Home Services Success Stories

From Barn Shop To Market Leader: Wisler’s Journey In Plumbing, HVAC, And Electrical

• Peakzi • Season 1 • Episode 5

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Peakzi Podcast: A barn, a toolbox, and a standard of excellence—that’s where our story with James Wisler begins. From late-night service calls as a kid to leading a multi-trade residential brand, James shows how a clear compass and steady systems turn a family business into a community anchor.

We walk through the founding values Daniel Wisler set in 1986 and how “Thanks, Dad” became both a cultural north star and a daily practice of gratitude. James opens up about leadership learned the hard way, evolving from task-first to people-first, and why courage is the silent fuel for growth. You’ll hear the pivotal moments: exiting new construction in 2008 before the housing crunch deepened, keeping the team serving during the uncertainty of 2020, and holding a line on quality even when it would be easier to compromise.

Then we get practical. James breaks down what sustainable quality really means: standards that start at the first phone call, consistent communication, documented workmanship practices, clear expectation alignment, and aftercare that prevents repeat pain. We talk hiring for care, training that never stops, and feedback loops that anchor weekly rhythms. Profitability isn’t a dirty word here—it’s how you stay present for customers and the team. Data enters the picture with Peaksy, giving transparent views of public feedback and competitor signals to guide smarter decisions and faster improvements.

If you lead a home services business—or want to—this conversation is a playbook for building a customer-first, values-driven, process-strong company that lasts. Listen now, share it with a fellow operator, and tell us: what’s one standard you refuse to compromise? And if the episode helped, subscribe and leave a quick review so others can find the show.

Presented by: peakzi.me 

More info: Callwisler.com

Rocky Mount, Virginia

Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric



Peakzi Podcast: Home Services Success Stories

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Home Services Success Stories podcast powered by Peakzi, the number one AI platform for growing your home services business. And on the show today, we have James Wisler, who is the president of Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric. James, welcome to the show. How are you? I am fantastic today. Thanks for having me. Glad to be here. Absolutely great to have you on. So, James, let's jump right in and dig into kind of the history of the company. So, Whistler was founded by your father, Daniel, who founded it in 1986. So, share a bit about the founding story and how his values still continue to influence the business today.

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, in 86, it was just kind of a vision of making a living and providing for your family and uh very humble beginnings is is our organization. And, you know, we um our back then it was just working out of um the our home and uh just kind of a half-covered shop area or barn area out back, you know, and um you know, it grew over the years. Um, but my father learned the trades. He he worked in a manufactured housing um plant uh early on and really took to plumbing and uh was going out in the field and you know doing excavation and laying in um you know underground work for manufactured homes out in the field and then connecting them. And um obviously at that particular uh place there was also roofing and electrical and um you know construction, all types of trades. And so that's where he he learned that. And obviously early on in 86, it was pretty much anything that anyone wanted to do, he could do. And over the years it niched down into plumbing and heating, hydronic heating. We did new construction, commercial, industrial, um, electrical. We we've done a lot of things over the years, but today, obviously, we are, you know, our owner-occupied service and install, residential, plumbing, heating, cooling, and electric is the services that we offer today.

Speaker 1:

So it really just started off as a way to make a living, but then started to figure out what the market wanted, how he could supply it, and it kind of grew into what it was, what it became today.

Speaker:

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, the I think the things that are common today that were the way they were in '86 was just uh my dad's commitment to excellence and customer service. Um, you know, and there were some things that have evolved over the years, but those things have really stayed the same. And uh, you know, when I think back of, you know, being a kid running around in in the truck and and running those service calls, uh you know, I he felt the same about them as I do today. And that is that we're going to do excellent work, um, regardless of the cost. You know, it's going to be high quality work. And we recognize that the customer is at the pinnacle of what we do. And our desire to deliver customer service at a world-class level is always been there, even um back in 1986.

