Brace yourselves. I’m about to jump on a soap box. Something has been irritating me lately. I’ve had several instances within the past week where people have promised to give me a call at a very specific time and then days go by and I don’t hear from them. This has happened both at work and in my personal life. And it’s unbelievably frustrating! Don’t get me wrong, I know important things may come up preventing a callback, but in that situation, I usually send an email update or call as soon as possible after the fact.

This applies in the wonderful world of HVAC, as well. Most contractors give their customers a timeframe of when a technician will be out to service their equipment. If that time comes and goes without hearing from the company, that’s a sure-fire way to earn an angry call or a bad review on websites like Yelp or Angie’s List.

Like I stated above, things do come up from time to time. And some contracting companies are great at managing this. They have protocols and systems in place that either call, text, or email customers, letting them know the technician is running late, or tied up on another job, so they are sending a new technician right away. Some companies even send a text when the technician is on his or her way, with an estimated time of arrival. I think that is ingenious. Nowadays, customers are impatient and don’t want to wait for anything. Having such a system in place ensures they’re not waiting around for hours on end, not knowing when your company is going to show up. I’ve also heard of some companies shortening the timeframe they tell customers from a four-hour window to a two-hour window. 

What kind of procedures does your company have in place to prevent this outcome? Maybe it’s time to review and update your company policies?