Author: Platinum Team

This post is part of our Conversations at Home series, which aims to help spark positive and fruitful discussions in your home. It’s born out of the spirit of one of our company core values here at Platinum -- Gratitude: “We focus our minds on the good stuff.” We hope you find these conversations starters to be helpful!

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It’s summer. We live in Phoenix. Have you ever noticed how many conversations this time of year seem to get caught on that not-so-uplifting discussion about how dang hot it is? Oops! Yes, we recognize the irony in the fact that we just fell into that trap too… ;)

Instead of getting stuck there, let’s spark some more fruitful discussions too. Pick one or more question(s) to create positive conversation this week. As we mentioned last go ‘round, it’s your call when and where to bust these out -- be that at the dinner table, before bedtime or on a walk in the neighborhood!

• What’s one of your favorite things about living in AZ?

• If you were to start your own non-profit, what would it be?

• What superpower do you wish you had, and why?

• What is one of the best pieces of advice or insight you’ve ever received?

• What’s something that’s inspired you recently?

• WILDCARD: Make up your own!

It’s safe to say -- no homeowner wants their AC to give out smack dab in the midst of the summer here in Phoenix. While that may not be something you can control, there are a few ways to know if your AC is about to fail.

Steve Higgins, our VP of Field Operations, caught up with NBC to talk about some key signs that your AC is about to give out. *Spoiler* -- if your AC unit is continuously running, never reaching a set point or sounding strange, you may have a problem on your hands. Check out the full segment for the scoop...

KPNX-PHX (NBC)

5/14/2018 5:16:09 PM

This post is part of a quarterly series stemming from our team’s love of growth and learning. Here we share some worthwhile reads for any clients, partners and friends who are passionate about personal development too!

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We’re continuing the personal growth momentum with a few more favorites. Check ‘em out below. And, if you missed the first round of picks head here.  

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

The nutshell: Shawn’s big premise is -- The lens through which your brain views the world shapes your reality. When your mind is in a positive state, it performs better. You boost your intelligence, creativity, energy and every single business outcome.

Why we love it: This book shows that there’s real power in choosing to focus your mind on the good stuff. It’s truly incredibly what a difference that makes! It’s astounding how a positive perspective can open new doors in performance and well being.

Who it’s for: Anyone who needs a solid reminder to pay attention to what they fix their mind on can benefit from this one. If you’re intrigued by the power your personal narrative has on your life, give this one a go.  

Linchpin by Seth Godin

The nutshell: Linchpin is a call to move beyond routine to make a difference in whatever field you choose. Seth tackles how to overcome fear and become “indispensable” in the workplace by creating art instead of mindless, replicable work.

Why we love it: His direct writing style is incredibly compelling. He puts a fire under you, offering the right mix of encouragement (without coddling), to inspire you to challenge the status quo.

Who it’s for: If you’re driven to excellence and are looking to leave a more remarkable mark through your work -- whatever that may be -- this one is great. Seth will challenge you to level up.  

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

The nutshell: As a researcher, Brene studied vulnerability for more than a decade and this book is a product of that. She outlines ten guideposts of what she calls a “wholehearted” life -- a way of engaging the world from a place of worthiness. As part of that exploration, the book tackles topics like authenticity, self-compassion, resilience and joy.

Why we love it: It’s a small book, but boy, is this one impactful! There’s a delicate balance of personal vulnerability and researched legitimacy, as backed by her extensive interviews.

Who it’s for: If you want to learn how to better embrace imperfection and vulnerability in your life, this is a powerful read. Get ready to dive deep!  

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell

The nutshell: How do you know when you have connected with others? Look for the signs in others including: going the extra mile, showing unsolicited appreciation, unguarded openness, increased communication, emotional bonding, positive energy, unconditional love and more.

Why we love it: John Maxwell is such a pro. He simplifies effective ways to immediately identify with people and relate in a way that increases your influence with them.

