Convergence Data Team
Feb 5, 2026
HVAC

Why HVAC Dealer Programs Fail

 

Why do HVAC dealer and contractor programs fail to meet expected business outcomes? What are some of the critical pain points that cause breakdowns in dealer programs over time? Convergence Data’s Dealer Industry Insights offering was built to answer these questions — using real-world data, not assumptions.

 

Why Dealer Industry Insights Is Different

Convergence Data’s Dealer Industry Insights offering is powered by:

  • A database of over 50,000 HVAC dealers and contractors
  • Affiliations across 25 major HVAC brands
  • Four years of historical data
  • Tailored loyalty assessments, behavioral analysis, and strategic recommendations

This depth allows brands to move beyond snapshots and see patterns — how dealers actually behave over time, across programs, brands, and service lines.

 

Here are some of the common pain points we address through data. 

 

Pain Point #1: Dealers Registering Services They Don’t Actually Provide

Brand locator websites are a common source of truth — and a common source of error.

Dealers frequently list services on the brands’ locator websites (“Find a contractor” websites) that they claim to provide, not services they actually deliver. Service capabilities may be overstated to attract leads or join a program when they are not actually compliant with the program requirements. From a brand perspective, this creates:

  • Inaccurate dealer segmentation
  • Poor customer experiences
  • Misaligned marketing and incentive investments

Without validated, historical data, brands risk optimizing around noise instead of reality.

 

Pain Point #2: Multi-Program/Brand Blind Spots (Especially Across Shared Dealer Bases)

Many HVAC dealers participate in multiple brand programs simultaneously. Dealer loyalty today is rarely exclusive. Dealers may be present on dealer locators across brands, brand families, and also in dealer programs within or across brands, such as:

  • Brand "families"
    • Rheem, Ruud 
    • Carrier, Comfortmaker, Payne, Heil, Bryant
    • Trane, American Standard, RunTru
  • Dealer programs
    • Mitsubishi Diamond Contractors: Elite, Preferred
    • Bosch Contractors: Certified, Premier, Elite

Without a multi-program view, brands struggle to answer:

  • Are dealers prioritizing one brand over another?
  • Are incentive programs cannibalizing each other?
  • Which programs drive real loyalty versus surface-level participation?

Dealer Industry Insights enables multi-program breakdown and comparative analysis, helping brands understand where they truly stand in a shared dealer ecosystem. Dealer Industry Insights also quantifies:

  • The degree of crossover between brands
  • How loyalty overlaps and shifts over time
  • Which brands win when dealers consolidate their purchasing

This clarity allows manufacturers to compete more intelligently — focusing on differentiation, not guesswork.

 

Pain Point #3: Hidden Spend Opportunities Across Residential and Commercial Work

Another common blind spot: dealers who quietly operate across segments.

Manufacturers often assume that a large portion of their dealers only provide residential services. However, many residential-focused dealers also perform:

  • Light commercial installations
  • Maintenance and service work on commercial equipment
  • Specialty or regional commercial projects

Without visibility into this crossover, brands miss opportunities to:

  • Capture additional equipment and service spend through distribution channels
  • Tailor programs to evolving dealer capabilities
  • Expand share-of-wallet without adding new dealers

Dealer Industry Insights surfaces these patterns, helping brands identify where incremental growth already exists. Reach out today to learn more.