This Spring, Lennox held their annual VisionTECH conference in the Wisconsin Dells featuring over 900 attendees from 5 states with a combination of Lennox Dealers and students pursuing the HVAC industry. During the conference, they introduced their inaugural “Best Of” awards highlighting the best installer, service technician, office staff, comfort advisor, and company of the year.
Our very own Barry O’Brien was nominated for Service Tech of the Year and, to no surprise, was the award’s first recipient. This prestigious accolade honors the individual who demonstrates unparalleled expertise, unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction, and a commitment to advancing the standards of professionalism in HVAC service. The recipient of this award embodies the epitome of excellence in delivering optimal indoor comfort, safety, and efficiency for clients. Their exemplary professionalism, integrity, soft skills with customers and service-oriented mindset set them apart as a true leader and role model within the HVAC community, inspiring others to strive for excellence in their own endeavors.
“I feel very honored having received this award from Lennox. I’ve been servicing and installing Lennox equipment for over 35 years,” Barry said in his acceptance speech. “Ever since I was young and growing up on the farm, I was always intrigued in how things worked. I was constantly taking things apart and putting them back together. And then, the rest is history. I’ve been putting that passion into servicing the community. What a blessing to have received Lennox’s Service Tech of the Year. Thank you again to Lennox Industries.”
Barry has been our star service technician at Gopher Heating & Air Conditioning for over 30
years. He is well known in our company by many of our customers and is constantly requested as the preferred technician when scheduling service calls. The way he treats and interacts with customers is truly unprecedented. It’s no surprise that he is named in the majority of our online reviews. Barry is a leading example of someone who shares our company goal -- treat the customer right. When diagnosing a problem, Barry works with the customer and explains the situation in a way for them to understand and always explores every possible avenue to take to fix the situation. He will always make sure that the customer is comfortable with the price before performing the work and never leaves them with sticker shock. It’s not hyperbole to say that we would not have the customer base we have today without Barry on our team. He is truly deserving of this honor as he is the ultimate team player and arguably the most talented service tech in the industry. Below are a few online 5-star reviews that mention Barry specifically:
Jennifer from Anoka said, “I am so thankful for Gopher Heating and Air Conditioning. My elderly parents were without AC during a heat wave, and when another company wouldn’t come out for 3 weeks, they were able to come out the next day. Barry was extra helpful and went above and beyond. I highly recommend this company and am beyond grateful for Barry’s kindness.”
Francisca from Lakeville said, “The nice lady who answers the phone, Patti, is an absolute delight...She was then able to put me in touch with Barry, who, after meeting him, we will forever call “Super Barry”. He was able to fix the problem that another HVAC company had created. Plus, he was very kind in his explanations, worked quickly and efficiently, and was respectful of our space. I believe I have found our new heating and cooling people. Will be happy to do business with them again”
Jeff from Savage said, “These people are the bomb! Last winter in February, I returned from out of town to find my furnace shot (53 degrees in the house). Barry was out the next day...patched it up but warned me it was on it's last legs. Dennis came out and presented me with replacement options => no arm twisting, no hard sell. I picked one and it was installed within the week. This year, my humidifier was shot. I sent them some pictures of the leak => again Barry was out same day and fixed it right up. I would never go anywhere else for this stuff!”
Josh from Lakeville said, “Dennis and Barry were fantastic to work with! We had the "other guys" out for a tune up and we were told "big leak somewhere" and "we'll have someone out tomorrow to set you up with a new unit." Our unit is only 8 years old so I knew something sounded off. I called Gopher and they came over a few days later. Barry was extremely professional! He made my stay at home wife and kids feel very comfortable. He explained everything clearly and switched up our two stage furnace to be utilized correctly with our one stage thermostat. He was efficient and got the AC tuned up correctly for a very competitive price. We will be using Gopher for all of our H/AC needs from now on! Thank you for the great customer service!”
Congratulations again to Barry!
