Florida is melting. You burn your hands on your doorknob, then slither to the thermostat on your A/C unit to turn down the temperature. A minute later, you realize…it’s only blowing hot air! You make it to the computer, where there are thousands of air conditioning companies, all claiming to be “The Best”. How do you know which one to call? If you visit Total Air’s site, you will have found the real winner.
Aaron Freedman opened Total Air in 2005. His focus has always been residential and light commercial. Total Air’s first office was a small bungalow in the Kenwood area. In 2011 he purchased an 8,000 sqft office/warehouse in Joe’s Creek. This property enabled Total Air to increase office staff and create a training facility which includes a classroom and hands on technical training area.
“Many companies who want to be all things in all places, don’t end up succeeding at delivering good service,” Aaron said. “We’ve built our reputation on honest, quality work, and on caring greatly about our customers”.
Bailey, the Office Manager, said, “Over 95% of our customers get same-day service. Unless there’s a hard-to-find part or something, we’ll be there. Also, we give priority to senior citizens, households with young children, and to anyone who has health issues.” Seniors get a 20% discount, too!
Great Employees, Great Service
A time-proven truth about any business is that your customers are treated only as well as you treat your workers. This is the unwritten part of Total Air’s mission statement. It only takes a visit to their complex to see that this is not any P.R. “hot air”.
Aaron and his partner in life, Stephanie, run a 21st century mom-and-pop business. All their employees, from technicians to office staff, have a voice in decision-making, and know that their voices are heard. If they’re ill, have family emergencies, or a new baby at home, they know that their bosses have their backs. Family comes first, and that philosophy reaches all the way through to their customers.
“If you’re not happy in any way, we’ll be back, for no charge,” Aaron said.
Total Air has about 10 service vans on the road most days. They are bright blue and orange, with a sunrise logo. In the summer months, their techs may be on the road 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., trying to make sure as many people have air as possible.
The service techs in the field are backed by a smooth-running warehouse and parts team back at the shop. Someone’s got to stay on top of suppliers and outstanding orders! Warehouse manager, Joel Colby, runs this pristine operation. Separate bays for each customer, each under a clipboard with the parts list needed for your job, contain everything the techs need, so they can come in, grab your stuff, and run—knowing it’s all there. And not a speck of dust in the place.
So what about the all-important technician who will come into your home and, hopefully, end your suffering on a hot day?
“I learned early on that I can teach someone a trade very well, but I can’t teach someone work ethic and personality,” Aaron said. “In the beginning I hired experienced guys who came to apply for jobs, but they brought with them their learned bad habits and poor people skills.
Now, Total Air works mostly with Pinellas Technical College (PTEC), hiring and further training their most outstanding graduates. A state-of-the-art training room at Total Air is where everybody starts. In it are all kinds of air conditioning, electrical and installation setups, which the trainer can program to have simple or mysterious problems for new techs to diagnose and fix. Everyone on staff has training sessions every week to keep them up to date on new products, changes made in any brand they sell, and general issues of concern.
New techs will partner with senior techs on the road until they’re seasoned and fully ready to do excellent work. According to Aaron, “If we start with someone who’s smart, hardworking, and cares personally about his customers, the end product is always a great tech.”
A Family-Focused Business
Back in the airy and spacious front-office building, several sunny spaces look like mini preschool rooms, equipped with toys and other necessities for young children. Moms like Bailey and Antoinette can bring their children to work with them, any time they need.
“It’s been so wonderful for me,” said Bailey. “Day care is so expensive, and the idea of leaving your baby with someone you don’t really know well…Ugh.” Ignoring the toys, almost two-year-old Avianna is seriously engaged in toting around a small waste basket, trying to decide on the perfect spot for it. Her mom, Antoinette, is Total Air’s Service Coordinator. This week, Aaron and Stephanie’s daughter, Jaylyn, started working at Total Air to pay for her own cell phone. She’ll be sweeping the warehouse and helping her mom. “She’s gonna punch a clock, too,” Stephanie said, laughing.
In the community, Total Air enjoys sponsoring mostly family and sports-related events. They participate in local 5k races several times a year, and also sponsor a local Little League Softball team. They recently donated a years worth of Preventive Maintenance service to Friends of Strays Animal Shelter.
So the next time your A/C is ready for a checkup, or has a dreaded breakdown on a hot day, look no further than Total Air for fast, efficient and caring service. For more information visit https://coolingstpete.com/ or call 727-822-7700.
