First Responder, Military, and Senior Discounts.
First Responder, Military, and Senior Discounts.
The service call begins before the technician touches the air conditioner.
In many cases, it begins before the technician reaches the front door.
Customers notice:
First impressions matter.
Try not to ruin one in the driveway.
Technicians should arrive within the scheduled service window and follow company procedures for customer notification.
Upon arrival:
If the person answering the door says:
“I didn’t call an AC company.”
Do not begin troubleshooting.
Verify the address.
This is particularly important in Florida communities where approximately 700 homes were apparently constructed from the same three drawings.
Park in a location that provides reasonable access without unnecessarily inconveniencing the customer.
Do not:
The service vehicle is equipped with reverse.
Use it when necessary.
Before approaching the front door:
Look around.
Note:
If a gate is closed:
Assume there may be a reason.
This reason occasionally has teeth.
See Section 05.
Knock on the door or use the doorbell.
Do not:
Allow the customer reasonable time to answer.
Some homes are large.
Some customers are elderly.
Some customers were apparently located at the exact opposite corner of the property when you arrived.
Wait.
Assume the video doorbell is recording.
Because it probably is.
This is not the appropriate time to:
Wave if appropriate.
You are now on television.
When the customer answers, introduce yourself.
Something complicated is not required.
“Hi, I’m Kevin with Klein Cooling.”
works remarkably well.
Confirm why you are there.
“We’re here because the upstairs system isn’t cooling, correct?”
This prevents the technician from spending twenty minutes diagnosing the downstairs system that is operating perfectly.
Do not enter until invited.
This remains true if:
You are a guest.
Act accordingly.
Use reasonable care when entering a customer’s home.
If footwear is:
address the situation before walking across the customer’s floor.
The technician’s visual determination that:
“My shoes aren’t that dirty.”
is not controlling.
If you leave footprints:
They were that dirty.
Before opening equipment, ask the customer what is happening.
Then:
Listen.
Customers may not know HVAC terminology.
They do know what their house has been doing.
Useful statements include:
The final statement is admissible diagnostic evidence.
Customers are permitted to reproduce equipment noises verbally.
Technicians shall listen respectfully.
Do not laugh.
The sound may actually be useful.
If necessary, ask:
“Was it more of a buzzing sound or more of a grinding sound?”
The customer may then perform an enhanced version.
Continue diagnosis.
Employees shall not diagnose equipment before inspecting it.
This includes statements such as:
“Sounds like the capacitor.”
“Probably low on Freon.”
“Those units always have bad boards.”
“That’s definitely the compressor.”
You have been on the property for 43 seconds.
Calm down.
Acceptable response:
“There are a few things that could cause that. Let me take a look.”
This sentence has prevented many technicians from having to explain themselves 30 minutes later.
Customers may tell the technician exactly what is wrong.
Examples:
“It needs Freon.”
“The capacitor is bad.”
“It’s the thermostat.”
“My brother said it’s the TXV.”
“Google says compressor.”
Listen.
Acknowledge the information.
Then diagnose the system.
The customer may be wrong.
The customer may also be right.
Both situations have occurred.
See Section 07 — Customer-Supplied Diagnoses.
Customers may provide diagnoses or recommendations from another HVAC company.
Listen.
Do not immediately agree.
Do not immediately disagree.
Do not roll your eyes.
Do not make the face.
Technicians know the face.
Don’t make it.
Perform your own diagnosis.
Before beginning work, understand why the customer called.
If the appointment is for:
“The downstairs AC isn’t cooling.”
the initial scope is the downstairs AC not cooling.
It is not automatically:
These things may become additional work.
They are not part of the original sentence.
See Section 17 — “While You’re Here…”
Ask the customer where the equipment is located.
Do not assume.
Possible answers include:
The customer’s statement that attic access is:
“Easy.”
shall be treated as preliminary information only.
Independent verification is required.
See Section 32 — Attics, Crawlspaces & “Easy Access.”
Before touching the thermostat:
Look at it.
Note:
Do not immediately begin pressing buttons.
The thermostat may contain useful evidence regarding what has been happening.
Record this information.
Do not litigate it.
Proceed to Section 08.
If you open a gate:
Close the gate.
This is not dependent upon whether you personally observed an animal.
There may be:
Close the gate.
If the gate was open when you arrived:
Do not automatically close it without considering why it was open.
The homeowner may be:
Ask when necessary.
Gate management is more complicated than anticipated.
If a dog is present:
Allow the homeowner to manage the dog.
Do not assume:
“Dogs love me.”
This statement has no legal authority over the dog.
If the homeowner says:
“He doesn’t bite.”
remain polite.
The dog has not personally confirmed this arrangement.
For complete procedures, see Section 05 — Customer Pets.
Technicians are advised to review this section before an actual pet-related incident.
Especially §5.1.1.
Time may be important.
Be respectful around children in the home.
Secure:
Children are curious.
An open tool bag may contain 47 items more interesting than anything their parents purchased specifically for them.
Plan accordingly.
If a small child asks whether the apprentice is also fixing the air conditioner:
The correct answer is yes.
Do not explain the organizational hierarchy.
When appropriate, have the customer show you:
This allows the customer to explain what they have seen.
It also prevents the technician from spending ten minutes searching for an air handler located behind a door that appears to be a bookshelf.
Florida houses contain surprises.
Before beginning diagnosis, the technician should know:
Who called?
What problem was reported?
Which system is affected?
Where is the equipment?
Are there any access concerns?
Are there pets?
Has anyone else worked on the system recently?
What has the customer observed?
Then begin diagnosis.
Not before.
Listen before you touch anything.
The customer has been living with the problem.
You just got here.
A customer should know, within the first few minutes:
Who you are.
Why you’re there.
That you listened.
That you respect their home.
That you’re going to diagnose the problem before recommending a solution.
You do not need to impress them.
You do not need to demonstrate everything you know.
You do not need to diagnose the compressor from the driveway.
Show up.
Introduce yourself.
Listen.
Look around.
Then go to work.
And close the gate.
Seriously.
END OF SECTION 04