A/C in Service Drive

[NOBLT921]

My dealer is in the process of building a new dealership, adding a service drive (we currently have no service drive), and the talk of not having a/c in the service drive has come up (we would have a/c in the shop, just not the drive). I am in the south, where the humidity and temp are just plain miserable in the summer. Am I the only one who thinks that it makes no sense not to have a/c in the service drive? Don't customers want to be comfortable when we are trying to sell something to them? Thanks for your feedback.

[jrcal]

We are in the deep south and our service drive does not have AC. Because the drive runs through the middle of our building and is completely covered and insulated, we get a very nice breeze most of the time. It is the most popular area in our entire dealership with customers. Just my 2 cents.

[sp7128]

we have the middle of the building service drive too....and it is now a/c...why would you have paying customers not be in a/c.......would you owner stand in the grocery store line if the a/c was broke...our drive/writeup is 100 ft long and 50 ft wide w/approx 18 ft ceilings, we have one 12 x 12 door at each end and we have qty 3, 5-ton hvac units in the roof, I can make it 74 degrees with great recovery in 90 plus temps.

[This message has been edited by sp7128 (edited 06-18-2008).]

[Bmo]

What type of AC units is everyone using??

Bmo

[NOBLT921]

I have 2 5-ton in the service department at this time, I don't know what the plans are for the new building

[Gene]

I am in Denver and we reach upper 80's to mid 90's in the summer. Most areas run large evap coolers here including us. My problem is when the drive finally cools off the doors open and the breeze blows out all the cool air. Also for a evap system to work you have to have an exit for the air. Our contractor forgot. Evap fans are very noisey even when on the roof. If I got to help design the service center again I would have tired to push for a/c, ceiling fans and a hung drop ceilng to reduce the echo hollow sound. Add some ceiling speakers while your at it. I think Fixed ops magazine has some great articles on new buildings. I say YES to A/C for the entire shop. And a water cooler for water bottles