Speaker 1:

So, having literally grown up in the business, do you have any kind of favorite stories of kind of like growing up into it, the genesis of it, stories that your dad told? Like what comes to your mind?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, um, it was just a way of life for us. You know, it uh, you know, that's what we did. We we worked together, we we lived together, you know, and um it was a whole lot more fun out on a service call than it was, you know, sitting at home um, you know, doing chores. So, you know, that was uh that was kind of how it is. You know, I can remember being very young and you know, service calls sometimes late at night, after dark, you know, strange places, you know, strange people, strange, you know, strange homes that I wasn't familiar with. And, you know, that's obviously it takes, you know, it takes some courage to you know step up to that as a young, you know, boy, if you will. And uh, you know, I was I was kind of the guy that ran and got tools and and that kind of thing. So it was a long way a lot of times from the mechanical room out to the vehicle. So, you know, just uh those are things that I look back on. I you know, I can remember um you know being a teenager and you know, the thing that I wanted uh uh more really than anything at that particular point was a set of my own tools. And you know, my dad, you know, definitely made that happen. And you know, we would go to the supply house and you know, I I slowly put together my own my own set of tools. And, you know, those things are are memories that I have that uh at a very young age is just part of who I was.

Speaker 1:

So you really are a product of the industry, like through and through. That's really uh that's fascinating. So you mentioned leading teams at a really early age, and I believe you started leading teams at 17. So was that intimidating? Was that scary? Like, how do you think that shaped you as a leader today, having done it for so long?

Speaker:

Yeah, when I think back at on that, you know, at the time it really wasn't intimidating and scary because you know, it was very familiar because I had been doing it at such a young age, even years prior to that, and and observing and watching. But today, as I look back, I was super underdeveloped and underprepared to do that. Um, you know, and I and I think that, you know, what I've learned is that leadership, you know, it's not an art, or excuse me, it is an art, it's not a science. And, you know, then maybe it was just kind of a task to be done or a box to check. Um, but I really feel like that today I understand that leadership is really a it's a craft to be honed and improved. And, you know, uh at the core of leadership and some of the lessons that I've learned over the years is that you know, you have to love people. And um, you know, I may have been a little more task-oriented, you know, younger, you know, at that 17, it was just about getting the job done or you know, the project done, um, you know, the service call ran. You know, today it's more about okay, who's involved and um where are we going? And, you know, does the is there fulfillment and enjoyment, you know, and are we delivering value to the client and fulfillment to the team member that's uh you know offering that service?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think that's great advice. I think especially in in trade, sometimes it can be so kind of maybe transactional, but here your focus is more so on the person, um, whether it's a customer or your team member. So I think that's a great, great point. So I know that the phrase thanks, dad, is very important to the Whistler brand. So what does that mean and how does that reflect the culture that you have?

Speaker:

Yeah, it started several years ago. Uh, you know, it was kind of just something our dad and and family has always been a big part of our organization. And uh so we was just throwing some things around one day, and you know, the term thanks, dad, come out. And so we coined that here within our messaging, you know, to our community. And uh, you know, it really is just about us saying thanks to our dad, you know, for the opportunity um that he's presented us for the you know the character building that took place, you know, in us as as his kids, um, but also to the commitment of of quality and and uh you know excellence that he he brought to the organization and the culture. Um and you know, those things are are you know part of his legacy, I think. Um, you know, but there's kind of a another closer thing that you know that thanks dad represents, and that is that we say thanks to our Heavenly Father, you know, that guides us each and every day and where our faith rests as well. So, you know, that it kind of has a twofold meaning, but by and large, it's us just saying thanks to our dad for the opportunity and the organization and you know, starting the the service that we've now um grown in in the community.

Speaker 1:

I love that. There's sort of two layers. Thanks, Dad, to your actual uh earthly father for the business that he's built, walking in gratitude, instilling those values, and then to your heavenly father, right? Yeah, there's absolutely a bigger bigger meaning to solve it.

