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Sean McCutcheon on CTQ Suncoast Country

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SEER 2

Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating

Maverick: I got a system from Sean a little while ago and I gotta tell you I was surprised to find out come first of the year prices may be going up?

Sean: The government has mandated SEER2 go into effect January 1st and that means that the equipment has to be more energy efficient. All these rules are effective across the board. Every AC company has to put in the same stuff that qualifies. The cost of it is a little bit more expensive than what we’ve been paying so, you know. There’re a few systems out there that you could probably still work a deal on. Fall is always a good time to get a price and shop. Just like most things these days, everything’s gotten a little bit more expensive and, if you know you’re going to have to do something before next summer, I would say now is a good time to shop around see if you can get your best deals

Maverick: Always great information and keeping us up to date, Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. Reach out to them now at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

Supply Chain

Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating

Maverick: The last couple years have been rough. Supply lines, everything else and patience is really a key, Sean?

Sean: Saying it’s been challenging for the last few years is an understatement. I’m told that supply lines are getting better now. It does feel like we’re starting to get out of it. For the last summer, you know it was just grab whatever you can get because it’s the only thing available and you didn’t really have much time to do your diligence and be a consumer that shops around for a good price, there was no options. Now the supply chains are starting to improve, I think there’s more product that’s going to be available. Customers should have more choices, especially now that the weather is a little bit cooler. I’m hoping they’ll be enough variety for people to be able to have a few options to determine what’s right for them rather than this is the one you got, this is the only choice you got. If you can be patient as a consumer and be patient with the companies that you’re dealing with, things are getting better and we’re starting to come out of it.

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating visit them at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

Ducts and SEER 2 Update:

Maverick: Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. 

You know we always do some education on this program and Sean, you’ve got some updates for us.

Sean: Department of Energy mandated that SEER2 goes live in 2023 so the equipment that they’re having us put in is more energy efficient, that’s good, the downside is that it’s a little bit more expensive. There’s still opportunities to save money before summer gets here. If there’s things that you need done, you’re needing to adjust your ductwork or replace ductwork, if there’s things that need to be done in warm spaces like attics, you can get a much better deal to do it during the cooler months than before the summer heat gets here so there’s always opportunities in spring before summer is on us. If you know you’re going to need to do something, go ahead and get on it early because summer is going to be busy

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. Local and independent. Visit them at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

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Local and Independent

Maverick: Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

A lot of the companies doing what you do getting bought up by big corporations from out of town.

Sean: There’s a few of us little independent companies still around. A lot of the companies you’ve been dealing with on a long-term basis may be bought out and have new ownership.

Maverick: So, would there be a question or some way I could find out if the company I’ve been using has been bought out?

Sean: If they seem different or all of sudden policies are a lot different, you may ask them a simple question. Just be like “Hey, are you guys still independent?”

Maverick: Would it be something where I feel they’re trying to sell me more stuff or being a little more pushy than they have been in the past?

Sean: Well these are huge financial companies that are looking for returns on their money and they’re investing big money to buy these companies so they’re definitely going to look for return. There’s a lot of outside money that’s trying to suck the cash right out of our area and take it to other towns and cities and states

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. Local and independent. Visit them at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

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Hiring

Maverick: Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

So you got plenty of staff?

Sean: Never. Never enough staff.

Maverick: It’s really so true, but I gotta tell you, you did something last year that I think is pretty incredible and it is a family-friendly type of schedule, especially in your industry, Sean.

Sean: What were actually trying to do is keep our technicians and our team members from getting burned out. It’s tough what we do. It’s long hours. We’re trying to force an extra day of rest in there and really make sure we’ve got some family-friendly schedules. If you’re talented at what you do and interested in being with a smaller independent company that isn’t trying to be big corporate, come and talk to us cause we’re hiring service technicians, maintenance technicians, installation technicians, anything that you can do, if you’re skilled at it , we’d love to have a conversation with you. Find out what we’ve got to offer because it’s not the typical.

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. Visit them at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

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Relationship Based

Maverick: Maverick with Sean McCutcheon from Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

You’re independent, and local. What does it mean to be independent?

