July 12, 2012

On July 10, NBC's Today Show included a "sting" operation on air conditioning contractors. How did this come about? What happened behind the scenes? What was ACCA's role in the story? And what lessons can contractors learn from yet another negative swipe at our industry? This week, a special edition of the ACCA INSIDER tackles all this and more.

Today Show Stings, ACCA Responds

On July 10, NBC Today broadcast the results of an undercover investigation on air conditioning contractors. While they clearly went out of their way to get a negative result (this is what TV producers do!), they mentioned ACCA and included a link to ACCA's contractor locator from the Today website (and dozens of other NBC affiliates nationwide). This drove website volume through the roof (even causing our webserver to overload -- we had it beefed up and backed up soon).

Immediately following the Today broadcast, ACCA sent a press release over the wire referencing the Today broadcast and including tips for homeowners on selecting the right contractor. So far it's been picked up by more than 200 news websites, ranging from the Cincinnati Enquirer to the Buffalo News to CBS 5 San Francisco. 

The Sting: Behind the Scenes

The Today broadcast featured as its expert consultant, Bobby Ring of Meyer & Depew in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Also participating in the broadcast were Warren Lupson, of AHRI, with additional support provided by NATE. 

We asked Bobby to share his story and talk about what happened "behind the scenes" during the investigation. How were the contractors selected? Was there anything that didn't make it on the air? How does he feel about participating now that it's over? He responded, and now you can read his story at the ACCA website.

What Today Taught Us

ACCA Chairman Laura DiFilippo, of DiFilippo's Service Company, says she "cringed" when she saw the Today segment. "I'm so proud of this industry that it infuriates me when something like this reinforces the false perception that contractors are crooks or are incompetent," she writes.

But, she also sees value in the lesson this sting can teach both homeowners and contractors. "I also think it's an important reminder to all of us contractors about the importance of integrity to business," Laura writes. "I know I'm using it with my employees to hammer home the importance of being completely upfront and honest with our customers. Not only is it the right thing to do, it's just plain good business."

Laura says the Today sting reinforced that there are three things a service technician should do when called to a home for a faulty system. See what they are in this special article.

Straight Talk: Paul Stalknecht on The Today Sting, The Industry's Responsibility, and Actually Raising the Bar

After the Today show sting aired, IE3 Magazine sat down with ACCA's CEO, Paul Stalknecht, for a frank and forthright interview to talk about the broadcast, and any fallout it may have caused. Stalknecht covered a lot of ground with straight talk on the industry's challenges and why ACCA will never shy away from working with the media. Highlights from his remarks:

"When they contacted us, there was never any question that we would provide as much support as possible. They were going to record the segment whether we were involved or not. Imagine what they would have said on air if we rejected their request: 'We contacted the industry's trade association but they refused to comment.' Not just ACCA, but the entire industry, would look even worse ..."

"Remember, as far as the news media are concerned, ACCA doesn't speak for its members, it speaks for the entire professional contracting industry. And they're right! When we talk to reporters, Congressmen, regulators, manufacturers, or anyone else, ACCA's focus is on serving the best interests of all professional contractors, not just our members. That's why we exist ..." 

"Look, we never claimed all of our members were perfect; as an inclusive organization, any licensed contractor can join ACCA ... Hopefully they will then take advantage of all of our resources to become as professional as possible. But, while there's a valid reason for a potential customer to wonder why a company wouldn't join its industry's association, we recommend a number of steps that homeowners should take when determining which contractor to hire, not just hire someone because they belong to ACCA ... "

"There are some folks who are going to complain on listserves and forums all day long, and some of them are going to complain about ACCA. But maybe you should ask them: What did you do today to improve the entire industry? ... Sometimes we'll make mistakes, but as long as I'm at ACCA, we'll never stop taking risks."

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