Home Comfort Quarterly - Spring 2022

SPRING 2022

Home Comfort QUARTERLY

CELEBRATING

30 Years!

A Letter From

STEVE SCHMIDT

Thirty years ago...

A 30-year-old man with a family of four walked away from a secure sales position, good compensation package, and job security. Why would anyone in their “right mind” do such a crazy thing?

Looking back and knowing the extreme difficulties, financial lack, sleepless nights, and unknown future; no one would willingly walk down such a path. But now that I can see the fruit of that labor; I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In 1992, I set out to establish a professional HVAC service company from the ground up. With the help of my team, I’m proud to say that this is exactly what we have accomplished. Out of nothing, we have become the premier HVAC company in Frederick County; established and dependable. We provide safe and efficient indoor comfort and emergency service for thousands upon thousands of Frederick County residents and businesses.

At the same time, we provide a great family-friendly place for our team to come to work every day. Wellpaying jobs and a wonderful environment for 40+ people who make a good living for themselves and their families.

Why is this relevant or important to all of the Frederick County residents that call themselves our customers? Your home comfort system is the most important and costly piece of equipment in your home. It has the ability to keep you free from the effects of the elements on your family and your home’s structure. One of the most important things we own is our home. It provides a place for your family to gather and interact. It provides a place of shelter from the heat, humidity, cold, and rain. When storms come – physical, emotional, or otherwise – your home is the place of safety to which you retreat for protection.

We are aware of this great responsibility and take it seriously. We work hard every day to create and implement policies and procedures that enable us to properly and professionally maintain, service, and replace your home’s comfort systems. This allows you to concentrate on your life and your family. You don’t need to become an expert or expend the time and energy needed to make sure you have a place to retreat; we do that for you.

And, we have been doing and perfecting all the ways that are done for over 30 years now.

If you don’t ever think about or worry about your home comfort because you know all you have to do is call or text us here at Frederick Air, then we have done our job well! That is exactly the relationship we have been trying to establish for all these years. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. We don’t want you spending one minute stressing about your comfort or safety in your home. That’s why you have us and we are honored to fill that need in your family’s life.

I’m proud to say that Frederick Air will do ‘Whatever it Takes’ to keep you comfortable this year and every year. Frederick Air has been and will continue to be “a good call” for the past 30 years and is planning to remain “a good call” for the next 30 years and beyond!

Thank you for joining us along the way.

STEVE SCHMIDT |

PRESIDENT

A Snapshot of History

ONE OF THE FIRST DIRECT MAIL PIECES FREDERICK AIR SENT OUT

Celebrating 30 Years HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE WORLD SINCE 1992

INTERNET

1

While the internet existed in 1992, it wasn’t used for commercial purposes until later that decade.

Thinking back to a life without the internet, Schmidt says, “most work was generated by word of mouth.

The internet has made it easier to get in front of

2

CUSTOMER SERVICE We started with one phone line. Schmidt hired an

more people who need our help.”

assistant to help answer the phones while he was meeting with customers. We now have a team who

CELL PHONES

3

answer questions, book appointments, and are

4

MARKETING

Getting a hold of technicians while they’re out

responsible for the happiness of our customers.

in the field used to be a challenge. Typically, they would have to ask the homeowner to use the landline or find a payphone. Nowadays everyone has a cell phone, which makes last

Back in the day, the Yellow Pages was the best

minute changes much easier.

way to get in front of potential clients. There was also direct mail, radio, and television. It was a lot

TEXTING

5

Texting hadn’t caught on yet in the early 90’s.

simpler then - now we have all these options plus social media and other forms of digital marketing that are important ways to reach customers.

Some businesses don’t offer customer text messages even today. We’ve added texting as a convenient form of communication, since many customers prefer texting to calling. We’re happy

6

FINALIZING A PROPOSAL One thing we don’t miss is the old way of editing a

to communicate with our customers in any form.

proposal. Steve used to cut and tape paragraphs for a secretary to type up. Those proposals had carbon paper for the copy. Thankfully, both the computer

PAPER TICKETS

7

and the photocopier became more affordable.