Sean: It just means I don’t have a boss in another city or state that’s telling me how I’m going to operate. There’s not one specific brand of equipment that I have to put in because I have a national account and that’s the only brand we sell. I’m flexible. I’m able to maneuver. I can try to adjust for a customer’s needs.

Maverick: So a lot of these companies that are not owned locally, it’s a one-size-fits-all?

Sean: They’re less flexible, I think. They have negotiated with A brand and they want to put in that brand, and that’s what they’re going to try to get you to put in. I like being independent because I think we’re still relationship based and ultimately, we just want to be the most desirable place to work for and the most desirable place to do business with and, when you’ve got a large corporation dictating how things are going to be done, you just don’t have that ability.

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating. Local and independent. Visit them at KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com, that’s KeepingTheSuncoastCool.com.

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Air Quality

Maverick: Sean, we’re hearing a lot, obviously with COVID-19, about Air Quality. Can you talk to me about this because there’s a lot out there?

Sean: Anytime in this type of environment, people start caring a little bit more about indoor air quality and then all of a sudden there’s a million things you can buy to improve it; home filters, plug ins, stand by. Honestly, we’re not a sales company. We’re not going to come in and try and push every little gadget on you.

If you’re interested in indoor air quality products and you’d like to get more education on them, we’re happy to have a conversation with you. And, if installed properly, we are fans of some of this technology. However, we see it improperly added many times and we see a high failure rate on some of these devices and you may have gotten one and don’t even know it’s not working anymore. We’re only going to talk to people who are interested in it. We’re not necessarily going to try to pitch you on these things every time we see you.

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Hiring

Maverick: Sean, we’ve talked in the past about the challenge of finding good technicians. Is that still a challenge for you because I know how particular you are about who you send into someone’s home?

Sean: Oh, yeah. I’m picky. I have to be. Whoever asks into your home, this is your most prized possession. We only want the best technicians, period, but they’ve got to be trustworthy, they’ve got to be background checked, they’ve got to be good people. First and foremost, I want good people that we’re going to be able to send out into your homes to take care of our extended families and be able to give amazing service and give you a good experience. I have to know who these people are long before I find out how good they are at fixing an air conditioner.

Maverick: So, tell me Sean, are you hiring?

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Family

Maverick: Sean, I see and hear a lot of AC companies talking about deals, discounts, these crazy sales, but I don’t see any of that coming from your company.

Sean: Well Mav, it’s that time of the year and you know this is when they’re all going to start running every ad under the sun, talking about every discount and major savings. It’s just that time of the year. We spend more of our time building relationships. One of the things that sets SMAC apart from the other AC companies is that we don’t just see dollar signs; we see people’s brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers. We want to treat everybody like family and so when we go out there and we’re doing our work, we’re just trying to build a relationship, we’re not trying to come in and swing for the fences.

Maverick: You know, you treated my mom like family, and she asks about you and how you’re doing, how your family’s doing. It’s got to make you smile.

Sean: It does make me smile because I am family and I’m going to be there at Christmas time so make sure you got my present.

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Be Patient

I try to get people to remember, it’s hot.

Everybody’s out there trying to get someone as quickly as they can. If you call around, you try to find the first person that can respond, doesn’t mean they’ve got a good reputation, doesn’t mean they’re going to look out for you. Call quality companies, call somebody who you know has got a good reputation, get your name on the list, they will work to you quickly, but it’s a big community and everybody’s hot right now. We get there almost every single morning.

Just because someone can get there faster doesn’t mean that they’re going to do a good job for you. Take a deep breath. Settle down for just a second. Try to remember that these extra few minutes might save you thousands. Be a smart consumer. Do your homework. Be patient. We’ll get to you.

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Good Experience

There’s a lot of cheese out there. Everybody’s dangling some cheese trying to get you to take a bite. Low price offers and all these different “save thousands of dollars”.

You get what you pay for in air conditioning. Be a smart consumer. We all know that the price is important, but you can’t start there. Don’t set yourself up to fall right in the traps. These guys are baiting you up and they’re trying to get you to give them a chance to get their foot in the door and by the time they do, it’s too late to slam the door in their face. Start your shopping the correct way.

