Winning awards is fulfilling and at the same time can be a little embarrassing. It’s embarrassing because we are just doing our jobs to provide needed services for our community.
We received the awards, but at the same time others are serving our community in important ways too and they do not always receive proper recognition. Teachers set the tone for the future. Clergy improves moral norms. Law enforcement lays down their lives to protect us. Firemen respond unselfishly to our emergencies without exception. The medical field takes risks to treat whatever diseases come their way, now including Ebola. There are so many that go that extra mile that deserves recognition.
It’s been a great year for awards at John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical. During the last year, the awards include the People’s Choice Award, KFOR Best of Lincoln, Angie’s List Super Service Awards for plumbing, heating, and air conditioning, the Lennox Centurion Award, and the latest award received this week was the 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award for medium business.
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical previously won the Integrity Award in 2004, and also the BBB Ambassador of Integrity in 2011 and 2013, which sets overall expectations to a much higher level. Even under an invisible “microscope” from those awards, John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical was able to win the Integrity Award again. All the awards combined are especially meaningful and unique!
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical didn’t adjust our business motto to win the BBB awards. The awards found us because we ran our business based on integrity from day one. It’s easier to run businesses that way.
Integrity seems to make John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical’s team closer because they know what to expect from each other. Customers tend to support companies with integrity. Our customer base is over 25K. We continue to grow steadily.
The biggest challenge we have is finding and hiring enough employees because we have such high expectations. Interviews typically take over three hours, which includes a personality survey to fully understand the seven basic personality traits of applicants. It’s important to get the right applicant in a position that fits them well, and then manage them with their strengths.
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical hires for attitude and trains for skill. Employees with a positive attitude accomplish more and tend to be better overall. They excel in our progressive apprenticeship program designed to “grow our own”. It’s working well.
We require background checks, plus drug and alcohol testing. You can be assured that the “stranger” in your home is trustworthy.
John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical developed Standard Operating Procedures manuals to provide consistency. We take the services we provide seriously because lives are at stake. That’s important considering how many major plagues have been the result of poor plumbing standards. The SARS virus is a good example that took over 2,200 lives worldwide.
Protecting customers from carbon monoxide poisoning is important too. John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical checks carbon monoxide levels in homes and businesses during routine plumbing or HVAC service calls. Few, if any, companies check for carbon monoxide to the degree John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical does. We consistently find water heaters and furnaces operating at a level high enough can cause varying levels of carbon monoxide poisoning. We have saved lives. Have you had your fossil fuel equipment checked out recently?
Integrity includes being responsible and environmentally. Last year John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical recycled over 210K lbs. of scrap metals. We also reduced the carbon footprint for our community by over 6,000 metric tons of CO2 by servicing fossil fuel equipment, plus selling energy-efficient furnaces, heat pumps, and water heaters. A conservative estimate of our total impact is the equivalent of taking over 225 vehicles off the streets!
It’s important to realize the minute we feel we have made it we have not. It takes constant self-evaluations and hard work to continue to go to that next level. John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical’s team trains hard and works together.
The sign on my desk for over 25 years has been “have you had your fun today”. Humor is valuable to the success of companies. John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical’s team has fun and has a great attitude.
Although we are a little humbled by winning so many awards, the John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical team is excited too. We appreciate the recognition our community continues to give because these awards reflect what the community values.
Thanks to all those in our community that supports and cheer on John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical regularly. We are grateful for your support and honored to serve you.
