The 10 questions your techs answer in the truck

Your receptionist should never take a message about the questions your team answers 10 times a week.

Three callers: HVAC, handyman and home services

• HVAC: “How long does a system usually last before you would replace instead of repair?” The 10 questions your techs answer in the truck are the 10 your FAQ is missing. One row each.
• Handyman: “Does anyone need to be home while you do the work?” Every handyman hears it. Answer it once, in the words you use on the phone.
• Home services: “Do you offer emergency plumbing services?” Yes or no, and what counts as an emergency to you.

The knowledge base is the brief. The FAQ card is the list of answers your team already gives without thinking. Hours, service area, what you work on, what it costs, and what happens if plans change.

Outerbanks HVAC, our demo account, carries twelve. “What areas do you serve?” Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. “What are your office hours?” Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Do you offer same-day appointments?” Same-day service may be available, and the team checks the schedule before confirming.

That last answer is the one to copy. It is helpful without promising what the receptionist cannot see. A caller hears a straight answer and nobody is held to a time the schedule cannot keep.

Start from the help center list

Our help center keeps FAQ templates by trade, for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and home improvement. These fit almost every home service business:

• Does the company offer emergency services?
• How quickly does the company respond to service requests?
• Does anyone need to be home for quotes or services?
• Does the homeowner have to be the one to call?
• Do you offer estimates? If so, are they free?
• Does the company offer service contracts or maintenance plans?
• What payment options are available?

Answer each in your own words. The template is the question, never the answer.

Where to find the rest

Ask whoever answers the phone today. Read your last twenty voicemails. Then, once your receptionist is live, read the Unanswered Questions screen every week. Each row there is a real caller asking something it could not answer. Each is one FAQ away from never being asked twice.

Keep each answer short

One or two sentences, in the words you would use on the phone. If the honest answer is “it depends”, say what it depends on and offer the next step.

In the portal, the FAQ card sits beside the knowledge base, under Call Handling Setup › Manage Knowledge. Add each question and answer, then save.

Talk to the HVAC receptionist and ask if they do same-day.