uh, even when it comes to the air.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: I know it sounds crazy, but I I think there'll be enough technology to figure out how to get that stuff done and uh and to make uh the comfort things smaller so we don't have to so we can move heat and air con heat and cooling in and out of a structure without uh having having some so such a large device.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't know, I just have that feeling that things will be more compact.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it'll I think it'll kind of do it do it itself for you.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: It'll kind of uh diagnose itself and I think those kinds of things.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm really excited uh to walk into the future with people like you, Alex, for sure.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: You're definitely I definitely would like to be on the same path you're on for sure when we walk into the future here, Alex.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: The you know what um if duck work's gone, I I can see um I wonder just building science b building science in general has changed so much.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like for the A2L, for example, a county is requiring us to put the thickness of a nail guard, like a sheet plate, over the stud bay.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like, I mean, we're having to deal with things that we wouldn't even have typically dealt with.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, I think, okay, so we're at A2L now.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: Are we just gonna go to A2 uh A3L?
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_01: Are we gonna go?
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think?
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: Do you think we'll go to eventually flammable?
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I know on the small appliances we already have.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and honestly, that's what I'm I'm I'm looking at.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm uh I'm not I don't do the design part of the business, although I do uh think I'm like an amateur engineer when it comes to that stuff, not a real professional, but definitely I'm I'm anxious to see the next thing because that's one thing I love about the future.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: It always surprises me.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and mostly for the good.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm mostly I'm like, I can't believe my like I have a car that drives myself that drives, I don't have to steer, I don't have to drive myself.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, I'm like, man, I never thought I think I'm living in the future, Alex.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: My car drives like I don't mind getting on a six-lane highway because I'm not even driving.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just the passenger looking straight ahead and uh making sure it stays on the road.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I never would have people I never would have dreamed that my car would sti steer itself, but I think it's pretty cool, honestly.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: As I get older, I'm like, yeah, I don't have to worry about, you know, senior citizens and people who are uh disabled can uh participate more and trying and be different places and things.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I start to see some of the stuff that people are doing for handicapped or uh elderly people that are gonna help them be uh able to continue.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, so I'm really excited about that stuff too, as well.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: Not just the HVAC business, but just the future in general.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope I can live long enough to uh be part of that too, Alex.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I'm gonna try to do.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is your podcast, though, not mine.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: So uh let's go.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: Wait, Joe, I thought it was my podcast.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: Here we go, Alex.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: What so here now let's go back.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna have more fun with this, Alex.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now that was a good question.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go over this one.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if you could go back in time and talk to a young Alex Ivey, I don't know, maybe when you were graduated high school or just got out of one of your high schools in there in southern Mississippi.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: What advice would you give yourself as a young Alex Ivey just starting out in this world after you got out of high school?
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: I I you know there's a part of me, you know.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: I I I'll say that, you know, there's a there's a funny answer of saying something like I tell myself to buy Bitcoin.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: But the the reality of it is I would I would tell myself to just stay dedicated.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, a lot of times you're looking at different paths and you're thinking, like, oh well that you know, you know that path's gonna be there, but it's gonna take forever to get there.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: But if you just stay on that path, that the reward is so much greater.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: I get it.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: Just just be committed to the path you're on.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: Don't don't don't jump around from different path to path.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us a little bit about uh where can so Alex, here we're gonna get into the good part of the show.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_00: Where can listeners connect with you or learn more about hiring your company at Alex Ivy's Ivy's uh air conditioning and refrigeration?
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: How can they work with you and how can they uh hire you?
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us a little about that.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um so anyone can find me at um ivyheatandcool.com.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we got vans out there, uh, all my images, and you can see me on there.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: I got uh we got telephone numbers you can call the office.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_01: You can email us.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: So if you know if people was wanting to work at Ivy's, the office number is 228-990-8334.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: One more time, Alex.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_01: 228-990-8334.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_00: As you know, any good radio commercial tells you to do that twice.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that was that was a great conversation.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: I I understand it's not the uh the most flowy kind of thing, man.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_01: But um you know what?
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: No, I think you did great.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: You did a great job.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, I think this is one of the most I'll give I'm gonna give you Richie on a scale of one to ten, I'm gonna give you twelve because of your thoughtful answers.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_00: And uh probably one of the most thoughtful people I've ever had on any podcast I've had.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: Most people are just like shoot from the hip and give us some canned answer, but you definitely put a lot of thought into it.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I think uh honestly, I think that says a lot about you, and it says a lot about the kind of uh uh people we would get at Ivy's uh air conditioning refrigeration.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, because uh, you know, you put you put thought into it.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure that you require your people to put thought into things too.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: And and you know what?
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's rare because uh I always say think because nobody else does.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: Does that make sense, Alex?
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I get it.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I I hope that people see that though.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: I hope that people see that that we care, that we do everything that we can, and that they can trust us.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_00: I can see that.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that was another great conversation with Alex Ivey.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_00: And Alex, again, I really appreciate you being on the show.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for taking your time and spending this time with me today.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_01: Always glad to be a guest.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_00: And thank you, everyone who's watching this podcast, for sticking with us until the end.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you gained value from today's episode, we'd love you to leave a strong review uh or rating wherever you listen to podcasts.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_00: And if you know someone in the service industry looking to scale their career, or somebody who just needs an amazing company in southern Mississippi to work uh at your home or business, take one key insight from today and put it into action.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let us know how it goes.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: We'd love to hear about your progress.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, everyone, and we'll look forward to seeing everyone here on the next episode of the Home Service Heartbeat Podcast.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: Goodbye, everyone.