The HVAC Industry Has a Trust Problem—and an Opportunity to Fix It

The HVAC industry is changing quickly.

New refrigerants are entering the market. Heat pumps and electrification are gaining momentum. Equipment is becoming smarter and more connected. At the same time, prices are rising, experienced technicians are becoming harder to find, and homeowners are increasingly unsure whom they can trust.

The technology is changing, but I believe the biggest opportunity in residential HVAC has very little to do with equipment.

It is trust.

When a homeowner calls an HVAC company, it is rarely under ideal circumstances. The house may be too hot or too cold. The system may have stopped working without warning. The homeowner may be staring at a repair or replacement expense they did not anticipate.

That creates an uneven situation. The technician understands the system. The homeowner usually does not.

What happens in that moment determines whether we earn the customer’s trust or lose it.

Where the Industry Is Right Now

HVAC is experiencing several changes at once.

The transition away from R-410A toward lower-global-warming-potential refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32 is changing the equipment technicians install and service. Heat-pump adoption continues to grow, particularly here in New England, where homeowners are looking for alternatives to oil and other traditional heating systems. Connecticut is also offering meaningful incentives for qualifying heat-pump installations, including increased incentives for certain whole-home energy-optimization projects. (Energize Connecticut)

At the same time, the industry is facing a serious labor challenge. Experienced technicians are retiring faster than the skilled-trades pipeline can replace them. One industry forecast estimates that approximately 40% of skilled-trades professionals could retire within the next decade. (AHR Expo 2026 Trend Report)

These pressures create real challenges for HVAC companies, but they also reveal where the industry must improve.

The Service Gaps Are Not Only Technical

Most homeowners cannot independently determine whether they need a capacitor, a new blower motor, major system work or a complete replacement.

They are relying on the person standing in their home to be competent and honest.

That is why the industry’s greatest service gaps often appear in areas such as:

• Poor communication before, during and after the appointment

• Unclear arrival windows

• Technical explanations homeowners cannot understand

• Recommendations without enough supporting evidence

• Surprise charges or confusing pricing

• Pressure to make an immediate decision

• Inconsistent workmanship

• Failure to protect the customer’s home

• No meaningful follow-up after the work is completed
  

A 2025 survey of HVAC customers found that communication and service failures can create more dissatisfaction than price alone. Homeowners want to know who is coming, when that person will arrive, what was found, what their options are and what happens next. (FIELDBOSS HVAC Customer Survey)

Price matters. But people are often willing to pay a fair price when they understand what they are buying and believe the recommendation is legitimate.

Trust breaks down when the homeowner feels confused, rushed or pressured.

What We Are Building at One Hour Glastonbury

As President of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning—Glastonbury, I have an opportunity to build our operation with these realities in mind from the beginning.

Our standard is simple:

We identify opportunities. We do not manufacture them.

That means our technicians must be able to diagnose the problem, document what they find and explain it in language the homeowner can understand.

We will present options when options exist. Sometimes the right answer will be a repair. Sometimes it will be continued maintenance. Sometimes replacement will make better financial sense.

Our job is not to frighten customers into making decisions.

Our job is to help them make informed decisions.

That requires more than technical ability. It requires professionalism throughout the entire customer experience:

• Answering the telephone properly

• Communicating before arrival

• Respecting the customer’s time

• Arriving prepared

• Wearing a clean uniform

• Protecting the home

• Completing a thorough diagnosis

• Explaining findings clearly

• Providing straightforward options

• Following up after the visit

• Standing behind our work

The One Hour promise - “Always On Time…Or You Don’t Pay A Dime!®” - speaks directly to one of the industry’s longstanding frustrations. A customer’s time matters, and reliability should not be treated as an optional feature.

Developing the Next Generation of Technicians

The shortage of skilled technicians will not be solved by job advertisements alone.

We must build people.

That is why I am committed to developing a structured apprenticeship pipeline within our company. We want to identify individuals with the right attitude, mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn, then give them supervised field experience and a legitimate path toward Connecticut licensure.

The industry needs more than people who already know the work. It needs companies willing to teach the work correctly.

We must also create careers technicians can see themselves staying in—careers that offer professional development, increased earning potential, leadership opportunities and pride in the craft.

Using Technology Without Losing the Human Connection

We will use technology to make the customer experience more consistent and the company more accountable.

That includes better scheduling, technician communication, service history, estimates, system documentation, follow-up and operational measurement.

But technology should support the relationship, not replace it.

A homeowner does not want to feel like another service ticket moving through a system. They want confidence that someone understands their concern and is taking responsibility for solving it.

The Standard We Intend to Set

I am not entering this industry assuming everything needs to be reinvented. There are outstanding HVAC professionals and contractors serving Connecticut every day.

But there is still room to raise the standard.

We can communicate better.

We can train more intentionally.

We can respect the customer’s time.

We can explain before we sell.

We can give homeowners evidence instead of pressure.

We can create clearer career paths for technicians and apprentices.

Most importantly, we can recognize that entering someone’s home is a privilege. The homeowner is trusting us with their comfort, safety and money. That trust must be earned on every call.

That is what we are building at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning—Glastonbury.

Not simply another HVAC company.

A professional home-service organization built around technical competence, honest education, operational discipline and respect for the customer.

That is the standard.

And we are just getting started.

Let’s get after it!