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24 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Stories of Strength Special Issue Robert B. Payne INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING Robert B. Payne has always taken very seriously the trust customers put in its workers when they welcome them into their homes to install or service heating and air conditioning equipment. The Fredericksburg company celebrated 90 years in business in 2020. Over that time period, the family-run company has seen many changes as it evolved from delivering wood and ice to local homes by horse and buggy in 1930 to providing state-of-the-art solutions to residents' indoor comfort needs in the 21 st century. When the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed life for everyone in the Fredericksburg region, Robert B. Payne's team continued working. March and April—when the virus began spreading rapidly in the U.S.—are a busy season for air system tune-ups, installations and other important work. Robert B.P. Thompson, who now leads the company his grandfather founded, said the company immediately put measures in place to protect customers and employees. Now, more than ever, it would be critical for Robert B. Payne's technicians to show customers they could trust them to safely work in their homes. "We were very liberal on sick leave and said we don't want you to come to work if there is any symptom or any question whatsoever." Workers learned new protocols for wearing masks and other protective gear in customers' homes. Trucks were wiped down regularly, tools were cleaned and technicians were instruct- ed to wipe down any surface they touched in a customer's home. In the office, staff members spread out and increased cleanings. Working with local health officials, the company developed a set of questions about potential COVID exposure to ask customers before sending a tech into the home. "We kept training, we kept encouraging," Thompson said. Stay-home orders meant people were now in their homes more than ever—and many started to realize they needed to upgrade or replace their home air systems during this time. Safety Was Paramount While Keeping Homes Comfortable for Quarantine