For 45 years, Russell’s Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric has served as Coastal Virginia’s most trusted provider for all things heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing. Buddy Smith, the company’s second generation president, reflects on the success of his parents’ company and the “why” behind its top-notch service.
“When my dad first started the company in 1977, service was his favorite part of the industry. In a customer’s time of need, he loved to be the guy to [respond to the call] and get the customer back to where they need to be,” says Smith. “He loved to interact with customers, to help people and enjoy the conversation in between.”
Smith carries on his father’s charismatic nature and has asserted his customer-first mentality as one of the company’s pillars of service. Russell’s Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric boasts a team of over 100 people and services thousands of homes across Coastal Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. “Another strong testament to our company is our extremely low turnover rate among employees,” says Smith. “We truly care about our people, employees and customers alike.”
At the core of the Russell’s team’s service standards are empathy and maintenance. “First and foremost, people must be heard and understood. People are not usually angry that something broke. They’re usually upset because someone would not communicate with them or the [provider] responded in a way that made the customer lose confidence in them,” explains Smith. “Second, never undersell the importance of maintenance. Maintenance allows us to identify problems before they inconvenience the lives of our customers.”
Russell’s supports over 5,000 customers with its maintenance program which offers valuable benefits such as routine check-ups, discounted services, and most importantly, peace of mind. Russell’s also provides peace of mind through its high-tech text messaging services. Customers receive a text message when their Russell’s technician is en route. The text contains a picture of the technician, a brief bio about him or her as well as customer reviews, which Smith believes are the best measure of companies today.
Not only are Russell’s technicians extremely punctual and professional, but they value customers’ time too. “We operate by a guarantee – service today or it’s free. No one has enough time these days, so if a customer calls with an issue or a broken system, they need our help now. If we are unable to make good on our promise to provide same-day services, we offer customers a concession by waiving our diagnostics fee,” says Smith.
With winter just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time to connect with Russell’s Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric today to ensure your heating system is in check!
Russell’s Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric
(Va and NC)
757-424-1000
