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The people you depend on to keep you cool in the dog days of summer are HVAC companies. But are some air conditioning repair men actually taking advantage of you. Recently we went undercover to find out what’s really going on.

When your air conditioner breaks,it’s an emergency. No one likes to be excessively hot not to mention the effect the heat has on air quality which makes it difficult for those with breathing problems. So,when it breaks,you call the AC Company of course trusting them to come and fix the problem at a fair price,but… are they really providing you the best solution at the best price? We’ve found that some companies are blowing you hot air when they hand you that big bill.

We called in a few companies to cool our house down. But when these AC repairmen show up we found that many of them were either being dishonest or all together incompetent. One after the other tried charging us big money for repairs that other experts say we didn’t need. We set up our test of these companies right smack in the middle of a heat wave.

First we rented a house inDelawareand had 3 AC experts inspect our system from top to bottom. --- All 3 reported that the AC system was in great to very good condition. Then we brought in another expert to set up a common and easy to fix problem with the system. He set up a simple broken wire that shuts the unit down. He said he would charge less than $200 to fix it. We found that other technicians tell us that you need other work done to fix this problem. This begs us to ask,”Are you either being incompetent or are you just simply being dishonest”?

Once we set up the easy to fix problem,we called in six separate AC companies to come out and fix the problem. The first contractor finds our broken wire but instead of fixing it he wants to charge us for an expensive part. The part he wants to charge us for is called a capacitor. He wants to charge $395 to replace a part that we originally had inspected and found it had absolutely no problems. We called him out on this assessment and he left in a huff declining to comment or return our calls.

The next guy finds and fixes our broken wire rather quickly. But,instead of leaving it at that,he recommends we replace an expensive part saying that the unit is leaking combustible fluid. He claims it needs to be fixed today in order to fix the problem. The cost,$692! The part he claimed was leaking simply displayed harmless rust.

The 3^rdcompany tries to charge us for several expensive parts totally $850! The 4^thcompany claimed we needed new parts as well,including one that didn’t even exist in the system. The price for his repair… $950! At least this company ended up firing that technician for his dishonesty. The 5^thand 6^thcompanies did the same thing with trying to charge us for unnecessary repairs and parts.

In the end,6 out of 6 companies tried to charge us for parts and repairs we did not need. Honestly,we did not expect to see this level of dishonesty or incompetence from so many HVAC contractors in the area.

Experts say that you should get your unit serviced every year so it doesn’t break in the middle of a heat wave but even if it does of course despite what we found there are actually very honest A/C companies out there. To make it easy to find one in Delaware at least,we recommend you start with-.

One of the more challenging aspect of any digital marketing plan is how to leverage third party intent. It is important because as a business owner,you need to be able to find the customers that are most likely to buy from you,and then find a way to market to them effectively. If you are able to leverage third party intent in an effective way,it will save your company a ton in revenue,because you won’t have to attract as many people. They will already be the audience you are looking for. This practice is especially true for any business that is done online.

Finding Something to Measure

The first thing you need to worry about when leveraging third party intent is how to measure it. Essentially,you are measuring need,or at least the customers wants. Basically,when it comes to online shoppers you have two groups,those that want to buy right now,and those that are just doing research. While you don’t want to alienate the ones doing research,they shouldn’t be your main focus. There are techniques you can use to separate the needs from the researchers. In the past,it was a simple process. Now,it is much more difficult to do.

Keep it Simple

Once you have identified the audience you want to cater to,the next step is making it easy for them to buy from you. Make sure you are on the form of social media that your audience chooses to engage in,and also make sure that you are making the experience as easy as you can. No one wants to jump through hoops to buy a product,so a difficult process will turn people away quickly. Also,you need to create moments where your audience will be most likely to buy. These are called micro-moments and they are essential to marketing. Learn more about-.

Deciding whether to maintain an in-house IT team or outsource your technology support represents one of the most significant strategic decisions facing modern businesses. Recent industry analysis reveals that companies spending over £150,000 annually on internal IT staff often achieve better value through outsourced solutions, whilst businesses with basic technology needs frequently overspend on external services they don’t fully utilise. The complexity of this decision extends beyond simple cost comparisons, encompassing factors like expertise availability, scalability requirements, and long-term strategic objectives. For organisations seeking to make informed decisions about their IT support structure, consulting with experienced IT professionals like Contrac IT, https://www.contrac.co.uk/, who understand both models can provide invaluable guidance.

The financial implications of each approach vary dramatically based on company size and complexity. In-house IT teams require not only salaries but also ongoing training, benefits, equipment, and management overhead. A single senior systems administrator in the UK commands an average salary of £45,000-£65,000, before considering pension contributions, holiday cover, and professional development costs. Scaling this to a comprehensive team capable of handling servers, networking, security, and user support often exceeds £200,000 annually for medium-sized businesses.

Outsourced IT support operates on predictable monthly costs, typically ranging from £50-£150 per user depending on service levels. This model provides immediate access to specialist expertise across multiple technology domains without recruitment challenges or staff retention concerns. However, businesses must carefully evaluate service level agreements to ensure response times and support quality meet operational requirements.

The expertise factor presents compelling arguments for outsourcing. Technology evolves rapidly, with new threats, compliance requirements, and solutions emerging constantly. Maintaining current knowledge across cybersecurity, cloud platforms, networking, and emerging technologies requires continuous investment in training and certifications. Outsourced providers spread these costs across multiple clients, enabling access to specialist knowledge that would be prohibitively expensive for individual businesses to maintain internally.

Control and responsiveness represent key considerations favouring in-house teams. Internal staff understand business processes intimately, enabling faster problem resolution and more effective prioritisation during critical incidents. When systems fail during peak business periods, in-house teams can immediately focus resources on restoring operations without competing priorities from other clients.

Scalability requirements often determine the optimal approach. Growing businesses face challenges recruiting additional IT staff quickly, whilst companies downsizing struggle with redundancy costs and knowledge transfer. Outsourced services can scale resources up or down rapidly, adapting to changing business needs without long-term commitments or recruitment delays.

Risk management considerations favour outsourced solutions for most businesses. External providers maintain redundant staffing, ensuring coverage during holidays, illness, or staff departures. They also carry professional indemnity insurance and maintain disaster recovery capabilities that individual businesses would find expensive to replicate.

The decision ultimately depends on specific business requirements, growth plans, and risk tolerance. Companies with unique technology environments or stringent security requirements may benefit from in-house expertise, whilst businesses seeking predictable costs and comprehensive coverage often find outsourced solutions more effective. The most successful approach involves honest assessment of current capabilities, future needs, and strategic objectives rather than focusing solely on immediate cost comparisons.