No matter what the season, you might be overloaded with calls from homeowners and property managers who discover that their HVAC systems aren’t functioning as well as they could be (or at all!).
Of course, they’re going to call you because you’re the only company they can trust, but that’s kind of both a blessing and curse. Having so much business is great, but only if you’re prepared to handle it.
Now is the time to start getting everything ready and all your team in place.
Preparing for the Seasonal HVAC Rush
It can get so crazy once the seasonal HVAC rush starts that it’s hard to know which end is up, let alone be able to keep track of who needs to go where and which customer called for what. Your in-house staff does the best it can, too, but it’s easy for the little things to fall between the cracks. This year, start a little earlier with your seasonal prep to ease the pressure.
Here are some areas to pay close attention to:
- Prepping your team. Your in-house people, including your receptionists and dispatchers, probably have lots of horror stories from seasons past. This year, make it a pleasant one. Give them up-to-date trainings on any new tools you’re implementing or policy changes that you’re making.The better the tools they have access to, the better job they can do, so consider investing in this area. An answering service can also act as a backup to your own people, in case the call volume gets extravagant.
- Compiling company policy manuals. It might seem like a lot of useless paperwork, but having a company policy manual that everyone can refer to saves a lot of time otherwise spent asking you questions about how to handle a particular situation.When you give everyone a copy and a chance to ask questions or suggest changes ahead of go time, you’ll find that things will run a bit smoother and you’ll have fewer people in your face all the time.
- Not forgetting your trucks and tools! The last thing you need is to show up at a jobsite with faulty tools or incorrectly packed tool bags. This is a great time to do a full check on each of your fleet vehicles, ensure that they’re running at their best and are looking good and that tool bags and boxes are organized properly. If you always keep hole saws in the small blue tool bags, then go through and ensure you’ll have what you need where you expect it to be.
Preparing for the seasonal deluge of HVAC calls isn’t just smart, it’s good business. When you’re ready ahead of time, you’re in control of how each customer interaction goes instead of trying to hold on while you’re swept up with the tide. A solid team that’s properly organized, policy manuals that address common problems and how to handle them and trucks and tools that are ready to go way ahead of time will give you an edge as you go into this busy season.
