(IABBB)
A customer hired Rescue One Air of Tempe, AZ to check two aging air conditioning units. One was not working. However, mistakes were made, and the wrong unit was replaced. After learning about the error from his team, Rescue One Air founder Jason Thibodeau informed the customer of the mistake and installed another unit at no cost—even though the client offered to pay.
“We used this as a teaching tool for our entire company,” Thibodeau says. “Both the technician and the installation department admitted where they fell short and we implemented a new policy.”
This is just one example of why Rescue One Air, is the recipient of a BBB International Torch Award for Ethics in 2023 (11 to 99 employees category).
Committing to the Four Cs
BBB International Torch Awards are based on the Four Cs: Character of the organization’s leadership, an authentic Culture, a transparent relationship with Customers and the impact on the local Community. Thibideau shared his thoughts.
Character: Thibodeau says he thinks a lot about how his actions affect the rest of the staff. “When it comes to character, it is something I pray for every day.” He wants his character to reflect what he calls the “nine fruits of the spirit:” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. “I test all my actions by them,” he adds.
One way he puts those words into action is through an open-door policy. “Anyone can come directly to me with anything,” he says. “I share struggles I have gone through in my life to create an atmosphere of trust, warmth and safety.”
Plus, one of the biggest tools for ethical commitment, he says, is participating in the Torch Awards. “The practice of applying for and maintaining this award has created something tangible that everyone can be a part of,” he says. “It is the backbone of our confidence--and assurance that we really are making a difference.”
Culture: Thibodeau believes an essential pillar of his business is creating a culture of trust. For example, he empowers frontline employees to unilaterally refund any mistake or complaint up to $100 ($500 for managers). No questions asked. If any staff member in the field comes across a customer who cannot afford the basic necessities of heating or cooling, they can make repairs for no cost if the job is less than $250.
Rescue One Air also builds its culture by bringing in a life coach/marriage counselor each month for the staff’s benefit. And the company provides opportunities for employees to learn new skills, such as a dispatcher now working in the accounting department and a receptionist becoming an install coordinator. Thibodeau even helps staff members start their own HVAC companies.
Employee input is encouraged through regular meetings to give feedback on procedures and pitch ideas for improving performance.
Thibodeau says “humility is the door to all growth, and transparency is the key to open that door.”
Customer relationships: Thibodeau is big on maintaining relationships with customers. After a job is completed, his team will perform a quality control check, which lets customers ask questions and give feedback. This extra time helps clients better understand their systems and builds lasting bonds.
“Another thing we do is ‘happy checks,’ where we will randomly call and ask how everything is going with our service, or just everyday life issues,” Thibodeau notes. Rescue One also periodically sends selected customers a postcard for one year of free maintenance.
“We don’t do the right thing because it feels good,” he says. “We do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.”
Community: Rescue One Air supports a nonprofit that teaches life skills and offers educational opportunities for single mothers. It also donates resources to a substance abuse treatment center, a jail ministry, a women’s foundation, the Salvation Army, and a food bank alliance, among others. In addition, the company gives away six HVAC units, including labor and maintenance, annually for those in need.
“When we are really slow, when it is hard to even pay the bills, that is when I will step up on our charity work. It’s people over profits,” he says. “And it really helps the employees. That when they see your success but they still see you giving in the community, they understand that it is more about the giving than the receiving.”