Who it’s for: Anyone! We all want to be successful and everyday we interact with others. To be at your absolute best in every interaction with others, you must learn to connect.  

Turning Pro by Stephen Pressfield

The nutshell: Through unconventional storytelling, Stephen illuminates a choice we have in the way we approach our work. We can wade through life as an “amateur” or we can choose to “turn pro.” He paints a picture of the differences between these mindsets, ultimately urging us to choose the path of the “professional.”

Why we love it: We love the unexpected way this one is written. It isn’t formulaic. It’s a creative piece of work that delivers a real punch.

Who it’s for: You’re more likely to hear about this one in creative circles than the business world. Still, we think it’s relevant and engaging read for anyone who wants to make a meaningful contribution (project, goal, piece of work), but is hitting some internal resistance. You’ll be challenged to move beyond fear and procrastination and get to work.

What if each time you encountered another pesky home repair issue, you were able to breathe a sigh of relief? What if in the face of that troublesome water heater issue, you could feel confident you’d get the help you need? Our customers tell us again and again they love knowing they can turn to our trusted team. George in Litchfield Park is a great example. His water heater was acting up, and our tech Loc was able to save the day. George’s conversation with Robin from Customer Care gives a taste of his experience…

George is just one example. Each and every homeowner gets that kind of attention, including a follow up call to make sure they’re happy. We’d love to give you that trusted care too. Give us a call at 602.733.5000. Let us become your go-to for all things home warranty and home repair.

This post is part of a quarterly series stemming from our team’s love of growth and learning. Here we share some worthwhile reads for any clients, partners and friends who are passionate about personal development too!

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Have you ever had a book really light a fire under you? What have you read that has challenged you or moved you to deeper personal growth?

Time and time again, we find ourselves discussing good reads within our team and with our partners and our colleagues in the industry. We simply can’t help ourselves -- growth and learning are part of our DNA as a company. Since more and more folks keep coming to us for recommendations of books and resources, we thought it’d be valuable to share a glimpse of that conversation here too.

If you’re game for some personal growth in your own life, our hope is that you’ll find something intriguing within the pages of one of these picks from our team. So without further adieu, here are five books to kick us off.

Love Is The Killer App by Tim Sanders

The nutshell: Be a lovecat. That’s the central call in this book. Tim encourages you to take up a posture of openness in your approach to work. He walks through the power of sharing your knowledge, your network and your compassion.

Why we love it: This book frees you to show and share kindness and compassion at work. It encourages you to view the business world through a lens of abundance instead of scarcity -- bearing a spirit of love towards your colleagues and even your competitors.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to build a stronger network and grow their personal and professional community can benefit from this one!

15 Laws of Invaluable Growth by John Maxwell

The nutshell: “Working hard doesn’t guarantee success. And hope isn’t a strategy.” John Maxwell asserts that you need to have a plan for your personal growth, and this book walks you through 15 laws that help you shape that plan.

Why we love it: This one has something in it for everyone. There’s always some facet of your life that you can grow in, and this book can meet you where you are in that growth journey.

Who it’s for: If you thrive on a sense of structure and want a clear game plan with action items for personal growth, this book is great for you.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

The nutshell: The StrengthsFinder assessment answers the question -- where do you have the greatest potential to develop strengths? It provides a common language of the 34 most common innate talents and helps you identify your top five themes of talent.

Why we love it: StrengthsFinder is all about focusing the conversation on what’s right in people. It helps give us the words to talk about the amazing qualities present in each of us and bring our best to every arena of life.

Who it’s for: If you need a little help identifying what your superpowers are, this one’s for you. To be able to walk into any conversation -- whether it be a team meeting, a job interview or personal chat -- with a better understanding of the value you can bring to others, can be so powerful.

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

The nutshell: As the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh shares tales of creating the revolutionary company that keep you on the edge of your seat and help you rethink the way you look at life and business.