Speaker:

I think that's and of course our our faith value is is very prominent here, and you know it's uh it's one that we don't, you know, we probably hold those cards a little closer to our chest than maybe the the you know just the you know us saying thanks to our you know our our dad here.

Speaker 1:

So well, we're here on the topic now, and um, you know, that is a central low role to your your your life. It's um so how do those values, your, your, your faith values affect the way that you lead and you serve your customers?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, we believe in a right and wrong and an absolute truth, you know, and I that absolute truth is grounded in the word of God for us. Um, you know, grace is the energy that powers the greatest thing ever, and that's salvation. Um, that's what we believe. And and what I have found in business, that accountability and grace, it's an amazing thing in business. Um, you know, so uh we believe that those things, you know, they they uh they don't they transcend those those boundaries, if you will. And uh I think that it's essential for the success that we have here in the organization.

Speaker 1:

Can you share how your faith maybe has influenced any of your business decisions?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, I it's it transcends, you know, I don't separate it. Um, you know, I some people may approach it as a religion, and I don't. I approach it as a faith. And so, you know, who I am in my home, who I am at church, and who I am in this business is is the same person. Um, you know, it's it's more of a lifestyle for me. So, you know, doing the right thing outside of work is the same thing as doing the right thing in in a transaction or a relationship with a client or you know how we how we represent you know the organization or how we interact with our team members here, you know, it's all the same thing to me. So I don't think uh, you know, for us it's just it's there is no separation. Um, you know, it's something that's constantly just who we are and how we approach uh all things, whether it be making a decision, uh, you know, business decision financially or strategically or you know, with our personnel, or you know, we just believe in doing the right thing and we we believe in um good Christian values and and how we interact with people. And I think the the that Christian values are really about that. It's about you know how we interact with each other and and how we present ourselves to the world.

Speaker 1:

I could definitely appreciate that. I'm a Christian myself, and thank you very much for sharing a bit about your your your faith here, uh James. So but it seems like so much of what we are talking about is leadership. So one thing that you have mentioned is that it takes courage, right? Um specifically taking calculated risks. It's played a big role in in your success. So share a bit about that.

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, I think it takes courage to grow. Um it takes courage to keep going, you know. And over the years, you know, I've been doing this for quite a few years now. And um, you know, I I think that courage is contagious, uh, but it's inspiring. And, you know, when we was a smaller organization, um, you know, it it took courage to invest, you know, and to put back in the business and invest the time and energy and resources, you know, and that can be scary. Uh, you know, what if this fails? Or, you know, what uh and but you know, you have to have courage to kind of step up. And that kind of courage, again, it's it's contagious and it's inspiring. You know, those around you see that you have courage to do that and to grow individually and as an organization. Um, you know, I think it takes courage. You know, one of the things that will, you know, kind of, I guess, forever be, you know, burned into my mind is, you know, it was a very pivotal point uh back in 2008, you know, and there was a housing crunch and we was in new construction and you know, we shut down new construction uh, you know, and you know, just kind of never looked back. And that took courage. I mean, there was customers there, there was people there, there was revenue there. Um, and to make those tough decisions and looking back today, it was probably one of the better ones that we made. Um, and it was very timely, you know, before it even got worse. Um, you know, in 2020, whenever COVID hit, you know, that was it was, you know, a lot of unknowns there in March of 2020. And, you know, uh our people are coming to us going, what are we gonna do? And you know, this is what I'm hearing. And, you know, it takes courage to stand up and say, you know what, we're gonna keep doing everything that we was doing last week and last month and last year. Um, we're gonna buckle down and we're gonna keep serving regardless of the potential risk. And um, you know, it panned out. Now, obviously, we've done that with some caution here and there, where appropriate, but uh, you know, that's kind of the display of courage and why I think it's so important, especially for a growing organization that's committed to people's growth and one that is um committed to to you know world-class customer service. I think it takes courage to deliver those things. And I also say, uh, a faith-based business, it takes courage to do that as well.