8

FAX MACHINES

Along the same lines as finalizing a proposal, paper tickets were a necessity. These tickets had three parts carbon paper and we had to carry a big metal form holder around with us.

Before email was the norm, fax machines were a helpful tool for submitting orders or other necessary paperwork without the delay of the mail.

Steve Schmidt founded Frederick Air in 1992, and he has been making every effort to incorporate new technology into his systems ever since. Let’s take a look at how much our world changed over three decades with these thirty changes.

PAPER MAPS

9

Those who drove around in the 90’s remember that GPS was not available. We had to purchase map books and manually look up directions prior to visiting a customer’s home.

10

ACQUIRING PHONE NUMBERS If you wanted someone’s number thirty years ago, you would either call 4-1-1 or

ANSWERING MACHINES

11

you’d browse the phone book. The phone

12

PAPER SALES BROCHURES

When we first started, we were one of the

book helped for addresses, too.

only companies that didn’t use an answering machine. The commercials at that time even said, “where you talk to a real person; never a machine.” This is still the case today!

We still have paper sales brochures but nowhere near as many as we did back in the

LESS COMPLICATED A/C UNITS

13

When we first started, A/C units were easier to

90’s. They were the thing to leave behind with a customer who was evaluating the pros and cons of different HVAC systems.

repair. There were only 3-4 parts that could fail.

Advancements in comfort technology among other things have increased the number of parts

14

involved in keeping your home comfortable,

ISOLATED TECHNICIANS We didn’t have any communication with the

thereby increasing what could need repair.

technicians. They would have a pager that beeped if we truly needed them to call. Some of the beepers would provide a phone number that we

HALF REPLACEMENT

15

could use as a code to communicate with them.

16

ONE REFRIGERANT

There was a time when we could replace only the outdoor unit and everything would be fine. Now it has to be the whole system.

Back in the day, there was only one choice for refrigerant. Now there are three to manage and they aren’t interchangeable.

USED FURNITURE

17

Office furniture was all previously used or somehow acquired. We didn’t have anything brand new.

18

ON-CALL TECH President Steve Schmidt was the on-call technician for the first five years of the business.

NO VACATIONS

19

That is for President Steve Schmidt. He stayed focused and didn’t take a vacation for the first seven years of business.

20

SCHEDULE BOARD Our dispatcher would write names and addresses on cards and move them around the schedule

CALCULATOR & FLASHLIGHT

21

board as needed. It worked, but we are so thankful that technology took over.

Every technician had to carry around a calculator in order to do totals at the customer’s home and a flashlight to see inside the unit. We feel a lot lighter since a flashlight and a calculator on our cell phones.

22

CAMERA We now have cameras at our fingertips, which means we can take photos of any issues and document them. It’s been really helpful to snag a

BUSINESS CARD BOOK

23

part number, or document a problem.

24

CALENDAR FOR APPOINTMENTS

If you did business in the 90’s, you know that a good business card book or holder was all the rage. It contained all our important numbers and contacts.

We had a good old fashioned calendar that was used to track all appointments. It was a lot of manual work to copy the office calendar to each technician’s personal planner.

LISTENING TO MUSIC

25

You know that we love the radio. (Steve’s on it all the time!) Listening to music on the go has changed and many technicians enjoy listening to Spotify, YouTube Music, or even a podcast while they’re traveling to the next appointment.

26

HVAC SYSTEM ACCESSORIES Whole-home humidifiers, UV air cleaners, and other indoor air purification devices might have been around in the 90s but they weren’t known

DUCTLESS MINI SPLITS

27

Ductless systems were around when we started

to the extent that they are now. Air purification in particular has been an important topic in the past two years, with requests for the Air Scrubber being

but they weren’t as familiar as they are now.

the most-popular way to purify the air in your home.

We’re proud to install these systems in older homes that don’t have the space for ductwork.

Homeowners are happy that their home stays at a comfortable temperature year round.

