Give Customers A Peek

Many homeowners are curious about what’s behind their walls in terms of plumbing, piping and heating. Jeff Waldman’s truck offers his customers a sneak peak with a trompe l’oeil tear-away graphic on a 2008 Dodge Sprinter.

Now in its fourth-generation ownership, Waldman Plumbing & Heating Inc.’s first service vehicle was foot-powered by Jeff’s great-grandfather.

“He would put his tools on the back of his bike and ride it around to customers’ homes to provide service. He’d probably collapse if he saw the Sprinter,” Waldman says, who joined the company in 1997. His grandfather worked in the business until he was 93 years old. Waldman’s father is still involved in the company.

“Many of our current customers tell us they are the second or third generation of customers and ‘our family always used your company,’” Waldman tells me.

Residential and commercial service is Waldman’s focus. In the past 10 years, it has grown the heating installation portion of the company, and Waldman says the team is always training to stay on top of the curve with new technologies, such as solar installations.

“We are long-time members of the PHCC and joined QSC (Quality Service Contractors) three years ago to improve our operations and how we deliver service to our customers,” he says.

When it came time for a fresh wrap on the new truck, Waldman knew it had to be a “real head-turner.”

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“I wish I could take the creative credit for this idea because we love it, but I can’t,” he says. “We know plumbing and heating — so we stick to what we do best. We hired a graphic design company to come up with a design that we felt matched our philosophy and our company.”

Waldman met with the designers two or three times so they could learn about the company before they came up with a plan. “We reviewed several ideas and decided on [this one] because it was simple, professional and, most of all, eye-catching.”

The installation was a painless experience, and while the Sprinter is the only one wrapped at the moment, Waldman hopes to have all six of his vehicles done to match it soon. 

“This is the first Sprinter we bought and we love it,” he says. “We consider it the perfect service vehicle for our area.” 

Plenty of time went into making the inside of the truck as user-friendly and customer-friendly as possible. Waldman installed shelving systems specially made for Sprinter vans, which maximizes the high space and is a flexible installation. “The tech who drives this truck loves it because he can walk right in without hunching over, and he is able to carry a lot more parts than our other trucks hold.”

In terms of customer reaction, the graphic is new on the road, but feedback so far is very positive. “We’re hoping our customers will get a sense of the pride and workmanship we deliver just by seeing the design of the truck.”

Show Us What You're Driving!

Think you have a vehicle worthy of PM's Truck Of The Month? Let us hear about it! Send us photos of your service fleet electronically by e-mailing us (Editor@PMmag.com), or mail us your prints to:

PM - Truck Of The Month
1050 IL route 83, suite 200
Bensenville, IL 60106

PM's Truck Of The Month is sponsored by General Pipe Cleaners.