Running a thriving HVAC business requires more than great technicians and happy customers. It takes systems, consistency, and leadership that brings order to chaos. In this episode, Derik Wolfe, Head of Operations at Call Dad, shares how the company grew from a small regional team to a multi-location powerhouse with eight thriving branches across the Southeast. From Playbook training to in-house apprenticeships, Derik reveals the exact steps that built Call Dad into one of the most operationally sound HVAC businesses in the country.
From a 19-Year-Old Homeowner to HVAC Leader
Derik’s story began when he bought his first home at 19. The house had no air conditioning, just an old oil furnace. When an HVAC company came to give him a quote, the comfort advisor saw potential in him and introduced him to the owner. That meeting changed his life.
Soon after, Derik was sweeping floors, helping around the shop, and learning the trade from the ground up. Two decades later, he leads operations for one of the fastest-growing HVAC companies in the United States. His early start as a technician built a deep respect for the work and the people doing it, which now shapes how he manages teams.
The Story Behind the Name “Call Dad”
Before becoming the recognizable brand it is today, the company operated under the name Sky HVAC. But in 2017, the owner felt the name didn’t reflect their values or culture. After consulting with Wizard of Ads, the brand evolved into Call Dad… a name rooted in trust, reliability, and comfort.
Derik explains, “It connects emotionally. When people have a problem, who do they call? Dad. That’s the feeling we wanted our brand to create.”
The rebrand worked. The company’s look: khaki trucks, salmon uniforms, and a friendly, down-to-earth image, instantly stood out in a sea of bold, cartoon-style brands.
Scaling from One Shop to Eight Locations
Call Dad’s growth didn’t happen by accident. Expanding to eight locations required strict adherence to systems and an unbreakable focus on customer experience. Derik’s approach to scaling can be summed up in two words: consistency and accountability.
To make sure every location provides the same high-quality service, Derik developed a Playbook, a comprehensive guide that outlines how every customer interaction should unfold, from first call to post-service follow-up.
Each week, he travels to different branches to conduct four-hour Playbook training sessions, ensuring every technician understands and executes the same process. “Whether you call us in Asheville or Charleston, the experience should feel identical,” he says.
How the Playbook Keeps Operations Consistent
The Playbook is more than a training manual. It’s a living system that defines Call Dad’s standards. Every technician, manager, and apprentice is trained to follow it step-by-step.
When updates are needed, regional managers meet with their teams to implement changes immediately. Accountability is built into the system, so nothing falls through the cracks. The result is a company where every technician delivers service the same way; warm, professional, and efficient, no matter the location.
Inside a Day in the Life of an HVAC Operations Leader
Derik’s mornings start with a review of daily revenue, margins, and labor costs. He leads Morning Mojo meetings with regional managers to discuss progress, expenses, and key metrics.
He also runs weekly leadership meetings, known as L10s, where department heads review goals, performance, and new initiatives. Every quarter, he sets “rocks”; big objectives that drive company-wide focus.
Between meetings, Derik stays on calls with managers, checks performance reports, and tracks the company’s overall health through dashboards and real-time data. “Operations never sleeps,” he says. “We’re always working on something; improving systems, coaching teams, or solving problems before they happen.”
What He Loves and Hates About Operations
Derik’s favorite part of the job is training technicians. After spending eight years in the field himself, he loves helping others master customer communication and professional growth. “Watching a new tech transform into a confident professional is the best part of what I do,” he says.
What does he dislike most? Vehicle management. With more than 100 vehicles on the road, keeping track of maintenance, accidents, and logistics can be a constant headache. He jokes, “Every time I get a call about a transmission or fender bender, I just want to bang my head against the wall.”
The Biggest Operational Challenge
When asked about challenges, Derik admits that maintaining consistent accountability across managers is the toughest. “You can’t manage everyone the same way,” he says, “but the goal is to get everyone holding their teams to the same standard.”
He’s learned that success comes from making decisions quickly and pivoting fast. Instead of waiting for perfect conditions, the team acts, adjusts, and moves forward. That agility, he says, is one of the biggest reasons for their sustained growth.
Growing Technicians In-House
Instead of competing for experienced technicians, Call Dad built its own pipeline. Seventy percent of their technicians are homegrown, trained through the company’s own apprenticeship system called Dad University, which stands for Dependable Accurate Diagnostics Training.
The program is state-accredited and lasts three years. Apprentices spend the first few months in the classroom before moving into field training. New cohorts begin every quarter, and each class adds more future technicians to the team.
This approach not only solves the labor shortage but also creates unmatched loyalty. “You give someone a chance to build a career, and they’ll give you their loyalty,” Derik says.
How Dad University Came to Life
The idea for Dad University started when the company was still operating under Sky HVAC. The leadership team wanted to control training quality, culture, and customer experience without relying on outside schools.
Today, the program includes two dedicated trainers; one of whom is a certified educator who left public school teaching to train HVAC apprentices full-time. Each year, dozens of new students join, ensuring the company never runs short of skilled technicians.
Derik explains, “We’ve made mistakes, learned from them, and improved every class. It’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made.”
The Numbers That Matter Most
Derik focuses on a few key KPIs that keep the business healthy:
- Gross margin (the most important)
- Revenue per department (service and install tracked separately)
- Labor and equipment expenses
- Conversion rates and membership sign-ups
- Average ticket per call
He starts every day by checking these numbers and discussing them with regional managers. For Derik, gross margin drives every decision, from pricing and technician efficiency to how commissions are structured.
How to Improve Margins and Ticket Values
For Derik, improving margins starts with the basics: price right and sell right. Service margins are the hardest to manage because they rely on technician performance and customer conversion.
He encourages techs to build service packages that meet real customer needs instead of selling a single quick fix. “When technicians slow down, listen, and offer real solutions, ticket averages rise naturally,” he explains.
Managing After-Hours Calls and Seasonality
Call Dad runs on a four-on, four-off schedule, offering service from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Members of the company’s Family First Program get special privileges, if something goes wrong after hours, “Dad’s on the way.”
For non-members, service resumes the next morning. This model keeps technicians from burning out while still delivering top-notch support to loyal customers.
When asked about slow seasons, Derik laughs. “We haven’t really had one lately,” he says. The company uses memberships, duct cleaning, and maintenance programs to fill the shoulder months. In 2024, they even had one of their best quarters during Q4; proof that consistency pays off.
Lessons in Leadership and Growth
Derik’s final message is simple but powerful: You get what you put in.
“If you want to make $100,000 this year, you’ll do the work that earns it. If you want to grow a $5 million HVAC company, you’ll put in the effort to learn, improve, and lead it,” he says.
His advice for any leader or technician looking to grow is to take action every day. Read, ask questions, find mentors, and never stop learning.
