In this heat wave, not only the mercury is rising, but also the demand for air conditioners. It is busy among sellers in Brabant. “People switch at the last minute,” says an air conditioning salesman.
An air conditioning specialist from Best does not even have time to speak to Omroep Brabant, he is so busy with his air conditioning now that it is tropically warm. “It’s really crazy busy,” he says over the phone.
Six requests per hour
Opti-Cool from Cuijk cannot help but confirm the busyness. “Last week and during the weekend we received five or six requests for air conditioning per hour,” says owner Marco Gommers. And for comparison: “We normally get five a day.”
There is a heat wave in Brabant. Last week the temperature was above thirty degrees, on Monday it is the same story and on Thursday it could possibly be forty degrees locally.
It is therefore not surprising that people want cooling in their home. But if you call today, you shouldn’t expect air conditioning tomorrow. There could easily be a few weeks in between. “We are all working very hard to get the systems ready,” Marco explains. He looks at it positively: “We keep a cool head.”
Marco says that they try to make choices among customers about whose turn it will be sooner. For example, he says he will give sick people or seniors priority if possible. “We also have a social function,” he says. “If you are young and vital, you can go to a swimming pool to cool down, for example. This is a problem for older people.”
Mailbox was overflowing
Air conditioning installation and maintenance company Qlimaat Totaal from Breda recognizes the crowds. The mailbox there was also overflowing on Monday morning. About fifty requests for air conditioning and some emails about malfunctions. “People switch at the last minute. That’s the case every time,” says owner Wesley Verzijl.
And the fact that there is a waiting period of a few weeks sometimes leads to disappointed reactions at Sanders Airconditions in Eindhoven. “You have people who respond whether we can install air conditioning tomorrow. Some people think it will take a long time, but others also understand,” says employee Nicole de Wit.
According to the air conditioning companies, it actually happens every year that private individuals suddenly want air conditioning when it is hot. Nicole has a golden tip for them: “It is actually best to purchase air conditioning in the winter.”
