Susan from Friendly Heating & Cooling Services Talks ServiceWhale

Not too long ago we had the privilege of speaking with Susan Masri from Friendly Heating & Cooling Services in Paterson, NJ.

ServiceWhale: Can you tell me a little about Friendly Heating & Cooling Services?

Susan Masri: Friendly Heating & Cooling Services was started in 2005. Mike Danoun, the owner has been working in this industry for the last 20 years. He loves what he does and personally makes sure that all jobs done correctly. He’s very “hands on” and makes sure the customer is happy. We’ve also had several customers tell us Mike is a very good smelling plumber!

SW: What type of jobs does Friendly Heating & Cooling Services do? Can you tell us a little bit about a job that was particularly tricky or time consuming?

SM: Our company does a variety of work; HVAC, plumbing, sewer service and water heater service. One of the most difficult jobs we have ever done was for a Marriott hotel in Parsippany back in 2004. We were contracted to repair the main sewer lines, it was a huge line job. There were all sorts of roots stuck in the lines and it was necessary to have quite a few men on the job.

SW: How does your company normally get a deal? Can you tell us what it costs?

SM: We get leads for jobs through pay-per-click, Yellow Pages (YP), and from lead generation services. The leads we purchase can range from $80-$150 each.

SW: What would be the best case scenario for getting a job?

SM: I would say that the best case scenario would be through a referral from a previous customer.

SW: What are the company’s plans for the future?

SM: One thing we would like to do in the near future, is to add another truck to our fleet. We’d also like to be more involved in the industrial aspect of sewage & drainage cleaning. We recently purchased a jet machine so that we can move in that direction. The plan is to travel with it wherever we go, but we don’t have it on the road yet.

SW: What problems have you observed in the industry?

SM: I’m sure there are plenty of problems in the HVAC & Plumbing industry, but the biggest problem I see is the high cost of acquiring a new customer. If you are paying $80 for a lead, then you in turn must charge the customer $150 or more (depending on the job) to cover the expenses associated with the job. If the cost of leads were less, we could charge less for our services and our customers would be even happier.

SW: How did you hear about ServiceWhale?

SM: We received a phone call from one of your guys. One thing that we really liked about ServiceWhale is that we don’t have to pay anything until we’ve finished the job. It’s really different than other companies and it’s what made us decide to sign up.

SW: What can you tell homeowners about hiring a contractor?

SM: You want to find a professional with experience that is sensitive to your needs and will explain not only the problem, but also what needs to be done to fix it. It’s also extremely important for the homeowner to ask questions. They need to ask about what will be done and the cost before they have the contractor do the job.

If you’d like to sign your business up for ServiceWhale, visit our website or give us a call at 866-977-3897 to speak with a customer service representative.