There’s a challenging time ahead for all business
types and the air conditioning and refrigeration industry will be no exception.
However there is some positive news for the industry, especially for those
engaged in servicing and maintenance of existing RACHP systems.
Despite the collapse in retail sales and
the devastation of the high street, food shops, mini markets and supermarkets
have seen a boom in demand. It’s never been a better time to be in the
groceries business and these outlets together with their distribution chain all
rely heavily on refrigeration and climate control.
Increased demand on services and
infrastructure in food based retail sales will inevitably lead to increased
strain on the systems coping with keeping everything cool. From localised
compressor burn outs to catastrophic breakdown or contamination of complete
systems requiring flushing and recharging will keep engineers busy over the
coming months.
Not only does the food business require
maintenance and servicing of their existing climate control systems, it will
become evident that the logistics of increased demand may well lead to
upgrades, retrofits and new RACHP system design and installations.
For AC&R business owners that survive
the economic tsunami, profitable times lie ahead. Company’s that are over
borrowed or under saved willfall by the wayside leaving servicing holes to be
filled by those that make it through intact. Rest assured, if you’re the one
answering your phone in a few months time, it’s your business that could also
be booming.
The sector’s training services have also
been hit hard due to the distinct challenges of gathering groups of delegates
for theoretical and practical exercises. It is the theoretical aspect of these
training courses, including F-Gas Certification where many of the agile
training organisations are seeing potential.
Together with 10 and 15 day modular
courses, even F Gas Cat 1, 2 and 3 renewal courses demand a substantial number
of days onsite at the training centre. This is where the cloud of current
legislation gets its silver lining.
By splitting the theoretical aspects of
numerous RACHP courses away from the practical demonstrations and testing,
training organisations are able to offer webinars for remote home working and
thus minimise actual time delegates are required away from their place of work
and of course make savings on food and accommodation.
These potential savings actually promote a
greater scope of choice for delegates who don’t have a certified training
centre on their doorstep. With the ability to complete the theoretical aspects
of a course online, travelling further for the practical elements becomes
realistic due to the overall reduced time and costs involved.
If your AC&R business is one of the
survivors, consider the potential for growth due to higher demand, less
competition and potentially greater profitability. If you’re currently sat at
home scraping through the last dregs of Netflix, maybe it’s time to focus on alternative
use of your time.
Even if your certification renewal isn’t
due for a few months, it’s well worth considering the option of F-Gas courses online
now. Complete the theoretical aspects from the comfort of your own home and
attend the shorter practical sessions at your convenience.
Bearing in mind that your business may have
more demand in the not too distant future, it’s also worth considering
certification for other members of your team if they wish to progress their
careers and get out there.
Maybe now is the time to clean your
overalls, give the van a birthday, polish your tools and grab some of the
fantastic F-Gas books and manuals available online. Call or email your
customers and let them know you’re ready for business.
Our world is changing and those of us who
capitalise on a crisis will become the dominant service providers of choice
through being agile, flexible and adaptive.
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