By Celeste McLaughlin
Junior Hernandez has been in the business of maintaining, repairing and replacing air conditioners in Tampa since 1999. Back then, his business was called Junior Hernandez Heating & Cooling, and now he’s the owner of Totalserv Heating & Cooling, which he launched in 2004, when he obtained his general contractor’s license, adding repair and remodeling services alongside his heating and cooling services.
(Note-Hernandez’s current licenses are HVAC License# CAC058251 and General Contracting License# CGC1510367.)
“There are two sides to the company, and I run both of them,” Junior explains, adding that Totalserv provides its customers with an opportunity to hire one trustworthy company to handle multiple jobs around the house, from the essential air conditioner, to home repair and even remodels (see below).
“We’re a small, family-oriented company,” Junior says, adding that one thing that sets him apart in the air conditioning business is that he does not have any commissioned employees.
“All of our employees are salaried, so there’s no incentive for us to sell you something you don’t need. A lot of our competitors are commission-based, which is an open-ended invitation for employees to try to rip people off so they can bring home a bigger paycheck.”
Junior works with Dieu Tran, a partner in the company who holds an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certification to work on cooling systems (that required him to pass a written test)and whose background includes 25 years of working for Sears with many appliances. Junior’s wife Helen runs the office and keeps the company’s books, while his sons Zachary and Isaiah, both 17, are apprentices who are learning the trade.
Junior says he is committed to building his reputation on being honest.
“Even if you have an older unit, we’ll repair your air conditioner if that’s what’s in your budget,” Junior says. “We fix what our customers need, and nothing else. No one likes a pushy salesman.”
He says that’s why customers appreciate his company, and stick with him once they’ve discovered his business. Junior tells us the story of Michele Nandlal, who recently received an estimate from a large company in the Tampa Bay area to fix a Freon leak. The total cost for the repair from this company was estimated at $965, so Michele went looking for a second opinion.
Michele says she saw an ad for Totalserv Heating & Cooling in the Neighborhood News and called Junior.
“We were able to take care of the problem for much, much less,” he says. “She was told Freon costs $90 per pound, but we charge $20. She was also told she needed 16 pounds, but her system holds less than half that amount.”
Michele shared her feelings about the experience on Facebook:
“They were awesome,” she writes. “I saved over $800 by going with this company.” Michelle’s husband, Kavir, adds his praise. “Honest, reliable, dependable and reasonable are just a few words that I can use to describe this family owned business.”
Junior adds, “Unfortunately, there are a lot of lies in the industry. If someone offers you a ‘free’ service, it’s probably not free. But, we try to price everything reasonably, so it’s affordable for our customers.”
For example, Totalserv’s ad on page 53 of this issue offers a free service call if your repair is $125 or more. The service call is usually $75 by itself.
“For anyone who is skeptical about trying a new company, we want them to know they will get a good value when they call us,” Junior says.
Another coupon offered in this issue is for a completely new air conditioning system, starting at $3,650.
“We also offer financing through several outside companies, so that you can pay ‘same as cash’ (or have no interest and no payments) for six months,” Junior explains. “If you have to replace your system, we try to make it less cumbersome.”
And, Junior adds that there’s another way to avoid the fee for a service call, as well as costly repairs.
“We recommend that everyone should have regular maintenance on their air conditioning system at least once each year,” he says. “Actually, it’s best if you do it once in the spring — before the heat of the summer — and again in the fall, before the first winter cold snap.”
TotalServ charges $50 for a regular tune-up, which includes cleaning and checking your unit for problems.
“It’s a pretty comprehensive checkup and cleaning for just $50,” he says, adding that this is less than the charge for a service call because they can be scheduled with less urgency than repair calls. “If you notice a spike in your electric bill, or it feels like your air conditioner is not cooling as well as it should, or if your home feels clammy or humid, we can put you on our schedule to do a tune-up.”
He says if you ignore your system until it breaks, you could be causing further damage. He also says that for heat pump systems, which many of us also have in our homes, problems will often happen when you switch your system from cooling to heating.
“The heat pump system uses low pressure to cool, but it’s almost double the pressure to heat,” Junior explains. “We often see coils pop and compressors go when people use heat for the first time in the winter, so fall is the perfect time to schedule regular maintenance for your heating unit.”
Home Repair & Remodeling
While Junior says he doesn’t often advertise his general contracting services, it’s something he offers to all of his customers, if they need it.
“We’re a one-stop-shop, and our customers can call us for everything,” he says. “As a general contractor, we can pull a permit for any work.”
Junior explains that even if TotalServ doesn’t specialize in a particular job, the company probably can still handle it.
“For example, with roofing: We are the liaison between the homeowner and the specialty contractor who holds the roofing license,” Junior says. “This is ideal for our customers who need a new roof, but don’t want to do the legwork to find a great roofing company at a reasonable price. We do that for them.”
Junior says the primary general contracting services offered by TotalServ include remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. Often, his projects include modifying homes to accommodate aging family members.
“It’s so expensive to house family members at an assisted living facility, so many people are bringing relatives to live with them,” he says. “But, the homes have to be modified, often by widening hallways and improving bathrooms.” Junior says that he knows the standards for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so he helps his customers make their homes convenient and accessible for people with limited mobility.
If you’re looking for a company you can trust for all your cooling, heating and even general contracting needs, or to schedule a fall tune-up for your air conditioner, call 1-844-4-ICE-COLD (442-3265). For more info, visit TampasBestAC.com or search “Totalserv Heating and Cooling, LLC” on Facebook.
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