The three of us came up in the trade together, working at different shops across Seattle for most of the 2010s and early 2020s. We'd see each other on jobsites occasionally. Compare notes about what was happening in our respective companies. The same patterns kept coming up.
Sales reps trained to close hard on the first visit, regardless of whether the homeowner had real information to make the decision. Quotes that left out the panel work that everyone knew would be needed. "Good, better, best" packages designed to make middle-tier feel like a deal. Customers calling weeks later, confused about why their bill was higher than the verbal estimate. Aging gas furnaces being recommended for replacement when a $400 repair would have bought five more years.
We started Black Lotus because we thought it was possible to build a small Seattle HVAC company that didn't operate that way. Same equipment. Better answers. Honest math. Final payment after the customer signs off, not before.
It's a small bet. We're three owners, not a 100-person franchise. We do every install ourselves, which means we get fewer jobs done in a week but more of them go right the first time.