Author: Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty Gives You Control During COVID-19

Contractor of Choice Gives You CONTROL During COVID-19

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty, Control Your Claim, COVID-19With America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW), you can choose ANY licensed contractor for your claim. Seriously, ANY licensed contractor. Yes, we know… we’ve rung this bell a million times. But we still find a lot of people who don’t understand what a huge advantage this is, let alone the advantage it provides you during COVID-19. So… onward!

Most typical home warranties have a mixture of companies under contract to be on call for their customers. So when you have a breakdown, they pick someone under their contract, or offer you a specific choice between their contracted companies.

Here is why APHW strongly feels this decision should be yours alone:

  • You choose WHO comes into your home: Someone you know and trust.
  • You choose WHEN they get there: If you can’t get someone out fast from one company, you are 100% able to continue calling around until you CAN.
  • You choose WHERE they come from: When you have pipes flooding your basement, the opportunity to choose LOCAL can seriously minimize damage over waiting for someone who may be hours away.
  • The contractor you choose works for YOU, not us. This guarantees you a true third-party assessment of your problem, with no outside contract guiding what they can say.

Why is this especially important curing COVID-19? During this uncertain time, your local community is hurting. By helping to support local businesses, you are helping to support your local economy.

Take CONTROL and be a hero to your local contractors with APHW.

Call 888.351.3681 or visit APHW.COM today for more information.

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America's Preferred Home Warranty Payment Options, Home Warranty, Payment Options

You’ve Got Options: APHW Payment Possibilities

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty Payment Options, Home Warranty, Payment OptionsSo you have an approved home warranty claim. Now what? Here’s how an approved claim payment works with America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW).

First Things First

As you know, you can choose ANY licensed contractor for claims with APHW. This gives you control over who you have in your home, where they come from, and when they get there. It means the contractor works for you, not us, so you get a true third-party opinion. And then they need to get paid for their work.

That’s where APHW comes in, right? The answer is yes, with a caveat: Because your contractor doesn’t work for us, they are not obligated to accept payment from us. This is why we offer options for payment (once you receive telephone approval).

Payment Options

  1. Our first option is for us to pay the contractor with a credit card. They get right to work following approval, you verify the completed work with us, and we pay the contractor right over the phone—fast and easy with zero wait time. So why doesn’t every contractor take this option? Because not all contractors can accept credit cards. In some cases, provider charges also make it less appealing.
  2. Our second option is to pay the contractor by check in the mail. We offer near-immediate processing, so the check often arrives in just a few business days.
  3. Our third option is for you to pay your contractor up front (or purchase a replacement and have it professionally installed), email us the “paid in full” invoice, and be reimbursed your approved claim amount by check in the mail.

Our end goal is to ensure that payment gets where it needs to as quickly as possible, whether that’s to you or your contractor. We’re actively working to develop other payment methods as well, to hopefully move things even faster in the future. Your business is everything to us, so you can count on us to continue innovating and improving your experience every day.

Call 800.648.5006 or visit APHW.COM for more information.

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America's Preferred Home Warranty and Child and Family Charities, Home Warranty, Home Warranties

Child and Family Charities and APHW Working Together During COVID Lockdowns

Posted on | by Clive Gillett


We couldn’t be more proud to help Child and Family Charities (CFC – https://bit.ly/2LsBmGh), an incredible non-profit serving children, youth and families in Mid-Michigan, especially now as their services are even more needed. Beyond donations, our company fundraisers for CFC also help to build up our teams and share the message of the charity.

Want to help? Click here: https://bit.ly/2YTqV6N

(Special shoutout to UnoDeuce Multimedia for producing this video!)

Interested in a home warranty? Call 888.351.3681 or visit APHW.COM today for more information!

Donna Steen COVID Story - FB

APHW’s Tech Updates Allow Staff to be Safe at Home

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty, Technology, COVID-19 Tech Helps Stay Home SafeDonna was uniquely set to work from home as a Virtual Sales Manager due to recent updates at America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW). “It’s just one of the many reasons why I love working for APHW,” she said. But things weren’t always that way.

In a typical workday, Donna calls real estate agents to set up trainings, conducts trainings and webinars, and supports an ongoing online training and real estate agent support system. “We’re reaching more people as we go along,” she said. “I might see one agent in a given day, or a few hundred. It’s all to continue getting the word out about APHW, and I love it.”