Do your research. Shop quality companies. Read reviews online. Ask your neighbors. Best way to avoid a bad experience in air conditioning is to not invite a bad experience into your house.

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Older Systems

A lot of people will try to keep their system going as long they possibly can, but if it costs you $100 extra a month to run your air conditioner, you’re really not saving, you’re losing.

With some of these new energy-efficient systems that are out nowadays and some of these really cool financing programs and options that are available, you can save enough on your electric bill to pay for a new air conditioner. And your house probably doesn’t feel as comfortable as it should.

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Relationships

I feel like we’ve earned or built relationships over the years.

We want to continue to maintain them for the long term. It doesn’t happen by accident, we start training day-one to deliver an experience and we feel like, if we’re going to give someone a true experience with our company, it starts from the moment they make the call, to the minute we’re done and pulling out of their driveway. We want to deliver something special, that’s what’s going to separate us from the competition.

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Attention to Detail

Maverick: So, I saw another AC company’s truck drive by the other day and it was faded and the paint was chipping off it; I couldn’t even really read the number on the truck. And then, the next day, one of your trucks went by, no such issue.

Sean: Well we put our pride in what we do, and we want attention to detail throughout the process. From start to finish, we want to be clean, precise and execute our plan.

Maverick: I know just even looking at a finished product, I can tell when you’ve installed something versus someone else. Just on the look.

Sean: Well, you’re getting smarter. I’ve showed you some of these things.

Sean & Maverick: [Laughter]

Sean: Most people don’t really know the difference but, honestly, yeah, we’re picky, we buy with our eyes and I want people to see the craftsmanship that we put into or installations and that we’re great at what we do and I think that if you could go forward in time and see what we do and go forward in time and see what our competitor was going to do, you’d pay us extra.

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Taking Care Of What You Have

Maverick: So, my mom just had a maintenance done, you had got on her last year because she had missed one or two. You’ve got to stay on top of this stuff, Sean.

Sean: It’s just like getting your teeth cleaned. If you’re going to let your mouth get all nasty for 2 to 3 years, it’s not going to be sexy to smile.

Sean & Maverick: [Laughter]

Maverick: You know, it’s interesting you use the teeth cleaning analogy because you see a lot of these flyers with low-cost maintenances and it got me thinking. Do you really want to go to the lowest cost maintenance? Would you go to the lowest cost teeth cleaning?

Sean: I would not advise anybody getting a maintenance done that’s low cost because they’re not going to do anything. It’s just not going to be an effective cleaning. We probably do one of the more involved maintenances in the area. I feel like we hold the bar very high on what should be done. You know, you get what you pay for so, if you’re going to call a low-price maintenance, you really can’t expect a whole lot.

Maverick: You can expect a lot from Sean McCutcheon. Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

Sean: And stay on schedule mom.

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Staying Educated and Informed – Part 1

Maverick: You were telling us about utility bills and you got me looking at my bill. What am I looking at here with some of this stuff?

Sean: Well everybody’s going to open their bill and look at it just to see how they did for the month, but it’s all the rest of the BS that they’re sticking in there trying to sell you.

A lot of these things may seem like a great deal when you’re looking at them on the surface but, when you really look at the details on it, there’s almost nothing a visual inspection of this or a visual inspection of that, there’s no substance, all it is is taking your money, but these corporations don’t have personal relationships with you, they haven’t earned your trust, they don’t really care about you, you’re a number so, if they can get and extra 10, 20, 30 dollars a month out of you on your bill and not have to give you a whole lot for it, they have no problem doing it.

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Staying Educated and Informed – Part 2:

Sean: Alright Maverick, you don’t have time to talk on this one. I got to get something off my chest.

Maverick: Sean McCutcheon with Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating.

Sean: Alright guys, you know how I always try to look out for everybody and educate you a little bit and make sure you don’t get swindled by some of these bamboozling knuckleheads out there, but there’s a utility company that’s putting some information in your bill and I’m sure most of you guys are already customers for them and they’re trying to offer you maintenances on your appliances and your air conditioning and selling you all kinds of stuff that’s good for your house and it is complete nonsense.

