The Advantages of a Home Warranty

 In this episode Billee Silva, SWFL Realtor, interviews  Donna Raynor from Home-Tech.  Learn about the advantages of a home warranty and how they work.  

To learn more about Billee Silva:
www.SW-FloridaRealtor.com
Jones & Co Realty
(239) 247-2490

Transcript

 Speaker Intro:

Welcome to the Southwest Florida Realty show with Billee Silva and here’s your host Billee Silva!

Billee Silva:

Good morning, this is Billee Silva with the SW Florida Realty Show.  Whether you are in the process of purchasing a home or you’ve lived in your current home for a month or ten years, a home warranty is always a good idea, especially if you’re not real handy because they can really save your budget. Today, I have the pleasure of having Donna Raynor from Home-Tech with me who’s going to share with us the advantages of a home warranty and how they work.  

Welcome Donna, can you tell our listeners a little bit about Home-Tech and what your position with the company is?

Donna Raynor:

Sure, hi Billee. Home-Tech is a local employee-owned company right here in Ft. Myers and we are celebrating 41 years. We provide service and repair for major appliances and AC systems but also plumbing and electric and we service from Marco Island all the way to Sarasota. My role with Home-Tech is outside Service Warranty Specialist and I’ve been here since 2015 and also employee owner. Many of the employees here are about 15 to 20 and some are even 30 years at Home-Tech. So, what I do is assist homeowners as well as partner with realtors and provide them with information on service agreement warranties.

Billee Silva:

The longevity of your employees speaks volumes and congratulations on our 41-year anniversary of the company. So, let’s talk about what is covered by a Home-Tech Service Agreement Warranty and what a homeowner can expect.

Donna Raynor:

Ok, so what we cover are the major appliances inside our home and the AC repair. In today’s world everyone wants to save money and the typical repair can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars so a Home-Tech service agreement warranty can help with that.

Billee Silva:

Yes, having to replace an HVAC System is a big expense, I just had to do it myself.

Donna Raynor:

Parts and labor are covered as well under the service agreement if they have one in place.  So, the benefits are Home-Tech has their own Service Technician, inhouse trained, they are never sub-contractors so there’s no worries about who’s entering your home. There’s no expensive repair bills going forward and what’s great about Home-Tech is there’s convenience to our time0rame for the service calls. We also do emergency service repairs seven days a week including holidays so if there’s an AC down, refrigerator down, we will be there the same day.

Billee Silva:

That’s awesome because you know an AC never goes out between 9 and 5, it’s always after hours. You said your members receive a 2-hour time frame for service, how does that work?

Donna Raynor:

So, Home-Tech has created our own Dispatch software, its GPS based. Technicians call ahead before they arrive which our members love. No waiting around all day, go to the beach, go shopping, play golf, that’s the beauty about the 2-hour timeframe. Personally, my time is precious and when I’ve had to stay home to wait for repairs, be it pest control or the cable company, it can be very frustrating. I have a Home-Tech Service Agreement myself and Saturdays are a normal day of service. I love the convenience of the 2-hour timeframe.

Billee Silva:

That’s really nice.  Can a homeowner customize a Home-Tech Service Warranty?

Donna Raynor:

Absolutely, we cove one of each. Air Conditioning System and Heating systems as well as Refrigerators, ice makers, the range, microwave, dishwasher, disposal, washer and dryer and electronics of the water heater, wine coolers and pool heaters. We also can add plumbing and electric as we have licensed plumbers and electricians. Another convenience is our AC install; we have been awarded the number 1 Trane installer in South Florida. It’s all in what the customer really wants to cover. If they already have somebody, an AC guy, we can do appliances only if that’s what they want.

Billee Silva:

Can you give me a recent example of how a Home-Tech Service Agreement helped someone?

Donna Raynor:

Oh my gosh, there are so, so many. Well, a customer may have an issue with a brand-new refrigerator and that happens 50% of the time with brand new ones, so once its out of its warranty you’re out of luck but Home-Tech is there to get that repaired. A lot of time ice machines, people get worried they don’t have ice and it’s sometimes a big deal here in Florida so if we have something that has to get repaired, they come out and diagnose it. We deduct $100 off the repair the get into the service agreement and everything is covered afterwards for the year so it’s an annual service agreement warranty. The price is, you don’t have to pay for out of pocket, it’s all included.

Billee Silva:

Nice, very nice.  What is a common question you get asked all the time?

Donna Raynor:

Oh, common question, well it’s usually AC maintenance agreement versus our service agreements. Many people think that their maintenance agreement with an AC company is the same. Most AC companies offer some type of maintenance contract which only includes annual or biannual maintenance on the AC unit which people think is sufficient, but really that doesn’t include any mechanical repairs afterwards. If they have to come out and clean a drain line, if they have to come out after hours, those are all added costs. So, maintenance agreements basically are just that, they clean the AC & they leave. Really, they don’t have any licensing requirements, there’s no consumer protection, there’s no priority service, no emergency service and the parts are not covered and the labor also. So, you’re paying out of pocket for anyone to come there. Home-Tech calls these clean and checks. These maintenance contracts are not full parts and labor coverage service agreements. Home-Tech calls these clean and checks. With our service agreements the maintenance is included as well as service on repairs and any problems that might come up during the years, so you get that clean and check which is what we call maintenance for free and it’s absolutely fabulous.

Billee Silva:

That’s huge and I think as a realtor from a buyer’s perspective there is a lot of confusion I the differentiation between those two things you just described.

Donna Raynor:

Well absolutely, like the buyers are now paying way over asking, there’s bidding wars, sometimes they don’t even have an inspection, they’re buying sight unseen so that’s when a Home-Tech warranty can make all the difference. They can try and work it into the deal or have the seller pay a portion and I can always help with that. I work with all the realtors as well, so it’s a no brainer really.

Billee Silva:

I know you do and I appreciate it.  Being in SW Florida we have a lot of seasonal residents. Is a Home-Tech Service Agreement good for a homeowner only here part time?

Donna Raynor:

Oh absolutely! Home-Tech has thousands of Service Agreements purchased by part-time residents. Actually, there can be more repairs when the appliances sit idle. Our business season is October/Novembers dure to returning homeowners finding inoperable appliances when they get back, so more usage does not dictate breakdowns with major appliances and can be the opposite. Dishwashers and washing machines need to be periodically turned on so the rubber seals don’t crack. So, it’s the number 1 reason to have a Home-Tech Service Agreement Warranty while you’re away. Also, the air conditioning system, like you said Billee, is operating all year long.  It doesn’t take a break, so your AC is not a convenience, it’s a necessity here in Southwest Florida.

Billee Silva:

And this is a little off topic, but I think that’s why seasonal residents should have a home watch person to come in like you said, run the washer, flush the drain lines, because when things do sit idle they tend to break more. People don’t think about those things, they think, if I don’t use it, it has a longer life expectancy because I only use it three months out of the year.

Donna Raynor:

Absolutely, they don’t understand that the AC is working every day, all day. Especially in the summer months so typically we can find some places that are idle have actual mold in the house because of the AC going down and them not knowing about it.

Billee Silva:

Yes, and we don’t want that. That just leads to bigger problems and more expenses. Ok, last question.  What would you say is the #1 thing your members like about their Home-Tech Service Agreements?

Donna Raynor:

Great question, it’s actually employee ownership. So we have skin in the game which means we have a vested interest in providing exceptional customer service. Also, peace of mind, emergency service and the fact that our technicians are never subcontracted and are background checked and fully trained.

Billee Silva:

Again, as a realtor, before I was introduced to Home-Tech I recommended other home warranty companies and there is a big difference between being employee owned because you guys have pride in ownership and when you say you’re going to be there at a certain time you actually show up and its like nigh and day. It’s a world of difference.

Donna Raynor:

Like you said, they’re not talking to someone out of state, all of our call center customer service people are in Ft. Myers and that’s where our headquarters is and our facility is 45,000 square feet, so we house the office, we house our appliance store, which is very convenient, we house our AC department which we do installs. So, it’s no just a small company, we really take pride. Like you said, ownership makes  big difference.

Billee Silva:

Definitely, thank you so much Donna for joining us today and the wealth of information you shared. I just want to say that I love working with you because you’re always so customer service oriented.  If our listeners are interested in getting a home warranty, how can they  get in touch with you?

Donna Raynor:

They can call my cell number, it’s (239) 913-9310 by text, and I would be happy o talk to them or provide a quote on their property. They can also go to www.home-tech.com.

Billee Silva:

Thank you and thank you everyone for tuning in today and remember to share my podcast with your family and friends. Make it a great day and we'll talk again in the next episode. 

Speaker’s closing remarks:

 Thank you for listening to the Southwest Florida Realty Show with Billee Silva. To learn more about Billee Silva go to www.sw-floridarealtor.com.  That’s www.sw-floridarealtor.com.  Or call 239-247-2490.