In the competitive world of HVAC contracting, success is not only measured by the amount of business you generate, but also by how much of your hard-earned revenue you retain. The truth is, making money is only half the equation; the other half is ensuring that it stays in your pocket. Often, the primary reason many businesses fail to grow is not due to lack of sales but because of poor financial discipline and exposure to preventable losses—especially fraud.
Fraud might seem like an issue reserved for big corporations, but it’s a very real threat to HVAC contractors as well. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) reports that a staggering 5% of all business revenue is lost to fraud, a significant figure for any business, let alone a small contractor. More alarming is that over a quarter of plumbing contractors fall victim to some form of business fraud. The implications are clear: if you are not actively taking steps to prevent fraud in your business, you are likely bleeding money without even realizing it.
In this article, we will dive into practical strategies that can help you keep more of what you earn. Implementing these measures will not only protect your company but also strengthen your operations, driving sustainable growth.
FRAUD PREVENTION IN HVAC: THE KEY TO KEEPING YOUR REVENUE
When we talk about fraud, we’re addressing any dishonest or lackadaisical activity that leads to financial loss. This can range from inventory theft to false invoices, embezzlement, careless parts handling, or credit card fraud. The good news is that there are many effective ways to combat these issues.
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Regular Inventory Audits: Inventory can easily “grow legs and walk away” if left unchecked. Controlling your shop inventory and truck stock is crucial. Conducting regular inventory audits ensures that everything is accounted for. Implementing barcodes and fast inventory counts will also help you spot any discrepancies early on, minimizing potential losses.
- If you have an open warehouse and parts room… you have a problem. This isn’t a matter of trust or expediency it’s just right and wrong.
- Order #1 – pull all inventory into the shop. Reissue inventory based on job classification, install, service, maintenance.
- Have your tech sign for the inventory they are assigned, they are accountable for assets.
- Set up your inventory replenishment system DIRECTLY off invoices generated from your locked warehouse. Truck inventory happens at minimum every quarter – if you push it out any further, it’s useless.
- Personal Credit Card Policy: One simple yet effective strategy is to avoid issuing company credit cards to employees. Instead, have them use personal credit cards for business expenses, reimbursing them for those charges. This minimizes the risk of credit card fraud. The small cost of covering an annual personal card fee far outweighs the potential for abuse.
- Take time to get organized for expense report reconciliation. Paying your employees for company expenses MUST be completed within 10 days of submissions. Your employees are not your bank.
- Lost jobs: Nobody lands 100% of opportunities. But when you look at the bottomless pit called marketing cost, a little due diligence is in order. This includes techs with a disproportionate number of diagnostic fee-only service invoices.
- Pull a % of jobs not sold, start a Quality Control program to gain feedback or identify more nefarious activity.
- If your ZERO tolerance for moonlighting isn’t in print in your EE handbook – fix it.
- Change Passwords Regularly: Fraud prevention often hinges on controlling access to sensitive information. Regularly changing passwords for your bank, credit card, and accounting systems is a must. Consider using a password management tool to generate and store strong passwords, limiting your risk of unauthorized access.
- Passwords can be distracting and even time-consuming. Mark your calendar – just do it at a minimum of every 90 days.
- Limit Check Signatures: In a small operation, only the owner should have the authority to sign checks. By limiting access to your checkbook or blank check stock, you can personally scrutinize every payment, reducing the chance of fraudulent expenditures.
- If you’ve already opened Pandora’s box with multiple signatories – fix it this week, whatever your reason was, likely it won’t pass logical scrutiny.
- Approved Vendor and Purchaser Lists: Fraud can happen through side deals, phony invoices, or unauthorized purchases. Creating a strict approved vendor list and requiring purchase orders for every transaction ensures that you only pay legitimate suppliers. Implement a sequential purchase order system to track every order and prevent unauthorized buying.
- This should be blocking and tackling 101. Getting your arms around this will give you visibility even to materials costing.
- Monitor Service Vehicle Mileage: Fuel fraud is a common issue in field service industries. To prevent this, you can require employees to log their vehicle mileage or use GPS tracking to verify miles driven and fuel used. This ensures that company fuel isn’t being used for personal vehicles.
- GPS systems aren’t anything new. If you have one – honestly answer this question: Who in your building ever cross-matches clock in clock out to GPS location?
- Regain your posture – techs taking trucks home is a privilege, not a right.
- Newer software can be set up to ALERT you for extended idle time, driving outside of a predetermined range, or hours.
- Conduct Background and Credit Checks: When hiring, conducting thorough background and credit checks is vital, especially for positions that handle money. Desperation can lead to dishonest behavior, and it’s better to identify potential red flags early on.
- I understand talent is always hard to acquire. Adopt this new mindset: “Hire slow & fire quick” – you’ll thank me later.
- Waste: Material usage can be caustic to your bottom line.
- A survey of what’s in your dumpster will break your heart. Half tubes of silver solder, nearly-whole lengths of Armaflex, half-full tubs of mastic, unopened boxes of screws, even a new 10KW heater assembly in the box because the dumpster was closer than walking it back to the warehouse.
- Anonymous Fraud Hotline: Sometimes the best deterrent is the knowledge that someone is watching. Consider subscribing to an anonymous fraud hotline. The mere existence of this service can reduce temptation among employees to engage in fraudulent activities.
- This isn’t an 800 number for employees to rat out each other. Right is right, wrong is wrong – mishandling or theft of assets hurts everyone. Sales prices have to be inflated to offset costs and dollars that could go to improved employee benefits and pay scales are lost.
- Many companies also make use of this pipeline of employee communication for “ideas that make cents” where a percent bonus is paid back to the employee for gained savings.
- Prosecute When Necessary: If fraud does occur, there must be clear consequences. Prosecute offenders or at the very least, terminate their employment and demand full restitution. This sends a strong message to your team that fraud will not be tolerated, reducing the chances of future incidents.
- This doesn’t make you a bad guy, this makes you the leader you’re supposed to be.
KEEPING MORE OF WHAT YOU EARN
Fraud isn’t the only threat to your revenue, but it is one of the most preventable. By implementing the strategies outlined above, you can take significant steps toward protecting your business from unnecessary losses. The key to sustainable growth lies not only in increasing sales, but also in minimizing the risks that erode your profits. Running a tight ship means paying attention to the details—both in generating income and in keeping it safe from theft, fraud, and other vulnerabilities.
By addressing fraud head-on, you’re ensuring that your business has the financial foundation to grow. After all, success in the HVAC industry isn’t just about selling more; it’s equally about keeping more of what you’ve earned.