9 Customer Service Tips for Technicians in the HVACR Business

There’s more to being a successful HVACR technician than the hands-on work itself.

Of course, your technical skills are crucial to the job! But being a star in the HVACR business also depends on providing excellent customer service — the kind of service that:

• Inspires confidence in customers
• Builds trust, which leads to repeat business and referrals
• Makes the experience a positive one for customers AND for you

The following are some customer service tips that will help you succeed in the HVACR business, whether you work for a company or branch out on your own.

1. Look the part of an HVACR business professional.

One of the pluses of being a technician in the HVACR business is not having to wear business attire. However, appearances still matter.

It’s important to show up at customer appointments looking clean, neat, and appropriately dressed. You might even want to stash a few extra shirts in the truck in case you need to change after a messy job.

If you sometimes work outdoors or have to trudge through water, mud, or snow, it is considerate to keep disposable shoe covers on hand. That way, you can wrap your shoes or boots before entering a building, to not track dirt and moisture into the customer’s property.

Keeping your truck organized and tidy further enhances your appearance as a professional. So, too, does keeping job orders and other paperwork organized. (Better yet, use an HVACR mobile app for tracking your work. See more on that in tip #8.)

It all adds up to a good first (and lasting) impression.

2. Show up on time — or if you can’t, keep the customer (and dispatch) informed.

Chances are you’ve experienced the frustration of waiting for someone who is late for an appointment. So, you know how your customer feels when you’re late for scheduled service or repairs. With an emergency repair, the customer is probably feeling even more anxious.

A smart HVACR business starts the process off right by giving customers a realistic and reasonable window of time in which to expect a technician to arrive — say, between 10 a.m. and noon. A smart technician manages his or her time efficiently, and makes the effort to keep to the schedule as much as possible.

Of course, sometimes you have to deal with the unavoidable. There will be unexpected complications that cause a job to take extra time or traffic incidents that cause delays or detours on the road. But by respecting the customer’s time and calling or texting if you’ll be late, you can help keep the customer experience positive.

In addition, the HVACR business depends on the dispatcher always knowing where the technicians are, what they are doing, and how long the work will take. So, also keeping the dispatcher updated allows the day’s work to be managed more efficiently and adjusted as needed.

3. Show up prepared for the task.

This is where you depend a lot on the customer support team back at the office — the first point of contact when a customer calls your HVACR business to schedule maintenance service or an emergency repair.

By asking the right questions during that initial call, customer support can uncover important details that reveal potential equipment problems and help you identify possible solutions before you arrive at the customer’s door.

Naturally, you want to show up at every job site with a truck that is well stocked with the tools and parts you commonly need. But having this additional input ahead of time can greatly improve the odds that you’ll show up with exactly the tools and parts you need to resolve any issues quickly and thoroughly.

4. Show up prepared to listen.

Most customers don’t know much about the technical aspects of their HVACR equipment. They just know they want it fixed and working properly as soon as possible.

So, once you arrive on site and greet the customer in a friendly and professional manner, briefly recap what you are there to do and mention any issues that customer support identified ahead of time. This does three things:

• Provides the opportunity for you to verify the task at hand and get additional details
• Allows customers to clarify or correct
• Lets customers know they are being heard and what they have to say matters

Being prepared to listen as well as to get right to work can vastly improve the customer experience — helping to build a loyal relationship with your HVACR business.

5. Don’t take things personally.

Let’s be honest: When customers are frustrated and anxious to have their HVACR issue resolved, they sometimes take it out on the technician.

Remember that the customer’s reaction does not have anything to do with you personally. Then try approaching the customer with empathy rather than getting defensive.

You will probably find that a calm reaction and logical response go a long way in diffusing a tense customer situation. While you may sometimes come across confrontational customers, handling most situations with diplomacy is the way to go.

6. Explain the work you are doing in customer-friendly terms.

Not knowing much about HVACR systems, customers can also become anxious when a repair gets underway. With some practice, you can learn to convey the basics of what you are doing in everyday terms that your customer will understand, such as:

• The name of the part being installed or repaired
• What the new part or repair will do
• About how much time it should take

Spending a moment keeping customers in the loop before you begin the repair not only helps to build the relationship — it also helps you make sure the customer knows what to expect and is assured that nothing unusual is happening.

Once the work is done, you can also walk the customer through the job, offer any recommendations for preventative maintenance, and ask if the customer has any questions. Again, open communication helps put customers at ease and makes for a positive experience.

7. Avoid surprises with honest estimates and detailed invoices.

Unless you are the HVACR business owner, you probably have little control over the charges for service and repairs. However, your recommendations as the technician who is actually doing the job can have a big impact on the customer’s final bill.

Set realistic expectations by providing customers with an estimate before repair work begins. Especially with a high price tag or unexpected costs, be clear about your recommendations and why they are necessary — then provide a written estimate for how much the customer can expect to pay for the work.

Take the time to answer any questions the customer might have. If you are still troubleshooting and the cost may change based on what you find as you complete the work, be honest about it so the customer won’t be taken completely by surprise.

Customers will be expecting a final bill that matches or is very close to the estimate. So, when you write up the job, detail all of the work and costs including parts, material, and labor, and double check it for accuracy. If it’s your job to present the invoice to the customer, offer to go over it and answer any questions.

8. Use the technology tools that your HVACR business offers.

Many HVACR companies are using technology to build customer relationships, streamline the job, and help technicians work more efficiently. For example, with mobile technology, many techs are using tablets or smartphones to:

• Coordinate with dispatch and manage appointments
• Send job paperwork by email
• Add photos — such as photos of parts that need to be replaced — to estimates and other documents
• Process payments on the spot, right after the work is done

Using the technology that your HVACR business makes available to you is a smart way to enhance your professionalism and level of customer service.

9. Get feedback to make sure the customer is happy.

A smart HVACR business also follows up after a service or repair call to make sure the customer is satisfied. A call or email within 24 hours of a technician visit is good customer service policy.

As the technician, you will have a good sense of whether everything went well when the job is finished. If your company has a website or is on sites such as Google My Business,

Facebook, Yelp, Yellowpages.com, Better Business Bureau, Manta, or Angie’s List, you can invite the customer to post a review online.

If the customer is dissatisfied, there is even more reason to follow up, to remedy the situation if possible. Work with your manager to see what you can do to make the customer happy, whether it’s a partial refund, credit for future service, or an offer of free maintenance service.

Showing that you and your HVACR business care and are willing to work with a customer to do right by them is vital to building trust and providing exceptional service.

You are the key to HVACR business success!

At the end of the day, customers want their HVACR systems running reliably and performing efficiently. In terms of both technical requirements and customer service, no one is more important in that process than you.

Through your people skills and your technical expertise, you are the person who can build trusted relationships, demonstrate the value of the HVACR business, and keep customers coming back — and referring new customers — year after year.

If you’re just getting started in the HVACR business, check out our training videos and other career resources that can help you become a success.