The company supplied Donna with everything she’d need to work from home during this difficult time, but this was largely possible due to recent updates to APHW’s systems—particularly their new cloud-based NetSuite. “We wouldn’t have been able to do this with our previous system,” she said. “We were prepared, and that reminds us that we’re not in this alone: We are a team, and we’re a family.”

With the nation under a stay-at-home lockdown for the most part, Donna feels fortunate to be able to continue working from home. “I love that I can continue helping real estate agents to build skills and knowledge, to ultimately better help their clients.”

Call us today at 800.648.5006 or visit APHW.COM for more information!

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America's Preferred Home Warranty, Furnace Filters, Home Maintenance, Contractor Advice

Contractor Cornerstones: Filters & Finances

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty, Furnace Filters, Home Maintenance, Contractor AdviceGetting ready to switch out your furnace filter for the year? It might be time to consider what kinds of filters you could replace it with.

According to Lammers Heating & Air Conditioning President Todd Desy, the primary difference between one filter or another is how efficiently it will remove particles from your indoor air.

“They rate from 1-inch throwaways that just protect the furnace itself (the blower), on up to higher efficiency air cleaners that will actually filter and improve the air quality in your home,” Todd said.

While the minimum filter is cheaper up front, it only truly blocks larger debris (like pet fur or hair) from your HVAC system, allowing smaller particles of dust, mold spores, and other potentially harmful bits to pass through.

Switching from the basic filter to a higher efficiency filter also keeps your furnace cleaner, increasing its lifespan and saving you money in the long run. Though it’s important to ensure you’re not using a filter that’s too strongly woven (which can make your furnace work harder to bring air through). Check out this detailed list with Everything You Need to Know About Furnace Filters.*

Regardless of which efficiency level you choose, make sure to select the correct size and shape of filter to fit well in your particular furnace. “The minimum would be a basic mechanical air cleaner that has to be replaced once a year,” Todd said.

*America’s Preferred Home Warranty is not affiliated with HVAC.com in any capacity.

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America's Preferred Home Warranty Staff Family Members on the Front Lines of COVID

Family on the Front Lines: Beth

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty Staff Family Members on the Front Lines of COVIDIf there’s one thing we can all agree on these days, it’s the front-line heroes keeping our society going—and many of us have close friends and family members working those front lines. Here is America’s Preferred Home Warranty Corporate Training Manager Beth’s story, about her mom.

My mom’s name is Darlene Elden-Lane, and she is a Registered Nurse (RN) at Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) in Detroit. She’s been an RN for 35 years.

At the beginning of her career, she took care of HIV-AIDS patients in the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Since then she has worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and was a home care nurse for “Mom & Baby” visits: After they got home from the hospital, they would have a nurse follow up at home.

Her current role is in the Admissions Transfer Management Office department, coordinating transfers to HFH Detroit from hospitals all over Michigan, including life flight and organ transplant team.

Since HFH is not currently accepting transfers, her desk work has halted, and she has been redeployed to wherever she is needed as an RN. Odd as it may seem, her anxiety has decreased since getting back out there – sometimes as an equipment runner on the general practice floors, other times assisting with direct patient care.

It’s one thing to read news stories about the hospitals and health care workers, but when you listen to their first-hand accounts, it becomes more real. I don’t think any of us will ever truly understand the impact of this disease like health care workers currently caring for COVID patients on the front lines.

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Humidifier Maintenance, Home Maintenance, Home Warranty, America's Preferred Home Warranty

Contractor Cornerstones: Humidifier Maintenance for Homeowners

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

Humidifier Maintenance, Home Maintenance, Home Warranty, America's Preferred Home WarrantyAre you keeping up with your humidifier? No, not the essential oil-misting gadget sitting on a shelf—the one in your furnace. In this episode of Contractor Cornerstones, Jackson, Michigan’s Lammers Heating & Air Conditioning President Todd Desy told us what homeowners should be checking for.

According to HVAC.com,* a whole house humidifier works with the furnace, “…to distribute moisture efficiently to all living areas.” In other words, that’s what keeps the heated air from drying everything out in your home and causing excess static electricity… that is, unless you like getting zapped every time you reach for something metallic.

