Tru-Comfort

Being fortunate enough to live in the United States in 2016, many of us take certain amenities for granted, such as creating false climates with the push of a button: flipping on the air conditioning in the summer and escaping from winter’s bitter embrace into the warmth of our heated homes. And then there’s the eighth wonder of the world, indoor plumbing, granting us the ability to wash ourselves as well as our vegetables and flush away waste without a second thought – an eighth wonder that an estimated 60 percent of the world does not have. We are so accustomed to these luxurious conveniences that we often don’t even notice them. That is, of course, until they stop working.

Tru-Comfort is a Bethlehem based HVAC and plumbing company that’s there for you when you need them – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If your heat stops working at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, you don’t have to resort to burning your tree for warmth while you wait for someone to maybe fit you in first thing the next day.

This year, Tru-Comfort celebrates 28 years of serving customers in the Lehigh Valley. “Looking back over 28 years, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing,” says Tom Grello, who co-owns the business with Bill Lilly.

Even after nearly three decades, both owners are still very active in the business and clock in daily. Now more than ever before, it can be challenging for small businesses to stay above water with corporate competition, but Tru-Comfort has continued to thrive.

“We’ve built our reputation on quality and affordable craftmanship,” explains Shelene Ressler, Tru-Comfort’s marketing manager. “We’ve tried to set industry standards.”

What separates Tru-Comfort from other HVAC and plumbing companies is, without question, their service. Going above and beyond is a goal for most companies, but in today’s busy world, sometimes “good service” is merely a job done without issue and maybe a genuine smile.

There are few businesses that keep small-town hospitality as alive as Tru-Comfort does. Take for instance the time that Lilly went to a house with a technician on a repair call and the customer was panicked that she wasn’t going to be able to pick up her dry cleaning in time. As a surprise, Lilly left to get the clothing for her, delivered it, and even picked up the dry cleaning bill. If that isn’t rewarding customer loyalty, what is?

Another way Tru-Comfort rewards customers is through loyalty dollars, which are issued upon signing up for or renewing a yearly maintenance and service agreement. By continuing business with Tru-Comfort, customers can use up to $500 of their loyalty dollars towards purchasing new equipment or parts, service or repair to existing units, or diagnostic visits, and the dollars never expire.

They’re also just good people: you might remember Phoebe from the September issue of Marketplace, the creative and adorable six-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Phoebe was home after receiving a treatment and not feeling well, exacerbated by the fact that their air conditioning wasn’t working on a steamy August day. When Tru-Comfort got the call, they rushed to the family’s home and had the air conditioning up and working within an hour.

As passionate members of the community and fundraising for a cause, Tru-Comfort also dedicated their 17th annual golf tournament to partnering with Dream Come True, a nonprofit organization that helps fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, in order to raise money for Phoebe to take a trip to Disney.

There are 17 employees who make up the Tru-Comfort team, with several employees having more than 20 years with the company under their belts. Even with their extensive experience, however, the employees are always striving to be the best they can be. The company holds frequent training sessions so that all of the technicians are well-versed and up-to-date on techniques and equipment.

They are able to measure the effectiveness of their extensive training when they follow up with customers and through customer surveys. With a “100% customer satisfaction guarantee” philosophy, comfort consultants check in with their clients after every job to make sure that they’ve delivered on their promise. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with many customers complimenting everything from the speediness to the kindness of service.

“Customers always tell us how nice our technicians are and how comfortable people feel with them in their homes,” says Ressler. Cheers to 28 years of keeping the Lehigh Valley comfortable, Tru-Comfort, and to 28 more.

Visit tru-comfort.com for more information.