Okay, no company bashing here but I do want to let you know about this.

Finding labor help in our industry is pretty difficult and if a person can show up for work each day and have some idea what he is doing, well, that’s pretty much all it will take to get a job as an air conditioning service technician in the city of Virginia Beach.

Sadly, many companies will not go any further than a quick interview before hiring a new employee.

In fact, I just checked our local sex offender registry and one of the guys on there works for a large, well known heating and cooling company in our area.  As a father of a four year old daughter, I find this appalling!  This company should know better, and no, I do not believe sex offenders, especially those who commit crimes against children can be “cured”.  They do not deserve a second chance.

Almost every week you can read a story in the news where a convicted sex offender, given that second chance, has harmed another child… These people should be locked away forever!

Of course it is not just sex offenders you need to worry about.  I know of another company that is run by a guy who lost his license in another state for ripping people off, lied to the state contractor’s board to get one here, and then hired a guy to runs his shop who is a convicted felon who just spent time in jail for grand larceny… and is now walking into your house when you give them a call!

Please, just be careful.  I was shocked when I first got into this business at how many people would leave a key under a mat for the service tech to come in while they were at work, some with their kids home for the summer, and had never even used the company before.

I know there may not be any other choice but please be aware that not all companies screen their applicants…Actually, most don’t.

No company is perfect.  We all make mistakes and we cannot satisfy every customer every time. Some charge high prices that may seem unfair but have to in order to retain the top technicians in the area, because, believe me when I tell you this, Virginia Beach is not a mecca for highly qualified service technicians!  If you find one you hold onto him for dear life! 

However, there is no excuse for a company who puts profit above the safety of its customers!!!!!!

Of course there is an alternative.  You could just call me!  I may not be able to get there in an hour or at 3 AM, but I will get there in a reasonable amount of time, do competent work and at a price that is far below anyone else.

By the way, I do have a working relationship with another company called Sunrise Heating and Cooling should my workload get to large.  And, more importantly, the owner and his wife have looked after my children while I was away in the past and nothing is more precious to me than my little ones so I can certainly vouch for this other company to help me out should the need arise. 

One thing I would highly recommend that you do is when you place a service call, ask the dispatcher who will be coming out to your home.  Get their first and last name and do a check on the sex registry and with the courts.  Everything you need is right online.  If they don’t give out the name, find a company that will… By the way, my name is David Bocock.