28

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS We’re now able to remind our customers of upcoming appointments via text messaging or

NEW HOMES

29

Frederick County is constantly growing, and new

email instead of–or in addition to–a phone call.

Customers have appreciated the text messages that provide current updates of the expected

homes now come complete with a new HVAC

arrival time of technicians.

system. Heating and air conditioning is expected in new homes, and we’re here for the maintenance and repair before a replacement system is needed.

30

SMART THERMOSTATS We’re now able to install smart thermostats that allow homeowners to set a schedule for the temperature of their home. This leads to reduced utility bills and a more comfortable home.

Conclusion It’s nostalgic to reflect on the past 30 years and reminisce about the way things used to be. However, we really appreciate the advancements in technology that allow us to be more efficient and provide our customers with the best customer service.

Thirty years has given us a lot to celebrate - most especially great customers like you!

Did you know...

EST. 1849

EST. 1953

EST. 1968

Hemps Meats

Charles F. Murphy, INC.

hempsmeat.com

cfmurphy.com

Kens Automotive Transmissions kenstrans.com

EST. 1917

EST. 1954

Frederick Motor Company

Whitesell Pharmacy & Home Medical Supply

fredmotorco.com

The Red Horse redhorserestaurant.com

whitesells.com EST. 1969

EST. 1926

Weinberg Center of the Arts

EST. 1956

Hedgeapple Farm

Bussards Auto Repair & Towing

weinbergcenter.org

hedgeapplefarm.com

bussardsautoandtow.com

EST. 1932

N.E. “Bob” Waltz

EST. 1973

Stadler Nurseries

nebobwaltz.com

Vinter Lumber Company

stadlergardencenters.com EST. 1936

Moo Cow Creamery at Walnut Ridge Farm moocowcreamerywrf.com

vintagelumber.com

Stup’s Auto stupsauto.com

EST. 1976

Olde Towne Tavern EST. 1960

ottfrederick.com

Mercer, Flanagan & Company P.C.

EST. 1978

EST. 1938

mercerflanagan.com

McCutcheon’s Apple Products

Salisbury, McLister & Foley, LLP- Title Company

EST. 1963

fredericktitle.com

Skips Auto Repair

Renn Kirby Mitsubishi

Opossum Pike & Thurmont Veterinary Clinics

rennkirbymitsubishi.com

opossumpikevet.com

EST. 1948

EST. 1965

Colonial Jewelers

Tire Mart & Automotive

colonialjewelers.com

tiremart.biz

mccutcheons.com

skipsautorepair.net

La Paz Mexican Restaurant lapazmex.com

THESE FREDERICK BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 30 YEARS OR MORE

EST. 1979

EST. 1984

EST. 1991

40 West Auto Care & Towing

Brainstorm Comics & Gaming

Pretzel & Pizza Creations

40westautocare.com

Brainstormcomics.com

pretzelandpizzacreations.com EST. 1992

Able Locksmiths

Dutch’s Daughters

Belles Sports Bar

ablelocksmithsllc.com

dutchsdaughter.com

bellessportsbar.com

Automotive Parts & Machine

Frederick Shell Carwash

EST. 1996

frederickshellcarwash.com

Brewers Alley

automachineshop.net

brewers-alley.com EST. 1985

Potomac Tile & Carpet

Jesse’s Hair Design

EST. 1999

potomactileandcarpet.com

jessebarbershop.com

Firestones Culinary Tavern firestonesrestaurant.com

EST. 1980

EST. 1988

Wonder Book

Gladchuk Bros Restaurant

wonderbk.com

gladchuks.com

EST. 1981

EST. 1989

The Dutch Plant Farm

Barrick & Sons LLC

dutchplantfarm.com

barrickgardencenter.com

Wag’s Restaurant

Buckeystown Veterinary Hospital

eatatwags.com

buckeystownvet.com EST. 1982

Bushwaller’s Pub

Canapes Catering

bushwallers.com

canapescatering.com

EST. 1983

East Side Auto Service

Peterson Carpet and Flooring

eastsideautoservice.com

petersenscarpet.com

FreeState Auto & Truck freestateauto.com

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