“Homeowners should check their humidifier filter (or pad) a couple times a year and replace it if necessary,” Todd said. “If the pads are left in too long, they can cause condensate leaks and drain line issues.”

It’s up to the homeowner to decide if they are comfortable replacing a pad—but there are some cases when Todd strongly recommends calling a technician for assistance. “If the pad looks like it has deteriorated to the point where there’s debris in the humidifier and into the drain line, they should have a tech come out and clean the whole system,” he said. “It’s necessary to ensure there are no blockages in the drain line,” which can lead to expensive repairs.

So, when was the last time you gave your furnace humidifier a once-over? If it’s high time to do so, click here for a step-by-step to help you along.*

Be sure to visit our blog for more home maintenance tips and tricks!

*America’s Preferred Home Warranty is not affiliated with and has not collaborated with either HVAC.com or TheSpruce.com in any capacity.

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America's Preferred Home Warranty Earns Loyalty, Home Warranties, Real Estate

Because That’s Just What We Do

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty Earns Loyalty, Home Warranties, Real EstateHave you ever avoided salespeople? I don’t appreciate a forceful sales pitch either… but not all salespeople are like that. Definitely not Suzann Blades—as far as she’s concerned, friendship is far more important.

“I truly do care about every one of the real estate agents I work with,” said the America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) Area Sales Manager. “If you give me business, I appreciate it, but I reach out because I sincerely want to know how you are doing.”

Times Are Hard

Like everyone else, social distancing dramatically changed Suzann’s routine. Her typical day used to involve visiting agencies, meeting real estate agents for coffee or trainings, or delivering updates about their clients’ home warranty experiences. Now finding new ways to make and continue those connections without actually being around people—but this isn’t really new to her.

“We’re used to dealing with various disasters in Louisiana,” Suzann said, indicating events like Hurricane Katrina. “We mobilize and get things done, and we check on each other because that’s just what we do: We care. Now we’re all working together to come up with a different way of doing business.”

Honesty Helps

This straightforward integrity and caring attitude have earned Suzann loyalty within the real estate community over the years. “I’ve had agents go out of their way to stand up for me when I’m not even in the room,” she said. “They know that no matter when they call, I’m going to pick up and I’m going to do what I can to help.”

And Suzann has a message, both for real estate agents and everyone else: “As strong Americans, we will get through this,” she said. “This is a time to reflect, but we will make it through this gauntlet and rise above it.”

Louisiana real estate agents can get in touch with Suzann at 225.400.7447 or [email protected].

Call 800.648.5006 today to find your state’s area sales manager, or visit APHW.COM for more information.

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America's Preferred Home Warranty, COVID, Choose Your Own Licensed Contractor

APHW Homeowners Retain Control During Lockdowns

Posted on | by Clive Gillett

America's Preferred Home Warranty, COVID, Choose Your Own Licensed Contractor‘Control’ might feel like this imaginary, elusive concept these days. But America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW) customers have control with every claim—especially now, with stay-at-home orders across the nation—because they choose their own licensed contractors.

“Homeowners can call around until they find a contractor who is still servicing people during social separation,” said APHW Vice President of Operations Mike Sadler. “Some contractors may have made the personal choice to not send their people out, but that doesn’t preclude anybody from calling around to find one that still is. And a lot of contractors are; particularly for heating, plumbing, electrical, even appliances in some cases. You need your refrigerator when you’re stuck at home.”

APHW is also providing some leeway to customers nearing the end of their contracts during the outbreak. “In some areas, we’re finding that we open the claim, but a contractor can’t come out for a few weeks,” Mike said. “On a case by case basis, we’ve been extending the time they need to get that claim taken care of. I don’t honestly know how we couldn’t do that—we certainly wouldn’t hold [COVID-19 based delays] against them.”

For the most part, APHW customers are still getting work completed on their timeline and without any delay. “With everything we’ve done and planned for an event just such as this, our operations are running exactly the same as they were,” Mike said. “We’re just doing it remotely.”

To file a claim or for more information, call today at 1.800.648.5006, or visit APHW.COM. APHW customers can also Start a Claim Online with zero wait time.

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