Why we love it: The company is known for its stellar customer service practices, and we’ve taken a ton of notes on how to deliver top-notch service to our homeowners.

Who it’s for: If you’re intrigued by first-hand accounts of successful businesses or want to learn more about running a company and taking care of customers, this book has plenty to offer.

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

The nutshell: This book tackles the question -- why do some leaders and organizations inspire while others don’t? Simon Sinek asserts that a clear sense of WHY or purpose makes all the difference. “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Why we love it: Few people and organizations know why they do what they do. We love the way this book calls you toward that deeper conversation at the core of any life or business.

Who it’s for: If you want to become more effective in the way you inspire people -- be that personally or as a company -- this book can be great. It helps you move beyond the typical “what” and “how” conversations.

This post is part of our Gratitude series, which reminds us to celebrate the ordinary things as we navigate life at home.

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Today we’re grateful for… the sofa.

That cozy couch beckons us to kick up our feet, sink in and take rest. In a world of endless to-dos, we SO need those fluffy pillows and comforting cushions reminding us to chill out.

What a powerful thing it can be to give ourselves a space to breathe and set aside the concerns of the day for a moment -- getting lost in a conversation, a nap, a book or perhaps a movie. Somehow, the sofa gives us permission to do all these things.

So thanks, sofa, for reminding us that we are indeed humans who need moments of rest and renewal, not machines. It’s worth celebrating those moments of renewal that you invite us into.

A dirty oven has quite a few downsides. It can impart an unpleasant smoky taste on your food, obstruct proper flow from heat sources and even contribute to kitchen fires. To avoid all of these, it’s important to take some time for oven maintenance. Be sure to tackle more than just obvious food on the bottom of the interior. Invest a bit of elbow grease to keep your extractor fan and hood clean.

Extractor Fan

Before cleaning, switch the extractor off from the mains.

Make a cleaning mixture, by adding some mild detergent to water.

Using a soft cleaning cloth, dampen it with your mixture, and clean the extractor fan.

If there is dirt caught in the fan, you can lightly clean it off with an old toothbrush.

On most extractor fans, you can take off the filter.

The filter can be washed in a sink of hot soapy water.

You can clean the filter in a dishwasher as well, keeping it in an upright position. Note: It may discolor slightly, but doesn’t stop it from working.

If you have a charcoal filter, you’ll need to replace it every four to six months, depending on how often you cook. These cannot be cleaned as it will reduce their efficiency.

Extractor Hood

Switch your extractor hood off from the mains.

Make a cleaning mixture, by adding some mild detergent to water.

Using a soft cleaning cloth, dampen it with your mixture, and clean the interior and exterior of the extractor hood.

Dependent on your extractor hood, you’ll have one of the following filters below. Please check your manufacturer’s manual to see which one you have.

• Paper filter: These are disposable and can be easily replaced. Typically you should change them every month or once you notice them discoloring.
• Metal filter: The filter can be washed in a sink of hot soapy water. You can clean the filter in a dishwasher as well, keeping it in an upright position. Note: It may discolor slightly, but doesn’t stop it from working.
• Sponge filter: The filter can be washed in a sink of warm soapy water. After five to six washes, you will need to replace them.
• Carbon filter: These cannot be washed and should be changed every six months if you cook regularly.

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."  - Maya Angelou

This post is part of a series to help you get to know the members of our team. We’re real people who call Arizona home, not a big corporate machine! Head here for more Q&A’s with the Platinum team.

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Tell us a bit about your personal background and family.

I have been married to my husband for the past 11 years. We have two children -- our son who is 10 and our daughter is who is 7. I am originally from Glendora, Ca. and, after moving between Phoenix and California in elementary school due to my father's career, my family settled in Phoenix by the time I entered high school. I attended and graduated from Arizona State University (Go Devils!!) with a degree in Communication.

What has your career been like? / How did you get started at Platinum?

