Dave Musial is a regular guy. No one would suspect upon first meeting him that the mild mannered Chicagoan heads up a $60-million company.
As the president and chief executive officer of Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning, www.fourseasonsheating.com, you won't find Dave practicing his swing on the golf course, or taking extended vacations in the Caribbean, like other company leaders. In fact, you are likely to find Dave sipping a cup of steaming Dunkin' Donuts coffee, at his office in downtown Chicago, while he looks over service orders, and answers calls from customers.

"I'm a solutions guy. I don't hide in my office and wait for other people to handle customer service, it's just not my nature," said Musial, who puts in 14-hour days, seven days a week, and rarely takes a vacation. Musial credits his father Ken, with giving him a strict work ethic. "My dad always believed in integrity, and that the quality of work should speak for itself, that is definitely reflected in our ethics statement today," said Musial, "it's something we live and die by."

Musial grew up in Chicago, and his father Ken, a former navy officer, learned about heating and air conditioning when he was in the armed forces in the late sixties. Musial eventually became a Chicago fireman, and in me, realized he was good with his hands and could make extra money installing and repairing HVAC systems. His one-man, one truck, part-time job, quickly moved into a full-time job, with a growing list of customers. Pretty soon Mr. Musial, whose customer list had outgrown his business, asked his son to help him on calls when Dave turned 18.

"When he decided that it was time to retire, he knew that he could either sell the business, or give it to me, and I started out my tenure at Four Seasons with one truck and a telephone," recalls Musial SERVICES AND MORE SERVICES
According to Musial, the best strategy for continuing to be successful in the HVAC industry is to approach the level of service that customers expect and exceed it.

As a credit to its founder, and president, Four Seasons Heating & Cooling retains 300 employees today, and serves 70,000 customers, and installs 15,000 new HVAC systems a year, in Chicago and the suburbs. Four Seasons dominance in the HVAC business is visible by its fleet of 200 trucks that are seen throughout the city. The high-tech fleets are also fitted with GPS Systems, and the company also has a dispatch system that tells the company when the truck is close to the service area, so when customers call and ask how long it will take for the technician to get to their home, Four Seasons has the information right on their computer monitors.

"I believe that getting the edge over the 5000 or so different HVAC contractors in the city of Chicago is to make sure we have every device and tool needed to service our customers in the most efficient way possible," said Musial. As a testimony to this belief, Four Seasons look for new ways to innovate, be it the proper transportation and tools, or the quality of skills that each technician brings to a service call.

"There is a lot of trust required from a customer when they invite a technician into their home, so it's imperative that our technicians are upfront, honest, and fair," said Musial. Musial stressed that not all contractors are unscrupulous, but unfortunately when they are, they become the black eye of the whole industry. In response to this problem, Four Seasons technicians are required to go through every possible part with customers, who have to sign off on a repair sheet before they make any repairs.

Even after 40 different industry awards, Musial's goal for Four Seasons is to continually improve on the service the company provides. This means continuing with their policy of a 2-hour response time, regardless of weather conditions, and to educate his staff about new technology within the industry.

What sets Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning apart from an average residential contractor, is that typically there are 6 to 8 competing companies that make less than a million a year, and often they subcontract their technicians. As an added value, Four Seasons has a dedicated staff of EPA certified service technicians that have been in the field longer than 10 years, and are required to know their job and do it well. Musial believes that the best way to eliminate cost is to do the job right the first time, and his staff stands by his credo.

Aside from free estimates and money back guarantees, another notable advantage for customers is a 24-hour service guarantee that states that if customers' repair needs are not met within a reasonable amount of time, the company will spring for a hotel stay. In the future, Musial hopes to expand the company's presence outside of the Chicago area. "We have had a lot of loyal customers call us from their new homes in Florida and Arizona, who are disappointed to learn we don't have an office in their area, so right now, we are considering expanding further into the Midwest, possibly Indiana," said Musial.