I looked at the maintenance that they said they would do for you and it’s disgusting. Honesty, it’s embarrassing, and they have no business being in the industry. I’m not sure why they feel like they need to offer this to their customers, but they’re definitely not looking out for you and I don’t know where this trend is going, but you got to be smarter than them. Don’t fall for this nonsense. It seems cheap. It seams like it’s a great deal, but they are not doing anything.

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Beware of home warranties that claim to cover your HVAC

Don’t fall for insurance companies that offer policy’s that supposedly repair or replace your AC when it fails. They never replace the system – they will just keep sending people out to patch it up and keep it barely running.

According to Angie’s List, “Historically, home warranty service companies have been one of the "worst graded" categories on Angie's List. Members misunderstanding or disagreeing with what their warranties cover and the quality of repair work are cited in the majority of complaints.”

Read the fine print. Some home warranty companies claim to cover major appliances but will in fact only cover a small portion of the total repair cost. They will also most likely send a less than quality contractor out for the work.

The average cost of a basic coverage plan ranges from $350 to $600 a year, plus $50 to $75 per service call. However, consumers frequently expect more from these plans than they deliver. Home warranties aren’t insurance policies. They’re service contracts. 

Some reasons not to use a Home Warranty Program:

1. Don’t assume your policy will replace a faulty component. The warranty company may insist on repairing it instead. You may not be able to call your favorite service provider. Home warranties usually require you to use a contracted servicer.

2. Home warranties rarely cover the entire cost. Claims may be rejected because of “pre-existing problems or insufficient maintenance”.

3. When your AC breaks down in the middle of the summer you will wait a lot longer for it to be repaired because the HVAC contractors who work for the home warranty company will always take care of their own customers first. Also, most established air conditioning companies refuse to work with home warranty companies because there are very low margin, pre-determined, diagnosis and repair payment rates.

4. The warranty companies have relationships with parts suppliers and usually want to provide the parts used for the repairs. The problem is they typically buy the cheapest part they can get…parts a technician would not put in his own AC unit because; “you get what you pay for”.

5. Repair vs. Replace: There are conditions where repair is just impractical and if dealing directly with the customer, my advice as a technician would be to replace the equipment for improved comfort, efficiency, and plain common sense. The home warranty company however will only replace a unit that is unrepairable (very rarely is a unit unrepairable). Even when deemed unrepairable, they provide the cheapest, least efficient “pieces” of new equipment, not complete new “systems”.

6. If you think that in the event of a catastrophic failure of your HVAC equipment you’ll be covered for a whole new central air and heating system…you’re probably in for more frustration and disappointment than you bargained for.

Find a good HVAC contractor to provide your maintenance and minor repairs as necessary, and when replacement time comes, you’ll get to choose the right system for you, your budget, and your needs.

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Buying Your AC Unit online

Be careful shopping price first. That includes companies that have PRICE in the name and advertise that you can go to their website and buy products straight from them then find local people to put it in for you.

There’s a lot of experience that has developed over years and years and years of looking at a home and knowing what options are available, and being able to determine what is in that customers best interest and what brands may be the best option.

This is something you are not going to get by purchasing something online and hoping some guy is going to come along and install it for you.

When we give you a price it’s based upon your exact specifications for your job we know exactly what it’s going o take to do a custom installation and have a good finished product. You’re not going to get that by purchasing online, getting a bunch of stuff delivered to your driveway and then have somebody come tell you whether it will fit or not. Just not a good idea.

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Shopping for best price or online only when looking for a new air conditioning unit.

Today most of us shop on the internet – it’s quick, easy, and usually cheaper than any store. However, sometimes attempting to save a few bucks can cost you plenty down the road.

The same is true for air conditioning. HVAC is expensive and it’s tempting to try and look online for a good deal. However, without the advice of a knowledgeable HVAC specialist, you may get a lower price for the equipment, but experience major consequences in the long-run with inefficient performance and replacement costs.

Simply put: Avoid HVAC discount websites - you are just asking for trouble for the following reasons.

