In the HVAC business, providing outstanding service to the industrial sector simply requires good knowledge of HVAC systems, right? Absolutely not. At Custom Air Products & Services Inc. (CAPS), qualified and knowledgeable field technicians are certainly a big part of the process, but there is something else that has even more impact: an industrial service culture.
Industrial service culture
According to CAPS CEO Taylor Norris, the differentiating factor for CAPS is having and staying true to a strong industrial service culture. This culture, he points out, was developed in response to industry needs.
"In other words," he explained, "we are who we are today because of our industrial customers."
Ask Norris a question like, "What is an 'industrial service culture?'" and you might want to pull up a chair. Because CAPS has been focused on providing service to industry from the beginning, Norris and President John Boger are both happy to discuss its impacts. Having a strong focus on serving the chemical plant and refining business from the beginning makes CAPS a 24/7 company by nature. CAPS understands companies that "never close" and is willing and able to meet their needs. With years of practice in obtaining safety clearances, meeting facility entrance requirements, performing work in areas that remain in operations and responding to requests at all hours, CAPS employees truly understand how their work impacts others.
"Our years of work in industrial settings has given all our employees an understanding of how downtime equals lost profits, how a focus on safety is a requirement instead of an option, and how requests for performing maintenance or repairs can come at any time," Norris pointed out. "Our employees know how to be ready."
Impacts of changing conditions
Boger is quick to acknowledge this longstanding history of industry experience does not mean things are the same as they have been in the past. One example of this, he explained, is the increase in the basic requirements that allow CAPS access to many of these facilities.
"While it has always required a little more preparation and certification in order to work in these settings, these requirements seem to have increased significantly in recent years," he said. "These increases have required us to adjust as well."
CAPS owners explained the adjustments CAPS has made involve getting technicians safety-qualified earlier and including a wider range of experiences in this pool of plant and refinery technicians. Technicians are also well-versed in PPE requirements, understand the permitting process and the differences between cold work and hot work, know about the special requirements for an enclosed-space entry and more. Having technicians ready and able to function in industrial settings means industry topics are often brought back to the CAPS shops and soon become a part of CAPS culture as well.
Tips for working in industrial settings
After more than 15 years of serving industrial customers, Senior Account Executive Don Doss offered these CAPS learnings as suggestions for service providers called to work in industry:
- Follow PPE rules to the letter. PPE rules established at the sites are not all the same, but each organization has worked carefully to come up with the rules designed to get you home in the same condition you left. So follow the rules -- always.
- Stay until the job is done. There is nothing more uncertain for a customer than to have a technician leave the jobsite with a promise to return. If your support team is set up correctly, the technician should be able to make requests for assistance, parts or backup without leaving the customer's facility.
- Be patient during permitting and prep work. While responding to a call in a linear low-density polyethylene analyzer shack is admittedly far different than responding to a need at the local high school, it is important you allow the customer to use the systems they have in place. If this means waiting for a hot work permit or for equipment to be locked out/tagged out, then you should patiently wait. The rules in place in industrial facilities are there to protect processes, equipment, their people and you.
For more information, visit www. CustomAirProducts.com or call Senior Account Executive Don Doss at (281) 802-1678.
