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Winning Trust When Words Trigger Suspicion
Format: Pre-call and post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Psychology , classical conditioning, hypervigilance, confirmation bias; Robert Cialdini's research on trust and social proof
On the way out I'm going through what I know. New customer. Found me through a neighbor. Mentioned on the call that he'd had a bad experience with his last HVAC company. Said it without a lot of detail, just that it hadn't gone well and he'd decided to try someone else.
That sentence , hadn't gone well , covers a wide range. It can mean the tech was rude. It can mean the repair didn't hold. It can mean someone quoted him a repair he didn't need.
The last one is the one I prepare for.
When a customer arrives on a call already carrying the memory of being deceived, the entire interaction runs through a different filter. Not consciously, not as a deliberate decision. Just automatically. Every sentence I say gets checked against the question: is this what the last guy would have said right before something turned out to be wrong?
That's not paranoia. That's pattern recognition working correctly. A burned customer has real data from a real experience. The brain's job is to apply that data to protect against a repeat. The problem is that it can't distinguish well between the original threat and a new situation that merely resembles it.
This is classical conditioning working the way Pavlov documented it. The conditioned response , in this case, suspicion and elevated vigilance , was trained by a real stimulus. It now fires on any stimulus that's similar enough to trigger the association. I'm not the company that burned him. But I'm an HVAC technician showing up at his house to tell him what's wrong with his system, and that's similar enough.
I get there and he opens the door before I knock. He says hello in a way that's polite but careful. We shake hands and he shows me to the unit.
While I'm setting up he says: the last company told me I needed a whole new compressor. I had another guy look at it and it was a contactor. Forty-dollar part.
He says it without looking at me. Not accusatory. Just laying it on the table. Letting me know what I'm working with.
I say: that would frustrate me too.
He looks at me then. Like he was expecting a different response.
Give Us A Shout
Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, family-run, and powered by 45+ years of experience. Whether it's AI-powered thermostats, geothermal systems, or classic tune-ups, we deliver upfront pricing, expert care, and warranties that back it all up.
🛠️ Book Online:
https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 www.hartzellsheatair.com
📞 (405) 375-4822
🚛 Trane Comfort Specialist • Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer • ClimateMaster Elite
🛡️ VIP Comfort Club • Remote Monitoring • Extended Warranties
📲 Follow us for tips, updates, and real-world installs:
YouTube: @hartzellsheatair6003
X: https://x.com/HartzellsHVAC
Facebook: facebook.com/hartzellsheatair
LinkedIn: Dave Hartzell
Built on trust. Backed by warranty. Designed for comfort.
View all episodes
By Dave Hartzell's Heat & Air - Kingfisher,OKFormat: Pre-call and post-call
Runtime: ~8 minutes
Source: Psychology , classical conditioning, hypervigilance, confirmation bias; Robert Cialdini's research on trust and social proof
On the way out I'm going through what I know. New customer. Found me through a neighbor. Mentioned on the call that he'd had a bad experience with his last HVAC company. Said it without a lot of detail, just that it hadn't gone well and he'd decided to try someone else.
That sentence , hadn't gone well , covers a wide range. It can mean the tech was rude. It can mean the repair didn't hold. It can mean someone quoted him a repair he didn't need.
The last one is the one I prepare for.
When a customer arrives on a call already carrying the memory of being deceived, the entire interaction runs through a different filter. Not consciously, not as a deliberate decision. Just automatically. Every sentence I say gets checked against the question: is this what the last guy would have said right before something turned out to be wrong?
That's not paranoia. That's pattern recognition working correctly. A burned customer has real data from a real experience. The brain's job is to apply that data to protect against a repeat. The problem is that it can't distinguish well between the original threat and a new situation that merely resembles it.
This is classical conditioning working the way Pavlov documented it. The conditioned response , in this case, suspicion and elevated vigilance , was trained by a real stimulus. It now fires on any stimulus that's similar enough to trigger the association. I'm not the company that burned him. But I'm an HVAC technician showing up at his house to tell him what's wrong with his system, and that's similar enough.
I get there and he opens the door before I knock. He says hello in a way that's polite but careful. We shake hands and he shows me to the unit.
While I'm setting up he says: the last company told me I needed a whole new compressor. I had another guy look at it and it was a contactor. Forty-dollar part.
He says it without looking at me. Not accusatory. Just laying it on the table. Letting me know what I'm working with.
I say: that would frustrate me too.
He looks at me then. Like he was expecting a different response.
Give Us A Shout
Thanks for tuning in to Hartzell's Heat & Air, your trusted HVAC experts in Oklahoma and beyond. From Kingfisher to coast-to-coast consulting, we design, install, and maintain smart, efficient systems that deliver year-round comfort.
We're employee-owned, family-run, and powered by 45+ years of experience. Whether it's AI-powered thermostats, geothermal systems, or classic tune-ups, we deliver upfront pricing, expert care, and warranties that back it all up.
🛠️ Book Online:
https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Hartzells-Heat--Air/4a569038b3dc460daf2d5f6497b18351?v2=true
🌐 www.hartzellsheatair.com
📞 (405) 375-4822
🚛 Trane Comfort Specialist • Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer • ClimateMaster Elite
🛡️ VIP Comfort Club • Remote Monitoring • Extended Warranties
📲 Follow us for tips, updates, and real-world installs:
YouTube: @hartzellsheatair6003
X: https://x.com/HartzellsHVAC
Facebook: facebook.com/hartzellsheatair
LinkedIn: Dave Hartzell
Built on trust. Backed by warranty. Designed for comfort.