1. Cheap Internet deals usually do not carry a warranty! It’s standard for HVAC manufacturers to void the warranty on any system that was purchased online. This is because buying equipment online almost always leads to poor installation, which will, in turn, negatively affect how the system performs and how long it lasts. There is a very good reason reputable AC Techs are factory authorized – and that is mainly to protect you the consumer!

2. The average homeowner typically has no idea what HVAC unit to purchase, which ends up with something too large or too small. If the equipment is too small, it will never efficiently cool your home during the summer. If a system is too large, it will start to short-cycle until it breaks down prematurely. In both cases, you lose the money you think you saved with the initial purchase.

3. Even if you buy an energy efficient air conditioner at a lower price online, without proper installation of the complex system, you can never expect it to work at the peak of efficiency and save you money.

When you buy online, you’re taking on enormous risk. Please have a qualified HVAC contractor to perform calculations to determine the right equipment. Complicated systems need smart installers.

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HVAC Companies that offer to buy your old equipment or give you a huge discount in exchange for your old equipment

Don’t trust anyone contacting you out of the blue with an unbelievable offer for your existing, old unit and thousands off a new one. Reputable companies don’t go around promising free services or massive discounts. After all, they’re in business to make a profit. When someone makes you an unbelievable offer, you should maintain a healthy suspicion.

An HVAC contractor who say’s they will give you $1,000 towards your new installation in exchange for your old equipment is making up that money by adding it into the price of the new system. somewhere. After all, this isn’t an old car you are trading in – once it leaves your home it will not be reinstalled somewhere else, and the scrap metal will fetch less than $100 for them. If an HVAC contractor is offering you cash for your old equipment this should throw up a huge red flag. This means that they are inflating the actual cost and overcharging you the amount they claim they are paying you.

Even if the company is not offering cash back but the price seems too good to be true - make sure they aren’t cutting corners just to get the work. It costs a lot of money to buy and install the best equipment and hire quality installers.

Be cautious of big discounts or phony offers that come out of the blue… if the offer sounds too good, it probably is. Always get at least two quotes before you buy.

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Do your own research

I had a guy come up to me the other day and he’s like, “man, the commercials are starting to sound just like yours out there” and I was like, “well I guess that’s a good thing.” Either the consumers are getting smarter and those tactics aren’t working anymore and now these guys are turning new leaves and starting to actually do things correctly or you can’t always believe what they’re telling you. You got to see and do your own research and shop the background on these people and read reviews and ask your neighbors and friends and family because they may not have the track record that they’re trying to portray themselves as.

This isn’t really an advertising for us. You know a lot of companies have advertising budgets, we have more of a community outreach and education budget, and our job is to put this information out there and let the consumers in our area be smarter and be able to make intelligent decisions and not fall for some of these silly little games that get played out there.


HVAC Companies that offer to buy your old equipment or give you a huge discount in exchange for your old equipment

I get a lot of people walking up to me and telling me they appreciate the tips we’re putting out there and that’s good feedback, so we’re going to keep it going. One of the things I’ve been hearing and seeing is that people claim to buy your old air conditioner, whether it’s working or not, and give you thousand plus dollars off your price of a new system.

It’s complete nonsense. There is nobody out there paying that kind of money. I would be selling them 30 a week. It’s absolute nonsense. It’s fuzzy math. The last thing anybody is going to do is buy your piece of junk air conditioner for thousands of dollars and give you some amazing deal on a new one.

It’s hocus pocus. It’s just not real. The scrap metals are worth, maybe 100 bucks if they’re taken apart properly. I just don’t see how they’re going to give you thousands of real dollars for any old piece of junk air conditioner.


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Selling not servicing


Spring Cleaning - don't forget about your AC


Factory Authorized Dealer


We set the standard


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Too Good To be True


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Do your homework and be well informed!


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Why you shouldn't shop price first


Don't make a quick decision


Cheapest Isn't Always Best


Craftmanship and Quality


Maintenance Interview


Mavericks Mom


Why we don't do Duct Cleaning 


If we wouldn't recomend it to our moms, we won't recomend it to you! 


Why we do nationwide background checks 


Shady Contractors


Is there really such thing as a free service call?


We are technicians, not sales people.


Check quality first - then compare price!


CTQ Memorial Day Promo


CTQ Memorial Day Sweep


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