Article By Suzanne Loomis Studinski, "Business People" - April 2002

Commercial and residential customers can make just one call to Korte Does It All for services ranging from heating, air conditioning and electrical; to plumbing, sewer and drain; to security and home theatre systems; to kitchen and bathroom remodeling

With 36 years of experience and a reputation for top-notch, around-the-clock service, the family-owned and operated Korte Electric received many requests over the years to recommend trustworthy tradespeople. After much thought, the northeast Indiana-based firm decided to expand its services and change the company name. Today, both commercial and residential customers can make just one call to Korte Does It All for services ranging from heating, air conditioning and electrical; to plumbing, sewer and drain; to security and home theatre systems; to kitchen and bathroom remodeling.

"We want customers to feel confident that no matter what the problem, when they call Korte, they know the job will be done right, done quickly and done on time," says David Korte, Vice President Outside Operations. "We're here for the long term and we want customers to enjoy the comfort of knowing that we will still be around if they need to call us anytime in the future for other needs."

Founded in 1965 by electrician Jerry Korte, the company is now owned by Korte, his son David, and his son-in-law, Kevin Kratzman. "We have three divisions: New residential and commercial construction, add-on replacement and 24-hour service," says Kratzman, Vice President Inside Operations. "One feeds into the other. For example, we do the heating and air conditioning for a new house, we can then take care of the annual maintenance on the equipment and 10 to 15 years later, if you need new equipment, we're there to replace it for you."

Korte Does It All has doubled in size in the past five years. It now employs 103 people and has 65 trucks on the road. "Word-of-mouth is everything," says David Korte. "If your customers are satisfied, that word will travel farther than you can ever imagine. It would be the same thing if you dissatisfied or upset someone—it's bad wine. So, we're adamant that our service people, our dispatchers, our technicians and everyone involved has to be polite, take care of the customers— almost half of whom are commercial—and follow through on the job."

"A business's most valuable resource is its employees," Kratzman adds. "You're only as good as the people who work for you."

To ensure the valued reputation of the family-owned company, Korte conducts extensive background checks on every employee, including motor vehicle checks and drug screening. In addition to being licensed journeymen, all technicians at Korte are required to complete periodic training from factory representatives. "The technology changes every day," says David Korte. "So, that's mainly our focus on the factory training. The reps update us on the equipment and mechanicals. We mandate that everyone—even the guys who have been with us for 15, 20 or 30 years—continue their training. In the last five years, we've really ramped that up. We have people from all over the state coming in for our training sessions now."

The company also does not allow high pressure selling or up-selling by its technicians. "Our techs aren't paid on commission, as you sometimes see on TV reports," Kratzman says. "This business and its reputation have been built over the years by providing our customers with friendly, honest service and advice. We help educate people about what the problem is and what their options are. When our technicians come into your home, we want you to feel like they're your neighbor or trusted friend—not a salesperson."

"This is a family business and there are a lot of family members who work here," adds David Korte. "We want our people, when they go out on a job, to treat the customers like family, too. We tell them to go to each job with the attitude that this is your family member's home or business."

Korte attributes its growth not only to its people, but also to its employment of cutting-edge technology. Using the next generation of wireless communications, the company recently installed a GPS-based fleet management information system in all of its trucks.

"With GPS, we're able to respond quickly to a wide variety of home and business maintenance problems," Kratzman says. "Our technicians went from using a cell phone, a two-way radio and a pager to using one wireless phone that includes capabilities for digital cellular service, digital two-way radio, mobile messaging and wireless Web services. These units provide faster, more efficient communications for us which results in better service for our customers."

The company also will be updating its phone system this spring. "We're going to eliminate the 'on-hold' feature," Kratzman says. "Waiting for even 30 seconds in our call center is 30 seconds too long. It's not going to be an option soon. We also have a Web site that has detailed information on products and services we offer. It offers a calculator for the cost/benefit of installing conditioner systems that can save up to 50 percent in operating costs over a 10-year-old system. Accessories such as air cleaners, ventilation systems, humidifiers, programmable electronic thermostats and zoning systems are also available to customize the climate of each space, commercial or residential. Not only does Korte Does It All install these systems, it also offers 24-hour emergency service, seven days a week. Its Annual Maintenance Discount Plan offers its commercial and residential clients the opportunity to take care of all of their maintenance-related needs for one low annual fee. The Discount Plan includes two seasonal maintenance visits, necessary filters and 10 percent off all other services for only $135 a year.

"Many commercial and residential customers are set up on a maintenance plan where we come to their location on a regular basis to inspect and maintain all of their mechanical equipment at the same time," says David Korte. "Professional routine maintenance helps eliminate costly emergency repairs and boosts overall efficiency."

Korte does not limit itself in the priority services it offers, either. It boasts a complete plumbing service operation including sewer and drain cleaning, excavating and sewer line repair. Using cameras to identify the source of leaks, breaks, cracks or other pipe problems, electronic locators can record the information on video tape for documentation or insurance purposes, when necessary.

"One of our competitors recently quoted a plumbing project that would have included tearing out the customer's driveway," says David Korte. "The customer called us for a second opinion. By using our camera-locator, we were able to pinpoint the exact location of the break. It was actually located 5 feet beyond the driveway, thus saving the customer the expense and inconvenience of tearing out and replacing their driveway.

It is instances like this that make our use of the latest technology well worth it for both our customers and for our reputation. We enjoy and take pride in doing what is right for our customers."

Korte Does It All lives up to its name. Its clients rely on the climate of trust the company has created in northeast Indiana. "In this world of big corporations, it is comforting to know that there is a personable, trustworthy, local company that you can depend on," Kratzman says. "We want people to know that Korte Does It All is more than just a name—it's a promise." BP

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