The Fire Time Podcast Bart Ogden - Building a Service-First Business
"Service isn't a necessary evil—it's your most valuable relationship builder."
This week, Tim welcomes Bart Ogden, owner of Home Safe Hearth & Chimney in Wichita, Kansas, to discuss how service work can be the foundation of a thriving hearth business. Starting as a chimney sweep in 1979 in a town of 600 people, Bart built his company on a simple principle: if someone calls needing help, we're going to help them—regardless of brand, age, or who installed it.
In this episode, Tim and Bart discuss:
- Why servicing everything—not just what you sell—builds long-term customer relationships that outlast and outperform the initial sale.
- The lifetime value of a service customer: How annual or bi-annual maintenance over decades generates more revenue than the original installation, and creates trust when replacement is finally needed.
- Profitability through knowing your numbers: Why specialty service businesses need 60% margins to thrive, and how to build a supply chain that supports servicing all brands.
- Building a systematic training program: How Bart created a 100-day curriculum using certification paths (CSIA, NFI) that trains every technician to the same standard, regardless of their background.
- The power of great inspections: Why every successful service job starts with ensuring customers know the exact condition of their system, then letting them choose what happens next.
Don't miss this episode that reframes service from an afterthought into the strategic foundation of a sustainable hearth business.
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