ACHR News
search
Ask ACHR NEWS AI
cart
facebook twitter instagram linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ACHR News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • New HVAC Products
    • Featured Products
    • Manufacturer Reports
    • HVAC Data
    • Legislation
    • ACHR NEWS Centennial
  • RESIDENTIAL
    • Air Conditioners
    • Furnaces
    • Residential Heat Pumps
    • Ductless
    • Residential IAQ
    • Testing, Monitoring, Tools
    • Components & Accessories
  • COMMERCIAL
    • Air Handlers
    • Rooftop Units
    • Chillers and Cooling Towers
    • Commercial Heat Pumps
    • Boilers and Hydronics
    • VRF/Ductless
    • Commercial IAQ
  • REFRIGERATION
    • Refrigerants
    • Refrigerant Regulations
    • Leak Management
  • CONTRACTOR PRO
    • Geothermal
    • Homeowner Study
    • VRF and VRV Ductless
    • Unitary Trends
  • EDUCATION
    • Training and Education
    • Business Management
    • Service and Maintenance
    • Continuing Education
    • Market Research >
      • HVAC Brand Awareness Report
      • VRV, VRF, VRVZ Report
      • Unitary Trends Report
      • Water Heat Professionals Report
    • Webinars
    • Sponsor Insights
    • eProducts Info
    • White Papers
  • EVENTS
    • HVAC Contractor Forum
    • Industry Events and Webinars
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
    • AHR Expo 2025 Videos
    • Podcasts >
      • ACHR News Podcast
      • HARDI Podcasts
      • AHR Expo Podcasts
      • ACCA Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Quizzes
    • eBooks
    • HVAC Talkback
  • HVAC GROUP
    • ACHR NEWS >
      • Current Issue
      • Digital Edition
      • Subscribe
    • Distribution Trends
    • SNIPS NEWS >
      • Join SNIPS NEWS
    • Engineered Systems News >
      • Join ES News
    • HVACR Directory
    • Contests
    • Newsletters
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • My Account

Efficient service and the role of dispatcher

July 18, 2000
A technician I know went to a customer’s home. He knew beforehand that the customer was not going to be home and she left the key hidden outside.

He opened the front door and as he passed the bathroom on his way to check the thermostat, a young boy of six or seven ran out of the bathroom and out of the house. The child refused to come back in the house.

What would you do in this situation?

Path clearing

Here are some questions that your dispatchers must ask when setting up calls.

Residential calls:

  •  If the homeowner says that the key is hidden — “Will there be anyone home when the technician arrives?”

  •  If the homeowner says that children will be alone — “Do we have your permission to be in your home when there are children alone in the house? What telephone number can we reach you at (or a neighbor that the children will know) if there is a problem?”

  •  Also, “Can the children authorize work to be done if we find a problem with your system?”

  •  “Payment for our service call is due at the completion of the call. Will you be paying by check, credit card, or cash?”

    Commercial calls:

  •  “Who should the service technician check in with when he arrives at your job?”

  •  “Do you have a preferred place where the technician should park his truck?”

  •  “Who can authorize work to be done? Is a purchase order necessary?”

  •  “What is the billing procedure?”

For commercial calls, you may have this information on file if the customer is a repeat customer. However, in this era of consolidation and people changing jobs frequently, it never hurts to confirm the information you have on file.

Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS →

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

 

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • HVAC-enrollment

    The Trades Are Back: HVACR Programs See Nearly 30% Enrollment Spike

    A new wave of future technicians is entering the pipeline.  
    News
    By: Matt Jachman
  • 2025 Top 40 Under 40

    2025 Top 40 Under 40 HVACR Professionals List

    The 11th annual Top 40 Under 40 list highlights those...
    HVAC Contracting
    By: Hannah Belloli-Oster
  • LG Ductless Mini-Split Systems

    The 9 Types of Heat Pumps

    As the U.S. moves toward electrification, heat pumps are...
    Ground Source Heat Pumps
    By: Joanna R. Turpin
Subscription Center
  • Create an Account
  • Start a Subscription
  • Manage My Account
  • Sign Up for Newsletters
  • Visit Customer Service
  • Update Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to The News audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The News or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • An illustration shows a house with a geothermal heating system. Pipes are depicted running underground.
    Sponsored byClimateMaster

    Residential Tax Credits Are Ending, But Demand Continues

  • Piggy Bank
    Sponsored byWatercress Financial

    Energy Prices, Inflation, and HVAC: What Today’s Homeowners Care About

  • Refrigerated Food
    Sponsored bySolstice Advanced Materials

    R-455A Refrigeration: A Cold Storage Solution for the Future

Popular Stories

New-HVAC-Equipment.jpg

Amended Complaint Filed in HVAC Price-Fixing Lawsuit

HARDI lolgo navy

HARDI Distributors' Sales Down Nearly 5% in May

AHRI shipment data logo

Heat Pumps Remain HVAC’s Growth Story in Latest AHRI Shipment Data

LA-Heating_Craning-moving-new-hvac-condensing-unit-onto-roof-(2).jpg

Performance Drift: The Hidden Efficiency Problem Raising HVACR Costs

07-09-26-Service-Nation-Survey_Seven-Trends.jpg

Seven Business Trends Reshaping Home Service Contractors

View The ACHR NEWS
Centennial Anniversary Timeline

The ACHR News Timeline Chart
Submit a Letter
Submit a letter to our editors.

Events

November 6, 2025

Next-Gen Data Center Cooling: HVAC Innovation and Real-World Solutions

On Demand As AI workloads and high-density computing push traditional cooling methods to their limits, the data center industry is accelerating the adoption of next-generation HVAC technologies.

July 28, 2026

How Top Home Services Companies Turn Every Conversation Into Predictable Revenue

In this webinar, we'll outline how top contractors are turning every conversation into predictable revenue by coaching every comfort advisor visit, not just the ones a manager rides along on.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Summer Staff

Are you fully staffed for the summer season?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

BNI Mechanical/Electrical Square Foot Costbook, 2026 Edition

BNI Mechanical/Electrical Square Foot Costbook, 2026 Edition

See More Products
Designing Systems Using A2L Refrigerant - Free Webinar - 7/22/2026

Related Articles

  • kitchen-hvac.jpg

    The Role of Non-Toxic Maintenance Chemicals in Food Service & Refrigeration Environments

    See More
  • The Role of the Suction Line Accumulator

    See More
  • The Role of the Metering Device

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • HPOIS.png

    Heat Pump Operation, Installation, Service

  • Service-Management-Excellence-Image-2A.jpg

    Service Management Excellence

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Efficient Building Automation Corp.

    Efficient Building Automation Corporation provides products, systems, services and support that enable our partners to deliver open and integrated LonWorks building automation solutions of unequalled quality, reliability and performance.
  • Mechanical Service Contractors of America-MSCA

    MSCA represents the industry's most innovative and forward-thinking mechanical service firms.
×

Sign Up. Stay Informed.

The #1 trusted source for the HVACR industry since 1926

SUBSCRIBE
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Advisory Board
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Letter
    • Directories
    • Store
  • ACCOUNT CENTER
    • Create an Account
    • Start a Subscription
    • Manage My Account
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Visit Customer Service
    • Update Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing