Partner of the Month

July 2010 Partner of the Month

Phoenix native Bryan Whitlock likes to have a hand in everything his 19-year-old air conditioning and heating company does—so he deliberately has kept the size of his business small enough so that he can serve as the foreman on every job.

“I started with one truck and eventually hired a helper, and then we kept getting more and more work, and reluctantly, we kept getting larger and larger,” says Whitlock, who opened Integrity Air Conditioning and Heating in 1991. “It wasn’t my intent. I keep it at the size where I can keep quality high and still stay involved in all the jobs.”

The result: “Our name is ‘Integrity,’ and we definitely try to live up to that at all costs,” says Whitlock, who offers a five-year warranty on installation—and never uses a third-party warranty service to follow up with his customers. “We provide our own warranty.”

Whitlock considers his business “a real custom air conditioning company.” He and his 15 employees spend time talking with customers about their preferences, lifestyles and budgets before they recommend a specific service or brand of equipment.

“We’re not looking at the fastest and easiest way to get the job done,” he says. “We’re looking at the best way to get the job done for the customer.”

That might not mean installing a top-of-the line air conditioning system or even the one Whitlock would choose for his own house.

He advises customers to buy a unit with the highest SEER rating—a measure of energy efficiency—that they can afford. “But the higher the number, the more costly the unit is,” Whitlock says. “We try to find the best balance for every person’s situation and budget.”

He adds: “Our philosophy is 100 percent satisfaction. We won’t stop until the customer is happy.”

That’s one reason why Rosie has been recommending Integrity Air Conditioning and Heating to Rosie on the House listeners for 18 years. Whitlock notes: “He was recommending me before I knew he had a radio show.”

Typical jobs for the Integrity crew, which works in the Valley and points as far north as Prescott, include replacing air conditioning and heating units, installing ducts, repairing older systems, and diagnosing the cause of a noisy unit, a hot or cold room or poor filtration, which can lead to air quality issues.

Plus, the specialists educate their customers so they have fewer problems overall. Some of Whitlock’s tips include:

Change the air conditioner/heater filter once a month all year long.
Use a pleated filter rather than buying the cheapest filter. Avoid electrostatic filters; they can restrict air flow.
Call a qualified air conditioning specialist for service at least once a year; twice a year is better. The techs will catch small problems before they turn into something that will cost more money and cause more trouble.
Keep shrubs and branches from growing too close to the top and sides of the outdoor a/c unit.
Call for service as soon as you suspect there’s a glitch with the a/c or heat. Don’t put it off; repairs are easier and less expensive when you catch the problem early.
Not every unit is worth repairing. An air conditioner can last 15 years with proper maintenance. But if yours needs excessive attention after only 10 years, it might be cheaper to replace it rather than to pay for frequent repairs.
If your system is on its last legs anyway, now is a good time to replace it. Some of the most energy-efficient models qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 until the end of 2010, as well as for rebates from utility companies.

Next time you need service, contact Integrity Air Conditioning and Heating at (602) 971-0567 or visit the company’s Web site.

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