Speaker 1:

So yeah. And it's interesting how adversity seems to draw out that courage. And it seems like you are all better uh because of it. So that being said, now of course you are a leader in the space, and and and Whistler is very well known for its commitment to sustainable, long-lasting quality. So, how do you define sustainable quality and what practices do you ensure within the business? So every project meets that standard.

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, I think when I think of sustainability, the dichotomy there is just it's not a flash in a pan. You know, it's a long-term, long, long-term thinking, if you will. And, you know, our drive for excellence is is found, you know, in our attention to our processes. You know, we we have a lot of processes, we have systems here in place, and you know, it truly is our attention to the details of those things that really leads us to a place of quality. Um, you know, those those processes include how we answer the phone, um, you know, how we approach a visit to a client's home, um, our communication, you know, how we communicate with each other in the organization and how we communicate with those outside the organization, how we communicate with our clients, um, you know, how we complete the work. Is there a standard that we live up to and this is how we do it? Um, you know, it's not, it's not just left to chance, if you will. Uh, how we handle uh addressing expectations, you know, clients have expectations, we have expectations, how we align those things, I think, speaks to quality. Um you know, how we follow up uh after the transaction with serving the client. Do they know how to you know work that piece of equipment that they bought? Or do they understand what actually went on? Or, you know, do they they understand, you know, the that we're still here, even if they have problems with those things. So, you know, those are all things that I think are part of uh, you know, just sustainable, long-lasting quality. And, you know, one of the one of our pieces of our mission statement here is to you know to grow profitably. And we uh we do not apologize for being profitable here. And that is one of the reasons why uh if if an organization is not profitable, it will go out of business eventually. Um and we can't be there for the team that has put their trust and confidence in us and the customers that have put their trust and confidence in us. So, you know, we uh we just uh we believe that you can't sell out for one number. Um, you know, and and I think true value is found in in sustainable solutions and strategy.

Speaker 1:

I think what's interesting, what you said about that, is yes, you spoke about the work, but more so about the holistic customer experience. You mentioned even from the way that you pick up your phone. So it is that kind of end-to-end experience you're delivering for the customer.