The majority of my career has focused upon business development and leadership. I spent over 10 years in higher education, where I was a Regional Director of Business Development. I also worked as a Project Manager for a custom home builder in the Phoenix Valley, which is where I learned about home building and construction. The combination of what I learned from these careers is what led me into the field of commercial warranty programs in construction.  Through that experience, I became familiar with other warranty programs, which led me to start with Platinum.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy reading, being active in my community and spending time with my family.

What have you learned that you would love to share?

In life, what I have learned is that risks, change and even failure are good because they mean I tried. Without trying, the opportunity to succeed or fail did not exist, and the opportunity to learn and improve is lost. So I try and embrace my failures and change as much as I embrace my successes.

What does "home" mean to you?

When I think of home, I think of the binding to a great novel.  Within the binding there is a story, which is created by the chapters of our lives. These chapters are filled with memories that are either made in our home or experiences brought back to share within its walls. My home is where my family gathers to talk about our long busy days, where relatives can stop over anytime without having to call and where friends are always welcome to dinner and conversation.  Home is where stories are shared, where memories are made and where comfort is felt.

We’ve made it through the summer heat! Hallelujah. That means, of course, it’s no longer peak AC season. But we still want to talk AC. Why? It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, the air conditioning system is an especially important home system here in the Valley. In any home purchase, it’s vital to take into account.

When you’re considering a home purchase, we recommend that you be sure to get the full scoop on the AC unit in the home and factor it into your game plan. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the purchase and overlook this piece of the picture. Since it’s one of the priciest systems and can have a tremendous impact on potential expenses, we think it’s worth taking a bit of time on.

Assessing the state of the AC system

When considering a property, find out how old the system is and get the scoop on the overall state of the system. The home inspection should help make this clear. If the AC unit is past its prime or in poor condition, you’ll want to plan for significant out-of-pocket expenses. You may want to make the replacement cost a negotiating factor in the purchase, whether that’s by getting the seller to help cover the expense or by reducing your offer accordingly.

This sort of expense should be considered above and beyond the cost of a home warranty. A common misunderstanding and unrealistic expectation for home warranty coverage is that a home warranty company will immediately take on the burden of a massive expense like total replacement of an extremely aged AC unit. We want to be totally transparent -- a home warranty will help reduce costs of future repairs, but is NOT likely to cover the entire cost of replacing an aging AC unit, so do keep that in mind.

When it comes to the AC system, it’s more appropriate to count on home warranty coverage for common wear and tear needs (e.g. repair and replacement of components like thermostats, motors, capacitors, filter dryers, fan blades, compressors, coils, boards and valves). Plus, some companies offer seasonal checkups as part of their coverage, which is a big added value to keep your system in good working order.

The life expectancy and cost of an AC unit

In order to consider the AC unit and plan for relevant expenses, it’s of course helpful to know -- how long does a typical unit last? And, how much does a new system even cost? Because AC units work so hard in our harsh desert climate, they tend to have a lower life expectancy than in other areas of the country. Most will last roughly 10 years. With regular maintenance, you may be able to extend the life to 15 years. As far as cost, these systems come in all shapes and sizes. Much like a car, there are countless models to choose from. A typical system will run anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000, though more complex systems can run as high as $13,000.

Boosting energy efficiency with new systems

When a system upgrade is part of the conversation, homeowners often ask us about the perks one can expect with a newer system. Two major advantages include performance and utility savings. Switching to a new unit can improve overall comfort within your home by providing more effective heating/cooling and provide quieter operation. Upgrading also can substantially reduce your operating costs and help protect the environment by phasing out the R22 Freon that depletes the ozone. Data shows that you may even able to reduce your electricity bill by 47%-60% (Source: Energy Star and American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning).

Keeping AC top of mind

By taking the AC system into account when you first consider purchasing a home, you can get a better sense of expenses to expect and alleviate a few surprises. If you have questions along the way, be sure to reach out. We’re more than happy to help you!

To learn more about AC upgrades head here, or call 602.733.5000.