Dallas:  They don’t balk at the additional cost?

Fran:  Usually not. I was talking to a potential customer today who had a quote from one of my competitors that was $600 less than my quote.  I told him what sets me apart is - I include the EcoGuard monitoring system and that I guarantee the levels to be less than the WHO action level of 2.7 pCi/L - so as long is the EcoGuard is in place and monitoring for at least a full year,  I guarantee the long-term average to be less than 2.7 based on the EcoGuard. 

My customers love EcoGuard – and they love the app where they see real-time data. It’s a great little device and it’s opened up a whole new revenue stream for me.

Dallas:  Were you offering a warranty or guarantee before this year?

Fran:  I used to give a 5-year warranty because all the fan motors are warrantied for 5 years. But if a fan motor craps-out, I still have to spend the time and labor to replace it, even though I’m getting the fan from the manufacturer for free.  So, I changed my plan.

I now include the cost of a full warranty on everything for one year that includes EcoGuard. And they can renew the warranty for the second year for a fee. 

If they don’t want to renew, I’ll turn off their service, return to the property, retrieve the unit and they’re on their own.  Every install I’ve performed since January has included the EcoGuard and as of July, I have nearly 150 of them in the field and activated. In fact, some of my customers from last year have heard about it from a neighbor and called and paid me extra to install one on their system.   The bottom line is - I just built it into my quote.

Dallas:  So, you charge for the device, the subscription and your profit as part of the system installation which covers them for the first year with the intent to have them renew for each subsequent year. 

Fran:  Exactly!

I just don’t give customers the option.  Instead, I say THIS IS HOW WE DO IT - That’s our guarantee.  Now, I have had a few sellers say to me, “Fran I don’t give a damn about a full guarantee, take that off the tab and you’ve got the job.” In those instances, I’ve been successful in selling the service and monitoring guarantee to the person buying the house.

Dallas:  Are generally able to use the seller’s Wi-Fi to install the EcoGuard to record and generate a post mitigation clearance test report, and then have the buyer reconnect after they move in?

Fran:  Exactly, at that point, we delete the seller’s name and email from the EcoGuard dashboard so they can no longer access the data and replace it with buyers’ information where they have the access and receive the monthly summary reviews.

Dallas:  So, you don’t have any problem getting the buyer’s information?

Fran:  No, I have to get the buyer’s information anyway, because I’ll have to connect the EcoGuard to their Wi-Fi when they move in. 

That’s why I love that remote connection applet, because it saves me from having to drive back to the property to connect or reconnect the unit.

On the rare occasion I don’t get the buyer’s info, I’ll usually get a call from them sooner or later because my contact information is on all my system labels, or the seller will give them my contact information.

Dallas:  You said you’re sharing the app with all your customers – are you setting that to display the 48-hour average, so it sends you an email and push notification if a 48-hour period exceeds the action level? 

Fran:  Well first, I don’t set the alert function [from the dashboard] until we get a clearance test report, and I know the radon is down below 2.7; then I turn it on.  But the push notifications really work! We had one customer where we got the alert and the power to his fan was disconnected and his radon was going up and up and when we got the alert and called him, we went back out to the house and determined what was wrong and fixed it – and he was back up and running again.

Dallas:  But I hear from some mitigators that are fearful, who say, “I don’t know about sharing the app with the homeowner because then they’re going to be calling me every time it hits 4.0 for an hour and what’s going happen in winter if the pipe freezes and maybe we do get 48 hours where the average is high.”  Is that a problem for you and what’s your experience?

Fran:  My experience is if they have the app, you can have a reasonable conversation with a customer and tell ‘em, “Yeah, your radon did go up for a short period, but what we’re interested in and looking for is that the long-term result is less than 2.7.” 

And to me, it’s another chance to talk to the customer and make it more likely that they’ll extend their warranty for another year.  So, on those few occasions when I get a call, I don’t mind it because it’s not that hard to explain.

Plus, they can see how the system is working- and how the EcoGuard is tracking it constantly.

Dallas:   So, with EcoGuard you’re saving the $65 you were spending on pressure alerts, you’re saving  the time and expense of placing and retrieving another device for the post-mitigation clearance test, you’ve created a new revenue stream with your new service and monitoring agreement, and your clients like it. Right?

Fran: Yep, it’s great for me and great for my customers.

Dallas:  That’s good to hear because back in 2020 and early 2021, Insoo, our CEO, talked to a lot of mitigators who said they didn’t think their clients would go for it.

Fran:  Honestly, a few years ago, I may have felt the same way.  But after my experience with audible alarms and having to go back to so many houses, I was ready to try it. And it’s been a plus to my business. Like I said, it’s a great selling point.

A lot of real estate agents I talk to like it because their clients are going to be happy and the people that are buying the house learn that I’m guaranteeing to 2.7 pCi/L and installing EcoGuard, and they say. “We want that guy.”

Read more about EcoGuard

Fran West of Fran the Radon Man is a Civil Engineer with an Environmental Science background who's been a New Jersey-licensed radon tester and mitigator since 2002.