Speaker:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Great. So um so you're also really big in talking about world-class customer service, and you've already touched on that. But how do you teach your team to deliver world-class customer service? How do you scale that from just a tagline to an actual experience you deliver for your customers?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, several years ago, I I've, you know, have been recorded saying that it's all about the the team member and the employees of the organization. And I've changed that philosophy, you know, over the years to, you know, I've always thought very highly of the customer. I really have. But I've put them back at the top of the food chain where they belong. And, you know, I think it starts with a culture of understanding that, you know, team members don't even exist without a customer, right? Um, and so, you know, I think our whole team has to embrace that and understand that, you know, everything exists here in the organization and in the business, you know, because we have customers. Um and then it moves to hiring people that care about customers. You know, obviously uh, you know, everyone here has an impact on the customer experience, you know, and it's even more critical for those that are customer-facing, you know, the ones that answer the phone and the ones that, you know, go into the homes and you know, um, even our leadership staff here. So uh we also really lean heavily on just constant training and reinforcement. And I think even more importantly than training, it's reinforcement of those proven processes of you know, just offering and delivering and executing on that world-class customer service. You know, our weekly focus on both positive and less than positive uh customer feedback. You know, that's part of our cadence here. We are always talking about, you know, what is the customer saying and tuned into that and trying to either grow from it or celebrate, you know, those uh successful tasks or systems or you know, the things that are creating that positive feedback. Um, you know, I think you know, we are we are not perfect here. Uh we we do fall short and being able to address those concerns super fast, like you know, within an hour, um, if not just a couple hours, and truly getting resolution to um to that concern uh by empowering the leaders around us to resolve those concerns at hopefully the first point of contact. Um, so you know, those are some things that I think that that we've leaned into here. Uh and and so I I think also it's just part of us establishing what does best in class customer service look like and what are those standards, and then not backing down from them. And I and I say that because over the years in this organization, there have been peaks and valleys of certain areas within our customer service systems. And um, you know, but not compromising them, keeping them high, and and you know, if we're not there at this moment, then we work to get there so that we just stay committed to that standard.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think there's a lot of nuggets I took away from there. The first was number one, putting the customer first and designing the entire business around that. Number two, I heard hiring the right people to make sure they match with the values. Training and constant development of your people. Um, and the fourth one was really just listening to the customer, paying attention to them, hearing the feedback and continuing to improve through that whole communication loop. I think that's great. Um so, James, let's shift gears just a bit. This uh, you're a customer of Peaksy. This podcast is brought to you by Peakzi. So, what has been your experience working with Peakzi and their team?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, Pawan was kind of the the the start of that. And, you know, I guess it's been almost probably almost two years ago now, maybe. Um, and you know, I I think that Peakzi is at the the front, you know, they're charting a course at the front, and um, you know, I I think they're leading uh a path for home service businesses to leverage public data, whether it be through AI or just um, you know, which is obviously a big part of that. I think the team at at Peakzi cares. They they care about being at the front, they care about offering value to the organizations that are working and partnering with them. Um, and you know, we've we've implemented several data points, if you will, you know, that Peakzi has provided us, whether it's the you know, detractors, you know, I spoke about paying attention to customer feedback. We use those reports within our rhythm, weekly rhythm here to address, you know, the themes and the and the feedback that's happening, you know, in that public-facing data. We, you know, definitely also use that to just, you know, our quality standards. And so we've implemented several of the functions um within Peakzi into our organization with with positive results. Um, and it's just easy to get to, and and it's a good it creates good rhythm with that.

Speaker 1:

And what would you say has been the biggest improvement in the business being a customer of Peakzi?

Speaker:

Yeah, I I think it's just being aware, you know, sometimes there can be a lack of transparency around competitors. And, you know, I that that consistence, transparency, and being able to see that paints a more clear picture of what's going on within our community.

Speaker 1:

Gotcha. So understanding what's happening within the market, how does your business compare, identifying any kind of gaps that you may have that you're gonna improve to continue to to level up your service? So I think that's great. Well, James, we're we're just about the end here. So close us out with some final thoughts. What would you like the world, our audience to to know more about Whistler and close us out also with the vision that you have for the future as the president of a company?

Speaker:

Yeah, you know, I uh we we plan to continue to grow here. Um, you know, that's a big part of our our organization and you know, just being able to impact the community. Um, I think, you know, uh be continuing to be a leader in our space and our community, um, expand our footprint and and stay committed to the things that got us here. Um obviously things will uh evolve and and and get become different, but you know, there's so many shiny things out there that promise success. And, you know, I've found that true success is found in truth, um, a commitment to balance, um, delivering value to those that we transact with and investing in others' growth. And so I think that that's kind of where the future lies here. It's it's you know, it's a recipe for success for us. It has been, and we'll continue to to put those ingredients into the bowl and and uh and and just looking forward to what the future brings here.

Speaker 1:

And I think that's a great vision for the future indeed. So, James, plug your website, your social handles, how do people get a hold of you, learn more about the business, and connect with you personally?

Speaker:

Well, they can find me on LinkedIn. Um, you know, I obviously uh my my email is very simple, james@wisler.com. And uh, you know, we uh our our our website is callwisler.com. Um and so you know we uh any any way that I could uh connect with others, I'd be happy to do so.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. And we'll make sure to have all your contact information in the show notes as well. So, James, thank you so much for sharing your story with us here today.

Speaker:

You're quite welcome. It's an honor to be here.

Speaker 1:

Well, everyone, that's it for today's episode. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you next time on the Home Services Success Stories podcast powered by Peakzi, the number one AI platform for growing your home services business.