Keeping a Community Comfortable

May 10, 2021 | 1:08 PM

In a year that saw people spending a lot more time at home, it’s fitting that a company dedicated to making our homes safer and more comfortable won Vernon’s first-ever Best of the Best awards.

Applewood Heating and Air Conditioning was voted Best for Fireplace and Barbeque and Best Heating and Air Conditioning in the award program known as the BOBs.

Al and Anne Levinski started this family-run business in 1997. Having been around the company since childhood, their son Ken officially came on board about a decade ago to help run the growing company.

Anne explains that a lot of their customers have been with them since the beginning. “It’s not unusual that customers come in for barbeque parts, and over the years they come in for that, and then their filters, and a few years later they’re buying a furnace and air conditioner. Or they come in for a furnace, and come back for a barbeque.”

That kind of customer loyalty goes a long way to explaining how Applewood won both the BOB categories they were nominated for. Anne shares part of the secret to that success, “You really listen to the customer and determine what’s best for them as opposed to what would bring us the most dollars, because in the end, what’s best for them is best for us.” Ken adds, “What we hear from most people, they like our honesty, they like the personal touch… We’re not the cheapest in town, we’re not the most expensive, but people like getting the honest truth.”

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Like their long-standing customers, the low employee turnover also reflects Applewood’s commitment to treating customers and staff with respect. Many of their employees have been there for 10 to 15 years. Anne says, “You treat your staff like family. You treat your customers like family. Basically, treat people the way you’d want them to treat you.”

This mantra carries through to the rest of the team. Applewood trains their staff to take care of people. Referring to the 24-7 Emergency Line, Ken says, “We’re always just a call away…. There’s always a technician on the other end of the emergency line. If your furnace does go out at 9:00 at night or on a Sunday or something, there is always someone you can get a hold of.” He mentions a cold snap over the Family Day long weekend, and comments that their team logged 16 hours responding to emergency calls.

It’s not only customers who they care about. Each year, Applewood Heating and Air Conditioning participates in the Lennox “Feel the Love” program, an initiative that provides a furnace to someone in need. Nominations begin in late spring, with installation around Thanksgiving – just in time to keep a home warm for the winter. Applewood was doing something similar informally for years. Anne says from time to time they’d hear about a need and step in to provide a furnace, and that their staff also never hesitated to provide their time. So when Lennox introduced the Feel the Love program, it was a natural fit.

Along with furnaces, fireplaces, and air conditioners, Applewood also carries barbeques. Ken says their staff almost all are partial to Traeger pellet grills for their own homes, but that they’re educated on all the barbecues they carry, and even some of the ones no longer on the market. Anne notes that their newest sales staff member started back in 2009 “so they know their stuff” and can often help a customer with a question about an older model. Some people have done research and know exactly what they want, and some are looking for suggestions. Others think they know what they want, but a few knowledgeable questions by staff can turn up better options for how the customer actually wants to cook. There’s perhaps no better thank you for sharing their barbeque expertise than when customers come back years later when it’s time to buy the next one.

Applewood’s care and attention also carries through to their Indoor Air Quality department. Ken mentions that they include the higher-end filters with almost every furnace installation. “Because they are obviously much better for you, but they’re also better for your furnace. Everyone’s forgotten about their furnace filter and had to pull it out when the furnace or air conditioner stops working, so a bonus is that these also last a lot longer than a typical filter.”

When congratulated on their Best of the Best Awards, Ken replies, “We’re thankful that the community felt we deserve those awards.” Anne adds, “It’s nice to know that people are confident in you and trust you… because they’re really the reason. It validates that we’re doing the right thing.”

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