A Window Into
Your Customers’ HVAC System
July 2019 • 5 min read
Homeowners want intelligent solutions. By 2023, the U.S. market is projected to reach $3.4 billion in smart thermostat sales. If you’re not offering homeowners smart thermostats, you’re missing out on a vital revenue stream. Lennox iComfort Smart Thermostats combined with a premium service agreement, and the iComfort Dashboard is not only an intelligent solution — it’s a recurring revenue stream, and a window into your customers’ HVAC system.
Remember the programmable thermostat?
Smart thermostats are changing our lives for the better. They not only save homeowners money, they’re kinder and gentler on the environment, and they offer a whole new level of convenience.
With an emphasis on product design that favors aesthetics, smart thermostats come in two flavors — round, open-faces with large digital displays or sleek squares with high-definition touchscreens — and lots of personality — design matters!
Homeowners can control the temperature settings remotely through internet-connected devices, such as a laptop or smartphone. Smart thermostats are so smart they learn homeowners’ comfort behavior by adjusting themselves based on previous temperature settings. In spite of smart thermostat technology, most homeowners still use a more traditional, programmable thermostat in their homes.
Smart thermostats are here to stay
As smart thermostats help save energy, their sales have been influenced by the rising demand for energy efficient solutions. Moreover, there’s been a surge in the sales of various smart home voice assistants such as Amazon Echo, and Google Home, which is further driving the growth of the market.
If HVAC business owners want to ride the wave of smart thermostats to grow their business, and expand their customer base, now is the time!
Are smart thermostats really worth it?
36%
of U.S. homeowners are familiar with smart thermostats.
15%
of households own a smart thermostat currently.
$1.1 billion
is what the U.S. smart thermostat market reached in 2017.
40%
of Wi-Fi/smart thermostat customers are taking advantage of utility rebates.
28%
of U.S. homeowners expressed an interest in buying a smart thermostat within the next year.
The iComfort Thermostat offers sustained
growth and homeowner loyalty
Are you offering homeowners smart thermostats, intelligent solutions and premium services? Two things you can do that will help your business stay competitive, generate more sales, and allow you to be indispensable to your customers are:
- Add the Lennox iComfort S30, E30, and M30 smart thermostats to your product line.
- Offer a Lennox premium service maintenance agreement that features advanced technology, like year-round system visibility, and remote monitoring.
Give homeowners energy savings, smart comfort, and convenience
Sophisticated and feature-rich, the iComfort optimizes comfort and convenience so homeowners can control their homes’ climates while saving money on their energy bills.
Schedule IQ Technology: In a few weeks, the iComfort S30, E30, and M30 learns a homeowner’s schedule. Manually (or remotely via the app) homeowners can adjust the temperature. Any changes in a homeowner’s routine and the thermostat adapts to the heating and cooling to match.
Smart AwayTM Mode: The iComfort S30, E30, and M30 operate using the homeowner’s GPS within their smartphone. The phone’s GPS signals the app that the homeowner is leaving or returning, and the app adjusts the thermostat settings accordingly. This saves homeowners money on their heating and cooling while away.
Allergen Defender: The iComfort S30 and E30 monitors homeowner’s air quality and pollen levels in their area according to zip code. The fan automatically turns on to clean the home’s air when outdoor allergen levels are high so homeowners get allergy relief when they need it.
“If I was forced to pick just one, my favorite intelligent product on the market today is the Lennox iComfort S30 and its counterpart the E30. The S30 gives us the ability to better connect with our clients and, by default, increase customer loyalty.”
Rich Biava | Business Partner
GAC Services member of the HVAC NEWS advisory board
Offer homeowners a Lennox premium service package — at no charge
A Lennox premium service agreement is a great way to drive more business and increase customer loyalty. With a premium service that supports the iComfort platform year-round, you can provide homeowners services that includes:
- Access to critical alerts and troubleshooting issues 24/7.
- Access to various reports such as system and installation reports.
- Remote diagnostics of high-end equipment, like Lennox Elite products.
- Automatic over-the-air software updates.
A Lennox premium service agreement is a great way to drive more business and increase customer loyalty. With a premium service that supports the iComfort platform year-round, you can provide homeowners services that includes:
proactive method
- Change filters.
- Service equipment.
- Preventative maintenance.
reactive method
- Which system needs servicing?
- What do they need to do – notify the tech.
Create more revenue
The iComfort LennoxPros Dashboard lets Lennox dealers monitor all of their connected iComfort thermostats and customers from one single location. From the dashboard, a dealer can monitor diagnostic and service alerts, system alerts, and when maintenance is needed — all reports are sent directly to the dealer.
The dashboard provides not only a window into the homeowner’s system it’s a continuous revenue stream for dealers to provide service calls, filters, and preventative maintenance. This kind of convenient service allows businesses to be proactive and garner more loyalty from the homeowner.
The iComfort S30 provides three essential needs for HVAC technicians:
Simplified Installation: The iComfort S30 streamlines installation, tasking, and service processes to help you focus on customer service. Unlike a typical installation, the S30 automatically detects communicating equipment and configures the system, making installations faster and easier.
Troubleshooting Problems - With the iComfort S30’s remote monitoring capabilities, you receive automatic notifications when a problem occurs with a homeowner’s system. You can log in to LennoxPros.com diagnose the problem, and potentially troubleshoot the issue remotely.
Increasing Profit: Homeowners are willing to pay more for premium benefits such as advanced warning and remote monitoring capabilities, especially as it adds value to a service contract, and provides homeowners peace of mind.
“Our team is extremely happy with the increase in speed and response on the iComfort Dashboard. The Home Owner Lookup and remote monitoring/diagnostic are now something we can do on the phone with clients in real time.”
Ty Faust | Owner
H.J. Faust, Inc.
Lennox offers FREE product training
As with all Lennox products, Lennox Learning Solutions offers training
for the complete iComfort line up of smart thermostats.
Smart Thermostats – The Next Generation
Where do we go from here? Perhaps it’s consumer-driven incentive programs mandated through the utility companies to help reduce energy usage or an itemized energy bill that breaks down that usage. One thing is for sure — homeowners want innovative solutions — whatever the possibilities may be.
This is the perfect time for HVAC businesses to make sure they’re offering innovative solutions like the iComfort Smart Thermostats, a premium service agreement, and the iComfort Dashboard.