Handling a Service Call with and without a HVAC Answering Service
You’re used to handling service calls without an answering service. You’re so used to it that you may not realize how much smoother your whole service call will go if you start using an answering service. Below, we’ll compare some of the best and worst-case scenarios for how you deal with a service call, and you’ll see how an answering service will benefit you.
Taking the Initial Call
When you don’t use an answering service, you need to take the initial call from the customer yourself. The problem is that you are frequently unavailable for the call. You’re at other client’s homes, driving, or trying to get some rest at home. Unfortunately, when you’re not available, you lose work. So, you may never start the service call at all. You can call back those few clients who will leave a message, but they probably will have called another contractor by then.
When you get the call and have an answering service to respond, you know that you get the call every time, whether you’re working or sleeping. Most answering services can be available 24/7, but they don’t need to wake you up for every call. They can schedule in the work so that you don’t need to do anything but show up at the scheduled time. Already you’re getting more work, and you’re saving time by not having to call back customers and make scheduling choices yourself.
A great answering service will be able to go beyond just taking a call and scheduling the work. You can expect them to understand your industry and even train receptionists about your specific business’ policies. As a result, they can tell emergency calls apart from those that aren’t too urgent. They can answer basic questions clients have and help sell them on your company and your services.
That saves you significantly more time. When other answering services might pass the call onto you, our services will keep you working and doing the other important tasks of running your business unless a customer has a very unusual circumstance.
When Something Changes
Every so often, a customer will call you back and change something. Has their problem suddenly gotten worse or better? Do they need to change their appointment or cancel it entirely? Missing these calls can make your job much harder. Maybe you could have gotten the right tools or equipment if you knew what had changed. Maybe you didn’t need to show up to this call at all, and you’ve now wasted a lot of time.
Compare that to when your customer calls your answering service back. You get the call for sure, and good answering services will reach out to you with new information if it merits your attention. They can change the schedule without you, or if the change is too last minute, they can call you to alert you. Don’t forget that if a client calls back with a complaint, a well-trained digital receptionist can smooth things over for you.
Handling a service call is much easier and more efficient when you have an answering service.
FOLLOW US